But how easy is the climb? Do you have to be a qualified mountaineer to reach the summit? On the following pages we present your complete guide to climbing Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, towers over the tawny savannah of northern Tanzania. Every year, about 20,000 trekkers set out to conquer the 5896m peak. Several well-marked trails lead to the summit and although none require mountaineering skills, trekking to the Roof of Africa is still physically demanding and requires careful preparation. Around half of those who set out to climb Kilimanjaro turn back before they reach the top.

My wife Sally and I chose the popular 64km Marangu Route, which links three overnight huts and requires at least five days in total for both the ascent and descent.

A trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro passes through five ecological zones: cultivated lower slopes, montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert and the summit. Each successive habitat supports plants and animals that are adapted to the increasingly cold, dry and exposed conditions of high altitude.

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Day 1
Marangu Gate (1980m) to Mandara Hut (2743m)
Distance: 7km
Trekking time: 4-5hrs
Habitat: montane forest
Light rain smears the view from our Land Rover as we climb steadily above Marangu Village towards the trailhead. On board are six others. Nelson, our guide, is only 29, but he has summited Kilimanjaro fifty times in the last decade. Matthew, his assistant, and four porters, who will carry clothing, food and cooking equipment, comprise the rest of our team.

We sign in at Marangu Gate. Our modern rucksacks are stuffed into hessian bags and heaved onto the porters' heads, leaving Sally and I with just our small daypacks containing drinking water and extra clothing.

While the porters stride ahead, we follow Nelson and Matthew into a monochrome montane forest, suffused with mist and dripping with beards of moss. Although the gradient is gentle, we frequently pause to admire the profusion of trailside flowers.

The forest is also where most of Kilimanjaro's animals are found, but they are shy and elusive. Nelson deciphers the raucous cry of a Hartlaub's turaco from the chaotic vegetation and we glimpse a troop of blue monkeys performing leaps of faith in the canopy.

Our first night's stop, Mandara Hut, is actually several wooden cabins scattered through a forest clearing. Each hut has six wooden bunks and a small solar panel to power a couple of light bulbs.

While Nelson prepares dinner, Matthew leads us to nearby Maundi Crater, one of Kilimanjaro's small, parasitic cones. From here we have our first clear views. Below us lies a "cloud sea", blushed by the sunset as it laps the forest through which we have climbed. To the north, Mawenzi (5194m), one of Kilimanjaro's three sister peaks, rakes the sky, while the ice-capped summit of Kibo glints from behind a distant ridge.

Day 2
Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut (3720m)
Distance: 11km
Trekking time: 5-7hrs
Habitat: moorland
Soon after leaving Mandara Hut we break above the treeline into open moorland. This contains Kilimanjaro's most spectacular plants - the endemic giant lobelia and giant groundsel which can reach heights of 3m and 5m respectively. The lobelia has a spiral of leaves which protects its central bud from frost, while the groundsel develops an insulating skirt of dead foliage. Above 3000m, we also start responding to the high altitude. Nelson encourages us to drink as much water as possible - atleast five litres a day - to combat dehydration. Our footsteps become shorter and slower to keep our breathing under control in the oxygen-deprived air. "Pole, pole," Swahili for "slowly, slowly" becomes a familiar chant.

Day 3
Acclimatisation Day, Horombo Hut
Horombo Hut is Kilimanjaro's transit centre. Trekkers overnight here on their descent and many, like us, also spend an extra night on the ascent to assist with altitude acclimatisation. The result is an unlikely village of huts perched on a small plateau bustling with trekkers, porters and guides. Despite the range of nationalities present, the dining hut reverberates with two types of voice - the relief and elation of those heading down and the quiet, anxious murmurs of those yet to challenge the summit.

We spend the day rambling in a nearby gully, watching a pair of augur buzzards pirouette above us, mocking the cruel mountain winds. That evening, the cold, thin air conspires against sleep.

Day 4
Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut (4700m)
Distance: 10km
Trekking time: 5-7hrs
Habitat: alpine desert
Above Horombo, the moorland's hardy grasses and brittle everlasting flowers rapidly wither into sheltered crevices. Life is losing its grip. We pause next to a small wooden sign carved with the words, "LAST WATER" - an ice-encrusted spring from which we fill our water bottles. We'll now have to carry all the water we need until our return to Horombo in two night's time.

Beyond the spring, the trail emerges on a broad ridge scattered with rock cairns. Mawenzi rears to the east, but it's to the west that our eyes are irresistibly drawn.

