The Routes

When I first started this blog, I set up a Google alert for "Kilimanjaro." So every day I get an email with links to any new posts on blogs and websites that contain the word "Kilimanjaro." It's amazing how many there are every day. I usually spend about an hour a day reading these alerts. Just when I think I have read all that I need to know and/or that I am really wasting my time, I find a site that just blows me away.

I have been trying to wrap my mind around the differences among the various routes - unsuccessfully until now.

Here is it: just as the name says Africa Travel Resource. There is a list on the left of each route. When you place your cursor over the name of a route, it highlights the route on the map. I assume that the dots are the overnight stops. Maybe I am a visual learner but I find this really helpful. This is the first site that I have found that describes a "North" route.

Here's what it says about the different routes:

"Trekkers who are less than absolutely confident about their fitness, or who are pressed for time should start with the Rongai route. Those absolutely confident in their fitness and willing to spend longer on the mountain to increase the chances of summit success should start by taking a look at the Shira route. People not too worried about costs but who simply want the ultimate trek should look at the North route."

This is going to be a really difficult but critical decision.

Getting Acclimated

How does this sound for getting acclimated to altitude before starting the Kili climb:

1. Fly to Amsterdam

2. Fly to Geneva

3. Take the train to Zermatt (5,315 feet)

4. From Zermatt, take the cog-wheel train up to Gornergrat (10,000 feet), then take a cable car to Stockhorn (11,588 feet) and hike around

6. Next day, from Zermatt, take a cable car to Little Matterhorn (12,533 feet) and hike around

7. Next day, take train back to Geneva, fly to Amsterdam

8. Stay overnight at the airport and then fly to Kilimanjaro

That's what the authors of Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (Carmichael and Stoaddard) did to acclimate to altitude and get over jet lag. They also suggest going to Chamonix, France as a closer, less expensive (but also lower) alternative to Zermatt.

Sounds great to me. All it takes is time and money!

Amazing photo

Apparently there is an individual Soichi Noguchi who is an astronaut on board the International Space Station who has been tweeting and sending pictures from space including this one of Mount Kilimanjaro.



The tag on the photo says that it was taken January 19, 2010. Pretty scary if it is supposed to be snow-capped!

You can see more pictures here. It also allows you to rotate the pictures which is very cool.

This is serious!

Forget the travel brochures. To take a page from Rudyard Kipling ("If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs..."): If you still want to go after reading this description, then you are serious...or seriously crazy. I love the title: Climb and Punishment. This is the most graphic and detailed (and realistic?) description that I have read yet. And she took the Rongai route which is supposed to be the easiest!