Charity Trek of Mount Kilimanjaro for Moving Mountains

Adventure Alternative is organising the logistics of this trip at a discounted rate and the total figure includes a fundraising target of £1000.00 for Moving Mountains. You can go to the Moving Mountains site and register for the trip there, and you can either fundraise for the whole amount.  Or you can pay for the logistics part of the trip yourself in which case you can sign up here and set up a fundraising page separately for the £1000.00 target.

INCLUDES

• Full ground price for the Machame Route
• Accommodation in Moshi for 3 nights in the Keys Annexe Hotel (twin, B&B)
• Jeep or coach transport to the mountain gate from and to Moshi
• Park fees, camping fees and park rescue fees
• Park certified guides (ratio of 1:4) and assistant guides/company reps
• Porters and cooks, plus equipment and tents for them
• All camping equipment including sleeping tents with mattresses
• Meals on the mountain – fresh food, 3 meals per day

EXCLUDES

• The fundraising target of £1000.00 for Moving Mountains
• International airfare to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)
• Airport transfers (£40 / $50 per vehicle one way) must be requested in advance through the office – pay in advance or cash in-country
• Tanzanian Visa
• Vaccinations and malaria tablets
• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance
• Lunch and dinners in Moshi
• Tips –  £80 paid in local currency only to Castro Capelo for distribution at exit gate

Payments

A deposit of £100 is required on booking to secure your place and we ask that the remaining balance (trip price minus the deposit) is paid in full six weeks prior to your departure. You can make interim payments any time.

Our itinerary on the mountain is designed to give you the most effective rate of acclimitisation and therefore to promote your safety and enjoyment. You can read more about the effects of altitude and how to manage them on our corresponding information page, see links to the right.

The terrain on Mt Kilimanjaro varies throughout; in a period of seven days, traversing the mountain over 24 miles, ascending from 2000m to 5895m and back down, you will pass through cultivated farmland, equatorial forest and alpine heath, across a lunar-like volcanic desert and up to a glaciated summit. Climbing Kilimanjaro for chairty is not a technical climb and there are no precipitous drops along the way, no rock climbing or specialist equipment needed.

The paths are in good condition and well trodden; some are steeper than others (in particular the Great Barranco Wall is an exciting scramble) and you will most likely meet people all along the way. On summit day the path is mostly scree, which can be loose and unrelenting, especially on the descent when your knees may suffer.

Machame and Millennium Camp are on the tree line and have a number of campsites set in small clearings in the forest. You will see a central ranger station and a number of drop-hole latrines. Mobile coverage here and it is quite easy to descend back to the gate if necessary.

Shira Camp is situated on the vast Shira plateau which is a volcanic spill-off from the last explosion some 100,000 years ago. Open and exposed and often dusty with smaller, more fragile plants amongst the rocks. Latrines and Ranger huts are around and the area is so huge it is easy to have some privacy. Meanwhile the Horombo Huts are busy with people and Mawenzi Tarn is very quiet and remote.

Barranco Camp is in a big clearing at the head of the steep valley which drops down into the Umbwe route, with dramatic cliffs around and right below the ice fields of Kibo, a stunning location for a camp.

Karanga Camp is a very open camp on the side of a hillside with great views of the summit massif and the expanse of land beyond the mountain. Many people go direct from Barranco to Barafu, so Karanga is traditionally a bit of half-way stop, but there are still latrines and a Ranger hut here.

Barafu, meaning ‘ice’, is now no longer covered in permanent snow but it is cold and rocky and exposed. People definitely feel the altitude here and you can expect snow and sometimes high wind. The camp sites are dotted amongst nooks and crannies in the rocks, perched on a sort of ridge.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a non-technical trek but it does offer a full mountaineering experience. Experience in hill walking is a benefit but not absolutely necessary, since this is a supported climb. You will have however be outdoors constantly and living in tents so any sort of experience with camping will be useful.

It is not necessary to have any experience of high altitude to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the important factor will be to go slowly and allow your metabolism to adapt to the lower air pressure and the thinner air.

The staff will carry your main bag up to a maximum weight of 15 kgs plus all the tents, kitchen equipment, food, fuel, tables and chairs. They will cater for all the group needs, providing excellent meals and putting up the tents. The guides will also brief you daily on the climb.

Castro is our Director of Adventure Alternative Tanzania. He organises all the staff, equipment, permits and hotel arrangements. You will have his telephone number, or the staff at the hotel desk can call him for you. He is organiser, translator, problem-solver, advisor and the main link between you and the UK office. He talks to the guides every day on the mountain and can make arrangements while you are up high.

You also have continued support from the main office in Northern Ireland. For charity climbs, we offer additional training and support for groups, in the form of visits and powerpoints and advice on training for the trip.

Here’s a look at the basics you’ll need to go on a Kilimanjaro chirity climb. For a detailed kit list, click here.

• Strong, waterproof duffle bag or rucksack for your main gear
• Waterproof day sack of about 30 -40 litres for carrying your daily needs
• Sleeping bag rated down to -10° Celsius or lower if you get cold easily
• Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support, and a sole that does not bend too easily. Gore-Tex lined fabric boots are fine but not quite as warm as leather. Gaiters are advised also.
• Waterproof windbreaker and trousers, preferably breathable, with a hood and big enough to accommodate several layers beneath
• Down jacket or a heavy duty fleece for warmth especially on summit night
• Thermal underwear or long johns for summit night
• Balaclava or insulated warm hat, insulated gloves or mittens and thermal inner gloves
• Sun hat, sun lotion, SPF lip screen and sunglasses
• Trekking clothes – trousers and shorts, shirts and T-shirts, jumper or midlayer fleece, underwear and several pairs of hiking socks, trainers or sandals
• Water bottle and/or bladder (take a protective cover for the mouthpiece) and water purification tablets (optional, iodine-based is fine)
• Head torch with spare batteries
• Trekking poles (especially useful for coming down from the summit)
• Personal wash kit to include a nail brush, moisturising cream, a small towel, tweezers, soap, nail clippers and wet wipes
• Variety of waterproof bags – for dirty clothes, sleeping bag and things to keep dry
• Personal first aid to include aspirin, Nurofen, plasters, Germolene, Immodium, strepsils and prescription medicines for possible gastric problems
• Passport, insurance papers, spending money, air tickets, 2 pin (round) plug adaptor, spare batteries for digital cameras, reading books, diary, pen

PERSONAL MEDICAL KIT
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Antiseptic Wipes
Adhesive Plasters
Blister Plasters
Zinc Tape
Insect Repellent
Antihistamine tablets
Sunblock Cream
Water Purification Tablets
Rehydration Sachets
Personal Medication as required:
eg. Anti-Malarials, Asthma Inhalers, Insulin, Epi-Pen etc

Possible Additional Personal First Aid Items 
Lip Salve
Throat Lozenges
Latex gloves
Crepe Bandage
Hydrocortisone Cream
Prochlorperazine tablets (for sickness/nausea)
Ciprofloxacin tablets (general antibiotic; prescription required)
Acetazolamide tablets (altitude prophylactic; prescription required)

Note: you must check with your GP for your personal suitability to all medicines and their possible side effects and interactions. Please inform us of the details of all regular medication that you intend to use though the course of your trip and any relevant allergies and medical history related to them. You also need to check the requirements and regulations of the airline and all countries visited in relation to medications. For example; laws governing transport of some pain control medication and the need keep insulin at a suitable temperature, ie not in the cargo hold.

If you’d like to climb a mountain for charity, then please do get in touch as we can make it happen!