3. Select a Route
This page was written by Eben Schoeman – Managing Partner of Kiliwarrior Expeditions who climbed Kilimanjaro 7 times with more to come! Invaluable advice came from Kiliwarrior guides who have more than a thousand treks between them, and Carol Schoeman (Kiliwarrior Partner) who recently climbed the Western Breach route.
Choosing a route is the single most important decision make after you decided you are healthy enough to attempt the world’s highest freestanding mountain.
We recommend (IN ORDER):
1. The 9-DAY Lemosho-Western Breach-Crater Route.
2. The 9-DAY Lemosho-Stella Point-Crater Route.
3. The 7-DAY Machame Route (a distant third choice!)
For route descriptions, please read the following links:
The next section is long but please read it carefully as the wrong decision will negatively impact your chances of reaching the summit.
Dear prospective client
I can quite accurately guess a trekker’s chance of summit success by simply looking at the route!
- A few years ago Ann Curry from the Today Show in the USA attempted to scale Kilimanjaro in a much publicized production. When I saw the really bad route decision I gave her team a 30% chance to reach the summit. None of them did.
- Martina Navratilova’s attempt in late 2010 also failed although her team picked a slightly better route with a 60% chance of succeeding.
There are thousands of similar stories on Kilimanjaro about trekkers who did not make smart decisions and failed as a result.
- In many cases trekkers lack the financial resources to choose sensible routes with reputable trek outfitters and they end up on 5-day treks with inexperienced guides.
- Others fail because they are over-confident and think they can turn a measured 9-day trek into a fast-paced 5-day hike.
- Most fail because they follow the advice of Kilimanjaro companies who are trying to increase profits by booking as many people on the mountain as possible – with no regard to routes, safety and other important factors.
How to succeed on Kilimanjaro is not rocket science!
- First, you have to decide if you really want to reach the summit! Some people do it just to fill a few days between safaris and don’t really care if they make or not. My company is not for them!
- Second, you have to figure out how to overcome the daunting altitude. Reaching 19340 feet is serious business and every year people die trying to climb this high. My company will help you overcome altitude and if you follow our guidelines you will be in a strong position to succeed.
How to overcome the altitude?
1. Get fit.
You do not have to train like an Olympic athlete but try to get as fit as you can be before arriving in Tanzania. On Kilimanjaro your respiratory system has to work hard to counter the loss in air pressure and your body has to manufacture the energy needed for a week of serious uphill trekking. Succeeding on Kilimanjaro require both mental and physical toughness. You need to prepare your body and mind for hardship and pushing yourself through testy exercise routines such as hiking in hilly terrain and Stairmaster are great workouts. Please read the section about fitness.
2. Give your body time to acclimatize.
You can make it to the summit in 5 or 6 days but your chances diminish to lower than 50%! In other words if there are 8 people in your climb group, you are beating the odds if 4 or more make it all the way to the summit! As a result, I am going to ignore 5 or 6 day treks in the rest of this discussion. 7 days are OK if you just do not have the time for a longer trek. 8 days will work better but if you can afford 8 days then it is far better to add an extra day and go for 9! Our 9-day Western Breach route even has a rest-day which is one of the secrets of our mountain success!
3. Gain altitude sensibly.
Our experience (and mountaineering books in general) advocates a gradual ascent of less than 2000 feet per day. On Kilimanjaro most of the trailheads are located between 6000-8000 feet so one has to gain 19340 – 6000 = 13340 feet in 5 to 7 days to the summit (on 7 or 9 day treks respectively because of one overnight to descent). With a simple calculation it is easy to see why a 9-day trek is preferred (13340 / 7 = 1905 feet per day elevation gain. Not all routes allow for sensible altitude gain which is why we prefer our two 9-day routes – both allow for near perfect altitude gain.
4. Eat, drink and be comfortable.
Contrary to common believe, oxygen percentage levels are the same at all levels! On Kilimanjaro, however, the atmospheric pressure at 19,000 feet is very low - causing our lungs to work very hard to absorb the oxygen it needs! With our lungs working very hard at altitude, the cold temperatures, and many days of hiking over rugged terrain for 5-8 hours, our energy expenditures increase to as much as 50% above sea-level requirements. It is clear that we need a lot of fuel to sustain high energy levels. Carbohydrates are the most efficient fuel source in our bodies. When it circulates in the blood, it is called glucose. When it is stored in the liver and muscles, it is called glycogen. Our challenge is to keep the glucose flowing and the glycogen stores full! Our menus are very rich in carbohydrates.
Dehydration is mainly caused by increased water losses from the lungs due to the increased ventilation of cold, dry air, and the increased urinary loss due to the diuretic effects of altitude and cold. Perspiration due to physical exertion adds to the water loss. Losing 2% of the water in our bodies will impair performance; losing 5% cause exhaustion! We generally recommend drinking at least 4 liters (1 gallon) of water each day on the mountain. Our menus include juices and high water content fruits to substitute for some of the water. And we use high-volume Katadyn Expedition filters to provide enough water for the whole team.
Very few of our clients are experienced campers! For many, the thought of eight days in a tent is enough to consider a Caribbean cruise instead! And you must realize that due to the cold you will be spending a lot of time inside your tent. The Kiliwarriors set the standard for comfort on Kilimanjaro.
Our luxury Tents:
- We use Mountain Hardwear Trango 4™ tents. These are the best in their class - a quick Internet search will confirm this!
- Floor space range between 51.3 and 65 sq. ft. (excluding the vestibules). These are big and comfortable - avoid companies with tiny 2-man tents!
- With 50.5 inches of headroom, you can sit up and move around comfortably.
- There are two doors - you don't have to disturb your mate when nature calls.
- Plenty of built-in side cargo pockets.
- A hanging lamp for reading at night.
- A portable mattress and pillow (simply the best sleeping system on the mountain). Our Platinum clients enjoy additional comforts such as double-thick mattresses, and hot water bottles!
- Each tent is rated for 4 seasons. Snowstorms, strong winds, and driving rain - our tents are designed for the worst conditions.
- Singles do not have to share a tent with strangers!
- A private, portable toilet in a portable outhouse is environmentally safe and lightweight - you will appreciate this luxury once you have seen the alternatives on the mountain!
- We also use our portable toilets during lunch stops on the trail. It is comfortable for our clients and great for the environment. To refresh yourself after a hard day, you can enjoy a quick hot shower (obviously we cannot provide showers above 16000 feet due to the lack of water). It is enclosed to ensure privacy and to protect you from the cold.
- Due to potential allergic reactions we do not provide soaps and shampoos. Please bring your own.
- We do provide hand sanitizer liquids and we ask all our clients and crew to wash hands often!
- After an 8-hour hike you deserve better than a barstool. We use lightweight folding armchairs with large seats and soft backs. It features armrests with handy cup holders.
- Our mess tent is roomy and comfortable. It's perfect for socializing at the end of a long hike, to play cards, to write your diary, or to just kick back and relax with a warm beverage.
Sometimes altitude sickness just happens! It does not matter how strong or fit you are, which route you're on or who you climb with - you can still suffer from mountain sickness. Symptoms range from diarrhea to headache to breathing problems, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, tiredness, rapid heartbeat and more.
There are things you can do to manage your symptoms but it is crucial to talk to your guide so he can monitor your progress. If your symptoms continue to worsen it may be time to turn back and descend.
Please download and read our health document to learn more about the prescriptions we recommend to help you adapt better to altitude and mountain conditions.
Kind regards and best of luck on Kilimanjaro
Eben
Eben Schoeman
Managing Partner
Kiliwarrior Expeditions
