One suggestion I make to those planning their first round the world trip is to pick out a handful of must-sees – those places and experiences you’ve always dreamed about. Now is the time to take advantage and make those travel dreams a reality. For the more adventurous traveler, that could include something awesome like climbing a mountain. Adding Mount Kilimanjaro to your round the world itinerary is something that all hiking lovers should consider.

The beauty of hiking Kili is that it’s great for both novice and experienced hikers. That’s not to say it’s easy, but there are no technical aspects of climbing to the summit of Kilimanjaro. It is one of the highest peaks in the world that doesn’t need ropes, harnesses, and climbing equipment. There are trails where you can hike right up to the summit, and there are also more challenging routes for the more hard-core hiker. If you have ever dreamed of hiking to the top of Africa’s highest mountain peak, then consider adding Mount Kilimanjaro to your round the world wish list.

Photo credit: 1

One suggestion I make to those planning their first round the world trip is to pick out a handful of must-sees – those places and experiences you’ve always dreamed about. Now is the time to take advantage and make those travel dreams a reality. For the more adventurous traveler, that could include something awesome like climbing a mountain. Adding Mount Kilimanjaro to your round the world itinerary is something that all hiking lovers should consider.

The beauty of hiking Kili is that it’s great for both novice and experienced hikers. That’s not to say it’s easy, but there are no technical aspects of climbing to the summit of Kilimanjaro. It is one of the highest peaks in the world that doesn’t need ropes, harnesses, and climbing equipment. There are trails where you can hike right up to the summit, and there are also more challenging routes for the more hard-core hiker. If you have ever dreamed of hiking to the top of Africa’s highest mountain peak, then consider adding Mount Kilimanjaro to your round the world wish list.

Photo credit: 1

If it’s African wildlife you’re excited about seeing, you’re in luck in that you’ll already be in a country with some excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. When you’re looking at a list of the adventure trips in Tanzania, they’re essentially broken down into two categories – Kili treks or safaris – so it’s really easy to combine the two into one trip to Tanzania. You can book safari trips through the Serengeti at any time of year, but obviously the animals that you’ll see will vary depending on when you go. And even though there are rough estimates of when animals will be in certain places, they don’t operate on a calendar – so for things like the great African wildebeest migration, if that’s on your wish-list, you’ll have to plan to be fairly flexible with how long you stay in the area.

In addition to climbing treks on Kili and safari trips through the Serengeti, there are other fantastic once-in-a-lifetime adventures you can add to your Africa trip. From Tanzania, it’s not too far to head north into Kenya for a Nairobi to Victoria Falls adventure. You’re also not far from Rwanda and Uganda, both of which are known for their gorilla treks. If, after a trip up Kilimanjaro, you want something really different, there’s always the island nation of Madagascar off Africa’s coast. A wildlife tour on Madagascar is sure to delight kids of all ages.

Before you can experience any of the natural wonders of the continent, however, you’ve got to get there first. Here’s where to look for flights to Africa.

photo by appenz

If it’s African wildlife you’re excited about seeing, you’re in luck in that you’ll already be in a country with some excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. When you’re looking at a list of the adventure trips in Tanzania, they’re essentially broken down into two categories – Kili treks or safaris – so it’s really easy to combine the two into one trip to Tanzania. You can book safari trips through the Serengeti at any time of year, but obviously the animals that you’ll see will vary depending on when you go. And even though there are rough estimates of when animals will be in certain places, they don’t operate on a calendar – so for things like the great African wildebeest migration, if that’s on your wish-list, you’ll have to plan to be fairly flexible with how long you stay in the area.

In addition to climbing treks on Kili and safari trips through the Serengeti, there are other fantastic once-in-a-lifetime adventures you can add to your Africa trip. From Tanzania, it’s not too far to head north into Kenya for a Nairobi to Victoria Falls adventure. You’re also not far from Rwanda and Uganda, both of which are known for their gorilla treks. If, after a trip up Kilimanjaro, you want something really different, there’s always the island nation of Madagascar off Africa’s coast. A wildlife tour on Madagascar is sure to delight kids of all ages.

Before you can experience any of the natural wonders of the continent, however, you’ve got to get there first. Here’s where to look for flights to Africa.

photo by appenz

World War One only probably has a handful of years left before its slips completely beyond the realm of living memory. Among those like me who have gleaned the story through History Channel or snippets of information that I have picked up in my travels, it might come as a surprise to know that some of the most iconic battles of the War were fought in the area immediately surrounding Kilimanjaro.

As one example, Ndarakwai Camp in Western Kilimanjaro, a popular apre climb safari destination, has a number of old trench systems that served both the British and the Germans in the campaign for control of the country during the difficult years of 1914 – 1918.

Colonial Struggle…

The nation of Tanzania began life as an outpost of the German colonial empire. It was known then as German East Africa, or Tanganyika, and was a close neighbor to Kenya, or British East Africa, which at that time also included Uganda. When war broke out between Britain and Germany in 1914, it was not long before war broke out between German and British East Africa. The railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi and beyond became the focus of German attacks, and later the railway line from Moshi to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga became the German line of retreat once the colony had been invaded.

The Kilimanjaro district, with its coffee farms, pleasant climate and clean altitude had long been the main focus of white settlement in German East Africa. Besides this the geography of flat plains interspersed with low and isolated hills was the perfect defensive landscape for both sides. A number of important battles were fought east and west of Kilimanjaro, and the towns of Moshi and Arusha the headquarters of the German High Command.

Colonial Brigades…

Another interesting aspect of the War in East Africa was that it was fought by British and Commonwealth forces. This by definition meant fighting men drawn from every colony or former colony (except America) in the Empire. Much of the heavy fighting was done in the early stages by men of Indian origin, and in later stages by local black levies and various native colonial regiments from all over the continent.

Lost History…

You would definitely draw blank looks from your climb or safari guides in Tanzania if you brought up the subject of World War One around the campfire or in the mess tent. The subject is not widely taught and the old battle sites are neither preserved nor marked in any particular way. However a little bit of background reading, and a keen sense of geography, will help you pick out some of the more notable sites on Google Maps which in turn will lead you to them. A good place to start is at Ndarakwai Camp where their chief game scout Thomas is surprisingly knowledgeable about the colonial coming and goings in the region.

