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KILIMANJARO
ASCENT PREPARATIONS, PRACTICALITIES AND TREKKING ROUTES TO THE ‘ROOF OF AFRICA’
by Alexander Stewart
JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS,
OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL
About the Author
Alexander Stewart has been writing guidebooks for 15 years and is the author of six trekking guides around the world. He has a passion for wild places and is particularly interested in mountains. Throughout his adult life he has walked in them, written about them and photographed them. However, he doesn’t often find himself on top of them, except on home soil in the UK. Kilimanjaro made a significant impression on him during his first ascent in 1999, and he has subsequently been drawn back repeatedly to the ‘Roof of Africa’.
© Alexander Stewart 2018
Second edition 2018
ISBN: 978 1 85284 758 6
First edition 2004
Printed in China on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.
For Rory and Merryn and Esme.
And for Katie, of course.
Updates to this Guide
While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/758/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time.
We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal LA9 7RL, United Kingdom.
Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk.
Warning
All mountain activities contain an element of danger, with a risk of personal injury or death. The treks described in this guidebook are no exception. Under normal conditions wandering the trails of Kilimanjaro will be neither more nor less hazardous than walking among big mountains anywhere in the world, but trekking involves physically demanding exercise in a challenging landscape, where caution is advised and a degree of stamina is often required, and it should be undertaken only by those with a full understanding of the risks, and with the training and experience to evaluate them.
In particular it is important to be aware at all times of the effects of altitude, the need for acclimatisation and the risk of acute mountain sickness.
Trekkers should be properly equipped for the routes undertaken. While every care and effort has been taken in the preparation of this guide, the user should be aware that conditions can be highly variable and change quickly. Rockfall, landslip and crumbling paths can alter the character of a route, and the presence of snow and the possibility of avalanche must be carefully considered, for these can materially affect the seriousness of a trek.
Readers are warned that sometimes a few unfortunate trekkers die of hypothermia or acute mountain sickness, while some simply lose their balance and fall from the trail due to a momentary loss of concentration. Since there is no organised mountain rescue service in Tanzania, such as exists in some mountain regions of Europe, self-help may be your only option if an accident occurs.
Therefore, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, neither Cicerone nor the author accepts liability for damage of any nature (including damage to property, personal injury or death) arising directly or indirectly from the information in this guide.
Front cover: Path across the Saddle (Marangu Route) (Martchan/Shutterstock.com)
CONTENTS
Kilimanjaro region overview map
Preparations and practicalities