Maybe you've always wanted to climb Kili but you need a little push? Or maybe it's not on your radar, but maybe it should be?
1. It’s 1 of the coveted 7 summits! The highest mountain on the African continent, and the tallest free standing mountain in the world. One of the only few left in Africa that is snow-capped! 3 volcanic cones, 2 extinct, 1 dormant make up the beautiful vista, that stretches from the start of your peripheral landscape, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders!
2. It’s life changing, in the most positive of ways! Sharing a massive accomplishment, and memories with what will turn out to be life long friends. After the huge adventure you embark on, you will share your stories and reminisce with those that have joined you on your epic expedition.
3. Heading through the diverse landscape as you ascend through the 5 climatic zones (Cultivated, rainforest, heather-moorland, alpine desert, and glacial summit) on the mountain. Every day brings rich new environments, completely different from the last.
4. From 6 to 86, it is climbable for people from all walks of life. No special training or skills required, just pure sense of adventure with a mix of grit and determination. The Machame route offers a medium difficulty level trek, and is the most popular of all the routes. The diverse scenery, and varying days up the mountain contribute to its popularity.
5. If the scenery doesn’t offer enough, then you can be lucky to soak in the beautifully intense wildlife. Even at high altitude, you are able to spot some of the birds on the mountain. Lower slopes you may come across Baboons, Colobus, and Blue Monkeys. Bush babies, Chameleons, Serval Cats, Aardvarks, Geckos, 4 Striped Mice and an array of birds. Unique flora that can only be found on the 7 summits.
6. You will not need a filter for your photos! Take as many as you can, it’s paradise for everyone that experiences the mountain, and all of its offerings. From the locals, to the folk that join you, capture every moment, and not just the stop to pose opportunities. It’s a once in a lifetime moment in your life.
7. You’re helping towards a thriving economy in one of the poorest nations in Africa. From the banks, construction, merchants, travel agents, food producers, chefs, hotel staff, porters, and guides. Education, and the teaching of the English language, all benefit from you being there!
8. Personal achievement! Transitions, trigger moments, ambitions, proposals, honeymoons, divorces, celebration of retirement, fundraising. So many different reasons to sign up to such an acclaimed mountain.
9. For those of you that are fundraising, Kilimanjaro offers many of those armchair supporters and donators to keep track of your whereabouts and journey on the mountain. The infrastructure offers small levels of mobile phone signal, and the support of wifi hot-spotting from your local guides where applicable. As the mountain is extremely well known, people at home can relate to the scale of the challenge.
10. Kilimanjaro is geographically remote, but also extremely accessible to reach for all routes up. From the airport, to the lodges and accommodation, the transit is minimal compared to other extreme altitude mountains around the world.
The Barranco Wall
Thanks to guest blog-writer, expedition leader and 4 x Kilimanjaro summiteer Keith White for his thoughts (and accompanying pictures) on why you should climb Kilimanjaro!