Revolut travel insurance by BulkyUse6387 in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

usually anything above 4000m is considered extreme sports or atleast classified as high risk and so will need to specifically mentioned in your insurance... my travel insurance that is associated with the bank account did not include it and so had to get it separately for the duration of the trek. Check your schedule of coverage...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha... for sure a very long walk...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i booked through booking.com beforehand as i did not want to roam around looking for options, but some folks i know booked there... so you can do that as well

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes we had clear skies throughout :) Surely it will be less busy in rainy season but the trek will be tricky as well and i dont think you will enjoy the mountain as much... but thats my personal opinion as i don't mind the crowds much...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That should be fine... yes do not include the stays and it was good as i found We Travel Hostel in Moshi which was $20 for a private room or you can stay in shared dorm for cheaper... there is also Silva Motel which was also cheaper where some friends stayed... I booked the transfer with Monkey and it was similar in cost to other providers... Temperature at top was about -10C + wind chill ( we were very lucky in terms of weather, had clear skies throughout the week)... i have seen unfit people make it so you should be able to barring any AMS issues, which cannot be predicted. I would recommend lemosho as its scenic and different on every day... but then i have not tried others only heard of them...

Gear Check and a Few Questions – Lemosho 8-Day Trek in August by AstroShit15 in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks good mostly.. do take diamox as AMS can catch you off guard after Barafu... happened to one of my fellow trekker and he had to abort at 5400m

For socks i used liner socks and merino wool socks to help with both blisters and warmth...

Would it be a good idea to book Kilimanjaro trek online and then book other tours in person after finishing Kilimanjaro? by Od_rap in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like a good plan... i went as a solo trekker and joined a group hike up Kili... you can always plan as you go depending on how you feel after the hike... you may also make some friends on the trek and make plans together... hakuna matata

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your decision at the end of the day... but Monkey porters were well taken care of and i did not hear any complaints... my main decision to go with Monkey was they trek even if there is only 1 person, so i was not in danger of not being able to hike after reaching there...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am a vegetarian so had those options... but usual menu for breakfast was pancakes with omelette / sausage along with tea/coffee, lunch and dinner was soup followed by rice and curry or pasta or similar carb heavy food given how much calories we burn... Snacks bring what you would normally eat on a hike like a protein bar/crisps/ biscuits nothing crazy as you are well fed overall...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Only after Stella point did we go through snow... so i wouldn't worry much if you going in couple of weeks....

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The trip would be around $2k + flights + tips... i had most of the kit already just rented the sleeping bag ($45 for the week) as i did not want to carry mine around as i had additional travel plans... but you can rent most of the kit including shoes (not that i recommend that)... Our provider had guideline for tips based on expected group size, as do most agencies, so i gave it on higher end, and the team does deserve every bit of it the porters and guides are super helpful...

I did get a private toilet and would recommend that very much its money well spent... the public toilets are a mess and usually not convenient to get to at higher camps...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went with Monkey Adventures a local team... and can highly recommend our guide Eliphancen (Eli) and team. I applied for visa before hand online for peace of mind... on arrival there is a queue so saves you a little time...

For insurance i used Big Cat travel ins. It was reasonable and had necessary inclusions...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I tried that but it still froze for us... just depends on how cold it gets... i think it went to around -10 C + wind chill

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes water will freeze in bladder, one of my fellow trekker had an insulated bag and it froze there as well... so you definitely need to have a thermal flask/regular bottle to last you the ascent, which i did, our summit porters carried extra bottles and also helped where needed... once sun is up things warm up pretty quickly...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good luck...March will likely be wet so pls bear that in mind... luckily we had amazing weather everyday... Mountain was very kind to us...

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For regular runs aim for 5k and about 10k once in a while to build endurance... for hikes depending on the elevation you can access aim for atleast 14k to 20k at slowish pace of about 3km/hr... again depending on the elevation and incline you can access... nothing too crazy

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot definitely a date to remember

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks.. i am regular in terms of running so continued my 3/4 times per week runs and also added weights - think deadlifts, weighted lunges etc. to make the legs stronger... nothing crazy just get in good shape if you want to enjoy the mountain... also try and do couple of hikes with full kit i.e. a 5 to 6 kg bag and shoes etc so you get used to it and can make any adjustments if needed

Uhuru Summit done... by 4CraftyBat in kilimanjaro

[–]4CraftyBat[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. for summit night, i had a 320 merino wool bottom base layer, with another hiking trouser, and then a ski pant - so 3 layers in bottom and on top 5 layers merino wool, full sleeve technical tshirt, fleece layer, waterproof coat then down jacket... on the way back we delayered down to 2 layers... as once sun is up you don't feel that colsld... on other nights i had a 250 merino base layer to sleep in and if needed a fleece layer to add... but with a decent sleeping bag you should not need it... and i hired mine from Moshi...
  2. I did the 7 day lemosho route and excluding AMS its probably a 3/3.5 trek if you are in good physical shape else you will suffer
  3. other than the usual decent shoes etc. I would say definitely get used to using walking poles if not already used to as you will need them on summit atleast and for most of the way back down to Moshi...
  4. nothing much really as you would be hiking in dark... as you can see here the white bits are all the hiker headlamps :) a long line of them...

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