6 Days Umbwe Route

Once on the Mountain, you are taken care of by the guides and porters. For the challenging duration of your hiking your guide will be your friend and advisor, who will lead you to the summit. So it is important to listen and take note of his advice.

Support staff ratios:

The average ratio of our porters to hikers is 2 to 3 porters per hiker and two guides for a maximum of 4 hikers. This ratio with our support equipment will ensure your safety and enjoyment on the mountain.

Porters and cook:

The porters do not only transport your gear and the supplies up and down the mountain. They arriving at every campsite long before you, and erect your tent on your arrival. The cook prepares the food in advance. In the evening they will also boil drinking and washing water

Weight limits for porters

The weight limit per porter is 15 kg (32 lbs) per climber. If your luggage weight more than that then you have to hire extra porter with extra pay.

Whether you ascend or just stand at the bottom and stare it, Kilimanjaro is a delight to behold. The ascent to the peak is through seven official routes, each having a different climate, vegetation and different level of challenges. As it’s a high altitude trek, rapid ascent doesn’t help for acclimatization and it makes the trekkers feel Acute Mountain Sickness also known as Altitude sickness.

Kilimanjaro has three distinct altitude zones

• High altitude (2,500 – 3,500 metres)
• Very high altitude (3,500 – 5,500 metres)
• Extreme altitude (above 5,500 metres)

The effects of altitude first come once you cross the 2400m mark and happen stronger once you cross 3000m. The preliminary symptoms you can feel are headache, fatigue, problems with the digestive system, sleep disturbance and dizziness.

Better planning and a little caution can help you manage altitude sickness.

• Train well
• Follow the principles of climb high and sleep low
• Hydrate your body
• Take enough calories on the mountain
• Take rest and acclimatize well and take preventive medicines as per your doctor’s advice
• Never be rushed. Pole- pole will help you to reach the top

Hiking the Kilimanjaro is a lifetime experience where nature offers you its utmost beauty, love and peace. We enjoyed every moment, every challenge, pain, laugh, every meal that was prepared with love and every step towards the summit. We most importantly enjoyed the company and permanent support (morally and physically!) of Martin, our super hero guide, and all of his devoted and professional team. I personally learned that patience, will and trust in your and your entourage capacities will always take you hire. I couldn’t reach the summit because my body did not accommodate with the altitude above Barafu Camp, but my other half, Hassib, did summit it, in a record time, thanks to his unique “mental”, determination and Martin’s support. If you decide to climb it, and I so recommend you to do so, remember to drink a lot of water, take all the necessary time for your body to accommodate (consider a mountain sickness pill, which I didn’t and I should have), trust your guide and his/her team, listen to your body, your spirit and the mountain. Kilimanjaro is the most magnificent place on earth, where each one of us can “unleash its potential”.

Climbing Kilimanjaro was the adventure of a lifetime. The climb was thrilling and beautiful. The various ecological zones we passed through were incredible. Martin was very knowledgeable about the various plants and animals we saw. When you set out on a climb that is an adventure of a life-time you want to go with confidence. Importantly, Martin also inspired great confidence in us. Martin earned our trust from the moment he met us in the hotel lounge. My wife had questions about food and expressed that she sometimes gets sick while traveling overseas. Martin patiently listened to her concerns and then responded with details on how her concerns were going to be addressed. This patient demeanor of listening or observing our needs and then ensuring these needs were addressed played out through the entire trip and we quickly grew confident we could trust him with our dream of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. While this approach afforded him the ability to tailor our climb, it was crucial when dealing with the unexpected during the descent. My wife had developed Rheumatoid Arthritis, but we had not yet realized it at the time. She would be diagnosed months after returning home. One of the unfortunate symptoms of this disease is a loss of balance and the ability to walk over rough terrain due to the swelling in the person's feet. Obviously this created difficulty descending the steep and rocky terrain of the Mountain. Martin adeptly adapted and simply unassumingly walked beside my wife such that when needed he was there to quickly provide support so she did not fall. The way he read the situation and so unobtrusively provided help amazes me to this day. While I absolutely loved climbing with Martin and I wish to climb with him again soon, his biggest impact on me was the example he set for the type of person I wish to be.

Etappkyle one of the hardest things I have ever done. A very effective ego-killer experience. Think i was born this day for the second time. Big thanks to my borther @martin_msuya and to my beloved “Simba” team for incrediable support and looking after my life during this journey!

Martin was my guide climbing up the Machame route. I had limited trekking experience and there were a couple times I didn’t think I was going to make it up especially on the last day but with his support and guidance I successfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. I would highly recommend Martin as a guide to anyone who asks.