Climbing The Mt Kilimanjaro Can Be A Breathtaking And Fascinating Experience

Many of us love to read about adventures or watch adventure movies. But to actually be on an adventure is like a dream come true. Or a nightmare, depending on how you deal with it and what you have to deal with. Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is one option for the adventurous where the chances of your dream turning into a nightmare are reasonably low. It is called Everyone’s Everest, precisely because it is one of the mountains that are easy to climb for the amateur mountaineer, and it is the tallest mountain in the entire African continent. Every year, many adventure lovers flock to Tanzania to climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
If you are an amateur or unfamiliar with the mountain, for a Kilimanjaro climb the first thing you will have to do is find a tour operator. You do not know the routes to the summit, you do not know much about what kind of problems you might have to face on your way. So for a safe Kilimanjaro climb a tour operator is a must. There are multiple routes, some are long, some are short, some are difficult, and some are not. So find a route that suits you the best. You should consult your tour operator on the matter. The short routes do not give you much time to get acclimatized on the mountain as they take you through the different climates on the different levels quickly. So there are more chances of you falling sick if you take the shortest routes. Pick the most pleasant season to climb Kilimanjaro, which is from January to March and again from September to October. This is the time when the weather is most suitable for climbing the mountain.
Get your health checked by a doctor before you go on such a trip. This is not a walk through the park. Many people fall sick on their way up Kilimanjaro. You must get your heart and other vitals checked and find out whether you are at least medically fit for such a trip. Consult a doctor about altitude sickness. Take necessary precautions with you in case that happens. Make sure your operator has oxygen, recompression bags and other items which are useful in case of altitude sickness. Also you must familiarize yourself with symptoms of diseases which are common among Kilimanjaro climbers such as acute mountain sickness. You should never push yourself too hard if you find yourself having nausea, headache or any other symptoms which might be indicators of mountain diseases. Dehydration is a common problem on mountains. So you must carry and drink enough water so that you stay hydrated. For many people this is a major cause of dropping out of the trip.
Pack lightly and take a porter with you for carrying some of your luggage. Do not take any unnecessary items such as your passport with you on the trip and leave them in the hotel. For your camera, take Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro extra batteries if you do not want to miss capturing the moment when you finally reach the summit.