Kilimanjaro rubbish - some good news

Monday 5th February 2007

According to the latest emails from climbers on Kilimanjaro, the litter problem - which we go on about at some length in the book - is now being taken seriously by the authorities.

An email from Stewart MacKenzie, who recently attempted to reach the summit via the Lemosho Route - a route that received particular criticism in the book, for whilst I felt that it was potentially the most beautiful walk, it was also the one where the litter problem was at its most serious. Mr MacKenzie - who alas failed to reach the summit because of the snowfall over new year - was nevertheless full of praise for the clean-up operation that had clearly taken place. he writes:

‘Your comments about the litter on the Lemosho Route were obviously read by appropriate authorities, and when we did the route at Christmas, it was in pristine condition. Not a drop of litter to be seen. Nice to know that your efforts have been rewarded.’

Whilst obviously this is good news, this is of course a problem that can only be tackled by permanent vigilance. In my experience, one clean path does not necessarily mean a clean mountain, for often the authorities concentrate on one trail that has come in for particular criticism at the expense of another. So please, I would be grateful for any reports on the litter situation from other Kilimanjaro climbers. But for now, at least, we should be thankful for this small piece of good news - and thank KINAPA, who are probably behind the clean-up!

January 2007 Kilimanjaro news >>