kilimanjaro – Foothold International

How much money should I carry with me for the Kilimanjaro climb?

Cherie Catron — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 02:31:49 +0000

How much money to bring with you depends on many factors. First, let’s go through what you don’t need to spend money on, and then what you need to spend prior, and finally how much you need to carry with you.

IMPORTANT TIP: Bring dollars that are new (nothing older than 2016) with no marks or tears.

Your trip up Kilimanjaro will include the following (unless other arrangements have been made):

All food during the climb
Hotel before & after climb in Moshi, Tanzania
Breakfast all days
Flights
Transportation to and from the airport in Moshi, Tanzania
Transportation to and from the mountain and your hotel in Moshi

Things to pay for prior:

$100-300–Shots (Check with us to find out which shots you are required and which ones are required. Click here to read more.
$100–Visa Application (30 days Prior)

Money to Carry with You:

$20-40 on the climb to buy snacks & souvenirs while waiting to check in and on the way back to the hotel.
Tips $400+
Lunch & Dinner days before and after climb $6-15/each meal
Optional Waterfall & Coffee Plantation Tour $30-50 (pre-climb)
Optional Hot Springs Trip $30-50 (post-climb)
Shopping opportunities are limited to a few curio shops that sell inexpensive t-shirts and various handmade souvenirs. However, if you’re interested in tanzanite jewelry, there are lots of opportunities for great deals, but it is a high-end item compared to other typical souvenirs
Food during layovers.

September 2022 Kilimanjaro Itinerary

Cherie Catron — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 02:01:00 +0000

DAY 1 (Thursday)

Arrive in Kilimanjaro airport in the afternoon. We will meet you at the airport and drive about an hour and half to the hotel. We will check in, unpack, and eat dinner at the hotel.

DAY 2 (Friday)

Optional trip to Waterfalls and Coffee Plantation. Meet with mountain guides to inspect our gear. ($20-40/person)

DAY 3 (Saturday: 1^st Day of Climb)

Lemosho Gate-Mti Kubwa Camp: Rainforest

8am Leave hotel around for Londorossi Gate.
Drive 2-3 hours
Expect delays…we will carry a box lunch and eat sometime before we climb…this is the most chaotic part of the trip.
After completing the paperwork at Londorossi National Park gate, we drive through farmland to reach the Lemosho trailhead.
Hike for about 3 hours through the rain forest.
Evening Camp at Mti Kubwa (Big Tree Camp)

2-3 hours · 2.9 miles Elevation: 9137ft to 11,496ft

Elevation Gain: +1,700 ft.

DAY 4 (Sunday: 2^nd Day of Climb)

Mti Kubwa Camp-Shira One: Rainforest to Mooreland

7am Breakfast
8am Begin Hike to Shira 1 Camp
- Start in Rainforest & enter into the Mooreland
The trail climbs with gorgeous views of the area around Kilimanjaro, but the summit may not be in view until the afternoon, depending on weather.
By afternoon, we reach the rim of the Shira Plateau & get possibly the first clear view of the summit since we will now be at cloud level.
Short break at the rim, then we descend into the Shira plateau to Camp at Shira One Camp
Late lunch at Shira 1
Leisure hike after lunch to help with climatization

4-6 hours · 4.9 miles Elevation: 9137ft to 11,496ft
Altitude gained: +2359 feet

DAY 5 (Monday: 3^rd Day of Climb)

Shira One Camp-Shira Two Camp : Mooreland

7am Breakfast
8am Begin Hike to Shira Two Camp
- Steady uphill climb through the Moorelands
- This is not a difficult climb
Lunch & Dinner at Shira Two Camp
At Shira Two camp, it is likely to get cell service
Shira Two has beautiful views, but it is windy & dusty. The weather can be hot in the sun, but cold in the wind. A decent windbreaker jacket is helpful at camp.
5-7 hours · 4.3 miles Elevation: 11,496ft to 12,770ft
Altitude gained: +1283 feet

DAY 6 (Tuesday: 4^th Day of Climb)

