Kilimanjaro. Alex Stewart
as little interference as possible. This involves the national parks’ authorities taking responsibility for providing and maintaining facilities and routes on the mountain. Funds and manpower are scarce, and they rely on trekkers adhering to the various regulations and making a conscious effort not to damage the mountain in the course of their visit.
Crossing the Saddle on ascent to Kibo Huts (Machame Route) (photo: Mountaintreks/Shutterstock.com)
Every trekker on Kilimanjaro will have an impact on the mountain and the region simply by virtue of being there. On its own, this may be minimal; but with up to 60,000 people visiting Kilimanjaro every year the effect on the environment and the people that live in the area is greatly magnified. Each visitor has the potential to make their impact a positive one. By being aware of this and following the requests below, you will secure the future of the mountain.
Remove all litter
Sadly, although steps have been taken to improve the state of the mountain and instill in trekkers the need to collect and remove from the mountain all of the rubbish that they generate in the course of their climb, the slopes are increasingly littered. This can pose a health risk and is dangerous to animals.
You must pack-out everything that you carry in, including empty food packaging and detritus. Neither burning the rubbish nor burying it is acceptable – metal cans and many modern plastics do not burn completely, and buried rubbish will take years to break down and will, in the meantime, disturb the soil and promote erosion. The rubbish that you collect must be weighed by the park rangers at the end of your trek. If there is a suspicion that any has been dumped, the guide runs the risk of losing his license or being fined.
Toilet paper should be carefully burnt after use, in order to prevent it later becoming strewn across the mountain slopes. Carry a lighter for this purpose. If you are in the forest or heath/moorland zones and think that this will constitute a fire hazard then pack the paper out with you.
Don’t pollute water sources
Water is a valuable resource on the mountain and should be treated as such. At the campsite use the long-drop toilets provided. If there are no toilet facilities to hand, select a spot that is at least 30m from any water source and the path, dig a shallow hole and bury the faeces. At the very least, make sure that you cover everything with stones.
Be careful when gathering water from streams and make sure that you leave the source uncontaminated. Also take care when washing not to pollute the water. Soaps, detergents and toothpaste can have a very negative impact on the flora and fauna. Even biodegradable soaps can harm wildlife. Your guide will make sure that, when in the campsite, you are brought warmed water several times a day for you to use to clean up. Dispose of the used water carefully, pouring it onto the ground away from other water sources.
Don’t use bottled water
Abandoned water bottles are unsightly and can quickly build up. They aren’t biodegradable and do not break down. Now that the huts along the Marangu Route have started to sell bottled water, there is a very real potential of littering. Instead, use water collected from the mountain and boil, filter or treat it before consumption (see Health considerations above).
Fires
Fires are capable of destroying enormous areas of forest and heath/moorland vegetation, particularly in the dry seasons. The inaccessible nature of many of the slopes mean that if a fire does break out it is very hard to control or extinguish. The farmers below the national park boundaries use fires to remove dry grass from cropland. These are meant to be controlled but there is evidence to suggest that they have previously contributed to forest fires. Inside the national park, fires can start as a result of carelessness – dropped cigarettes and roaring campfires are the worst culprits.
View of Mawenzi and Kibo across the heath above Mandara Huts (Marangu Route)
All of your meals should be prepared on kerosene stoves rather than on wood fires. Fires should not be lit at the hut or campsite areas either. The reason for this is twofold: it prevents the removal and destruction of timber along the routes and ensures that the risks of accidental forest fires are minimal. Huge forest fires have ravaged the heath/moorland slopes of the mountain above Horombo Huts in the past; the charred remains of these events are still evident beneath the regenerating vegetation. If you are cold in the evenings, resist the urge to light a fire and simply put on another layer of clothing.
Stay on the trail
In order to minimise the destruction of the flora and reduce the erosion of the mountain, you should stick to the clearly visible paths. Do not take short cuts across the slopes. Be especially careful in areas where the ground is boggy. These ecosystems are very fragile and can suffer irreparable damage if you trample over them. When descending from the crater rim, try to follow the switchbacks. It is very tempting to simply run down the scree in a straight line, but this dislodges enormous amounts of soil and gravel, shunting it off the slopes and hastening their deterioration.
Flora and fauna
It is illegal to remove any plants or animals from the mountain. Many of the flora species found on Kilimanjaro are unique or vulnerable. Do not pick any of the flowers that you find on the mountain and do not disturb any wildlife that you come across. Everything should be left on the mountain for others to enjoy. Illegal hunting does occur in the forest zone. Poachers set snares and traps for duikers, hyraxes and monkeys. If you see any suspicious activity or find any evidence of poaching, report it to the park warden.
Cultural interaction
A lot of people who climb Kilimanjaro discover that the interaction that they enjoy with their guide and porters is one of the highlights of their trip. By rising above cultural prejudices and engaging with your hosts and companions on the mountain, you will become more sensitive to their ways of living and beliefs. To not do so will reduce the value of your trip and contribute to the cultural erosion of the country. Be patient, friendly and open when meeting people and the courtesy will usually be returned. Try to learn a few words of Swahili; the endeavour will be appreciated by the porters and guides, if only because your attempts to pronounce their language are so risible. A glossary of useful words and phrases can be found in Appendix D. If you hang on to your sense of humour and maintain a sense of perspective, then your time on the mountain will be enriched. With a bit of effort, you will cease to be the ‘Mzungu Kichaa’, or ‘crazy European’, and become a friend instead.
Work to be done at First Camp on the Rongai Route, Mawenzi in the distance
Using this guide
The purpose of this guide is to add something to the experience of climbing this remarkable mountain by helping you to prepare for and then undertake the trek. By forewarning you of the nature of the climb and the potential seriousness of some of the routes, it is hoped that you will be properly prepared for the challenge. By adding a history of the area and of the early exploration and attempted ascents of Kilimanjaro, you will also get a sense of the mountain’s place in local life and its importance in a wider context, ensuring that you come away with a far better and broader appreciation of what it means both to live on and around the slopes, as well as to summit, Kilimanjaro.
The following sections include descriptions of an acclimatisation trek, all the ascent routes, circuit paths, summit ascent routes and then the descent routes. In the course of a complete climb you will use an ascent route, a summit ascent route and a descent route, with the latter determined by the former. The Circuit Path encircles the summit massif at around 4000m and connects the ascent and summit ascent routes. Although a detailed route guide to climbing Kilimanjaro is hardly necessary – the majority of the routes up the mountain are so well travelled that it’s almost impossible to become lost – it is useful to know the nature of the paths, the distance you will be walking and the time it will take you to complete the different stages;