There, looming above the barren sweep of alpine desert known as The Saddle, is Kibo. Etched into its flank is a path - a mad series of tight switchbacks clawing its way to the crater rim and the Roof of Africa.

It takes three hours to cross The Saddle. Kibo Hut seems quiet and deserted, but everyone is already inside - escaping the cold, resting, contemplating.

Day 5
Summit attempt (Uhuru Peak, 5896m) and descent to Horombo Hut
Distance: 4km ascent; 14km descent
Average trekking time: 7-9hrs to reach Uhuru Peak plus 5-7hrs for descent
Habitat: rocky scree; ice-capped summit
We trudge outside at 1am, cocooned in thermal clothing. We need the early start if we are to reach the summit by sunrise. The loose gravel path will still be frozen, making the going easier. Nelson leads us in single file, our head torches flickering across the lunar clutter of boulders and scree. Left foot, breathe in; right foot, breathe out. The rhythmic crunch of our footsteps becomes mesmerising and I'm hardly aware that something is not right.

We are well beyond 5000m, approaching the final ascent, when I begin to have trouble controlling my breathing. My head starts pounding and nausea flares through my stomach. I push myself onwards, stumbling from one boulder to the next. Nelson keeps asking if I'm OK, but I stubbornly deny that I am showing signs of altitude sickness. It is only when I slump to the ground and retch up the tea he has offered me, that Nelson firmly takes my arm. With Sally and Matthew close behind, we descend to Kibo Hut. By the time we reach its frail sanctuary, the first rays of sunrise have ignited Kilimanjaro's ice-capped summit, and most of my symptoms have abated.

Day 6
Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate
Distance: 18km
Average trekking time: 5-7hrs
We take our time descending to Marangu Gate, looking out for the iridescent flash of sunbirds feeding on the moorland proteas. I thought I would feel bitterly disappointed at not reaching the summit, but, strangely, it doesn't seem to matter. Like most people, I set out with the sole purpose of conquering the Roof of Africa. I now realise that this should be viewed as a bonus.

The real magic of Kilimanjaro lies in its stunning landscapes and fascinating natural history. Walk slowly with your eyes wide open and you may well return home with something more special than a Summit Certificate.

William Gray is a freelance writer and photographer specialising in wildlife and adventure.

To the Summit

David Bristow describes the final push to reach the Roof of Africa.

Shuffle ... pant, pant, pant; shuffle ... pant, pant, pant. One step, three breaths. Your boots crunch on the hard ice; a bitter wind sucks your pathetic breath right out of your burning lungs. The rim of Kibo crater just gets no nearer as you struggle up the insanely steep volcanic cone, trying to beat the sun. The guides constantly remind you to go pole-pole (sloww-ly); it's called the Kili shuffle, and you can't refuse. Shuffle ... pant, pant, pant.

You reach the rim of the largest volcano in the world just as the sun blazes into the heavens from behind the jagged, black form of Mawenzi Peak on the horizon. There you stand, bent double over your ski poles, elation and pain battling for ascendency among your emotions and gasping words. On a good day you might hope for -20oC and a wind of around 120kph, which tries to knock you off your feet and into the cauldron below to the right, or over one of the hanging glaciers to your left. On a bad day it'll be blizzarding too.

If you're lucky your head won't be pounding like a tribal drum, you'll have kept your nausea at bay, and your water won't have frozen in its bottle. Kilima-Ngiaro is a Wachagga phrase which means "the journey which has no ending".

As one Kili biographer describes the final ascent: "The climb is not difficult in mountaineering terms: you could say it was equivalent to climbing a staircase rather more than three kilometres long." But when that staircase starts at 4600m, it's like climbing it with a sock stuffed in your mouth. "The result is agonising. There is no other word for it."

But mountains are the homes of our gods, from Olympus to Everest, and Kilimanjaro is the domain of the Wachagga deity Ngai. "When we reach the summits we leave behind us all those things which weigh us down. We feel a new freedom, and a great exhilaration, an exaltation of the body, no less of the spirit," the old warrior and philosopher Jan Smuts once preached.

It takes two long hours to skirt the two-kilometre rim of Kibo to reach its highest point, Uhuru Peak at 5895m. Africa stretches away beyond the Kersten, Heim and several other glaciers. You awoke at midnight to get here at around 8am, and you won't rest until you reach your camp around 5pm that evening. It will probably be the toughest day of your life.

But you will never be the same again, because you will have been to the home of the mountain gods. Shuffle ... pant, pant, pant.

