- - Kilimanjaro Best Time To Climb
- - Kilimanjaro Weather
- - Kilimanjaro Fitness
- - Mount Meru Climb
When is the Best Time to Climb?
The Mount Kilimanjaro weather affects your climb and your success chances. When to climb Kilimanjaro is an important decision. Bad weather on Kilimanjaro not only makes for a miserable trek and ruins your photos, most importantly it simply makes the climb twice as hard! You are a LOT more likely to reach the summit if the weather on Kilimanjaro is good.
inappropriate behavior is often laughed off as “boys will be boys,” women face higher conduct standards especially in the workplace. That’s why it’s crucial that, as women, our behavior on the job is beyond reproach.
inappropriate behavior is often laughed off as “boys will be boys,” women face higher conduct standards especially in the workplace. That’s why it’s crucial that, as women, our behavior on the job is beyond reproach. inappropriate behavior is often laughed off as “boys will be boys,” women face higher conduct standards especially in the workplace. That’s why it’s crucial that, as women, our behavior on the job is beyond reproach.
When you enter into any new area of science, you almost always find yourself with a baffling new language of technical terms to learn before you can converse with the experts. This is certainly true in astronomy both in terms of terms that refer to the cosmos and terms that describe the tools of the trade, the most prevalent being the telescope.Mount kilimanjaro Weather
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Recommended
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Good
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OK
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Not Recommended
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Month
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Temperature
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Precipitation
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Cloudiness
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Crowds
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| January | Warm | Medium | Low | High |
| February | Warm | Medium | Low | High |
| March | Moderate | High | Medium | Low |
| April | Moderate | High | High | Low |
| May | Moderate | High | High | Low |
| June | Cold | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| July | Cold | Medium | Low | High |
| August | Cold | Low | Low | High |
| September | Moderate | Low | Low | High |
| October | Moderate | Low | Medium | Medium |
| November | Moderate | High | Medium | Low |
| December | Moderate | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Some climbers prefer to summit during a full moon.
When the peak of Kilimanjaro and magnificent glaciers are lit up by the full moon, the view is absolutely stunning. For this reason alone, some climbers schedule their trek to coincide with this celestial event, occuring once a month. However, a practical reason for climbing at these times is that a bright moon along with a clear sky will improve your visibility throughout your climb, and most importantly, during the summit attempt.Below are full moon dates:
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Month
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2016
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2017
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2018
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2019
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| January | 23 | 12 | 2, 31 | 21 |
| February | 22 | 11 | --- | 19 |
| March | 23 | 12 | 2, 31 | 21 |
| April | 22 | 11 | 30 | 19 |
| May | 22 | 11 | 29 | 19 |
| June | 20 | 9 | 28 | 17 |
| July | 19 | 9 | 27 | 17 |
| August | 18 | 7 | 26 | 15 |
| September | 16 | 6 | 25 | 14 |
| October | 15 | 5 | 24 | 14 |
| November | 14 | 4 | 23 | 12 |
| December | 13 | 3 | 22 | 12 |
Mount Meru Climb
At 4566m, Mount Meru is the fifth highest mountain on the African continent and the second highest in Tanzania. About 250 000 years ago, a massive volcanic blast blew away the entire eastern flank of the mountain and left it with the characteristic and distinctive appearance it has today. Last eruption: 1910.
At 4566m, Mount Meru is the fifth highest mountain on the African continent and the second highest in Tanzania. About 250 000 years ago, a massive volcanic blast blew away the entire eastern flank of the mountain and left it with the characteristic and distinctive appearance it has today. The Mt Meru ascent passes through many different vegetation zones. The dry forest of the lower region gives way to a dense mountain rainforest, which then turns into a scrubland. Towards the top of the mountain, the vegetation consists of heath and moorland and is then finally replaced by the stunning baron alpine deserts. As the flora changes the wildlife does so too, which is diverse and equally impressive. During the ascent, you will regularly come across large game such as elephants and buffalos but you may also come across leopards. Due to this, it is obligatory to be accompanied by an armed park ranger on your tour.
