Kilimanjaro?

[Valmet78]

Anyone here climbed kilimanjaro?

I'm planning a climb next year, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips. I live in the British Columbia, and my view from my front window is the Canadian Rockies so I feel I can reasonably prepare for the physical side of the trip right at home - minus the altitude, but I have no idea as to what guiding company to hire, or the living conditions to expect. Also, there are several routes to take in the climb - any advice on which path to take.

If this works out, I may try another Seven Summits Mountain - probably Aconcagua is S.A.

Thanks

[La8pv]

4123

Bring him along.

[XxDualityxX]

Umm I have never climbed it but have climbed severals 14teeners and know a lot about the mountain. Its climate is changing there is the tundra and the grassland and such just be prepared and take your own pace so you dont get Altitude sickness cause you wont finish if you do.

[Valmet78]

Thanks XxDualityxX & spineshank00.

XxDualityxX - Altitude Sickness is one of the factors that concerns me. I really don't know how I'll react. They say the best way to prepare for it is to be introduced to it gradually - not an option for me. But they also say being fit will help - I hope to accomplish that.

spineshank00 - I think the guides will carry some of the load. Being in the Army, part-time, I will feel strange to see someone else rucking more gear than me. I've been in your backyard as well, twice in the last ten years. Most of my family live in Northern Norway - also a good place to prepare for Kilimanjaro. What area are you from?

[hell]

I haven't climbed anything that high, but plan on it once I move to CO woot

I climbed something the locals call "Red Hill" due to its color of rock, but that bastard was no hill, it was a small mountain. Anyway, my big thing was my body adjusting to the elevation, since I was several thousand feet about my normal elevation back home. I'd advise frequent stops to allow your body to relax and try to adjust from lack of oxygen, and bring plenty of water, which is a given.

[La8pv]

spineshank00 - I think the guides will carry some of the load. Being in the Army, part-time, I will feel strange to see someone else rucking more gear than me. I've been in your backyard as well, twice in the last ten years. Most of my family live in Northern Norway - also a good place to prepare for Kilimanjaro. What area are you from?


Yeah, i would feel the same if someone would carry my stuff. Im from the southern part of Norway. Currently living in Oslo. Not so many large mountains down here. But when i lived in bergen i walked the 7 hill tour there (not comparing it to kilimanjaro)

Lyderhorn (396 moh - 4km), Damsgårdsfjellet (350 moh - 8 km), Løvstakken (477 moh - 11 km), Ulriken (640 moh - 17km), Fløyfjellet (400 moh - 22 km)v/ Fløirestauranten, Brushytten og Rundemanen (560 moh - 25 km).Sandviksfjellet (417 moh - 26 km) sentrum 30km4125
We started at 9 in the morning and i finished it 4 in the afternoon. U dont reach any extreme heights, but its the hardest thing i have ever done. You would think that the uphills are the worst, but after a while its the downhills that make you want to quit. They are really killing your knees.

[Ayura]

Sounds exciting!!! Good luck :)

[Baboonass]

The drive to the base of the mountain is a rough ride. Eat some antacids for heart burn, (off roading trick). Watch your pace, and bring trail snacks loaded in fat and simple surgars, (trail mix) if you get all drowzy all of the sudden, eat your trail mix and drink water, you'll spruce up in no time.

It is rough terrian, friggen moon rocks. Be carefull, help is a long way off if you get messed up.

It'll be a great experience, take lots of pics.

[Hellfish]

I'm going to Ecuador in a couple months and I'm really worried about altitude sickness. I live practically at sea level right now, with no mountains anywhere near me and I'll be flying into the second highest capital city in the world (2,850m ASL!).

As I understand it, there's no cure for altitude sickness except to go back down, right? What if that's not an option?

[Baboonass]

I'm going to Ecuador in a couple months and I'm really worried about altitude sickness. I live practically at sea level right now, with no mountains anywhere near me and I'll be flying into the second highest capital city in the world (2,850m ASL!).

As I understand it, there's no cure for altitude sickness except to go back down, right? What if that's not an option?


Climatize. Go to intermediate levals and stay for a while, (a week or so) then go another 5000 ft or so and stay.

Anything over 10,000 feet and you are going to have issues if you are not climatized to that elevation.

[Hellfish]

I'm not acclimatized. Seriously - I'm flying from Florida and landing in Quito with a nearly 3000m difference. A couple days later I head into the Amazon, but still... its gonna suck. It altitude sickness guaranteed?

[Baboonass]

I'm not acclimatized. Seriously - I'm flying from Florida and landing in Quito with a nearly 3000m difference. A couple days later I head into the Amazon, but still... its gonna suck. It altitude sickness guaranteed?
\

No. But if you get sick, you have to go back down in elevation or you can die.

See if you can stop somewere in-between first.

[Hellfish]

Sh!t. Thats what I figured. There's seriously nothing I can do, like breathe in oxygen or something? How soon would symptoms set in?

[CPTAUSRET]

\

No. But if you get sick, you have to go back down in elevation or you can die.

See if you can stop somewere in-between first.

You won't know til you arrive. I have never had a problem with it, just lucky, I guess.

Good luck.

Terry

[Baboonass]

Sh!t. Thats what I figured. There's seriously nothing I can do, like breathe in oxygen or something? How soon would symptoms set in?



100% O2 is about all you can do. You may get better, or you may not. I don't know enough about it to give you a straight answer.

You could feel symptoms at any time.

[CPTAUSRET]

Sh!t. Thats what I figured. There's seriously nothing I can do, like breathe in oxygen or something? How soon would symptoms set in?

Read the book by "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer. Very good discription of Hypoxia, and what you need to do to prepare, and look out for.

Terry

[Hellfish]

Altitude sickness, IIRC, is caused by the lungs unable to adapt to the low oxygen content at altitude. Running should help out, right?

[CPTAUSRET]

Altitude sickness, IIRC, is caused by the lungs unable to adapt to the low oxygen content at altitude. Running should help out, right?

Not your lungs as much as your brain being starved of oxygen.

Read the book!

Terry

[Hellfish]

What book?

[CPTAUSRET]

Read the book by "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer. Very good discription of Hypoxia, and what you need to do to prepare, and look out for.

Terry

This book!

[Hellfish]

Oh, hahaha, totally missed that post. Yeah, I actually have it sitting on my table right now, but I haven't read it yet. :)

[CPTAUSRET]

Oh, hahaha, totally missed that post. Yeah, I actually have it sitting on my table right now, but I haven't read it yet. :)

It is a great read, and it will give you insight into climbing, and the dangers inherent, to include Hypoxia.

Terry

[CPTAUSRET]

Type Hypoxia into Google, you will get a goodly amount of info.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/anoxia/anoxia.htm

Terry

[Valmet78]

I read "Into Thin Air last year" - very good book. I can climb similar Mountains, only 10 mins away from my house, but I want to be in the best shape of my life to avoid the problems with altitude sickness. Having said that, although being in shape will help, you will never truely know how you will react until you start having to physically exert yourself.

[p$ycho+log!cal]

man i wish u the best of luck u are the crazyest man on this website!!!

ive seen people dealing with rpg's,nade,bullets

but that mountain!!!!!!

enjoy your trip :) !