Anyone up for climbing Kilimanjaro?

[GB1]

Someone I've been thinking about for a couple years - Climb Kilimanjaro before the glaciers melt !

From what I've heard it's not easy, but definitely easier than true mountain climbing: you basically walk up, and your porters carry a lot of the stuff. You hire then as a team (that being their normal work).

I've heard it takes about 5 days to climb up and about 1.5 - 2 to climb down. You cover less distance per day as you ascend. The last couple thousand feet are the hardest, due to lack of oxygen.

If you're in reasonably good shape you should be able to do it. But unless you know your reaction to low oxygen levels are (from previous high altitude work), there's the danger of health problems that may force you to descend before making it to the top. (I personally have no idea how I'll handle it. It would be good to find out beforehand though.)

The cost isn't bad if you're not on one of those outrageously-priced packages you see on the internet. I have a friend who did it for about $3000-$4000.

I'm thinking September this year (2008) - warm at the foothills, but not too bitter at the top.

Think about it, and the great photo ops!!!!!!

GB

[another view]

Convenience always costs... A friend and I have considered using an outfitter for a sea kayaking trip due to all of the logistics involved with it, but by the time we broke it all down it seemed like about 40% of the cost was their fee for leading it. They deserve to be paid and are a business, of course, but we could put it together for much less money. We have done several trips together so we're fairly experienced - but this particular one is a bit more involved.

My sister has climbed Kilimanjaro - it was about six years ago I guess. She actually was proposed to on the mountain but her now husband had problems with the altitude and didn't make it to the top. At the time they both lived fairly close to sea level - funny how altitude can affect one person and not another. Both are in very good physical shape.

The extent of my high altitude explorations are driving and light-duty hiking in the Rockies but it hasn't bothered me. You might want to try something like that before deciding on a "trip of a lifetime" only to find out that high altitudes don't work well for you. But it would be an amazing trip!

[Dylan8i]

id love to, but i don't think i'd want to use porters, id just want to backpack my own way up. (ive been up to about 12,000 just fine backpacking- 14,000 in a car with minimal acclimatizion- but did get headache etc. )

would save lots of money, but still to much for me as a student.

[Canuck935]

Hi GB,

This thread caught my attention immediately. Kilimanjaro got put on my 'life list' (or 'bucket list' if you prefer haha) last year after reading about it on a website of a company that leads trips up the mountain.

Personally, I have been up to about 14,500 feet (Mt. Whitney, CA) without much fuss besides being a little short on breath. AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) affects everyone differently. Some people start feeling it around 8,000 feet, some don't feel it till 11,000 feet.. etc. It doesn't even matter how fit or unfit someone is.

September eh? This sounds very tempting. Right now though I do not know. I'm already planning to take a week off in late June to attempt the HIgh Sierra Trail with a couple of friends. It also depends on availability of funding.

Keep us posted about this, I am definitely interested..

[mwfanelli2]

id love to, but i don't think i'd want to use porters, id just want to backpack my own way up.

Sorry, Kilimanjaro requires guides to make the trip. That's the law in Tanzania.

[GB1]

Thanks everyone. In about 7 years there may not be any snow left on Kilimanjaro. The clock's ticking to get some great photos. And few spots have such an allure.

Another View - I plan on doing some mountain climbing/hiking starting in February (running a marathon on Jan 20th and after that I'll be home free to try some other things). Testing one's susceptibility definitely makes sense. I've be in planes at 14000 w/o O2 for short periods and never had a problem, but that means little since we weren't up there very long and weren't exerting ourselves.

I take your response as a "maybe?" If so, that's fine for now.

There's only so cheap you can make such a trip. I've heard that the fees to get into the park are somewhere ~ $500 per person. The cost of the porters and plane fare are the other constants. I need to get some more numbers and facts in the coming weeks.

Dylan - Probably too costly for a student, but in case you hit the lottery .. Let everyone know.

Canuck935 - I've heard this: you don't really know your tolerance until you try some serious altitude. I've had friends who tried Whitney several times and were thwarted by ice, sickness, whatever. Sounds like you might be one that doesn't. I'll post more facts soon.

mwfanelli2 - Thks for the info.

GB

[another view]

I take your response as a "maybe?" If so, that's fine for now.

Me? It's not really my thing, just adding some useless banter... I don't get anywhere near enough vacation time from work (according to me, not them!) and try to spend as much as I can get away with wilderness camping out of a kayak. Good luck with the trip!

[Canuck935]

GB - Any more information?

[GB1]

Canuck935 - I've been a little distracted with other stuff, but I did talk with that Sierra Club friend who make the trip. He said it really wasn't that bad at all, but one issue is that you normally fly into Kenya, and they're in a near civil war right now. But -- this is pretty much the case with them all the time anyways.

I will start looking into it more seriously this February!!!

G

[GB1]

Here's a link to that friend's personal web site page with his Africa trip. Only a few shots of K, but still gives an idea what it's like over there.....

http://circuit.ucsd.edu/~curts/pictu...g05/index.html

[GB1]

GB - Any more information?

This is very informative, though general. I'll work on getting some specifics this month.

http://goafrica.about.com/od/tanzani...ilimanjaro.htm