Mt. Meru seen from from 17,500 feet up the slopes of Kilimanjaro

A mud fest. This was crazy. The drivers and passengers often had to get out to help push the jeep through this mud. Villagers would run out to help by cutting branches and other organic debris for placement in the road ruts.

A Climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

In every inspiring natural creation there is realism that speaks to you. In every moment on a mountain you find it more and more. You discover yourself in ways not possible through other means. This stays with you and guides you for the rest of your life. May everyone have this chance at least once.

Mt. Kilimanjaro sits just north of the Equator in Eastern sub-Saharan Africa. It rests on the Tanzania-Kenyan border and stands 19,340 feet tall (5895 meters). It is the world’s largest freestanding volcano and one of the world’s seven summits (the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents).

When initially researching climbing companies I found ten, of which I would eventually choose one. For the price, the route, the guides, and service I chose Mountain Madness. Many of you may remember this company. They were featured in news stories during the spring of 1996. This was one of the companies that was guiding during an ill-fated day when tragedy hit Mount Everest. “Into Thin Air” a book by Jon Krakauer, was based on the incidents that occurred on Everest during May 10, 1996.
I chose Mountain Madness because of their slow climbing schedule, which leaves more time for acclimatization. They have a good client to guide ratio and they climb the least traveled route. They have an excellent overall reputation.

18,000 feet up Kilimanjaro. One of the prettier parts of the mountain.

There are several routes on Mt. Kilimanjaro. These are the Machame, Umbwe, Mweka, Marangu, and the Shira plateau route. By far the most popular, fastest to the top, and cheapest route is the so-called “coca cola” route. I highly do NOT recommend taking this route. While it is cheap, and you can organize a climb on the fly, you will most likely have problems, with the guides, the food, and the altitude. Time and time again people have told me about their bad experiences on the “coca-cola” route. They said they took this route because they didn’t want to spend a lot of time on the mountain and they didn’t want to pay very much. I bring up the old adage at this time “you get what you pay for.” Many had tales of guides abandoning them, bad food and bad water. Most had stories about climbing too fast and getting altitude sickness. Of the people who attempt this mountain only approximately 20% actually make it to the top. One of the reasons for this low percentage is that most people take the “coca-cola” route.