Life on Kilimanjaro

Life on Kilimanjaro – switch off your noisy, hassled, polluted electronic world and enter a completely a different one – not as a tourist but as a conscious human being with simple needs. If you are thinking of signing up to a Kilimanjaro climb, but you are not sure what to expect, here is a little insight into life on Kilimanjaro. Life on Kilimanjaro. Life on Kilimanjaro.

Our typical day… Life on Kilimanjaro.

Around 5.30-6am our porters wake us with a steaming cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Bleary eyed this is a welcomed sight after a potentially restless night. A bowl of hot water is also awaiting as we unzip our tent door to have a hot wash and wake up properly! Breakfast is usually served at around 6.30am and at around 7.30am we begin trekking as a group. Life on Kilimanjaro.

We spend around 4-5 hours trekking in the morning, stopping for breaks until reaching our lunch stop. We take a longer break here before continuing in the afternoon for around another 4 hrs depending on the day’s distance. On arrival at the camp our tents will already be pitched up by porters with our luggage waiting, so we can kick off our walking boots and get into some warmer clothes. Our porters will rally around, working for us with well deserved hot drinks and snacks before dinner at around 6pm. After dinner our Kilimanjaro Climb Leader will brief us on the day ahead before we settle into our sleeping bags and attempt a full night’s sleep!

Glorious food… Life on Kilimanjaro.

We offer a selection of food on Kilimanjaro, You will also be accompanied by a skilled mountain cook who will take care of your well-being. He will prepare all meals, often even including a packed meal for a picnic lunch. Early morning eggs and sausages, coffee and bread, snacks and evenings with stews and salads, Serengeti Joy Tours’ cooks can create delicious 3-course meals with only a gas cooker and a sharp knife… Life on Kilimanjaro.

The tents and food will be set up and prepared for you, so that you can just relax and enjoy your trekking on Kilimanjaro, we do ensure there is plenty of food which is varied and wholesome.

Keeping hydrated…

Every day our porters will have boiled and chemically treated water and that is the first thing in the morning, at lunch and before dinner. We recommend having a 3 litre hydration system to fill for trekking and a 1 litre water container in camp, and to drink as much as possible throughout the day to avoid de-hydration. Flavoured powered energy drinks are fanscavengerstic at replenishing vital body salts you may lose during trekking. You can even create your own banana and chocolate recovery mountain shakes to enjoy at the end of a day! With this in mind, we strongly advise against any alcohol consumption whilst on the mountain. We will have plenty of time to party at the end of the Kilimanjaro climbing!

In sickness & in health…

Through sickness and in health people get to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Some fair better than others and our daily health becomes part of life on the mountain. We can all make things a lot more pleasant by taking some simple steps.

Hand Sanitiser.

Using on a regular basis prevents us picking up bacterial infections.

Food.

Taking on as many calories as we can, little and often keeps our energy levels high. Life on Kilimanjaro. Life on Kilimanjaro.

Water.

Drinking at least 3-5 litres of fluid keeps us hydrated. Our daily in-take of water can also be combined with flavoured energy mixer and re-hydration salts. Life on Kilimanjaro. Life on Kilimanjaro.

Positive Mental Attitude.

Breaking down our trekking into small stages allows us to mentally achieve every step of the way. Treating ourselves to our favourite snacks as reward along the way also helps!

Stretch & Rest.

We stretch down at the end of the day and recommend people bring some muscle rub to alleviate any aches and pains in the evenings before resting for the night.

Altitude.

A very real issue on a Kilimanjaro climb, altitude affects everyone differently. As such, we have devoted a whole section to this subject.

Summit Day…

As summit day approaches, anticipation and excitement builds, and perhaps a little apprehension. Throughout our journey there have may been highs and lows, but this is it! As midnight approaches, we get ready for our ultimate summit attempt. If ‘Life on the Mountain’ feels like it’s for you, you can join one of our many Open Group Kilimanjaro climbs throughout the year that bring like-minded people together to share in the Kilimanjaro journey. Sign up today from just $1000! Or if you have your own private group, we can help you organise the perfect Private Kilimanjaro Trip.