What you need to know if you want to climb Kili:
First and foremost it helps if you have some sort of internal or external motivation to want to reach the summit. Either you have always wanted to or you are doing it for someone or something you believe in.
Which route to take:
Secondly you need to decide what style you want the climb to be. Long and comfortable, or hard and fast 😉 as this will determine what route you will take. Every company will offer each route. The easiest and most comfortable with hut accommodation is the Marangu route, followed by the 8 day lo mosho route, which is much more expensive. Machame is one of the most popular as it has the best variety of views and can be done in either 6 or 7 days. The last route to consider is the Umbwe route which is climbed in 5 days and should only really be done if you have already climatized on Mt Meru or have experience at altitude. Even though it is 5 days it will cost the same as Machame.
Cost and companies:
The cost will range from $1000 to $1300 and up to $4000 for custom packages. $670 of this is your park entrance fee and the rest is for your food and a small base salary for the porters, chef and guides. You are also required to tip all the team at the end, if you in a group the minimum is 10% of what you paid and if you are on a small or private tour your tip will need to be at least 15% to keep them happy. The porters base salary can be as low as $4 a day so they really do rely on the tip. For 2 people expect a support team of about 10. This will include up to 7 porters, a chef, and 2 guides. Because there are so many climbing companies now the profit margins are getting much smaller for the companies.
We went with a company called Kili Climbers and Safaris. You can expect to pay $1100 for the Machame 6 day route. This company was amazing. They gave us a great english speaking guide (Athmani) and the food was awesome. This is a family business and usually includes a night at the family cottage in Marangu. Amin cottages has its own private waterfall and swimming hole and is the perfect place to relax before and after the climb. They have an office in both Moshi and Marangu, email- kiliclimber_2000@yahoo.com. I recommend not booking any climb before getting to Moshi or Arusha unless you are a big group as you can get it cheaper if you talk to companies directly and you will have no trouble at all getting a tour for tomorrow if need be.
Gear and preparation:
Any gear and advice from this trip you can get from a Bivouac store nationwide. There are a couple of places to hire gear in Moshi. The most important things to have are
– good wind and rain proof jacket
– warm wind proof pants
– thermal and fleece layers
– strirdy waterproof tramping boots or plenty of warm socks
– headlamp and beanie
The more and better the gear you have, the more comfortable you will be. If money is an issue beg borrow and trademe!
Final thoughts:
Don’t be scared, take your time and give it a go. Do some training before hand like walks up local hills and mountains. The more you do the better it will be for you and your group. Anyone can do it, as mountaineering is far more about mental than physical strength. 2 people over 80 have summited 🙂
Stats!
Stats for run
Total times including breaks
Day 1, 4:58
Day 2, 5:25
Day 3, 5:15
Day 4, 5:01
Day 5, 5:50
Day 6, 4:40
Day 7, 4:39
Day 8, 4:28
Day 9, 5:29/6:45-51km
Average time 5:04
Average pace 7:14 min per km
Total distance ran: 387km
Same distance as Auckland to Waiouru
Total distance to summit: 428km
That is half the length of the South island
Stats for climb!
Distance to summit 41km
Total distance 62km
Sea2Summit7 