In a land where the last vestiges of colonial history have been scrubbed off the landscape, it is sometimes interesting to imagine a place like Tanzania as a pawn in the global/strategic games of a by-gone era. Scratching around the battle sites of the period is definitely something worth doing if you get a chance…

If you are interested in the battlefields of East Africa, and you would like some pointers drop me a line…

World War One only probably has a handful of years left before its slips completely beyond the realm of living memory. Among those like me who have gleaned the story through History Channel or snippets of information that I have picked up in my travels, it might come as a surprise to know that some of the most iconic battles of the War were fought in the area immediately surrounding Kilimanjaro.

As one example, Ndarakwai Camp in Western Kilimanjaro, a popular apre climb safari destination, has a number of old trench systems that served both the British and the Germans in the campaign for control of the country during the difficult years of 1914 – 1918.

Colonial Struggle…

The nation of Tanzania began life as an outpost of the German colonial empire. It was known then as German East Africa, or Tanganyika, and was a close neighbor to Kenya, or British East Africa, which at that time also included Uganda. When war broke out between Britain and Germany in 1914, it was not long before war broke out between German and British East Africa. The railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi and beyond became the focus of German attacks, and later the railway line from Moshi to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga became the German line of retreat once the colony had been invaded.

The Kilimanjaro district, with its coffee farms, pleasant climate and clean altitude had long been the main focus of white settlement in German East Africa. Besides this the geography of flat plains interspersed with low and isolated hills was the perfect defensive landscape for both sides. A number of important battles were fought east and west of Kilimanjaro, and the towns of Moshi and Arusha the headquarters of the German High Command.

Colonial Brigades…

Another interesting aspect of the War in East Africa was that it was fought by British and Commonwealth forces. This by definition meant fighting men drawn from every colony or former colony (except America) in the Empire. Much of the heavy fighting was done in the early stages by men of Indian origin, and in later stages by local black levies and various native colonial regiments from all over the continent.

Lost History…

You would definitely draw blank looks from your climb or safari guides in Tanzania if you brought up the subject of World War One around the campfire or in the mess tent. The subject is not widely taught and the old battle sites are neither preserved nor marked in any particular way. However a little bit of background reading, and a keen sense of geography, will help you pick out some of the more notable sites on Google Maps which in turn will lead you to them. A good place to start is at Ndarakwai Camp where their chief game scout Thomas is surprisingly knowledgeable about the colonial coming and goings in the region.

In a land where the last vestiges of colonial history have been scrubbed off the landscape, it is sometimes interesting to imagine a place like Tanzania as a pawn in the global/strategic games of a by-gone era. Scratching around the battle sites of the period is definitely something worth doing if you get a chance…

If you are interested in the battlefields of East Africa, and you would like some pointers drop me a line…

As a budget traveler for most of my youth I did tend to throw caution to the wind, put faith in the Gods and hope for the best when I set off. Fortunately I never had any problems, but in my days on the road I have known many that have. Some incidences were bizarre: an Aussie overlander having a 17-ton truck drop off its axel and shatter his spine. Others more pedestrian: countless instances of malaria in difficult places, and more than one car accident that left victims in hospitals and clinics in very questionable locations across Africa.

>>All in all Travel Insurance is worth the expense….

In the case of Kilimanjaro these are the risks and benefits:

The nearest hospital is situated in Moshi, and my information is that it is one of the best hospitals in the region, and being airlifted to Nairobi as an alternative offers no tangible advantage.

Kili is not a particularly dangerous mountain to climb, but the risks are there. The risks consist mainly of altitude related issues, but physical injury is also not infrequent.

Search and rescue on Kilimanjaro is by international standards good, and by African standards excellent. You need not, therefore, worry too much about being plunged into some ghastly third world nightmare upon the slightest injury, however you would still be very well advised to add a little first world certainty to the mix.

>>Check out the facts of Search & Rescue on Kilimanjaro

BootsnAll Travel Insurance offers an excellent selection of travel insurance options available on the site, but recommended for Kilimanjaro is our ihi Bupa International Travel Insurance which offers comprehensive medical and evacuation insurance, emergency evacuation and travel assistance. All venture sports excluding motorsports are covered, and in the event of a terrorist related emergency you are likewise covered. Trip cancellation, delay and lost baggage are, however, not covered.

Neither is protection against your foreign or local operator or outfitter folding into bankruptcy. However if you have booked through a western outfitter these risks are automatically, or at least they should be automatically, covered.

For more comprehensive general coverage consider our Travelex Travel Select which covers everything from medical evacuation, to the repatriation of remains, all trip delay and cancellation, labour related delays and cancellations, luggage loss and delay, and in fact just about everything a discerning traveller could possibly need.

For a more comprehensive casualty evacuation program – and this would work for special needs climbers, vulnerable groups or those that simply want unshakable security – then we offer MedJet Assist which is underwritten by Lloyds of London and offers a no-qibble medical evacuation from anywhere in the world. This means no stop-off at any developing world hospitals anywhere, just a direct line to the nearest A-list medical facility.

If this still does not satisfy you then the top of the range is Global Rescue. Global Rescue prides itself on emergency evacuation from anywhere, anytime and against any odds. From the top of Mount Everest to the middle of Death Valley, you are guaranteed a trip from mountain top to clean hospital linen in as short a time as it is humanly possibly to achieve…

Get in touch with a BootsnAll Travel Insurance rep today for up-date facts and info…

As a budget traveler for most of my youth I did tend to throw caution to the wind, put faith in the Gods and hope for the best when I set off. Fortunately I never had any problems, but in my days on the road I have known many that have. Some incidences were bizarre: an Aussie overlander having a 17-ton truck drop off its axel and shatter his spine. Others more pedestrian: countless instances of malaria in difficult places, and more than one car accident that left victims in hospitals and clinics in very questionable locations across Africa.

>>All in all Travel Insurance is worth the expense….

In the case of Kilimanjaro these are the risks and benefits:

The nearest hospital is situated in Moshi, and my information is that it is one of the best hospitals in the region, and being airlifted to Nairobi as an alternative offers no tangible advantage.

