Kilimanjaro Recommendations

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mtnkub
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Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by mtnkub »

This has been discussed before. But any updated recommendations for a guide company to go with? I would be going in September; for that part by myself, and for scheduling my meetup with others after the climb, it would be great if the company would be flexible to start on any day. Also recommendations for the route? I have 7 or 8 days and was thinking either Machame or Shira. And I thought that a version with overnight at Karanga camp would be a good idea, in order to have an easy day before summit day. (I will get good CO pre-acclimatization and have been above 5000m before, so i don't think much acclimatization on the lower mountain would be necessary). Thank you!
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by Scott P »

Gladys was good and charged us less than the bigger operators and with better food, etc.

In the dry season (when you are going), I'd suggest Lemosho or Northern Circuit. The Lemosho is better than the Shira since it's more scenic and the Shira follows a road during the first stages.

If you have time, climb Mt. Meru as well. It is more scenic and interesting than Kilimanjaro. Cheaper too.
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mtnkub
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by mtnkub »

Great, thank you! And Gladys offers a 7 day Lemosho version (which i like) and a crater camp option.
Any opinions why an 8 day Lemosho would be better? (i don't think i need additional acclimatization at the lower elevations).
Or opinions for/against an additional crater camp? (seems like a fun option and i have slept higher before; also breaks down the longest day)
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by kiwiliam »

Hi,

I'm trying to organize a trip at the end of August beginning of September. I really want to do the Western Breach (class 3-4). I get it is an objectively more dangerous route, but without being there it's hard to gauge from the internet quite how risky it is. Some pretty established American companies like Mountain Trip and Embark do the Western Breach so I suspect much of the hysteria on the internet is aimed at keeping the never-hiked-off-a-trail masses on the same two paths to the summit. That said if I spend the night at Arrow Glacier camp listening to rocks roll down the hill, I'll bail to the more conventional routes.

It seems to me you can book any date that suits you with most companies and they will open the trip to other people which makes it cheaper. Definitely, fun to have some new faces on the trip, and it seems like the Tanzanian NPS mandates a high enough guide to client ratio that you wouldn't be forced to turn back if one of the party got altitude sickness.

Given that, rather than inching my way up Kilimanjaro for 8 days via the Lemosho, I figured I'd rather do 3 days on Meru (15,000ft) and then hit the Western Breach via the shorter Machine or Umbwe routes.

I found Team Kilimanjaro; a local company who were involved in the re-routing or the Western Breach Route after the 2015/16 (?) rock fall accident. I also like how they seem to think independently and logically, by structuring their routes to meet climb high and sleep low principles. If you want to do a "self-supported" (backpacking) trip Team Kili advertises that as an option. (You are required to have a Guide, and the guide requires a porter)

The one issue I have with Team Kili is they only seem to respond to emails once a week, on Sundays, and today I didn't get my response!

An alternative I'm looking at is KiliAfricaTours. They seem a little cheaper and got a good recommendation in the trip by the PNW group the Mountaineers. ( They accepted my request climb Uhuru before spending the night at the Crater Camp. Having "slept" above 18,000 ft once before in Bolivia, I'm interested in making it as painless as possible, by climbing high and sleeping low, plus it would better spread the load between the ascent and descent days.

The third option I discovered was the new North Face Route (not the Northern Circuit), which starts on Lemosho, climbs up the North side of the peak, through the northern icefields and traverses the whole crater to get to Uhuru. It is only run by one company, and after my friend bailed it seemed to expensive.
https://www.ganeandmarshall.com/itinera ... route.html

Anyway hope that helps.

If you are interested in joining up, my dates are: (I'll be doing a safari with family and friends before I hit the hills while they hit the beach in Zanzibar so I only have one-day flexibility.)

Mon. Aug 28: Land at JRO at 6:30pm
Tue. Aug 29: Meru Day 1 to Miriakamba Hut
Wed Aug. 30: Meru day 2: Little Meru to Saddle Hut
Thu. Aug 31: Meru day 3: Summit and back to Arusha (full moon summit)
Fri. Sep. 1: Kili Day 1. (Machame/Umbwe)
Sat. Sep. 2: Kili Day 2. (Machame/Umbwe)
Sun. Sep 3: Kili Day 3. to Lava Tower
Mon Sep 4: Kili Day 4. to Arrow Glacier
Tue. Sep 5: Kili Day 5. Western Breach to Uhuru to Crater Camp
Wed. Sep 6: Kili Day 6 Crater Camp to Mweka
Thu. Sep 7: Kili Day 7 Mweka to Arusha
Fri Sep 8: Reserve Day
Sat Sep 9: Depart JRO
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by mtnkub »

Cool, thanks! But i don't have much flexibility either (meeting people in Nairobi on Sept 18).
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by Scott P »

mtnkub wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:33 am Any opinions why an 8 day Lemosho would be better? (i don't think i need additional acclimatization at the lower elevations).
More time is always better, but if you have time, I'd add Mt. Meru vs. extra time on Kili.
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by two lunches »

i find it hard to believe that this thread is no longer relevant: viewtopic.php?p=772629&hilit=kilimanjaro#p772629

wanted to do this in 2020/21 but for obvious reasons, that didn't pan out. looking at Dec. 2025 right now--
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by BobbyFinn »

mtnkub wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:33 am Great, thank you! And Gladys offers a 7 day Lemosho version (which i like) and a crater camp option.
Any opinions why an 8 day Lemosho would be better? (i don't think i need additional acclimatization at the lower elevations).
Or opinions for/against an additional crater camp? (seems like a fun option and i have slept higher before; also breaks down the longest day)
We did Lemosho in 6 days and it worked for us (but was hard on the porters). We would have spent a lot more time at camps if we did it in 8 days. 7 Days would be fine if you're acclimated / strong.
We used Zara as our guide service and they were great.
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mtnkub
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Re: Kilimanjaro Recommendations

Post by mtnkub »

two lunches wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:34 am i find it hard to believe that this thread is no longer relevant: viewtopic.php?p=772629&hilit=kilimanjaro#p772629
Still relevant! (But started in 2017 and has only one guide recommendation after 2019)
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