Climbing Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro to Uhuru Peak (5895 metres, 19341 feet). My father and I hiked the Machame route over 6 days in January 2020. Shoutout to B + C + J from Florida, R + M from Australia, M + K from Dubai, and M + L + H from England for bringing good vibes 😎

A busy day at the Machame Gate starting point

The National Park mandates all expeditions to go through a local guiding service. Which is great to develop Tourism, but has consequently lead to other issues like the harsh treatment of certain employees, unethical business models, and sustainability concerns. I have mixed feelings about the global commercial hiking industry overall; let me know if you have an opinion on the subject and want to discuss further! I'm sure these problems would also be evident on other popular treks like Everest Basecamp or Machu Picchu.

The scenery is incredible; starting in the wet and muddy rainforest before ascending ridges to gain elevation and eventually scrambling up to the high altitude amongst nothing but snow, rocks, and glaciers.

Welcome to tent city. Each route up Kilimanjaro is unique and will attract a certain demographic of the population. For example, the Marangu offers accommodations in huts while the Rongai ascends from the remote northern aspect of the volcano. Each route offers different options for acclimatization and therefore the success rates are variable.

The porters are superhuman. It was quite inspiring to witness them being so positive despite the grueling nature of their work. As the unemployment rates are high in Tanzania, these jobs are competitive to get and therefore desirable. Historically this has lead to unfair compensation, job security, and work conditions. The National Park Authority now monitors how much weight each individual is allowed to carry (25 kilograms maximum).