Trailblazer Guide Books

Engagingly written — all the guides from this stable are first class
 — Traveller

WHAT’S IT LIKE ON THE MOUNTAIN?

Fun. It really is. Sure, the last push to the summit is hard, as some of the quotes used later in this book clearly indicate, but don’t let that put you off. Kilimanjaro is a delightful mountain to climb:

But we had much to compensate us for all we had to give up. The charm of the mountain scenery, the clear, crisp atmosphere, the tonic of ‘a labour we delight in’ and the consciousness now and again of success achieved, all went far to make our fortnight’s arduous toil a happy sequence of red-letter days.
Hans Meyer Across East African Glaciers

The days are spent walking through spectacular landscapes which change every day as you pass through different vegetation zones. The pace is never exhausting, as you have to walk slowly in order to give yourself a chance to acclimatize. What’s more, at the end of the day, while the guides are cooking your dinner, you are free to wander around the campsite and, as you bump into the same people time and again over the course of the trek, a sense of community soon develops. Then as night falls, and you tuck into the huge plates of food cooked by your crew, the stars come out, stunning everyone into silence. This is the favourite time of day for most people: rested, replete with food and with a day of satisfactory walking behind and a good night’s sleep ahead, it’s natural to feel a sense of comfort and contentment, with the thought of wild animals possibly lying nearby serving to add a pleasing frisson of excitement.

Bed? It’s too early. I feel too good. Aaah, I wonder if there’ll ever be another time as good as this.  Gregory Peck, in the film version of The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Of course, walking up from less than 2000m or thereabouts to 5895m does, as you can probably imagine, take a lot of effort and the night walk to the summit is unarguably tough. But short of actually carrying you up, your crew will do everything in their power to make your entire experience as comfortable as possible. In fact, they’ll spoil you: not only do they carry your bag, but at the end of the day’s walk you’ll turn up at camp to find your tent has already been erected, with a bowl of hot water lying nearby for you to wash away the grime of the day. A few minutes later and a large plate of popcorn and biscuits will be served with a mug of steaming hot tea or coffee.

Accommodation on the trail
I got back in time to see P.D. lying on sloping ground, slipping off the stretcher, and in great pain. Small fire had been made under the root of a great tree. Rain soon came on and wiped out the fire ... tent was not put up and we were all in great misery. Men with tent lost in the darkness. Thought if the rain stopped we could go on in the moonlight. Rain did not stop.  Peter MacQueen In Wildest Africa (1910)

Unless you are on the Marangu Route, accommodation on the mountain will be in tents brought up by your porters. (Do not be tempted to sleep in any of the caves as that is against park regulations.) On the Marangu Route, camping is forbidden; instead people have to sleep in huts along the route. (You will see people camping on this route but they are trekkers who took the Rongai Route to ascend and are now descending on Marangu.) The sleeping arrangements in these huts are usually dormitory-style, with anything from four to twenty beds per room.
        Confusingly, away from the Marangu Route many of the campsites are actually called ‘huts’ but don’t be fooled: they are called huts because of the green shacks you’ll find at these campsites which are usually inhabited by the park rangers. Trekkers used to be allowed to sleep in these huts too, but no longer.

    The only other buildings you will possibly see along the trail are the toilets. Most are of the same design, namely a little wooden hut with a hole in the floor. Some are in better condition than others; all we will say is that some people are terrible shots, while other latrines are in desperate need of emptying before the contents become Kilimanjaro’s fourth peak. Smart new ones are now being built at many of the bigger camps.

Food on the trail
Remember to tell your agency if you have any special dietary requirements – because meat, nuts, gluten and dairy form a substantial part of the menu on Kilimanjaro.
        A typical breakfast will involve eggs (boiled or fried), porridge, a saveloy (possibly with some tomatoes too), a piece of fruit such as a banana or orange, some bread with jam, honey or peanut butter and a mug of tea, hot chocolate or coffee.
        Lunch is sometimes prepared at breakfast and carried by the trekker in his or her daypack, though the more expensive companies have tables set up and cook food on site. (This practice is reportedly being phased out by the authorities who are concerned at the environmental damage this causes.) This packed lunch often consists of a boiled egg, some sandwiches, a banana or orange, and some tea kept warm in a flask and carried by your guide.
        At the end of the day’s walking, afternoon tea is served with biscuits, peanuts and, best of all, salted popcorn. The final and biggest meal of the day, dinner usually begins with soup, followed by a main course including chicken or meat, a vegetable sauce, some cabbage or other vegetable, and rice or pasta; if your porters have brought up some potatoes, these will usually be eaten over the first few days as they are so heavy.

Drink on the trail
Porters will collect water from the rivers and streams along the trail. Some of this they will boil and maybe purify for you at the start of the day to carry in your water bottles. On the lower slopes you can collect water yourself from the many streams and purify it using a filter or tablets. Note, however, that as you climb ever higher water becomes more scarce. On the Machame trail, for example, the last water point is at Karanga Valley, the lunch-stop before Barafu; on Marangu, it’s just before the Saddle. For this reason it is essential you carry enough bottles or containers for at least three litres.
        In camp, coffee and tea are served and maybe hot chocolate too – all usually made with powdered milk. Remember that caffeine, present in coffee and tea, is dehydrating, which can be bad for acclimatization. Caffeine is a diuretic too (ie you will want to urinate frequently – something you should already be doing a lot as you adapt to the higher conditions).

What to put in your daypack
Normally you will not see your main backpack from the moment you hand it to the porter in the morning to at least lunchtime, and maybe not until the end of the day. It’s therefore necessary to pack everything you may need during the day in the bag you carry with you. Some suggestions, in no particular order:

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