travel – Foothold International https://footholdinternational.org Empowering Women in Kenya Sun, 21 Apr 2024 22:00:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 194901294 September 2022 Kilimanjaro Itinerary https://footholdinternational.org/2022/07/september-2022-kilimanjaro-itinerary/ Sun, 17 Jul 2022 02:01:00 +0000 https://footholdinternational.org/?p=18201 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: 1st 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: 2nd 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: 3rd 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: 4th 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: 5th 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: 6th 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: 6-7th 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: 8th 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

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Climb Kilimanjaro for Good https://footholdinternational.org/2022/04/climbing-kilimanjaro-for-good-kilimanjaro4water/ https://footholdinternational.org/2022/04/climbing-kilimanjaro-for-good-kilimanjaro4water/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2022 21:21:02 +0000 https://footholdinternational.org/?p=18089
 

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]



 

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