When you trek through Kilimanjaro’s fourth climate zone, the alpine desert, you’ll feel like you just stepped out of a spaceship. “It’s like being on the moon,” says Thomson staffer Carolyn. At 13,200′ – 16,000′, the fluctuating conditions present their own challenges: the sun can be intense, the wind might be harsh, and the temperatures…
View of Kibo from Barranco Valley Once you’ve left the lush canopy of Kilimanjaro’s tropical rainforest – up ahead lie miles of meadows carpeted with scrub and everlasting wildflowers. There are trickling streams banked by green peat moss. Through the morning mist, you can see candelabra-shaped groundsels with gnarled branches thrust up from the earth.…
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, is a dream come true for many adventures–but it’s by no means a walk in the park. However, with diligent training, the right equipment and the support of the mountain’s most experienced guides, Kili is an excellent choice for nearly anyone seeking to reach new heights! Here…
Myths and misconceptions abound on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Some are harmless, while others can have a serious impact on your ability to reach the Roof of Africa. Let’s look at seven common Kili myths and see why they’re misleading. Myth: The Climb is Technically Challenging Because Kili is one of the world’s Seven Summits, a…
We can’t wait to welcome you back to Tanzania. Although some things have been adjusted (see our new Standard Operating Procedures), there are some things about trekking Kilimanjaro that won’t change… How Impressed You are with the Porters Carrying 33 pounds is no easy task to begin with – never mind doing it at…
One of our Grand Traverse trekkers wrote a message to us recently. It was titled “Best Selling Points for the Thomson Grand Traverse.” “Having a cot off the ground is HUGE!” “Not having to wake up and hike to summit in the middle of the night!” “Choice of whether or not to sleep at Crater…
Did you know Kilimanjaro is made up of three different volcanoes? Or that it’s the tallest freestanding mountain on Earth? You might dream of the summit, but don’t be surprised if the Barranco Wall becomes your favorite part of the mountain. Kilimanjaro is full of surprises large and small – multiple peaks that will be…
If you’re trying to explain just how high Kilimanjaro is to someone, here are a few quick comparisons. Taller than the 16 Tallest Buildings in the US Combined Have you ever visited One World Trade Center or the Empire State Building or The Ledge at Willis Tower? The panoramas from these buildings are…
Living or not, glaciers are being called an endangered species by members of the scientific community. Why? Because around the world fields of ice are retreating – many at unprecedented rates. Here are the facts about Kilimanjaro’s glacier loss Kilimanjaro’s glaciers are shrinking in surface area and becoming thinner. Glacier surface area shrank by 1…
A 33-mile round-trip run up 15,177 feet, through jungle, beyond glaciers and past clouds to the highest point in Africa – then back down again. It takes the average trekker seven days. Kilian Jornet and Karl Egloff did it in around seven hours and set records for fastest ascent and descent on Kilimanjaro. Here’s…
