Giraffes walk curiously towards the camera, the sun slowly rises over the African savannah and in the background, the highest mountain on the continent rises majestically – Mount Kilimanjaro.
Ever since I saw this picture for the first time, I had one goal in mind: To stand on the snow-covered peak once.
At 5895 meters, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest free-standing mountain on earth – and climbing it is a real adventure.
You can only get to the national park near Moshi with a trained guide; you cannot climb on your own.
You can get to the summit via various routes of varying duration and difficulty. The Machame Route is very promising as it contains good stages for acclimatization. Because on Kilimanjaro you usually fail not because of a lack of fitness – but because of altitude sickness.
Usually you are travelling with a tour group. The team takes care of the luggage, the erection and dismantling of the tents and the preparation of the meals. And you are really very grateful for that. On the way up you are busy with yourself, unthinkable to take care of these things.
The route takes you through completely different vegetation zones, from the tropical rainforest, over windy scree deserts to the snow-capped peaks. The great thing about the trip: You really come down: the whole day physical activity in the fresh air, little or no cell phone reception, a week really out of everyday life – and often out of the comfort zone.
Whoever wants to stand on Uhuru Peak has to walk many kilometres, icy nights in tents and overcome the treacherous heights. But it’s worth it: Fantastic views, exciting climbing passages and the family community of the tour group – are you ready?
Here you can read everything about the optimal preparation for climbing Kilimanjaro and my experience reports:
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Loved reading about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? This article was submitted by Phil of @Journication. If you would like to share where you Venture | Explore | Conquer, contact us on submissions@dillydallymag.co
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