Kili is not a particularly dangerous mountain to climb, but the risks are there. The risks consist mainly of altitude related issues, but physical injury is also not infrequent.

Search and rescue on Kilimanjaro is by international standards good, and by African standards excellent. You need not, therefore, worry too much about being plunged into some ghastly third world nightmare upon the slightest injury, however you would still be very well advised to add a little first world certainty to the mix.

>>Check out the facts of Search & Rescue on Kilimanjaro

BootsnAll Travel Insurance offers an excellent selection of travel insurance options available on the site, but recommended for Kilimanjaro is our ihi Bupa International Travel Insurance which offers comprehensive medical and evacuation insurance, emergency evacuation and travel assistance. All venture sports excluding motorsports are covered, and in the event of a terrorist related emergency you are likewise covered. Trip cancellation, delay and lost baggage are, however, not covered.

Neither is protection against your foreign or local operator or outfitter folding into bankruptcy. However if you have booked through a western outfitter these risks are automatically, or at least they should be automatically, covered.

For more comprehensive general coverage consider our Travelex Travel Select which covers everything from medical evacuation, to the repatriation of remains, all trip delay and cancellation, labour related delays and cancellations, luggage loss and delay, and in fact just about everything a discerning traveller could possibly need.

For a more comprehensive casualty evacuation program – and this would work for special needs climbers, vulnerable groups or those that simply want unshakable security – then we offer MedJet Assist which is underwritten by Lloyds of London and offers a no-qibble medical evacuation from anywhere in the world. This means no stop-off at any developing world hospitals anywhere, just a direct line to the nearest A-list medical facility.

If this still does not satisfy you then the top of the range is Global Rescue. Global Rescue prides itself on emergency evacuation from anywhere, anytime and against any odds. From the top of Mount Everest to the middle of Death Valley, you are guaranteed a trip from mountain top to clean hospital linen in as short a time as it is humanly possibly to achieve…

Get in touch with a BootsnAll Travel Insurance rep today for up-date facts and info…

In most cases a handful of routes are used that cram the budget climbers along heavily trammeled trails and into littered and congested campsites. Kilimanjaro increasingly these days is becoming a venture travel machine.

I was very fortunate in Sept of 2009 to be invited on a little experimental climb to explore the seldom used Northern Circuit of Kilimanjaro. This turned out to be one of the rarest experiences on the mountain – five days of almost completed undisturbed hiking in a remote and unexpectedly beautiful quarter of the Kilimanjaro National Park.

Rongai and the Northern Circuit

Rongai is certainly back-end of Kilimanjaro, and with a complex entry arrangement and a long journey to the gate, it is not particularly popular with budget outfitters. This is the main drawback, but another is the fact that the scenic tableau is not quite as dramatic as on the more popular Southern Circuit. Another factor that weighs heavily against Rongai is that after a couple of days it links up with the Marangu Route at which point it becomes a zoo.

The Northern Circuit, however, peels off at about 2 o’clock and veers westward to circumnavigate Kibo Crater along it northern extremity. From that point we saw not another soul. Our group, three old climbing buddies and a last minute addition, enjoyed three nights at superbly located campsites entirely by ourselves. The clean campsites and narrow trails all attested to the fact that very few people make this particular journey.

The landscape of the Northern Circuit differs distinctly from the south It is drier, more moon-like and on occasions bleakly forbidding. To the north the countrysides diminishes through a slow progression of undulations towards the vast expanse of the Masai Steppe and Ambroseli and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya. Kibo Crater is ever present with almost no sign of the glaciers that overflow the southern slopes. Fields of paper dry everlasting daises are almost all can adapt to grow on these hostile boulder fields and lifeless plains of slate and dry stone. Water is hard to find and campsites are widely spaced. There is a deep and eerie silence everywhere that is broken abruptly as the trail swings suddenly southwards and we stumble into Moir Camp.

Here the trail from Shira to Lava Tower passes, and suddenly there are hundreds of porters like a huge flock of starlings moving forwards and back along a meter wide channel that is the trail. Lava Tower Camp has that all to familiar stink of human excrement and is crowded with tents, seething with porters and festooned with litter. Strangely it hardly matters. At this point our minds are focused less on the aesthetics than the hard business of altitude and fatigue, and the pending challenge of the Western Breach.

The Western Breach

The summit experience begins at Lava Tower, and continues at Arrow Glacier just a few hundred meters and a kilometer or so distant. The Western Breach seems less than it is. Through the most all that is visible is a nearly perpendicular skree that is obscured by perspective. When we begin the climb it is a case of one step in front of the other. Pole-pole…the defining mantra of any meaningful Kilimanjaro climb. A few selected porter pass up and continue upwards towards Crater Camp. Seven hours of solid but unremarkable climbing see us over the lip of the crater and at the end of the Furtwangler Glacier.

At this altitude the sun shines, it is surprisingly warm and the porters, although a little less gregarious, are still joyfully exuberant. A few of them are collecting water from the glacier runoff and they congratulate us as we pass by on our way towards Crater Camp.

For me this was the only real disappointment of the expedition. Crater Camp was a shit-hole…see my article on The Beginning of the End of Crater Camp. It was a case of grin and bear the horror for the last few hundred meters to the summit, a little tomfoolery for the sake of photographs, and a scramble down to collapse in the sunshine and try and level the metabolism gasping at 19000ft…

Homeward…

We had big plans to explore the Ash Pit but as dawn broke on our penultimate day the temperature was horrifying and the lack of basic motivation at such altitudes had us directing our noses south and plunging down towards the more accommodating altitude of Mweka Camp….

In conclusion I would recommend Rongai Route to anyone. If you can afford a few dollars more, and do your homework to make sure you sign up with a good outfitter, it is the way to climb this beautiful mountain. Get in touch with me if you need any more info on this climb, or any other pointers in getting up and down Kilimanjaro…

In most cases a handful of routes are used that cram the budget climbers along heavily trammeled trails and into littered and congested campsites. Kilimanjaro increasingly these days is becoming a venture travel machine.

