If all you know about Kilimanjaro is that it is in Africa and it is one of the highest mountains in the world, you can surprise yourself with the advice to go on an expedition, since you do not need to be an expert in trekking or mountaineering to reach the top.
About Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro is probably the second most famous mountain, after Mount Everest, which is the highest in the world at 8,848 meters, but curiously Kilimanjaro is not within the highest mountains, since “only” reaches 5,895 meters altitude, although it is enough to be the highest in Africa.
Located on the border of northeastern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya, the expedition can choose between 5 routes, with different degrees of difficulty, time of travel, and number of travelers; the landscape also varies a lot according to the side of the mountain that you choose.
Climbing the Top
To climb to the top you do not need to be an expert, the most important recommendations are to be in good physical condition (you do not have to be athletic or anything less), to wear clothes and implements suitable for the cold, and to be very obedient to the indications of the guides : drink between 3 and 4 liters of fluid per day to avoid dehydration and slow walking; Contrary to what one might think, this is because the body needs time to acclimatize to the height (independent of the physical state). When Climbing Kilimanjaro this is the detail you need to keep in mind.
This is why it is recommended to choose the longest routes (the number of days varies according to the route chosen, but can be up to 7 or 8 days), since a very rapid ascent can cause from discomfort to serious health problems, and you do not want to be in the mountain and get sick, since the solution to most of these problems is to descend and you will have to do it walking, unless your case is very serious and you get off on a stretcher.
Each person or group that goes up must be accompanied by a guide who will indicate the path and, above all, will set the pace to follow. The team is completed by the porters, who carry the luggage of the group members so that they can climb with the lightest and most fundamental cargo possible. Even if you have prepared for quite some time for this experience, it will give you confidence to be accompanied by experts and that you can communicate with the guide in English.
One of the characteristics of Kilimanjaro is its eternal snow or ice fields, which are ceasing to be eternal and it is believed that by 2050 they will no longer exist due to global warming, this tells us two things: on the one hand, it makes us see the importance of having environmental awareness and, in addition, that if we want to go, it must be soon, since the landscape will not be the same in the future.
Mount-Kilimanjaro
The Kilimanjaro route is a clear example of the importance of the journey itself and not only as a means to an end. While being at the top is rewarding and the view is beautiful (especially if you can see the sunrise) and is a vision that you should treasure because you probably do not have the opportunity to go a second time, the route goes into a landscape with vegetation and unique and very varied fauna, since throughout the ascent you will pass through 4 different climates.
