Kilimanjaro the Trekking Guide to Africa's Highest Mountain

Born in Chatham, Kent, Henry Stedman has been writing guidebooks for over 15 years and is the author or co-author of ten titles, including Trailblazer's Kilimanjaro - The trekking guide to Africa's highest mountain, Dolomites Trekking, Coast to Coast Path, Hadrian's Wall Path, South West Coast Path series Parts 1 to 3: Exmoor & North Devon Coast Path, Cornwall Coast Path and Dorset & South Devon Coast Path as well as the Rough Guides to Indonesia and Southeast Asia and The Bradt Guide to Palestine. When not travelling or writing, Henry lives in England editing other people's guidebooks, maintaining his Kilimanjaro website and arranging climbs on the mountain through his company, Climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

INTRODUCTION 10 PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP With a group or on your own? Independent trekking not an option 17 - With friends 17 On your own? 18 Budgeting Accommodation 20 - Food 20 - Transport 20 When to go 20 Booking your trek Booking with an agency at home 23 Booking with an agency in Tanzania 37 Signing the contract 39 - The cost: why is it all so expensive? 40 Tipping 43 The crew Porters 44 - Guides 51 Getting to Kilimanjaro By air 53 - Overland 54 Route options Getting to the mountain 55 - Getting up the mountain 55 What to take Clothes 61 - Other equipment 63 - What to pack it in 70 Health precautions, inoculations and insurance Fitness 71 - Inoculations 71 - Insurance 74 PART 2: TANZANIA Facts about the country Geography 75 - Climate 76 - History 76 - Economic and population statistics 80 - The people 81 Practical information for the visitor Documents and visas 82 - Airport tax 83 - Money 83 - Tourist offices 84 Getting around 85 - Accommodation 86 - Electricity 86 - Time 86 Business hours 87 - Post and telecommunications 87 - Food 89 - Drinks 90 Things to buy 91 - Security 91 - Health 92 PART 3: KILIMANJARO Geology The glaciers 95 Climate 98 The history of Kilimanjaro Early history 101 - The outsiders arrive 104 The 1800s: Pioneers... 105 - ...and preachers 105 First attempts on the summit 111 - Colonization 114 Kilimanjaro conquered 116 - After Meyer 119 Kilimanjaro today 122 Fauna and flora Fauna 124 - Avifauna 127 - Flora 129 The people of Kilimanjaro: the Chagga Origins 134 - Social structure and village life 136 Religion and ceremonies 138 - Kilimanjaro economy 141 PART 4: ARRIVING IN EAST AFRICA: NAIROBI & DAR ES SALAAM Dar es Salaam Arrival 143 - Orientation and getting around 143 - Services 143 Where to stay 145 - Where to eat 148 - A tour of the city 149 Moving on to Kilimanjaro 150 Nairobi Security 151 - Arrival 152 - Orientation and getting around 152 Services 153 - Where to stay 154 - Where to eat 157 A tour of the city 158 - Moving on to Kilimanjaro 160 PART 5: ARUSHA, MOSHI & MARANGU Kilimanjaro International Airport 161 Arusha Arrival 162 - Orientation and getting around 163 - Services 166 Where to stay 168 - Where to eat and drink 176 - Nightlife 180 What to do 181 - Trekking agencies 182 - Getting away 189 Moshi Arrival 191 - Orientation and getting around 192 - Services 192 Where to stay 196 - Where to eat and drink 200 - Trekking agencies 205 Getting away 211 Marangu Services and Where to stay 212 - What to do 215 - Getting away 216 PART 6: SAFE TREKKING & MINIMUM IMPACT TREKKING Safe trekking What is AMS 217 - Go pole pole if you don't want to feel poorly poorly: how to avoid AMS 220 - How to treat it 222 - Other potential health problems 223 Minimum impact trekking Some guidelines for keeping the mountain pristine 227 PART 7: Mount Meru Introduction 229 - Practicalities 230 Stage 1: Momela Gate to Miriakamba Huts 232 Map A 233 Stage 2: Miriakamba Huts to Saddle Huts 236 Map B 237 Stage 3: Saddle Huts to Socialist Peak 238 Stage 4: Miriakamba Huts to Momela Gate 240 PART 8: TRAIL GUIDE & MAPS Using this guide About the maps in this guide 241 The Marangu Route Stage 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Huts 246 - Map 1 249 - Map 2 251 Stage 2: Mandara Huts to Horombo Huts 252 - Map 3 253 Stage 3: Horombo Huts to Kibo Huts 255 - Map 4 256 - Map 5 257 Stage 4: Kibo Huts to Gillman's Point and Uhuru Peak 258 - Map 6 259 The Machame Route Stage 1: Machame Gate to Machame Huts 263 - Map 7 264 - Map 8 266 Stage 2: Machame Huts to the Shira Caves 267 - Map 9 268 Stage 3: Shira Caves to Barranco Huts 269 - Map 10 270 Stage 4: Barranco Huts to Barafu Huts 272 - Map 11 273 - Map 12 274 Stage 5: Barafu Huts to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak 275 - Map 13 276 The Shira Plateau & Lemosho routes Stage 1: Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa/Big Tree Camp 283 - Map 14 285 Stage 2: Mti Mkubwa/Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 286 - Map 15 287 Stage 3: Shira 1 to Shira Huts 288 - Map 16 290 Stage 4: Shira Huts to Lava Tower Camp/Barranco Huts 292 - Map 17 293 Stage 5: Western Breach: Lava Tower to Arrow Glacier Campsite 295 Map 18 296 Stage 6: Arrow Glacier Campsite to Uhuru Peak 297 The Shira Plateau Route 299 - Map 19 300 The Rongai Route Stage 1: Rongai Gate to Simba Camp 303 Stage 2: Simba Camp to Third Cave 304 - Map 20 305 - Map 21 308 The Mawenzi Tarn Route 308 - Map 22 309 - Map 23 311 - Map 24 312 Stage 3: Third Cave Campsite to School Hut 313 - Map 25 314 Stage 4: School Hut to the Kibo Huts Junction and Uhuru Peak 314 Umbwe Route Stage 1: Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Cave Campsite 317 - Map 26 318 Stage 2: Umbwe Cave Campsite to Barranco Huts 320 - Map 27 321 Stage 3: Barranco Huts to Lava Tower Campsite 322 - Map 28 322 The descent routes Marangu Route 324 - Returning via the Mawenzi Route 325 Mweka Route 328 - Map 29 329 - Map 30 330 - Map 31 332 PART 9: THE SUMMIT What's at the top? Walking on the summit 334 - Map 32 335 APPENDICES A: Swahili 338 B: Schedules for Kilimanjaro and Arusha Airports 340 C: Tanzanian and Kenyan diplomatic missions 343 D: Recommended reading, listening and watching 345 E: GPS waypoints 352 F: Acute mountain sickness 356 INDEX 359