Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Mt. Kilimanjaro is just north of Arusha in the northern portion of Tanzania. Our airport here at Arusha is called the Mt. Kilimanjaro airport, because of our close proximity to the mountain.
Mt. Kilimanjaro is a fairly difficult journey and one that needs to be respected. The gain in altitude is more severe than other high-altitude climbs and it is for this reason that there is such a high failure rate. There are 5 different routes that can be chosen, each with a different approach route and with a different number of recommended days, and hence different prices.. The national park rules require that no climb may be undertaken in less than 5 nights and 4 days, as this is the minimum number of days to reduce the risk of serious altitude sickness.
Most of our climbers prefer the Machame Route (6 days and 5 nights) or the more secluded Shira Route (8 days and 7 nights). All climbs can be combined with a safari afterwards and are therefore custom designed. All trips must include one night of lodging prior to the climb (we recommend 2 nights so you can adjust after your long international flights), and one night after your descent.
Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world and peaks out at 19,340 feet. It is the highest peak in all of Africa and many call it the roof of Africa.
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is not a technical climb but it necessitates several days of steady trekking as you ascend the mountain. You stay in full service camps until your last night, which is a shelter hut. It is very adequate but your night is very short there, as you leave between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. for the final ascent so you arrive at the peak at sunrise.
One of our favorite plans is to include two parks along with your mountain climb--the Arusha and Tarangire parks. This offers you a variety of experiences-from the climb and the awsome view, to the big game and lush vegetation of two of our nearby parks.
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