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Frequently asked questions
About your trek
1) Do I require any special skills or equipment to trek on any of the routes?
No. All of the treks, including the Unique Rongai treks, are walks, not climbs. Nor do you need any special equipment, so you can leave all your ropes, crampons, ice axes etc at home. ALL OF OUR ROUTES ARE WALKING ROUTES ONLY.
2) How long are the treks?
The treks vary from six to eight days. The exact length of each trek is written on the Trekking dates and prices page. Note that the number of days listed refers to the time spent on the mountain; it does not include the night’s accommodation for the night both before and after your trek, though these are included in the price.
3) Who is leading the trek?
The treks will be led by me, Henry Stedman, the author of the guide to climbing Kilimanjaro and this website. In addition, there will be at least one local guide whom I have chosen because of their knowledge, expertise or experience on the mountain. For the Unique Rongai Treks, the guides are widely regarded as amongst the best currently working on the mountain; though for all of our treks the guides are fully qualified and have been trained to a high standard.
4) How many people will be on the trek?
We are looking to keep the groups to a maximum of twelve people; any bigger, and we feel that the group starts to feel a little too big.
5) How fit do I need to be?
A reasonable level of fitness is required to climb Kilimanjaro. You can read more about this subject by following this link to our Fitness for Kilimanjaro page.
Note that those hoping to sleep in the Crater Camp must understand the dangers of sleeping at 5730m above altitude, and the extra stress this puts on the body. As such, you should be of considerably above average condition to book a night at Crater Camp.
On our Unique Rongai treks a night at the Crater Camp is included; you can, however, choose not to take this option if you so desire.
6) Can I get an itinerary for the trek?
You will receive an exact itinerary when you book with us. In the meantime, you can
read a summary of each of the treks by visiting our Routes up Kilimanjaro section.
You can also find detailed day-
7) I’ve heard that the Western Breach Route to the summit is opening again soon. Can I take this path to the summit?
The Western Breach Route is due to open again very soon. Although none of our climbs currently offer that particular route, we are waiting to see what changes KINAPA have made to the route, and whether they have brought in any new regulations regarding it, before we will be running any treks upon it. As soon as we do hear what the latest rules are concerning that path, we will schedule one trek on that route.
8) I would like to trek with Climb Mount Kilimanjaro but my group is larger than
twelve -
I am aiming to keep the size of the groups to a minimum, as I feel that a group that is much larger than twelve trekkers is cumbersome and trekkers lose the sense that they are in a wilderness if there are too many people. That said, if you are a single group and you don't mind trekking in such a large group, then we will be able to accommodate you.
9) Is there a minimum number of people on the trek?
We insist that there is a minimum of four trekkers per group. If, a couple of weeks before the trek is due to depart, there is less than four people booked, then we will, with your permission, pass your booking over to a reputable agency who will escort you to the top on the same route and to the same standards that we achieve on our treks. Note that I will not be accompanying you on this trip. Alternatively, we will refund you the money you have paid to us.
10) Can I see a map of the Unique Rongai Route?
When you book a trek we will send you a detailed map of the route.
11) Is it guaranteed that I will reach the top?
As we've already mentioned, we think that with the Unique Rongai Route you have the
greatest chance of reaching the summit. But you can rest assured that with all our
treks we hope to maximise your chances of making it to the top. By monitoring the
pace of the trek, the amount of food and rest that each trekker gets, and their overall
health and well-
That said,our ambition for all these treks is to make sure that all trekkers fulfil
their potential -
We want you to enjoy your trek, to have a fantastic experience and to love the mountain almost as much as we do. And we want you to feel that you have done the best you can. But above all else, we want you to be safe. Everything else is of secondary importance. So if we feel that you are not well enough to reach the top, we will not allow you to try.
12) If I fail to reach the summit, can I get a refund?
No. As the price includes your park fees, food, equipment, etc, we cannot pay a refund to those who do not make it to the summit.
Booking your trek
13) When are the treks?
You will find a schedule by following the links to the Trekking dates and prices page.
14) How much is the trek going to cost?
A schedule of our prices can be found by following this link to our trekking dates and prices page.
15) What is included in the price -
Follow this link to find out what's included in the cost -
16) I'd like to climb with you but not on the dates you are offering in the schedule
-
Yes. If you wish to book a climb with us on a date that is not listed on the trekking dates and prices page, just contact us and we will see what we can do. Much will depend on the demand but we will try, where possible, to accommodate you where we can.
17) If your Unique Rongai Route is so special, why is it not more expensive? I’ve
seen other treks costing US$4000-
The research we do when writing the guidebook puts us in a strong position. It means we know what are the best value hotels, restaurants and tour operators. It also means we are in a strong bargaining position when negotiating with these establishments and companies.
But though I really think that we are offering an exclusive trek here, I don't want
to charge exclusive prices for it. Why? Well for a start, I'll be climbing with you.
And I don't want to climb only with those who can afford to pay a fortune for their
climb -
The same goes for our treks on standard routes. We can keep costs relatively low
because we know how to! So while it's true that we don't offer the cheapest treks
on the mountain -
So maybe you shouldn't be asking why our treks are so cheap -
18) How do I book?
The first thing to do is look at our trekking schedule and find a trek that is suitable.