I was very fortunate in Sept of 2009 to be invited on a little experimental climb to explore the seldom used Northern Circuit of Kilimanjaro. This turned out to be one of the rarest experiences on the mountain – five days of almost completed undisturbed hiking in a remote and unexpectedly beautiful quarter of the Kilimanjaro National Park.

Rongai and the Northern Circuit

Rongai is certainly back-end of Kilimanjaro, and with a complex entry arrangement and a long journey to the gate, it is not particularly popular with budget outfitters. This is the main drawback, but another is the fact that the scenic tableau is not quite as dramatic as on the more popular Southern Circuit. Another factor that weighs heavily against Rongai is that after a couple of days it links up with the Marangu Route at which point it becomes a zoo.

The Northern Circuit, however, peels off at about 2 o’clock and veers westward to circumnavigate Kibo Crater along it northern extremity. From that point we saw not another soul. Our group, three old climbing buddies and a last minute addition, enjoyed three nights at superbly located campsites entirely by ourselves. The clean campsites and narrow trails all attested to the fact that very few people make this particular journey.

The landscape of the Northern Circuit differs distinctly from the south It is drier, more moon-like and on occasions bleakly forbidding. To the north the countrysides diminishes through a slow progression of undulations towards the vast expanse of the Masai Steppe and Ambroseli and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya. Kibo Crater is ever present with almost no sign of the glaciers that overflow the southern slopes. Fields of paper dry everlasting daises are almost all can adapt to grow on these hostile boulder fields and lifeless plains of slate and dry stone. Water is hard to find and campsites are widely spaced. There is a deep and eerie silence everywhere that is broken abruptly as the trail swings suddenly southwards and we stumble into Moir Camp.

Here the trail from Shira to Lava Tower passes, and suddenly there are hundreds of porters like a huge flock of starlings moving forwards and back along a meter wide channel that is the trail. Lava Tower Camp has that all to familiar stink of human excrement and is crowded with tents, seething with porters and festooned with litter. Strangely it hardly matters. At this point our minds are focused less on the aesthetics than the hard business of altitude and fatigue, and the pending challenge of the Western Breach.

The Western Breach

The summit experience begins at Lava Tower, and continues at Arrow Glacier just a few hundred meters and a kilometer or so distant. The Western Breach seems less than it is. Through the most all that is visible is a nearly perpendicular skree that is obscured by perspective. When we begin the climb it is a case of one step in front of the other. Pole-pole…the defining mantra of any meaningful Kilimanjaro climb. A few selected porter pass up and continue upwards towards Crater Camp. Seven hours of solid but unremarkable climbing see us over the lip of the crater and at the end of the Furtwangler Glacier.

At this altitude the sun shines, it is surprisingly warm and the porters, although a little less gregarious, are still joyfully exuberant. A few of them are collecting water from the glacier runoff and they congratulate us as we pass by on our way towards Crater Camp.

For me this was the only real disappointment of the expedition. Crater Camp was a shit-hole…see my article on The Beginning of the End of Crater Camp. It was a case of grin and bear the horror for the last few hundred meters to the summit, a little tomfoolery for the sake of photographs, and a scramble down to collapse in the sunshine and try and level the metabolism gasping at 19000ft…

Homeward…

We had big plans to explore the Ash Pit but as dawn broke on our penultimate day the temperature was horrifying and the lack of basic motivation at such altitudes had us directing our noses south and plunging down towards the more accommodating altitude of Mweka Camp….

In conclusion I would recommend Rongai Route to anyone. If you can afford a few dollars more, and do your homework to make sure you sign up with a good outfitter, it is the way to climb this beautiful mountain. Get in touch with me if you need any more info on this climb, or any other pointers in getting up and down Kilimanjaro…

Crater Camp is touted as the last word in isolation on the slightly over-trammeled Kilimanjaro circuit. There is no doubt that getting up there, particularly via the famous Western Breach, is a large undertaking, and spending the night at over 5500m is not for lightweights, but isolated Crater Camp is not!

We made the trip up from Arrow Glacier Camp in about 7-hours of fairly solid slogging up the middle of the Western Breach. Scrambling over the edge of the crater the first sight that greets one is the rather diminutive – not much more than a huge ice-cube – Furtwangler Glacier. After the obligatory photograph against the ice mass – ‘say Fartwanker!’ – we trudged over the ash colored sand that lines the crater floor towards camp situated about 500 meters distant. As usual the porters had arrived before us and were setting up camp, and besides them we were alone on this beautiful and desolate spot.

Litter and worse…

However it was difficult to ignore a carpet of detritus littering the extremities of the camp, a collection of oddments including discarded tampons, teabags, hand-warmers and the usual debris associated with the human condition. I took my camera and set off to photograph the hidden piles of kitchen waste and portable toilet dumps that were the most obvious signs, but pretty soon I was reeling at the sheer volume of crap – literally – that littered the camp surrounds.

Behind every rock, and even some way up the trail towards the summit, hundred and hundreds of human turds lay un-decomposed as might be expected under these conditions of temperature and altitude. It was the most revolting sight imaginable in an otherwise pristinely beautiful natural space.

High altitude lethargy…

Basically the problem is this: It is ecologically unsound to dig pit latrines at this altitude thanks to the fact that no degeneration will take place and what is deposited will remain effectively forever. The use of portable toilets is the alternative, but few porters care to portage filled units down so they simply dump the contents onto the sand. Moreover the porters themselves have no facilities so have no choice but to defecate out in the open and it is this that accounts for the colossal amount of human waste in evidence everywhere.

The end of Crater Camp

As soon as I was back in Moshi I was on the phone to the local head of KINAPA who told me that the situation at Crater Camp had been of concern to the parks authority for some time, and that in fact the decision had recently been taken to shut the facility down altogether. This effectively means that any Western Breach Summit will end at Barafu Camp and that only by special license can anyone in future make use of the crater floor.

As far as current obligations are concerned, pre-existing bookings will be honored, but within a year the facility will be cleaned up and left to nature. It is a very sad fact that the state of human commerce on the mountain is so reckless and indifferent, but the fact remains. Although very sad it is probably for the best. So for those of you booked to climb via Crater Camp, hold your nose, watch your step and make the most of being the last of any of us to make the journey.