David Bristow is the editor of South Africa's Getaway magazine.

Taking Care of Yourself

It is important that you take your health and safety on the mountain very seriously. Altitude sickness is a prime reason forfailure to reach the summit. Your tour operator's ability to cope with problems relating to altitude sickness should be a key factor in deciding which company to book with. Some are better prepared than others, although most take the matter seriously.

All reliable operators of tours up Kilimanjaro will be able to provide you with detailed information on health matters, and allother practicalities relating to your expedition.

The information on this page was supplied by Wild Frontiers, taken from: Kilimanjaro 1:50000 Map and Guide, by Mark Savage (1997) and from Himalayan Kingdom Expeditions' Trip Dossier, 1998. It was then verified by the UK operator Gane and Marshall.

These notes are designed to give you a rough idea of the medical symptoms to watch out for, and the remedies for them. You should, however, consult your doctor before going on a climb of this nature, and, if you do fall prey to altitude sickness or any other ailment while on the climb, seek expert medical advice immediately upon descent.

· Diamox 250mg, for altitude sickness. Maximum 3 per day from day 1 (or before).
· Headache pills, but not too strong as they may mask more serious symptoms.
· Basic antiseptic cream and plasters.
· Immodium and Buscopan, for stomach disorders.
· Motilium, for nausea.
· Lip balm and sun cream.
· Rehydration salts.
· Support bandage/anti-inflammatory tablets and creams for aching joints, especially on the descent.
· Vitamin E to assist oxygenation.
· "Extend", for muscle strength & stamina.
· B12, for energy.
· Water Purification Tablets - sufficient for approximately 21-25 litres of water.
· Any other basic medical supplies you may think necessary.
All of the above are suggestions only. It is essential that you consult a good physician or travel clinic before using any of these as some may affect you at high altitude.

General Tips
· Go slowly. Very slowly. Especially on the first two days, even if you feel well. Enjoy the scenery.
· There are no shower facilities at any of the huts/camps. However, your porters will supply you with warm water if required. There is no washing water at Kibo/Arrow camp. "Wet Wipes" are quite useful.
· There are no opening windows in the huts (except Kibo), so you must leave the door open or you'll suffer from a lack of air and sleep, etc. If your hut partners object, move huts - you'll increase your chances of getting to the top by getting good air and sleep.
· Walk high, sleep low. Try to do a short evening stroll to a higher altitude (perhaps 150m higher) and then descend to sleep at the huts or camps.
· A stick/ski pole is very necessary - hire/buy up there or take with you.
· Thin socks inside thick socks really help.

Altitude Sickness
The summit of Kilimanjaro lies 500m higher than Everest Base Camp, which most trekkers take two weeks to reach. Many people don't reach the top of Africa's highest mountain as a result of suffering from the effects of high altitude. About 80% of climbers suffer from altitude sickness in at least a mild form. You need not let this put you off climbing Kilimanjaro, however, as long as you appreciate the vital importance of understanding the symptoms of altitude sickness and how to prevent and treat it.

Altitude sickness is caused by the inability of the human body to adjust to a rapid gain in altitude. Problems range from mild cases of acute mountain sickness (AMS), experienced to some extent by most climbers, through its various forms to the often fatal pulmonary and cerebral oedemas. Oddly, young fit males seem to be the most badly affected by altitude.

Symptoms of AMS include (in the order usually experienced): headache, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, exhaustion, lassitude, muscle weakness, a rapid pulse even at rest (+ 120/min), insomnia, swelling of the hands and feet and a reduced urine output. Climbers with severe symptoms MUST stop ascending and seriously consider descending to a lower altitude. Often a drop of as little as 500m and a stay of a couple of days at that altitude will allow proper acclimatisation to take place. Use of the drug Diamox can help prevent or reduce the severity of AMS.

With pulmonary oedema, additional symptoms may be noticed: shortness of breath (even at rest), gurgling bubbly sounds in the chest and sometimes a watery, blood-tinged sputum. Skin may be cold and clammy, finger nails and lips bluish. With cerebral oedema, severe headache, hallucination and lack of co-ordination are additional symptoms. Treatment must be immediate. Descend, even if it means walking down at night. The speed with which these two conditions kill is often as little as 12 hours from when the symptoms first become apparent. If bottled oxygen is available, it should be used. The visitor can take precautions to help minimise the severity of mountain sickness. Stay an extra night at high altitude. Maintain a slow steady pace whilst walking up. Drink at least three litres of fluids each day. Dehydration, even mild, leads to a thickening of the blood with increased possibility of pulmonary embolism or a thrombosis. Urine colour should be pale and the output copious.