Shira Two Camp – Lava Tower – Barranco CAMP: Semi-Desert

7am Breakfast
8am Begin Hike to Lava Tower
- This is steep hike that will push you and test your acclimatization. The altitude gains are deceiving because it is a steep & steady climb to Lava Tower & then steep descent to Barranco Camp
Lunch at Lava Tower
After lunch steep descent to Barranco Camp
This is likely the most comfortable camp to sleep and acclimatize. After hiking high before lunch, you should enjoy and appreciate sleeping at a lower elevation.
Barranco Camp is in the shadow of Barranco Wall, the challenge for the next day!
- Barranco Wall is nicknamed Breakfast Wall because you will climb it immediately after breakfast the next day

4-6 hours · 6.3 miles Elevation: 12,770 to 13,077ft
Altitude gained: +300 feet

DAY 7 (Wednesday: 5^th Day of Climb)

Two Camp : Barranco Camp- Karanga Camp: Alpine Desert

7am Breakfast
8am Descend from Camp and begin the 900ft climb up the Barranco Wall
- The wall is very intimidating in appearance, but quite safe to climb. You will tuck away your trekking poles because you will need your hands to help you scramble up the wall.
- This can take 2-3 hours if congested. If you’re brave, check out the view. If the weather is clear, the view is amazing.
Rest at top of Barranco Wall & then continue to Karanga Camp
Late lunch at Karanga Camp, Dinner & Sleep
4-5 hours · 3 miles Elevation: 13,077 to 13,235ft
Altitude gained: +158 feet

DAY 8 (Thursday: 6^th Day of Climb)

Two Camp : KARANGA CAMP- BARAFU Camp: Alpine Desert

7am Breakfast
8am Begin Hike to Barafu Camp (basecamp)
Lunch & rest at Barafu Camp
Early Dinner
Sleep 7pm-11:30pm 4-5 hours · 2 miles Elevation: 13,235 to 15,295
Altitude gained: +2060 feet

DAY 8-9 (Thur-Fri: 6-7^th Day of Climb)

BARAFU Camp- Summit-MWEKA Camp:

Alpine Desert, Glaciers, Snow-Capped Summit, Moorland, Rainforest

11:30pm Breakfast
Midnight: Begin hike to summit
6-7am Arrive @ Stella Point & watch the Sunrise
7-8am Summit!

6-8 hours · 8 miles Elevation: 15,295 to 19,341
Altitude gained: +4045 feet

8-11am Descend to Barafu
11am-1pm Rest/eat lunch
1pm-4pm Hike to camp for the night (2 options depending on time)

6-8 hours · 8 miles Elevation: 19,341 to 10,190
Altitude lost: -9,150 feet

DAY 10 (Saturday: 8^th Day of Climb)

MWEKA Camp – MWEKA Gate : Rainforest

7am Breakfast
8am Begin Hike to Mweka Gate
Return to Hotel, receive certificates, rest & shower

3-4 hours · 6 miles Elevation: 10,190ft to 5358ft
Altitude lost: -4,833feet

DAY 11 (Sunday) Optional Visit to Hot Springs ($20-40)

DAY 12 (Monday) Optional Wildlife Safari ($300-500)

DAY 13 (Tuesday) Leave Kilimanjaro Airport to return home

Medical Preparation for Kilimanjaro

Cherie Catron — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 23:14:50 +0000

When planning for a trip to Kilimanjaro, it is very important to consider your health and fitness. A year before my first climb when I began planning, I visited my primary physician, my allergist, and my physical therapist. I was 45-years old, and I was not taking any chances. While a visit to all three of those specialist may be overkill for some of you, a visit to your primary care physician will be essential at least 30 days out before your trip.

While the trip is not a technical climb, it does requires you be in generally good health and have an above-average fitness ability. With that being said, many climbers with various physical impairments and disabilities have summited successfully. Determination and preparation are key to success.

We recommend that you schedule an overall checkup, but before you do, here’s some things to read and even print off to take with you on that visit.

The button below will take you to the CDC’s general travel page. On the right side is a table of contents & links to various topics such as packing lists, medications, etc. This is an exhaustive overview of just about all the health and safety considerations for travel to Tanzania.