Crater Camp is touted as the last word in isolation on the slightly over-trammeled Kilimanjaro circuit. There is no doubt that getting up there, particularly via the famous Western Breach, is a large undertaking, and spending the night at over 5500m is not for lightweights, but isolated Crater Camp is not!

We made the trip up from Arrow Glacier Camp in about 7-hours of fairly solid slogging up the middle of the Western Breach. Scrambling over the edge of the crater the first sight that greets one is the rather diminutive – not much more than a huge ice-cube – Furtwangler Glacier. After the obligatory photograph against the ice mass – ‘say Fartwanker!’ – we trudged over the ash colored sand that lines the crater floor towards camp situated about 500 meters distant. As usual the porters had arrived before us and were setting up camp, and besides them we were alone on this beautiful and desolate spot.

Litter and worse…

However it was difficult to ignore a carpet of detritus littering the extremities of the camp, a collection of oddments including discarded tampons, teabags, hand-warmers and the usual debris associated with the human condition. I took my camera and set off to photograph the hidden piles of kitchen waste and portable toilet dumps that were the most obvious signs, but pretty soon I was reeling at the sheer volume of crap – literally – that littered the camp surrounds.

Behind every rock, and even some way up the trail towards the summit, hundred and hundreds of human turds lay un-decomposed as might be expected under these conditions of temperature and altitude. It was the most revolting sight imaginable in an otherwise pristinely beautiful natural space.

High altitude lethargy…

Basically the problem is this: It is ecologically unsound to dig pit latrines at this altitude thanks to the fact that no degeneration will take place and what is deposited will remain effectively forever. The use of portable toilets is the alternative, but few porters care to portage filled units down so they simply dump the contents onto the sand. Moreover the porters themselves have no facilities so have no choice but to defecate out in the open and it is this that accounts for the colossal amount of human waste in evidence everywhere.

The end of Crater Camp

As soon as I was back in Moshi I was on the phone to the local head of KINAPA who told me that the situation at Crater Camp had been of concern to the parks authority for some time, and that in fact the decision had recently been taken to shut the facility down altogether. This effectively means that any Western Breach Summit will end at Barafu Camp and that only by special license can anyone in future make use of the crater floor.

As far as current obligations are concerned, pre-existing bookings will be honored, but within a year the facility will be cleaned up and left to nature. It is a very sad fact that the state of human commerce on the mountain is so reckless and indifferent, but the fact remains. Although very sad it is probably for the best. So for those of you booked to climb via Crater Camp, hold your nose, watch your step and make the most of being the last of any of us to make the journey.

For each person who signs up for a commercial climb at least three accompanying support staff are included. Once the practical business of climbing the mountain begins the down-to-earth implications of this volume of traffic with regards to where these people all ‘go’ becomes no small matter.

Standards vary from camp to camp…

Depending on the trail you choose the nature and standard of the toilets on offer vary enormously. I have noticed that the higher the altitude the less inviting are the facilities. This probably has much to do with the degree to which one’s energy diminishes at altitude, leading those unfortunate souls charged with the responsibility of maintaining these structures losing interest at altitudes above 12000ft.

The best ablution facilities can be found along the highly commercial routes such as Marangu, and to a lesser extent Machame. The standard of service available at Shira 2 Camp, for example, at the point where Lemosho Route and Machame Route merge is very high. However, far more commonly, services are offered in crudely built and shallowly dug ‘long drop’ potties that are heavily utilized and that offer a less-that-delightful aroma if your porter happens to site your tent downwind.

Facilities are circulated as much as possible…

The good news is that these amenities are regularly circulated so that the build-up of atmospheric toxins is ameliorated somewhat. There are also usually quite a few of them available at any one camp, so one can be selective about which among the many to visit.

Whatt is unavoidable, however, is that they are almost exclusively squat toilets and a degree of dexterity and accuracy are required to effectively use them. Sadly evidence abounds to suggest that these skills are surprisingly rare in the climb fraternity.

The Barafu bog consipracy…

The worst concentration of toilets I have found are at Barafu Camp, although I invite comparison from anyone who cares to disagree.

Barafu enjoys a number of signature disadvantages as a camp. It consists of a bleak and waterless ridge that was clearly chosen with more practical than aesthetic considerations in mind. It is the point at which a number of trails merge, and being as there is but one summit, and this is the last staging point for a good many climb parties, it is crowded, messy and it stinks.

It is evident that the local national parks authority is trying as best it can to keep ahead of the demand, and things could definitely be worse, but there is no pleasure in satisfying your fundamental needs here.

Bring your own if you can afford it…

Most of the higher-end outfitters nowadays offer a version of the portable sailing toilets that are carried skyward up the mountain on the heads of local porters. For women in particular these devises are a godsend and the extra few dollars they cost are definitely worthwhile.

It is easy to overlook this when considering price options for your climb, but remember when the day comes that you have to stand in the freezing wind, toilet-roll in hand, looking at a dozen possibilities, each one less inviting than the last, you will without doubt appreciate the extra expense.

Or keep it bottled up until you get to lower altitude…

The good news is that the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA) is gradually working towards a general improvement. There are always going to be remote camps at high altitude where the practicalities of camp maintenance are very difficult, but certain entrepots…for example Shira 2, Mweka Camp and the hutted camps along Marangu … offer a much higher standard of facility that for most punctuates and relieves the overall unpleasantness of that signature windswept hut on a cold and lonely mountainside.

For each person who signs up for a commercial climb at least three accompanying support staff are included. Once the practical business of climbing the mountain begins the down-to-earth implications of this volume of traffic with regards to where these people all ‘go’ becomes no small matter.

Standards vary from camp to camp…

Depending on the trail you choose the nature and standard of the toilets on offer vary enormously. I have noticed that the higher the altitude the less inviting are the facilities. This probably has much to do with the degree to which one’s energy diminishes at altitude, leading those unfortunate souls charged with the responsibility of maintaining these structures losing interest at altitudes above 12000ft.

