Climbling Kilimanjaro - some initial research

I did some initial research on climbing Kilimanjaro yesterday, and here's what I found.

First of all, climbing Kilimanjaro is no joking matter. It is nothing like Mount Ophir or Gunung Stong that I have trekked. Therefore, preparation is crucial - physically and mentally!

Trekking in Kilimanjaro is normally conducted by operators, there are a couple of them if you just Google "Kilimanjaro" - and each trek normally consists of anything from 1 to 100 climbers. Since these operators are the ones who will determine how your trek is going to be, I guess it would be good to hunt around for a good operator!

There are a couple of predetermined routes to take, ranging from 5 day to 8 days. Normally, people go for the longer trails so that each day will not be so streneous. However I did read a site saying that you should go for shorter days if you are not a very "trekking" person, so that you don't have to bear with so many days of walking! The operators will provide porters, guides and assisntant guides, as well as cooks.

Like mentioned earlier, it is important to be physically and mentally prepared. All arrangements should be made with the operator before leaving for Tarzania. Proper equipment must be bought, training done, and a full medical checkup will be required. It is also important to select the right time of the eyar to trek, since it reduced the risk factor by a multitude of 10 times! Make sure there is rest between the flight and the climb, so that you can get sufficient rest if necessary before embarking on the journey, and you will be more mentally prepared.

Here are some excerpts from the website Africa Travel Resource:

• Having 2 nights rest between your flight and climb instead of 1 increases your chances of success by 5% estimate.
• Having 3 nights rest between your flight and climb instead of 1 increases your chances of success by 8% estimate.
• Being physically fit is a pre-condition of success, but does not reduce your chances of getting altitude sickness .
• If you are physically fit and have previous trekking experience then you chances of success may be as high as 90%.

Northern Pakistan and the Karakorum Silk Route

While I was running as an executive committee member in my adventure club (NUS Rovers), I was involved in organizing treks mainly to Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. For the further treks, we worked out an alliance with a company called Country Holidays, to organize the trek for us.

I remember there was one occasion where they were publicizing their treks, and one of the treks that they do is the 14 Day Karakorum Silk Route trek.

Actually, as listed in the itinerary, there is not much trekking – most of the days are spent driving. The time where you spend trekking is only from day 8 to day 12. here is an excerpt from the website about the trek:

From Gilgit, we drive about 4 hours to Jail, the starting point of your trek. Today is a easy trek for about 3 hours to Fairy meadow. Fairy meadow is set in alpine pastures on the northern slopes of Nanga Parbat (8125m) with breathtaking views of the snow-clad north face above. The Fairy Meadow, so named because of local legend that this beautiful alpine meadow is inhabited by fairies, is a wonderful setting from where exploration of Nanga Parbat is launched.

We spend the second day taking easy stroll through the meadows and pine forest to Beyal (about 3500m), where we base ourselves for the next 3 nights. On the third day, make a day excursion to Nanga Parbat Base Camp (3970m) for its stunning scenery. The forth day would be spent enjoying interesting walks around Fairy Meadow with commanding view. For the adventurous, you may attempt a non-technical climb to the summit of South Jalipur Peak at 5210m. On the last day, retrace your steps back to Jail where you drive to Chilas and overnight in Shangri-la Hotel or similar.

I think the really fascinating part of this trek is the scenery! From the session, I learnt that Northern Pakistan is a really mountainous - afterall, the world second tallest peak, K2 (8611 m), is located there! So, travelers get to enjoy the beautiful scenery even before they start trekking! However, the unfortunate thing for me (and people staying in Singapore or this area of the world) is the traveling cost... it's quite a bomb. The package will cost almost SDG$3000!