Other Health Issues:
Exposure, or more correctly, hypothermia, is the lowering of the body's core temperature. Prevention is the best course of action. Use appropriate equipment. Do not allow yourself or your clothing to become wet either from rain or perspiration. When at rest, keep out of the wind. Treatment is simple and needs to be carried out as quickly as possible. If a hut or natural shelter is not close by, a tent, bivvy bag or similar protection should be arranged to keep the victim dry. Remove wet clothing and place the victim in a sleeping bag (or two or three). If possible, another person should be placed in the bag as well. Direct skin to skin contact is best. Once the victim is conscious, hot drinks will go a long way to boost morale. Warning signs of exposure are severe pain, followed by a complete loss of feeling, in the affected area. The affected area will be almost white.

Sun-related injuries. As about 50% of the earth's protective atmosphere is below an altitude of 5000m, far less of the harmful low-frequency ultraviolet light is filtered out and the sun's rays are much more powerful. This can result in very rapid burning of exposed skin. A preparation of 5% PABA in zinc oxide cream, or a factor 25+ sun cream is recommended (factor 50 or total block for altitudes over 3000m).

Dark glasses with side panels, or proper snow goggles, are best worn at all times above 4000m, especially when the sun is out, and are essential when crossing snow or ice. Snow blindness is very painful. Eye drops may help, though the only real cure is to keep the eyes bandaged for atleast 24hrs.

Feet problems. Blisters are usually a result of poor fitting, new or little used boots. As soon as a "hot spot" is felt, stop, remove the boot and cover the area in zinc oxide tape, mole skin or gel tape. If boots are even slightly too small, the toes will be badly bruised, particularly when descending. Toe nails should be kept short.

Cuts and abrasions. Stop bleeding with direct pressure to the wound. If an artery has been cut, a tourniquet should be applied above the cut (if direct pressure is ineffective), but this should not be so tight as to cut off circulation. Clean the wound and surrounding area with water and soap. Usually it is best not to cover abrasions and small cuts, but rather let them dry out.

Trauma. This usually results from a broken limb or other major injury. Medication should not be given unless pain is extreme, for the victim's ability to co-operate is reduced. There is also the risk that it may contribute to depressing the vital functions. If a drug is administered, record the brand name, amount and time it was given.

Fitness. Any walker who suffers from a pulmonary or cardiac problem should be cautious. Preparation for a mountain ascent should include several long walks, with, if possible, some steep uphill sections. Use the same footwear you intend to use on the mountain and carry a light pack.

A Need to Watch the Environment
Of major concern to environmentalists is the damage being inflicted on the mountain. For some time the Chagga people have been clearing the slopes to cultivate annual food crops, arabica coffee and bananas (matoke), and to herd livestock.

Now every year about 18,000 tourists trudge up the slope. Behind them come at least as many guides, porters and cooks. The hiker may spend up to seven days on the mountain, with the others seeking to maximise profits from their involvement.

The pressure on the environment is high but the standard of behaviour low. Some rubbish may be buried, but with no working latrines and hard ground on the upper slopes, faeces and toilet paper have been known to litter the ground. Firewood is cut as people turn a blind eye to the conservation rules.

Annually Kili brings in more than US$7,000,000 in entrance, camping and other charges. Guides, porters and cooks earn fees and tips, and locals make a living selling foodstuffs, curios and support services. The total income supports a lot of people - some very well - and the future looks good. There is, therefore, no real incentive for enforcing conservation and protection policies, particularly any that may impact negatively on income.

Meanwhile each year 40-50,000 pairs of boots grind down the surface, fires devour the forest and human waste mounts up. The degradation and destruction of Kilimanjaro's environment will continue until a solution is found. WWF South Africa raised over R6,000,000 in three years for priority conservation work on Table Mountain. Perhaps Tanzania can do the same.

Kilimanjaro Factfile

Routes
The main routes open to the public are: l Marangu (east) - the most popular way up because it is gentle and has accommodation en route.
l Machame (south) - probably the most attractive way up;
l Shira plateau (from the west) - needs a 4WD to access;
l Umbwe (south) - very scenic, short and steep, but the top section (the Arrow Glacier) is a serious undertaking. Can feed into the Machame route and Barafu Ridge;
l Mweka (south) - the most direct and fastest, but steepest route, and only allowed as a descent route.