The best ablution facilities can be found along the highly commercial routes such as Marangu, and to a lesser extent Machame. The standard of service available at Shira 2 Camp, for example, at the point where Lemosho Route and Machame Route merge is very high. However, far more commonly, services are offered in crudely built and shallowly dug ‘long drop’ potties that are heavily utilized and that offer a less-that-delightful aroma if your porter happens to site your tent downwind.

Facilities are circulated as much as possible…

The good news is that these amenities are regularly circulated so that the build-up of atmospheric toxins is ameliorated somewhat. There are also usually quite a few of them available at any one camp, so one can be selective about which among the many to visit.

Whatt is unavoidable, however, is that they are almost exclusively squat toilets and a degree of dexterity and accuracy are required to effectively use them. Sadly evidence abounds to suggest that these skills are surprisingly rare in the climb fraternity.

The Barafu bog consipracy…

The worst concentration of toilets I have found are at Barafu Camp, although I invite comparison from anyone who cares to disagree.

Barafu enjoys a number of signature disadvantages as a camp. It consists of a bleak and waterless ridge that was clearly chosen with more practical than aesthetic considerations in mind. It is the point at which a number of trails merge, and being as there is but one summit, and this is the last staging point for a good many climb parties, it is crowded, messy and it stinks.

It is evident that the local national parks authority is trying as best it can to keep ahead of the demand, and things could definitely be worse, but there is no pleasure in satisfying your fundamental needs here.

Bring your own if you can afford it…

Most of the higher-end outfitters nowadays offer a version of the portable sailing toilets that are carried skyward up the mountain on the heads of local porters. For women in particular these devises are a godsend and the extra few dollars they cost are definitely worthwhile.

It is easy to overlook this when considering price options for your climb, but remember when the day comes that you have to stand in the freezing wind, toilet-roll in hand, looking at a dozen possibilities, each one less inviting than the last, you will without doubt appreciate the extra expense.

Or keep it bottled up until you get to lower altitude…

The good news is that the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA) is gradually working towards a general improvement. There are always going to be remote camps at high altitude where the practicalities of camp maintenance are very difficult, but certain entrepots…for example Shira 2, Mweka Camp and the hutted camps along Marangu … offer a much higher standard of facility that for most punctuates and relieves the overall unpleasantness of that signature windswept hut on a cold and lonely mountainside.

It may come as a surprise to many to learn that the victims of scams on Kilimanjaro are not always the paid clients, and it always comes as an unpleasant shock for climbers to discover the willingness of the guides, who form the backbone of the Kilimanjaro mountain community, to turn on their porters and other guides for the sake of a few bucks.

Common advice given in the matter of tipping…

Never give the money directly to the lead guide of any climb to distribute to the support guides and porters, even though you will often come under relentless pressure to do this.

The reason for this is that invariably the money will remain in the possession of the guide, or if distributed at all, it will be distributed very unfairly. It is always better to either hand the money out yourself, or hand it to your tour operator at base to share out. Although, of course, in the case of some operators this might simply mean the money will find its way to neither the guides nor the porters, so watch out for that too!

Lastly beware of a finely tuned talent for playing on your sympathies to squeeze extra money out of your pocket. This can range form the usual pleas of poverty, suffering and mistreatment to actual tears. Give what you feel the job has been worth and no more.

At the very bottom of the heap on every climb is the lowly porter…

Porters are drawn from a pool of lowland workers who sign up for a trip or two to earn a few extra bucks. They are itinerant, usually not particularly mountain orientated, and often illiterate. They are limited by park regulations to a portage weight of less than 25 kilograms, or 55 lbs, but are often willing to carry much more for the opportunity to work.

Operators are always keen to save money by loading more than this on the heads and backs of their porters, despite park regulations. How this is done is to provide the correct legal number of porters at the gate, but then as soon as the porters are beyond the gate, doubling up on the loads of a few with the rest leaving the park by pathways known only to themselves.

Clients are rarely ever the wiser to this, and a few credulous and unfortunate porters end up with crippling loads to carry up to dangerous altitudes. To complete the deception the ‘disappeared’ porters will reappear a few hours before the end of the trip and reclaim their loads for the triumphant march out of the park.

The bottom line is take more control over the situation yourself…

These types of problems happen mainly at the bottom end of the market where trips are sold below cost and corners have to be cut.

A few things to avoid:

Never hand the tip money over to the lead guide to distribute

Get proactive in greeting and getting to know your porters

Don’t take the word of any one on your crew at face value

Don’t hand your kit over at the end of the trip to guides pleading poverty.

The Kilimanjaro guides are arguably some of the best supplied developing world mountain guides on the planet, and what will frequently happen is the boots or the fleece that gave you a warm fuzzy feeling to give away will not be given to the nearest needy porters, but sold to him, or someone else, which is probably not what you had in mind

East Africa is one of the most corrupt regions of the world. Tanzania is not as bad as Kenya is as an example, and inland it is not as bad as it is at the coast, but tourists are usually an easy mark, and if you want the game played fairly the best thing to do is to act as ref yourself.

It may come as a surprise to many to learn that the victims of scams on Kilimanjaro are not always the paid clients, and it always comes as an unpleasant shock for climbers to discover the willingness of the guides, who form the backbone of the Kilimanjaro mountain community, to turn on their porters and other guides for the sake of a few bucks.

Common advice given in the matter of tipping…

Never give the money directly to the lead guide of any climb to distribute to the support guides and porters, even though you will often come under relentless pressure to do this.

The reason for this is that invariably the money will remain in the possession of the guide, or if distributed at all, it will be distributed very unfairly. It is always better to either hand the money out yourself, or hand it to your tour operator at base to share out. Although, of course, in the case of some operators this might simply mean the money will find its way to neither the guides nor the porters, so watch out for that too!

Lastly beware of a finely tuned talent for playing on your sympathies to squeeze extra money out of your pocket. This can range form the usual pleas of poverty, suffering and mistreatment to actual tears. Give what you feel the job has been worth and no more.

At the very bottom of the heap on every climb is the lowly porter…

Porters are drawn from a pool of lowland workers who sign up for a trip or two to earn a few extra bucks. They are itinerant, usually not particularly mountain orientated, and often illiterate. They are limited by park regulations to a portage weight of less than 25 kilograms, or 55 lbs, but are often willing to carry much more for the opportunity to work.