In the morning, you will be collected from your hotel and after a 45-minute drive, you will arrive at the Arusha National Park Gate. At the national park gate, your guide will complete the obligatory entry forms and whilst he does so, you can peruse the information boards of the national park. Once the formalities have been completed and the hiking team consisting of porters from the surrounding villages is formed, you will then be driven a little further to Momella Gate. An armed park ranger will accompany you while you start your hike and get a first glimpse of the wonderful giraffes and buffalos. Once you have left the buffalo herds and giraffes behind, you will enter the acacia forest in which you will follow the Southern Route. After a steady 2-hour climb, you will reach Maio Falls and some picturesque meadows that are a perfect place for a picnic. After a rest, you will again be on your way and soon reach the well-known ‘Arched Fig Tree’. Here your park ranger will tell you about the formation of this tree and how it gained its shape forming an arch over the path. After another 1½ - 2 hours, you will reach the Miriakamba Hut. Evening meal and overnight stay at the Miriakamba Hut. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 2 Miriakamba Hut (2500m) - Saddle Hut (3550m)
In the morning, you will leave the Miriakamba Hut behind and follow a steep track with wooden steps upwards. Due to the gain in height, it will be noticeably cooler than the previous day and due to this, the hike will seem to get easier. The clouds also often hang in the rainforest and dip the lush vegetation in a moody atmosphere. After approximately 2 hours, you will reach the vantage point ‘Mgongo wa Tembo’ (Elephant back) at an elevation of 3200m, where you will enjoy a well-earned break. After another hike in which the vegetation changes from rainforest into an airy bush land, you will reach Saddle Hut (3550m) at midday for a relaxing lunch break. During the afternoon, you have the option of a side trip to Little Meru (3820m) which takes approx. 1 - 1 ½ hours and from where you can have wonderful views of Arusha National Park and of the Kilimanjaro (approx. 80 km away). Back at the hut, a warm dinner is waiting for you before you will have the final preliminary talk in preparation for the following day’s climb to the summit. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 3 Saddle Hut - Socialist Peak (4562m) - Miriakamba Hut (2500m)
After an early start with tea and biscuits, you will leave for the summit at 02:00 hrs. By torchlight, you will follow the trail through bush land to the so-called Rhino Point (3821m) in which the path turns into a little more challenging trek with occasional light climbs. You will follow the north ridge to the summit on which you walk on ground alternating between lava ash and rock. After approx. 4 - 5 hours, you will have the summit and the Tanzanian flag in your sights. From the summit, you will be able to enjoy the sun rising above Kilimanjaro and the fantastic view of Mount Meru’s crater with its steep sides and the “Ash Cone” in the middle. The descent follows the same route back to Saddle Hut (3550m) where you will take a well-deserved long break and recuperate with hot soup and tea. Once refreshed, you will continue with the descent. During the early afternoon, you will reach Miriakamba Hut (2500m) - tired but happy. At this hut, you can relax and think about the last stage that you have completed. Evening meal and overnight stay at Miriakamba Hut (2500m). Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 4 Miriakamba Hut (2500m) - Momella Gate (1500m)
After breakfast, you will follow a 2 - 3 hour trek over the so-called ‘Northern Route’ back to Momella Gate. The descent is shorter than the ascent but there is still the chance to see elephants, buffalos, giraffes as well as the black and white columbus monkeys. At the gate, you will say farewell to your hiking crew and your driver will take you back to Arusha. Breakfast
Note:
The summit stage contains a few simple but unsecured climbing passages. A good head for heights and sure footedness are absolutely necessary. In adverse weather conditions (heavy rain, icy rocks and paths or thick fog) the park ranger can call off the climb to the summit. We do not advice climbs in the rain season (April and May).
Fitness Program
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and hiking to the peak is a challenge that should not be under estimated. With all the information you could possibly gather, added to being physically prepared, one’s chances of reaching the summit is substantially increased. Stamina and mental determination to a great extent, will determine whether or not you will be successful in you quest to conquer the Roof of Africa. Being physically prepared for the trek will also greatly contribute to the level of your perseverance, confidence and personal enjoyment!
How fit do you have to be?
The type of fitness is more important than the degree of fitness. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is a hike, therefore the best preparation one can do is to hike, preferably under simulated conditions. Although jogging could be beneficial to your fitness level, it does not fully prepare your muscles for a strenuous 6-day hike. We suggest that you spend some of your training by merely hiking. In addition to regular gym workouts, make sure you also go for walks in order to stimulate relevant muscle development. Try to do a one or two day hiking trials in your area. This will not only be an excellent way for physical preparation, but also an enjoyable means to prepare yourself mentally.We have furthermore developed a practical (in terms of time and costs) fitness preparation guideline to assist you in getting your body ready for a Mt. Kilimanjaro summit attempt. This guide contains a gym and a hiking program that should be followed simultaneously over an 8 week period.
Important points to remember – Before you start!!
Medical Check-up
Before embarking on a fitness program, it is always wise to first seek the advice of a medical doctor. Feel free to share this program with your family doctor for input. Chances are, your doctor will be delighted to know that you undertake to exercise regularly.Progressive Resistance
In essence, the gym section of our fitness program consists of regular and progressive resistance exercises with either free weights (like barbells and dumbbells) or free weight machines that are readily available in gymnasiums. The idea behind progressive resistance is that your exercise regime can be tailored to your age, physical condition and strength, steadily progressing to higher resistance level as you develop.