KiliTrekker.Com

My husband and I, along with another couple, climbed Kili from Aug 18-25, 2008. We took the Lemosho/Shira route and spent 8 days/ 7 nights on the mountain. We also climbed via the Western Breach.

Our guide company was Destination Tanzania Safaris and our lead guide was Justin (we had 2 assistant guides, 1 cook and 24 porters).

Our entire experience (from planning to the "reward" safari after) is documented on our blog: http://arunjenniferkilimanjaro.blogspot.com

Relatively few Tanzanians have landline phones (due to high costs), but the use of mobile (cellular) phones in Tanzania has exploded over the past few years. Advertisements and billboards for cell phone operators Celtel, Vodacom, and others cover the country, and it seems like you can buy prepaid airtime cards at virtually every shop and roadside stand.

Everybody who climbs Kilimanjaro has their photo taken in from of the famous summit sign on Uhuru peak...
Kilimanjaro summit sign
The charmingly off-kilter summit sign reads:
CONGRATULATIONS
YOU ARE NOW AT
UHURU PEAK, TANZANIA, 5895 M AMSL
AFRICA'S HIGHEST POINT
WORLD'S HIGHEST FREE-STANDING MOUNTAIN
ONE OF WORLD'S LARGEST VOLCANOES
WELCOME

The infamous "long drop" toilets on Kilimanjaro are for many climbers the most unpleasant part of the Kili experience. What's a long drop? Basically a little shack with a hole in the floor, over top of a pit. What's so bad about that? Well, consider that...

• Campsites on Kilimanjaro can be very busy (hundreds of people each night)
• For many westerners, it's their first experience with a squat toilet, and aim might be an issue
• At any given time, a significant number of Kili climbers are suffering from some form of gastro-intestinal distress

Mountain Madness is an AMGA accredited guide service based in Seattle, Washington. We have been running Kilimanjaro Climbs and Safari trips in Tanzania since 1984. We are also a recognized partner of the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC). Please visit us at our website: www.mountainmadness.com or call 1-800-328-5925 for more details.Kilimanjaro with Mountain Madness

The cost of a Kilimanjaro trek can vary widely, from around $1000 (USD) per person at the low end, to $5000+ at the high end, depending on the number of days and level of service. (Note that US dollars are the working currency of most Kilimanjaro tour operators).

Kilimanjaro can be climbed pretty much any day of the year, but most people choose to go during the dry seasons. During the rainy seasons, the paths at lower elevations can get very muddy and slippery, and the upper part of the mountain is snow covered.

The climate in northern Tanzania has two rainy seasons: the short rains in November, and the long rains from early March to mid-June. The peak seasons for climbing Kilimanjaro are the dry seasons from December to early March, and from mid-June to October.

We run KiliTrekker.Com as a hobby... we're not some travel company trying to sell you their services, or a guidebook publisher looking to market their brand. Our goal is just to make KiliTrekker.Com the number one resource on the web for climbing Kilimanjaro, and travelling in East Africa.