Operators are always keen to save money by loading more than this on the heads and backs of their porters, despite park regulations. How this is done is to provide the correct legal number of porters at the gate, but then as soon as the porters are beyond the gate, doubling up on the loads of a few with the rest leaving the park by pathways known only to themselves.

Clients are rarely ever the wiser to this, and a few credulous and unfortunate porters end up with crippling loads to carry up to dangerous altitudes. To complete the deception the ‘disappeared’ porters will reappear a few hours before the end of the trip and reclaim their loads for the triumphant march out of the park.

The bottom line is take more control over the situation yourself…

These types of problems happen mainly at the bottom end of the market where trips are sold below cost and corners have to be cut.

A few things to avoid:

Never hand the tip money over to the lead guide to distribute

Get proactive in greeting and getting to know your porters

Don’t take the word of any one on your crew at face value

Don’t hand your kit over at the end of the trip to guides pleading poverty.

The Kilimanjaro guides are arguably some of the best supplied developing world mountain guides on the planet, and what will frequently happen is the boots or the fleece that gave you a warm fuzzy feeling to give away will not be given to the nearest needy porters, but sold to him, or someone else, which is probably not what you had in mind

East Africa is one of the most corrupt regions of the world. Tanzania is not as bad as Kenya is as an example, and inland it is not as bad as it is at the coast, but tourists are usually an easy mark, and if you want the game played fairly the best thing to do is to act as ref yourself.

Hard times always bring out the creativity in man. Necessity is the mother of invention. There are a slough of offers across the internet for cut price Kilimanjaro climbs being tendered by the lower two-thirds of climb market in Tanzania. This is the strata that caters for the bulk of the venture climb traffic.

This dovetails very neatly into the need for cheap climb options. Without these many would be unable in this economic climate to climb. However if a trip is offered below cost, and if economic survival is the key, then corners will be cut, and here are a few ways this is being achieved.

Short trips

This is a trick that has surfaced and submerged often over the years. Currently it is back at the surface and breathing new life into the ailing bottom feeders who have always occupied the fringe of respectable Kili business. It is very simple, and here is how it works:

You pay for an 8-day trip and upon check-in at the national parks gate, usually with connivance of one of more TANAPA officials, your operator pays for only a 6-day trip. The crew are then under instructions to ensure that as many members of party as possible succumb to AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) within those 6-days, which can be achieved in any number of ways, particularly among novice climbers. These are then hustled off the mountain which allows the outfitting company to retain the parks fees, not only for those paying packs themselves, but also the porters and guides for whom fees will also have been charged but not paid.

The obvious way to guard against this is to make sure that the correct monies are paid at the gate and the correct registration completed. This not easy, particularly if a TANAPA official is in on it, but it is a precaution.

It is also worthwhile – particularly if you have been given younger guides whose attitude is less one of professionalism than random teenagers taking any job they can – not taking as rote everything you are told. The signs of this type of guide are usually that they remain plugged into their MP3 player or transistor radios from beginning to end, have no particular answers to any queries, and are more interested in what kit they can beg from you than your well-being or enjoyment.

If you find yourself with this type of guide you need to take more control of your circumstances. If you are suffering obvious health problems and your guide’s advice is go, go, go! … then pause and assert your status as a paying client and lay down the law. Do not be coerced or bulldozed into side excursions that you do not feel fit for, and do not adhere to any suggestions of short cuts, truncated days or any other creative route finding that strays from the written itinerary.

Short Staffed

A very common sight on the final stretch of the climb are climbers clearly on their last legs, fading in and out of consciousness, retching and weaving, but being pushed forward by their guides. This might on the surface seem inspirational, but is in reality extremely poor practice. Here is why:

It is essential when setting off from Barafu Camp towards the summit to have with your group enough personnel qualified or experienced at high altitude to ensure that everyone has a shot of getting to the summit. Out of a group of ten packs it is possible that half might drop out at various stages and need to be escorted down by someone who knows what they are doing. The remainder are then able to continue up with another guide, usually the lead guide, who also knows what he or she is doing.

If a group of 10 packs is sent up on the last 6-hour slog to the summit with just one, or maybe two guides, obviously, in order that the whole group are not forced to return alongside the first casualty, the ailing member is put under enormous, and extremely dangerous pressure to continue. It is usually a very irritated party of climbers that has to return short of the summit thanks to the incapacity of one, or maybe two climbers.

Any climb outfitter worth its salt will provide a ratio of guides-to-climbers of three packs to one guide. Usually this is arranged so that the party is led by a ‘lead’ guide whose age and experience is sufficient to undertake the task. He will be supported by an assistant guide, or two, who are licensed, but gaining experience under the tutelage of the master.

Supporting these will be a clique of porters with ambitions to go through the licensing system who usually undertake the tasks of cook, camp manager and quartermaster, with the capacity to escort injured or weakened members of the climb party down if necessary, and otherwise to stand in as emergency guides in a crisis.

It is worth remembering the bulk of the porters you will have on your trip are part of the bottom rung of the climb fraternity, and for the most part they are an itinerant workforce with little mountain experience who do a trip or two when they need the cash and otherwise are lowland farmers or share croppers accustomed to the steppe. These are not men capable of any degree of professional mountaineering, and very much bring up the rear.

Another point worth remember is that there is a local industry is second hand kit, and your guides and porters will have their eye on what your might be relieved of from the onset. Requests for kit and tearful distress at low tips are a common feature of Kili, arm yourself with fore-knowledge, and do not give away kit you do not want to give away just because your petitioner looks like he might need it. Chances are he intends to sell it.

>>Here are some more common scams...

So these are just a couple of popular scams, let me know if you have experienced any others and I would be happy to compile a rogues gallery of naughty boys that do this kind of stuff.

Hard times always bring out the creativity in man. Necessity is the mother of invention. There are a slough of offers across the internet for cut price Kilimanjaro climbs being tendered by the lower two-thirds of climb market in Tanzania. This is the strata that caters for the bulk of the venture climb traffic.