Then simply send us an email with your name, the trek you wish to do and its date,
how many places you wish to book -
There’s no need to send any money at this stage. We will reply back to you confirming your booking and the dates. Once we have received twelve people in each trek, we will close the trek to new bookings.
Towards the end of January, those who have successfully booked a place on the trek will receive a booking form. This form will contain space for you to tell us about your preferred accommodation away from the mountain, your transport details, any dietary requirements you may have, whether you want to take any other excursions or safaris (eg if you want to take an acclimatisation climb on Mount Meru, or go on safari to Serengeti/Ngorongoro etc).
Once we have received this form back from you, we will send you an invoice for the deposit (£100 or equivalent in your currency), and our terms and conditions which we will ask you to read carefully. You will also receive a copy of the guidebook at this point to help you prepare for your trek.
If you have any questions regarding the trek or the booking, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us by email. You can also visit our How to book page for more details.
19) What currencies do you accept as payment?
US dollars, pounds sterling, euros, Australian dollars, New Zealand dollars, and Canadian dollars.
20) My friends climbed Kilimanjaro last year and paid their park fees when they arrived. Why can't I do the same?
Unfortunately the rules have changed and from January 1st 2008 you can no longer pay your park fees by travellers' cheques or cash. Instead, all fees must be paid by special credit cards that are held by the trekking agencies. As such, I'm afraid you now have to pay your park fees in advance. Do contact us if this is going to be a problem.
21) Where will I be staying before/after the trek?
We have chosen several hotels for a range of budgets, from standard to super. You will receive details of these hotels with your booking form.
22) Will I have to pay a deposit to book my place on the climb?
In the first instance, all we want you to do is send us an email to book your place on a trek. Towards the end of January, 2008, we will send you a booking form which we will ask you to fill out. Once we have received this we will send you an invoice for a deposit, which will be for £150 plus any hotel upgrade fee. If you are paying in another currency, we'll send you an invoice in the currency of your choice.
23) When do I have to pay the balance?
We like to have everything sorted out one month before you are due to begin your climb.
Preparing for your trek
24) What do I need to bring?
You can find a comprehensive list of things to bring in the book and on the What
to take section on this site. You can also hire trekking equipment and clothes for
no more than a couple of dollars a day -
25) How fit do I need to be?
We discuss this in the guide (a copy will be sent to you free of charge when you book) and also on the website. If you need to discuss this matter further we can advise you on how to get fit.
26) Do I need insurance to climb Kilimanjaro?
Yes, definitely. We insist that you are fully insured for your trek. Do read our advice on insurance in the book, and also our insurance for Kilimanjaro page on this website.
27) How do I get to Kilimanjaro?
By far the best and most convenient way to get to Kilimanjaro is to fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), served by airlines such as KLM, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways. From the airport, we will transfer you to your hotel (which, as with the transfer back to the airport at the end of your trek, is included in the price). You can also fly to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam, and catch a bus or local flight to Kilimanjaro or Arusha from there. Though transfers from these airports are not included in our package (only from KIA), we can help you to arrange them.
28) How many days before the start of the climb do I need to spend in Tanzania?
We strongly advise you to spend at least one full day in Tanzania before beginning your trek. Arriving by plane one day and then climbing the next is not the best way to begin a trek. If you wish, we can help you to find the most suitable flights for your trek.
29) Can I hire trekking equipment?
Whilst cooking and camping equipment (including sleeping mattress and tent) are included
in the price, clothes, boots, gloves, rainwear, head torches and trekking poles are
not. However, all of these can be hired for no more than US$2-
On the mountain
30) I have special dietary requirements -
When you receive the booking form from us you will notice a box where you can tell us about any dietary requirements you may have. As long as you give us enough notice we will be able to satisfy any dietary requirements you may have.
31) Who is going to be guiding us on the mountain?
The trek will be led by myself and at least one local guide. On the Unique Rongai
Route the guides that we will be working with are not your average guides but have
been handpicked by me for their experience, expertise, knowledge of the English language
etc. It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that I’m really proud of the crew
members I’ve assembled -
32) What are the safety/rescue procedures of Climb Mount Kilimanjaro?
Our guides have been fully trained in high-
33) Will I need to tip my Kilimanjaro crew (ie the porters and guides)?
Yes, this is vital. A guide to tipping can be found in the book, as well as on the Tipping your Kilimanjaro crew page on this website. Note that you won't need to tip me, however, just the local crew!
Other trips and excursions in Tanzania
34) Can you help me to arrange an acclimatisation trip on Mount Meru before I climb Kilimanjaro?
Certainly -
35) I've been reading your book and would like to visit the Amani orphanage in Moshi. Is this possible? How about other excursions in the local area?
That's really not a problem. Indeed, if you've got the time, we encourage you to
visit the orphanage -
We can also arrange trips around Marangu, a safari in Arusha National Park, Swahili
lessons, drum workshops -
36) Can I also arrange a safari, a trip to Zanzibar or another Tanzanian excursion through you?
Certainly. We can help you organize tours around the 'Northern Circuit' of Tanzania (ie the national parks of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara etc), as well as flights to Zanzibar and accommodation whilst there.
Indeed, when it comes to safaris we think we have found an equally unique package, where you have the option of staying with the local bushmen and even going hunting with them! But there is too much to describe here; when you book your trek with us, let us know if you are interested in taking further excursions before or after the trek (there’s a space on the form for this) and we’ll be able to send you information about what exactly what we offer.