CDC Tanzania Travel Page

Vaccinations: Covid, Yellow Fever, & Typhoid

Covid, Yellow Fever & Typhoid are the main vaccinations to consider. However, depending on your health history and your itinerary, you may not need all three of these. Refer to the button above about vaccinations and discuss this with your travel agent or our team if you’re traveling with Foothold.

Covid: While Tanzania does not require a Covid vaccine for entry, it certainly makes travel much, much easier. We highly discourage traveling to Tanzania and Kenya without an updated Covid vaccine as part of our responsible tourism practice.

Make sure to bring your official CDC Covid Vaccine Card that looks like this:

_{^{03/30/21 – BOSTON, MA. – CDC card stock on March 30, 2021. Photo by Matthew/Northeastern University}}

Yellow Fever: This vaccine is only required if your itinerary takes you through an endemic country such as Kenya. If your itinerary has no layovers in Kenya, Ethiopia or any other endemic country, there is usually no reason to get this vaccine.

Typhoid: Typhoid continues to be a required vaccine. We will update this site if it changes, but always check the CDC link for most up-to-date information.

Most of these vaccines will require a visit to a travel clinic (more expensive) or a local county health department with a Travel Nurse on site (much cheaper & just as good). Ask us if you need help locating the nearest travel clinic to you.

Make sure you have the travel nurse give you this official Yellow CDC card will all of your relevant vaccine info!

It will look like this. . .

Malaria Prevention:

Vaccines for Malaria are not quite available for travelers although they are currently being developed. We do not require that you take Malaria prevention medication, but we strongly recommend that you discuss your options with your doctor. We do require that you let us know if you are taking Malaria preventive medications and which type while you travel with us in case of any averse reactions.

CAUTION: We are not doctors, but we have taken countless travelers to East Africa, and we have witnessed some serious side effects among a few of our travelers who have used Mefloquine also known as Hydrochloride. It also does not provide the same consistent protection against Malaria as other options for this region. Please bring up these concerns to your doctor before the trip.

We will be taking precautions during the trip to reduce your risk, and we will be traveling during the driest season. The area we will stay in before and after the climb is at an altitude that does not have a significant problem with Malaria. During the climb, there is only a slightest risk on the first day. Mosquitos who carry Malaria cannot survive and transmit the disease at higher altitudes.

Altitude Sickness Prevention

Diamox is optional, but often useful medication to consider. Diamox (also called Acetazolamide) is available by prescription, but there are also supplements such as Iron tablets, Altitude Rx OxyBoost (available on Amazon) among other supplements that may help reduce altitude sickness. Discuss all of these options with your doctor before the trip, and please let us know what medications you are taking on the climb in case of any side effects. See the button below for info about Diamox:

Diamox Info

Other Concerns or Considerations

Please discuss any health concerns or dietary restrictions at least 30 days before the trip. Most concerns can be addressed and resolved with ample advance notice. It is VERY difficult to hide any personal health concerns on the climb.

We want you to be safe and enjoy the experience as well as everyone else on the team, so please discuss your needs or preferences with us. We’re here to help you, but it is very difficult to make accommodations on the mountain without advance notice, so we need you to communicate with as soon as you can. When in doubt, reach out:)

Packing for Kilimanjaro: The Quick and the Cheap of it

Cherie Catron — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 23:05:23 +0000

There are two paths to packing the right gear for hiking Kilimanjaro:

The easy & expensive
The cheaper and a little harder

If you’re short on time, but not so much money, the easy thing to do is to stop in at any REI store. They will suit you up with all you need. It won’t take you long, and you will have great, reliable, quality gear. However, you will pay more money, and time is money, so this is an important consideration. The other consideration with option #1 is if you’re going to make this a habit.

Let’s say you plan to hike other mountains or you live out west near some 14ers. If you plan to do this more, it is definitely worth the investment. On the other hand, there are quite a few things that you may never use again, so you may night need the highest quality gear for an 8-day hike.

WHAT I DID SPEND MONEY ON: 2 things…

my boots and
my backpack.