This dovetails very neatly into the need for cheap climb options. Without these many would be unable in this economic climate to climb. However if a trip is offered below cost, and if economic survival is the key, then corners will be cut, and here are a few ways this is being achieved.

Short trips

This is a trick that has surfaced and submerged often over the years. Currently it is back at the surface and breathing new life into the ailing bottom feeders who have always occupied the fringe of respectable Kili business. It is very simple, and here is how it works:

You pay for an 8-day trip and upon check-in at the national parks gate, usually with connivance of one of more TANAPA officials, your operator pays for only a 6-day trip. The crew are then under instructions to ensure that as many members of party as possible succumb to AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) within those 6-days, which can be achieved in any number of ways, particularly among novice climbers. These are then hustled off the mountain which allows the outfitting company to retain the parks fees, not only for those paying packs themselves, but also the porters and guides for whom fees will also have been charged but not paid.

The obvious way to guard against this is to make sure that the correct monies are paid at the gate and the correct registration completed. This not easy, particularly if a TANAPA official is in on it, but it is a precaution.

It is also worthwhile – particularly if you have been given younger guides whose attitude is less one of professionalism than random teenagers taking any job they can – not taking as rote everything you are told. The signs of this type of guide are usually that they remain plugged into their MP3 player or transistor radios from beginning to end, have no particular answers to any queries, and are more interested in what kit they can beg from you than your well-being or enjoyment.

If you find yourself with this type of guide you need to take more control of your circumstances. If you are suffering obvious health problems and your guide’s advice is go, go, go! … then pause and assert your status as a paying client and lay down the law. Do not be coerced or bulldozed into side excursions that you do not feel fit for, and do not adhere to any suggestions of short cuts, truncated days or any other creative route finding that strays from the written itinerary.

Short Staffed

A very common sight on the final stretch of the climb are climbers clearly on their last legs, fading in and out of consciousness, retching and weaving, but being pushed forward by their guides. This might on the surface seem inspirational, but is in reality extremely poor practice. Here is why:

It is essential when setting off from Barafu Camp towards the summit to have with your group enough personnel qualified or experienced at high altitude to ensure that everyone has a shot of getting to the summit. Out of a group of ten packs it is possible that half might drop out at various stages and need to be escorted down by someone who knows what they are doing. The remainder are then able to continue up with another guide, usually the lead guide, who also knows what he or she is doing.

If a group of 10 packs is sent up on the last 6-hour slog to the summit with just one, or maybe two guides, obviously, in order that the whole group are not forced to return alongside the first casualty, the ailing member is put under enormous, and extremely dangerous pressure to continue. It is usually a very irritated party of climbers that has to return short of the summit thanks to the incapacity of one, or maybe two climbers.

Any climb outfitter worth its salt will provide a ratio of guides-to-climbers of three packs to one guide. Usually this is arranged so that the party is led by a ‘lead’ guide whose age and experience is sufficient to undertake the task. He will be supported by an assistant guide, or two, who are licensed, but gaining experience under the tutelage of the master.

Supporting these will be a clique of porters with ambitions to go through the licensing system who usually undertake the tasks of cook, camp manager and quartermaster, with the capacity to escort injured or weakened members of the climb party down if necessary, and otherwise to stand in as emergency guides in a crisis.

It is worth remembering the bulk of the porters you will have on your trip are part of the bottom rung of the climb fraternity, and for the most part they are an itinerant workforce with little mountain experience who do a trip or two when they need the cash and otherwise are lowland farmers or share croppers accustomed to the steppe. These are not men capable of any degree of professional mountaineering, and very much bring up the rear.

Another point worth remember is that there is a local industry is second hand kit, and your guides and porters will have their eye on what your might be relieved of from the onset. Requests for kit and tearful distress at low tips are a common feature of Kili, arm yourself with fore-knowledge, and do not give away kit you do not want to give away just because your petitioner looks like he might need it. Chances are he intends to sell it.

>>Here are some more common scams...

So these are just a couple of popular scams, let me know if you have experienced any others and I would be happy to compile a rogues gallery of naughty boys that do this kind of stuff.

Some people say Kilimanjaro is easy, and some people would agree, but anyone who has done it will tell you it is no walk in the park. However it does have no technical aspects to speak of, and if you are looking for something just a little bit left of center, a little bit more challenging than the norm, and if you think you a too tough for any of the standard Kilimanjaro routes then this one might be for you.

This is a 8 day trip, starting off at the Rongai Trailhead, Approaching the Western Breach via the Northern Circuit and approaching the summit via Crater Camp. It will be a small group, exclusive and fully guided and supported option.

The Northern Circuit has fallen into disuse over recent years, and it is way off the beaten track, and of course the Western Breach is by no means the commonly used access to the high peaks. A feature of the trip is a night spent in Crater Camp at over 18 000ft which is not the granny version of camping. This will be a spectacular climb, but not for the faint hearted.

If this is the 2009 trip for you then get in touch with me as soon as you can for prices, detailed itinerary and other general information. Places are limited and time is short.

Contact BootsnAll at + 1 503 528 1005 or email me directly. Don’t waste time…the moment is now!

Some people say Kilimanjaro is easy, and some people would agree, but anyone who has done it will tell you it is no walk in the park. However it does have no technical aspects to speak of, and if you are looking for something just a little bit left of center, a little bit more challenging than the norm, and if you think you a too tough for any of the standard Kilimanjaro routes then this one might be for you.

This is a 8 day trip, starting off at the Rongai Trailhead, Approaching the Western Breach via the Northern Circuit and approaching the summit via Crater Camp. It will be a small group, exclusive and fully guided and supported option.

The Northern Circuit has fallen into disuse over recent years, and it is way off the beaten track, and of course the Western Breach is by no means the commonly used access to the high peaks. A feature of the trip is a night spent in Crater Camp at over 18 000ft which is not the granny version of camping. This will be a spectacular climb, but not for the faint hearted.

If this is the 2009 trip for you then get in touch with me as soon as you can for prices, detailed itinerary and other general information. Places are limited and time is short.

Contact BootsnAll at + 1 503 528 1005 or email me directly. Don’t waste time…the moment is now!