Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro is the major thing to do while in the national park, it is challenging and one of the most appreciated hikes in the world. Mountain Kilimanjaro stands as one of the 7 summits of the world, it is the highest mountain in Africa placed at 5,895 meters above sea level, it is also the only stand-alone mountain in the world topped with a glazing glacier. Along the slopes of the mountain, Kilimanjaro is a growing beautiful conservation area home to several wildlife species. The inhabitants of the region are the Chagga who grow coffee and bananas in the rich fertile soils on the slopes.
Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro will take you to experience and explore the best of Tanzania, it is a thrilling thing to do, and the hike is not so challenging and yet according to research many travelers do not easily make it to the summit, there are several routes taken each one of which offers something different from the other, most popular routes include Marangu, Machame, northern circuit, Rongai and the Lemosho, the change in altitude can be amusing hence it is great to advise to train up before considering hiking the mountain, time and days taken to reach the summit entirely depend on the route being used it can take between 6-7 days to hike to the summit of Uhuru.
Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro begins in the early morning at 6:30 am with a morning briefing from park rangers, these will guide you on what to expect, and how to conduct yourself during the hike, guests are separated between those doing day hikes to the first stop and those who will continue to the summit, walks spark off through the farmlands, en route as you go through the national park, there are high chances of seeing animal species and birds. En route there are temporal huts that have been built to accommodate travellers for a night’s rest, refreshment, and dinner, their facilities are communal.
Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro requires one to have a hiking permit, permits are issued according to the route that you have chosen to take to the summit, and these are obtained through a Tanzanian tour operator. What to pack includes proper hiking boots, warm clothing, stockings, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, warm sleeping bags, and any other important items of a personal nature, Is it mandatory to hire a porter during the climbing of Mount Kilimanjaro?
Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro does not require special equipment but rather training for the experience like good physical fitness, beware of motion sickness, nausea, and fatigue as the mountain gets steeper, and weather conditions vary you might experience some rain.
Besides hiking the mountain Kilimanjaro, other things to do while in the national park include game drives in search of animal species, guided nature walks, and birding experiences, to mention a few, hiking the mountain is best done during the dry season between the months of December-February and June –December.
In conclusion, Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most popular things to do while in Tanzania, Hike can be combined with visits to other national parks.