No self-respecting Traveler Would Miss a Dirty Freedom Adventures Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari
Well, there are many tourist activities available in Tanzania, so the title is a little joke, but from all the attractions Africa has to offer, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is one of the top three. For starters, just take a look at the pictures! A giraffe overlooking the snowy mountain … from savannah. From the top, you will view the desert from high above the clouds. There are few places on Earth that offer that view, and certainly not one that high. After all, the summit of Kilimanjaro isn’t called the Rooftop of Africa for nothing. It is the highest point in all of Africa, is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, and is one of the famed Seven Summits.
Worried about your abilities to climb? Don’t. Even if you don’t have climbing experience, Kilimanjaro is doable for just about anyone who is in good health. It is basically just a long hike, with some scrambling here and there.
Second thing: Tanzania is truly something else. If you are coming in from a western country, be prepared for a delightful surprise in scenery. You can visit bustling cities like Arusha and Moshi and then escape to the quiet solitude of Kilimanjaro, in all her majesty. However, you’ll need a good, experienced guide, and Dirty Freedom Adventures has them. We had excellent guides on our African safari Kilimanjaro climb. 100% vouch for them, go check them out <—
Third and one of the most important points: Kilimanjaro National Park was probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve had the opportunity to visit. It’s astonishing in every way. You will give your camera a great workout! Please behold the nature and respect the environment, leaving Kilimanjaro as clean as or cleaner than she was before you arrived.
The duration of the climb is variable, depending on the route chosen and the climb rate of speed. Routes are also of varying levels of difficulty, but none of them resembles what we tend to understand by “climbing.” I think that to get on this mountain, for example, on the Marangu Route, which I climbed (also called the Coca Cola Route), you need at least five days, ideally six or seven, to ensure a better acclimatization. I climbed in six days, and everything was ok. However, Dirty Freedom Adventures recommends a minimum of seven days, noting that eight greatly increases summit success. Staff at Dirty Freedom can talk to you anytime to help you pick the best route for you.
Kilimanjaro is located in a national park in Tanzania, where it cannot be accessed without local guides. That’s the law there, and that’s also an important source of income for the region. Therefore, climbing groups will be joined by guides, chefs, and porters. They all carry everything up and down the mountain, including the luggage of the tourists.
We only had a small backpack, in which we kept the necessities for the day–things like water, thicker clothes, snacks, and other essentials. In the evening we were back with our baggage at the camp, tents already pitched, and food ready. Accommodations are in tents in most cases, with the Marangu Route the only notable, which is lodged in some wooden cottages built by Norwegians. There are some kinds of beds, four in each cabin, which also have mattresses. It’s okay, especially because you have your own sleeping bag, so it’s really comfortable.
How do guides and staff help you?
I’m glad you asked. Very much! Besides carrying my luggage, I found out many things about Tanzania, the people there, about their culture, and about some of the difficulties they face. Every day brings a new and fascinating experience, and your African staff become like family to you.
When this happens, your morale is high, which helps you to reach the goal. Then it’s ambition. When you see your staff working hard, it makes you feel almost shameful to say that ascension is difficult. You have in the back maybe 15 pounds, but they are carrying at least twice that in these conditions.
My guides and staff in turn gave me ambition to press to the top. In addition, at all times, they made me feel perfectly safe and tended to my every need. They made sure I was hydrated, energetic enough, that the pace was correct, etc. No matter how many questions you ask, they know the answer, and more! So don’t hesitate to ask anything.
I recommend them! Go take a look: Kilimanjaro climb with dirtyfreedomadventures.com Be sure to set up a safari afterwards to rest and take in the majesty of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Manyara, and Tarangire, with its unprecedented beauty and animals.
