Kilimanjaro

Morbyd

Morbyd

Moderator
I've spoken of it before on here. I've spoken of it to friends for years.

This year - it happens.

So, anyone been? Anyone know anyone who has done it? Anecdotes? Advice?

My mate and I have chosen dates, I've got flights planned (not booked), but I've not yet chosen a tour operator. Anyone have a suggestion?
 
Hello :lol:

Ferd's Tamsyn did it last year so message her on FB and she'll be able to give you lots of useful info.

I'd like to do Kilimanjaro at some point as I've really got the mountain climbing bug after doing Mount Kinabalu in December and we're doing Everest Base Camp Trek this year. All I'd say about training is to do lots of hills, hills, hills :twisted:

We are both really fit these days with all our running so we continued doing a lot of running to keep our stamina up but the most invaluable training we did was lots of hill walking - literally going out for 6-8 hours with a daypack on our backs walking up and down hills.

Don't underestimate how much tougher things are at higher altitude so if you've got the fitness beforehand it will make things much easier. We had perfect conditions for our summit climb for sunrise and still only about 20-25 people out of 100 made it, the previous week had been bad weather and only 5 of the 100 made it. I think a lot of people just under-estimate how tough it is so put those hours of training in.

I can tell you now though that reaching the summit for sunrise will be THE most incredible experience of your life 8)
 
Oh and I really recommend reading Anatoli Boukreev's 'The Climb' and Jon Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air' (about the fatal Everest expeditions in 1996) before you go, so that if the going gets tough you can think there's no way you have it as bad as they did.
 
Oh and another thing (mountain climbing is my new favourite pastime so I can talk all day about it :oops::lol:) it's worth getting some Diamox before you go and also take plenty of Ibuprofen as anyone can get Altitude Sickness - even if you don't take the Diamox (and it's worth reading up on side effects and weighing up pros and cons of taking them) it is worth having them as a back-up just in case.
 
Hey you :)

All read up on the Diamox and I've have "Into Thin Air" in both paperback and Kindle so I'm already halfway there :lol:

I'll drop her a line. Main concern now is just choosing that tour operator. There's a lot to choose from!
 
My friend did Kiliminjaro for her honeymoon, I'll message her and ask her what tour company she used. I used Tripadvisor to find a good local company to do EBC but there do some to be a lot of 'fake' reviews for tour operators so you have to proceed with a bit of caution and take some reviews with a pinch of salt.

Also the 2 most invaluable things you can take with you are:

Your hiking boots - don't scrimp on them and make sure they are really bedded in

Baby wipes - not sure which route you're planning on doing (whether you're doing tents or huts) but don't even think about showering even if you're in the huts, make Baby Wipes your best friend for a week :lol:
 
It occasionally amazed me how likeminded we can be.
I'd planned on taking a mountain of baby wipes :lol: (pun intended!)

I have some old Columbia boots but I've not really used them for hiking so I'm not sure if I should take them along or look for something else :confused:
 
From my friend:

"we did kili with a co called 360, they are absolutely brill bit more £ than others but so worth it, cant recommend them enough"

http://www.360-expeditions.com/


Morbyd said:
It occasionally amazed me how likeminded we can be.
Click to expand...

:lol:;)

Morbyd said:
I'd planned on taking a mountain of baby wipes :lol: (pun intended!)

I have some old Columbia boots but I've not really used them for hiking so I'm not sure if I should take them along or look for something else :confused:
Click to expand...

Are they proper hiking boots, and preferably Gore-tex? If not it's definitely worth investing in some as your feet will be spending hours and hours pounding the mountain in them. I've got a pair of Gore-tex Brashers and they are so comfy it's like wearing slippers :lol: Buy a pair 0.5 or 1 size bigger than your normal shoe size as you'll be wearing them with thick hiking socks. And make you really bed them in, you do NOT want to be getting blisters early on in the trek.

Also get a Gore-tex jacket, it's less important to get Gore-tex trousers but make sure they are water-resistant. And gloves are a must too.

And then a day hat to keep off the sun and a woolly hat for night and early morning climbs.

(I spent a LOT of time in SportsDirect/outdoor shops before we went :oops::lol:)
 
Barbie said:
From my friend:

"we did kili with a co called 360, they are absolutely brill bit more £ than others but so worth it, cant recommend them enough"

http://www.360-expeditions.com/
Click to expand...
Sadly, they won't work. They only do 1 route and it's not the one I want to take.. Also set tour dates (only 2 per year?), not custom. Also, they're not on the list of certified agencies with the Porter Assistance Project (makes sure they take proper care of their staff) And they're twice as expensive as others I've looked at, which to me says they're probably just agents and outsource to someone local.
 
Morbyd said:
It occasionally amazed me how likeminded we can be.
I'd planned on taking a mountain of baby wipes :lol: (pun intended!)

I have some old Columbia boots but I've not really used them for hiking so I'm not sure if I should take them along or look for something else :confused:
Click to expand...

I have spent a lot of time in jungles and on mountains in various weather conditions. I would recommend getting thisulate boots (which style your choice), they breathe and wick away sweat. I prefer a higher cut boot because this prevent ankle injuries. What ever you buy get them early and break them in, blisters make life tough. I would also recommend getting cushioned socks that wick moisture, they will improve your walking conditions. Happy feet makes climbing easier. The same goes for outer gear, gortex outer shell are light weight and protect against wind, rain, and cold.
 
I'm feeling inspired by this thread. I'm gonna start looking into this mountain lark too!

8)
 
Come with us!!

We're looking at arriving on Thursday, March 8 (beginning of bank holiday weekend here for Int'l Women's Day), beginning the climb on March 9 and then heading to Zanzibar for the weekend on the following Thursday or Friday (depending on which climb itinerary we end up with)
 
Well, they're good in snow so I hope they can handle rain. I will probably buy some gaiters in any case.
 
Tour operator booked.
Airline tickets purchased.
All systems go.
Getting a little nervous now!


*still need to book a Zanzibar hotel. Any tips?
 
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