Trailblazer Guide Books

Trailblazer Guides are produced by people who know exactly what information is needed - not just to get from A to B but to be entertaining as well as informative.
 - The Great Outdoors

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 10

PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP
    With a group or on your own?
    Independent trekking not an option 17 – With friends 17
    On your own? 18
    Budgeting
    Accommodation 20 – Food 20 – Transport 20
    When to go 20
    Booking your trek
    Booking with an agency at home 23
    Booking with an agency in Tanzania 37
    Signing the contract 39 – The cost: why is it all so expensive? 40
    Tipping 43
    The crew
    Porters 44 – Guides 51
    Getting to Kilimanjaro
    By air 53 – Overland 54
    Route options
    Getting to the mountain 55 – Getting up the mountain 55
    What to take
    Clothes 61 – Other equipment 63 – What to pack it in 70
    Health precautions, inoculations and insurance
    Fitness 71 – Inoculations 71 – Insurance 74

PART 2: TANZANIA
    Facts about the country
    Geography 75 – Climate 76 – History 76 – Economic and population
    statistics 80 – The people 81
    Practical information for the visitor
    Documents and visas 82 – Airport tax 83 – Money 83 – Tourist offices 84
    Getting around 85 – Accommodation 86 – Electricity 86 – Time 86
    Business hours 87 – Post and telecommunications 87 – Food 89 – Drinks 90       Things to buy 91 – Security 91 – Health 92

PART 3: KILIMANJARO
    Geology
    The glaciers 95

    Climate 98
    The history of Kilimanjaro
    Early history 101 – The outsiders arrive 104
    The 1800s: Pioneers... 105 – ...and preachers 105
    First attempts on the summit 111 – Colonization 114
    Kilimanjaro conquered 116 – After Meyer 119
    Kilimanjaro today 122

    Fauna and flora
    Fauna 124 – Avifauna 127 – Flora 129

    The people of Kilimanjaro: the Chagga
    Origins 134 – Social structure and village life 136
    Religion and ceremonies 138 – Kilimanjaro economy 141

PART 4: ARRIVING IN EAST AFRICA: NAIROBI & DAR ES SALAAM
    Dar es Salaam
    Arrival 143 – Orientation and getting around 143 – Services 143
    Where to stay 145 – Where to eat 148 – A tour of the city 149
    Moving on to Kilimanjaro 150
    Nairobi
    Security 151 – Arrival 152 – Orientation and getting around 152
    Services 153 – Where to stay 154 – Where to eat 157
    A tour of the city 158 – Moving on to Kilimanjaro 160

PART 5: ARUSHA, MOSHI & MARANGU
    Kilimanjaro International Airport 161
    Arusha
    Arrival 162 – Orientation and getting around 163 – Services 166
    Where to stay 168 – Where to eat and drink 176 – Nightlife 180
    What to do 181 – Trekking agencies 182 – Getting away 189
    Moshi
    Arrival 191 – Orientation and getting around 192 – Services 192
    Where to stay 196 – Where to eat and drink 200 – Trekking agencies 205
    Getting away 211
    Marangu
    Services and Where to stay 212 – What to do 215 – Getting away 216

PART 6: SAFE TREKKING & MINIMUM IMPACT TREKKING
    Safe trekking
    What is AMS 217 – Go pole pole if you don’t want to feel poorly poorly:
    how to avoid AMS 220 – How to treat it 222 – Other potential health
    problems 223
    Minimum impact trekking
    Some guidelines for keeping the mountain pristine 227

PART 7: Mount Meru
    Introduction 229 – Practicalities 230
    Stage 1: Momela Gate to Miriakamba Huts 232
    Map A 233
    Stage 2: Miriakamba Huts to Saddle Huts 236
    Map B 237
    Stage 3: Saddle Huts to Socialist Peak 238
    Stage 4: Miriakamba Huts to Momela Gate 240

PART 8: TRAIL GUIDE & MAPS
    Using this guide
    About the maps in this guide 241
    The Marangu Route
    Stage 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Huts 246 – Map 1 249 – Map 2 251
    Stage 2: Mandara Huts to Horombo Huts 252 – Map 3 253
    Stage 3: Horombo Huts to Kibo Huts 255 – Map 4 256 – Map 5 257
    Stage 4: Kibo Huts to Gillman’s Point and Uhuru Peak 258 – Map 6 259

    The Machame Route
    Stage 1: Machame Gate to Machame Huts 263 – Map 7 264 – Map 8 266
    Stage 2: Machame Huts to the Shira Caves 267 – Map 9 268
    Stage 3: Shira Caves to Barranco Huts 269 – Map 10 270
    Stage 4: Barranco Huts to Barafu Huts 272 – Map 11 273 – Map 12 274
    Stage 5: Barafu Huts to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak 275 – Map 13 276

    The Shira Plateau & Lemosho routes
    Stage 1: Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa/Big Tree Camp 283 – Map 14 285
    Stage 2: Mti Mkubwa/Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 286 – Map 15 287
    Stage 3: Shira 1 to Shira Huts 288 – Map 16 290
    Stage 4: Shira Huts to Lava Tower Camp/Barranco Huts 292 – Map 17 293
    Stage 5: Western Breach: Lava Tower to Arrow Glacier Campsite 295
    Map 18 296
    Stage 6: Arrow Glacier Campsite to Uhuru Peak 297
    The Shira Plateau Route 299 – Map 19 300

    The Rongai Route
    Stage 1: Rongai Gate to Simba Camp 303
    Stage 2: Simba Camp to Third Cave 304 – Map 20 305 – Map 21 308
    The Mawenzi Tarn Route 308 – Map 22 309 – Map 23 311 – Map 24 312
    Stage 3: Third Cave Campsite to School Hut 313 – Map 25 314
    Stage 4: School Hut to the Kibo Huts Junction and Uhuru Peak 314
    
    Umbwe Route
    Stage 1: Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Cave Campsite 317 – Map 26 318
    Stage 2: Umbwe Cave Campsite to Barranco Huts 320 – Map 27 321
    Stage 3: Barranco Huts to Lava Tower Campsite 322 – Map 28 322

    The descent routes
    Marangu Route 324 – Returning via the Mawenzi Route 325
    Mweka Route 328 – Map 29 329 – Map 30 330 – Map 31 332

PART 9: THE SUMMIT
    What’s at the top?
    Walking on the summit 334 – Map 32 335

APPENDICES
    A: Swahili 338             
    B: Schedules for Kilimanjaro and Arusha Airports 340
    C: Tanzanian and Kenyan diplomatic missions 343
    D: Recommended reading, listening and watching 345
    E: GPS waypoints 352
    F: Acute mountain sickness 356

INDEX 359