Booking
All treks must be organised through a tour operator. Reputable companies provide transfers, accommodation, camping equipment, registered guides (compulsory) and porters. Avoid touts offering cheap treks and the scams they pull. Ill-equipped and badly staffed, they put your life in great danger. Climbers must be over 12 years old and physically fit. For the tourist routes you need only have trekking experience, not mountaineering skills.

Gearing up
Before arrival have a medical check-up, particularly if subject to heart or lung problems or prone to altitude sickness, as these complaints can lead to serious problems.
Make sure you have suitable medical insurance and that you are covered specifically for the climb up Kilimanjaro.
Be well equipped. You'll need: a good map and guide book, a warm sleeping bag, insulator mattress, thermal underwear, gloves, wool cap, sun and snow goggles, sun cream, large water bottle, first aid kit, head torch (for the final ascent), toilet paper and snacks (sugar sweets and chocolate, perhaps) for the final ascent. Some climbers take freeze-dried food in order to decrease the likelihood of getting diarrhoea. It is important to realise that it gets very, very cold. Temperatures of minus 15oC are not uncommon. Most operators will supply a detailed list of items you will need, and many will indicate which of these they will be able to provide and, if appropriate, the rental costs involved.

Costs
Charges vary from operator to operator, but approximate fees are:
6 day climb, Marangu Route: US$970
6 day climb, Machame Route: US$990
Longer trips are also offered by some operators, giving you more time to acclimatise.
These rates include all park fees, two nights' accommodation at base hotel, porters, guides, hut fees and all meals. Equipment hire and tips are excluded. Tips are usually compulsory and you should budget on spending about US$70 for guides and porters.

When to go
Kilimanjaro is best climbed during the dry season - late June to October - or from late December to the end of February.

Explorers of Kilimanjaro

The slopes of Kilimanjaro were first inhabited about 2000 (or more) years ago. Ptolemy of Alexandria commented on the mountain, as did other early historians who followed. In 1519 the Spanish geographer Fernandes de Encisco charted the presence of "Mount Olympus" west of Mombasa, and the Chagga people are known to have lived on the slopes for at least the last 250 years. However there is no record of anyone attempting to climb Kilimanjaro - "the mountain of greatness" - during this time.

The German missionary Johann Rebmann who, from 1848, explored the area and traversed the lower southern slopes, recorded some of the best early descriptions. He submitted his findings to the Royal Geographical Society but his description of snowcaps in eastern equatorial Africa was doubted by "experts" including Sir Roderick Murchison, the Society's President.

Probably the first attempt to scale "Kili" was made in July 1861 by Baron Carl Claus von der Decken and the Englishman Richard Thornton. They spent 19 days on and around the mountain, climbed to 2500m, recorded numerous observations, made fairly accurate calculations of the main peak heights and confirmed the presence of a snowcap.

In 1871 Charles New, another missionary, reached the snow line at about 4000m and in 1884 a British naturalist, Harry Johnston claimed to have ascended to the Cone of Kibo at nearly 5270m. In 1887 Count Samuel Teleki turned back at the same spot, and Dr Hans Meyer and Herr von Ebersten were defeated by ice and snow at about 5500m. In 1889 a Mr Ehlers almost received credibility for a story of having left his calling card in a tin on the summit!

Later that year Dr Hans Meyer returned and, with Ludwig Purtscheller, an experienced alpine mountaineer, crossed the neckof the glacier extending down the southeastern slope of the mountain to an advance camp at 4300m. After several attempts from the north and the east, and some strenuous ice climbing, they stood on the 5895m summit at 10.30am on 6 October 1889. Meyer planted a small German flag on the highest point in Africa. They shook hands and gave three cheers for the Emperor. At the centenary of this climb in 1989 their Tanzanian guide was enjoying his 118th year of living.

Meyer returned to Kilimanjaro in 1898 to study the glaciers and recorded, with great surprise, that the ice limit had retreated about 100m higher since his climb. He, like all the early explorers, had found the forest and moorland environments difficult and the Cone of Kibo the greatest obstacle.

Today Kibo is still the most daunting challenge but climbing is a lot easier thanks to global warming and the establishment of a number of planned routes. About 20,000 tourists attempt the summit each year, the oldest having been Frenchman Valtee Daniel who "peaked" at age 87. Three of his countrymen dropped on the crater in 1962 and thus set a world record for the highest parachute landing.

Published in Travel Africa Edition Twelve: Summer 2000 Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)