Machame route video

I just watched this video from Trial Magazine where one of the staff members did a 6-day Machame climb. It's a nice overview of the route and what it really feels like.

Last time I did the Machame route I took 7 days and found the extra day well worth it. Instead of hiking directly from Baranco to Barafu (final summit camp) we had an additional day with a stop at Karanga instead. If you have the time I highly recommend an extra day to acclimate. As the video correctly points out, it's not a technically hard mountain but the altitude can make or break you.

I also really liked hearing from the guide, Samuel. Nice touch.

Kilimanjaro photo wins contest

Sorry for the silence. I was out backpacking in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. I'm finally getting caught up now and had to share this. I know this is a bit off topic from our typical Kilimanjaro adventure travel and trekking related content. But this is a GREAT picture.



Rob Bukar won the Imaging-Resource photo competition for April. While there are no real details about the photo itself, I think this came from the Kenya side of the mountain given the wildlife and mountain view.

Kilimanjaro makes another top 10 list

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro has recently been recognized by Forbes Travel as one of the top 10 for amateur climbers. Take a look and get a few ideas for some other places to consider after you get back from Tanzania.

Kilimanjaro water unsafe?

A recent backpacker returned from Kilimanjaro with water samples to test how well it was being filtered and treated on the mountain. In this case, the answer is not well at all! As a result a number of climbers became ill. While I'm only aware of a few cases where climbers got sick on the mountain (aside from altitude sickness), water quality is a serious issue on Kilimanjaro. On one climb I witnessed a porter urinating into the steam that was to be our water supply.

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself on the mountain. If you bring your own filter make sure you get your water far enough upstream to avoid any contamination from your own party. If the porters are providing all your water make sure to ask your guide how the water is being purified. Warn him that you've heard stories and do not want to get sick. The guides know sick clients mean lower tips and should take extra precautions with your water.

Brief History of Kilimanjaro

Roy J Hinde of the Travel Zone blog has posted a nice, short geological history of Mt. Kilimanjaro as well as some of the thoughts on how the name came about. Check it out.

Kili makes top 10 list

This month Backpacker Magazine posted their list of the Top 10 classics. Kilimanjaro rated along with Everest Base camp, Mont Blanc, Machu Picchu, Annapurna and more. Among their reasons it's a "giant standing alone, Kili offers a view unlike any in the world."

They also offer some helpful tips (beta) to consider when planning your trip and begin your Swahili training with "pole pole" meaning slowly. On our first trip up Kilimanjaro this became the mountain mantra for all the climbers. Porters would huff it at us as they streaked past to the next camp and guides would constantly remind customers to take it slow.

Backpacker is one of my favorite publications and I appreciate that they only have space for a small amount of information. But I might suggest anyone interested in making the climb also consider some of the local outfitters. I don't want to name names for fear of seeming biased. But there are a number of reputable companies that also have agents or offices in the US, UK, Germany and South Africa. The nice thing about these options is you can book with a reputable agent in your home country while ensuring your guide definitely knows Swahili, since he's Tanzanian. These types of trips tend to be cheaper than Alaskan Mountain Guides, National Geographic or others. However, you lose the comfort of having an expert American guide travel with you (as well as a personal toilet carried up the mountain for you). You might think you can live without the expert advice, but after you see (and smell) the state of the pit toilets on Kilimanjaro you might have second thoughts about the personal toilet.

Kilimanjaro the most dangerous mountain?

Thanks to the Adventure Blog for bringing this one to our attention in a recent post. A recent report posted on grough website highlights a number of risks that make Kilimanjaro "one of the most dangerous mountains in the world." According to Dr Windsor, a UK member of the commission advising the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme "cold, dehydration and altitude cause between 50 and 75 per cent of would-be summiteers to turn back." He also lists electrocution, HIV/AIDS and car accidents as other reasons for classifying Kilimanjaro as so dangerous.

To start off, I'm very glad that someone acknowledges how dangerous Kilimanjaro can be. Many would-be climbers think of it as a simple walk up hill for a few days and too frequently visitors opt to save a few dollars and rush up the mountain rather than take a bit more time to acclimate properly. Regardless of the mountain, it's important to always respect it and know what the real risks are.

But I also have to call into question some of the good doctors statistics. I have heard everything from as low as 1 in 10 to as high as 9 in 10 climbers reach the summit. I suspect some of this depends on the route, time of year, outfitter, etc. Certainly the Marangu route has the lowest summit rate, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if his estimates of 50 and 75 percent turning back on this route is accurate. But historically we've see over 90% of clients summit via the longer (and thus better to acclimate) routes like Machame, Lemosho and Rongai.

The title of the article is Kilimanjaro: dangers galore on the summit trail but then goes into graphic detail about how to avoid HIV/AIDS as well as electrocution. I don't know how you get to the top of a mountain, but I've never seen an article about Everest or K2 warning about sex and faulty wiring. But maybe that's the point. Kilimanjaro seems so accessible that these more 'everyday' issues are a problem.