I bought both at REI. And I recommend doing the same, no matter how much of a bargain shopper you are (like me). If you are an REI member (which is going to pay for itself just prepping for this), you can actually take your boots home for 3 months, break them in & bring them back if there’s anything that’s “not quite right” for you. And when it comes to boots, which is the most important piece of gear to get first to break in, REI is worth the investment.

When it came to my backpack, I made the mistake of purchasing one on Amazon…don’t recommend doing that. This isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” like your school backpacks. You actually need to be sized appropriately for your backpack. Come to find out I was on the small side, torso-wise that is. I would’ve bought a medium or a large women’s if I hadn’t have gone to REI to get sized. You will need a backpack that has a spine and compatible with a hydration pack.

If you want to spend as little as possible, I recommend a few things:

Facebook Marketplace: This is where I bought an excellent used sleeping bag.
Ebay: after being sized at REI, my husband, Brad bought his nearly-new Osprey backpack, which is really pretty for a man’s backpack. And let me just say that knowing he bought it on Ebay, REI still offered to size the bag for him because Osprey bags need you to adjust them, which is best done by an Osprey sales rep.
REI Garage Sale: If you’re a member, you can visit their Garage Sale section of the store where they resell items people return. This is where I found an amazing down jacket.
Sierra: This was formerly called Sierra Trading Post, but now it’s a part of the TJMaxx brand. If you’re in Ohio, they have a nice one at Easton Town Center where Dick’s Sporting Goods use to be. It’s a great store full of overstock outdoors gear. We bought most of our gear here. It was fun to see what we can find…the best deal on wool socks out there & you just cannot have enough wool socks for the hike. And you can order online and get your items shipped to the store for free.

Climb Kilimanjaro for Good

Cherie Catron — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 21:21:02 +0000

Learn More

Cherie’s Packing Recommendations

Medical Considerations

8 Day Lemosho Trip Itinerary

How Much Money to Bring

Have you ever dreamed of climbing the tallest mountain in Africa? The views, the landscape, the culture, the hospitality, and the wildlife are just incredible. You can hike the highest freestanding mountain in the world and give back at the same time. Foothold International organizes Kilimanjaro Climbs, safaris and humanitarian trips. A portion of the trip costs will support Foothold International’s work to provide clean water, sanitation, hygiene as well as improving mental health and education. And there’s even more good…

THE PURPOSE–To encourage responsible tourism that benefits all involved. This trip is designed to give you an incredible, safe and exciting experience, one full of stories to share with your family and friends for years to come. Our first priority is to keep you safe, but we also have deep relationships with the land and the people of these communities, so we help prepare you to go before, during and even after the trip.

When people like you come back from a trip safe and sound and full of beautiful pictures and stories, this also encourages more responsible tourism that helps these vulnerable economies. You can become an ambassador, encouraging others to come, assuring them that it’s safe and worthy of their time and resources.

When Brad and I founded Foothold International, we had extensive experience leading short-term teams to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Ukraine, and part of our vision was to use this experience to encourage and facilitate responsible tourism because the communities we work in, rely heavily on tourism. But over the years we’ve seen the aftermath of tourists and missionary groups, encouraging us to dig into this area of our work that also funds our mission.

VALUE ADDED: Another aspect of this trip is optional. Many of our participants choose to use their Kilimanjaro climb to raise awareness and/or funds for one of our projects. Last year Chelsey Bolles, Kaylyn McGraw and I climbed Kilimanjaro to raise funds for two water wells. If you choose to add on a fundraiser to your climb, we will help you set up a fundraising page that is easy to share on social media and gives you sample messages and thank you’s for your supporters.

BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS: If you work for or have a good relationship with a company or organization, we encourage you to ask them to sponsor you. We will provide social media posts to promote those businesses that support you and provide you samples and images to thank and promote your sponsors. Donations to the the value added projects are tax deductible as well.

Check out my other blogs on various Kilimanjaro topics: packing, training, what to expect, medications to take, passports, visas…so much to go over, and we help you every step of the way.

If you’re ready so sign up for this trip and put a deposit to save your spot, click the link below or email me at [email protected]