My brother and I have been wanting to climb kilimanjaro for some time now and decied to do it in the next year or so around June to September as possible times. We plan to stay two weeks or so in Africa with 7 days dedicated to take the lemosho route. We where thinking of doing at photo safari to see some wildlife. My question is, instead of a photo safari would we have time to slip in a quick plans game safari or maybe a cape Buffalo/ hippo?. Would this be possible or is it to much trouble finding a place to store guns during the climb? What would be some areas to hunt and some good guides?

Hi steel.

It wouldn't be too much trouble arranging a trip like that. You can easily combine a week in Masailand with a Kilimanjaro expedition. Storing your guns during the climb would not be an issue. I do both photographic and hunting safaris in Tanzania and would gladly help you to put such a trip together.

If you want to know more my email is: nymanerik90@gmail.com

Cheers/ Erik

https://www.wildernesstravel.c...n/africa/kilimanjaro


steel,

Husband did the Lemosho route in 2013. This is the company he went with, it will take you about 11 days.

I joined him for a photo safari afterwards with the same company.

You might want to consider being gone three weeks instead of two weeks. He left on Labor Day and we came home together 19 days later.

Best of luck on the climb, he had a great time.

quote:

Originally posted by eriknyman:
Hi steel.

It wouldn't be too much trouble arranging a trip like that. You can easily combine a week in Masailand with a Kilimanjaro expedition. Storing your guns during the climb would not be an issue. I do both photographic and hunting safaris in Tanzania and would gladly help you to put such a trip together.

If you want to know more my email is: nymanerik90@gmail.com

Cheers/ Erik

Erik is a good chap

I'm working on a hunt / climb trip now. Early stages, but doable if you have time.

Did you guys premedicate with diamox to help with the altitude adjustment? And how would that react with the anti malaria medication I wonder.

In my opinion, the Lemosho route is the best in terms of total beauty, success rate, and safety with its longer opportunity to acclimatize to altitude. I went with Mountain Madness out of Seattle, but have also used Wilderness Travel. You won’t be disappointed with WT, they are a very well run company.

Does the altitude really kick your butt? I have climbed a few winter 14 ers in Colorado and handled it pretty well, just not sure how an extra 5,000 elevation would feel.

For the hunting part you should contact KNS and see what they can do for you. I hunted in 2021 within sight of Kilimanjaro. Had a great plains game hunt. I can highly recommend them.
Bruce

Steel,

You won't need anti-malarials at that altitude. I've never taken them in Masailand, even during the rains when I probably should have.

I've been to timberline on Meru, but that's plenty high enough for me. Not much to see above timberline.

Steel, I’m leaving in early February for a couple weeks trip across southern Kenya, taking my daughter and her boyfriend game viewing on MasaiMara and Tsavo, with some time on the coast at Watamu in between. At the end of the 2-weeks, my daughter and her BF will be climbing Kilimanjaro. They’re going to do it over a shorter time span, 6 days, but they’re both ultra distance runners. My daughter runs marathons and up to 50K races, while her BF has run in races as long as 100 milers. They’ve also climbed Mt. Whitney (highest peak in lower 48), up and down, in a day. They’re in better shape than most other people and they’re taking Diamox on their climb. They are climbing the Rongai Route, which is a less traveled route from the Kenya side of the mountain. All told, including travel, they’ll be gone 20 days.

I’m coming home a week earlier but did have a short Masailand hunt set up. Was going to do a 7-day hunt with 21-day license. Had to drop that plan as my girlfriend is seriously Ill, can’t travel with us, so I’ll be heading home when their climb starts.

I’ll be happy to share my thoughts after I return.

steel,

Husband did not take Diamox. Two of the people in his group of five were in their early 60s. One woman was in her early 40s and a gentleman was in his late 30s. Husband was 56 when he did Kili. Everyone made the summit.

I got to meet everyone at the celebration dinner and the photo safari. Everyone was a flatlander, Illinois, Boston, Michigan, and Washington DC. No one had any problems, the only complaint I heard from them was the night prior to the summit, sleep was a little difficult at 18,000 plus.

You will do fine, especially on the Lemosho route where there is more time for acclamation.

PM me a phone number if you want to talk to my husband.

I arranged such side trips many many times, it can be costly in some cases, but not always..just depends on the difficulty factor..

Steel, sent you a PM.

I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2001 on a hunt in the Selous. Hunted first, then flew from Dar to Arusha. Met Ms AZW in Moshi and commenced our climb. I barfed on summit day but after that I was fine. In 2010 I was in the Himalayas and went above 19K with no issues, but I had been above 12K for three weeks.

Everyone likes to think Kilimanjaro is a piece of cake, but there are a few who fail to climb it due to their inability to acclimatize to the altitude.

I handle altitude pretty well but, my brother not so much. We climbed wheeler peak in new mexico at over 13,000. We did not medicate before hand. I did fine but my brother coming from Florida developed some altitude sickness. He was exhibiting shortness of breathe, slight confusion and exhaustion. We made it down and he was fine. I faired better but I had been living In Santa fe at 7,000 for about a year so I think that helped. The next year we did mount Elbert in colorado at over 14,000 and we gave my brother diamox and he had no symptoms what so ever, so I think the medication worked for him. I also took it but don't really think I needed it to be honest. I guess everyone's acclimates differently. Both climbs where in heavy winter snow so that made it more challenging as well. The funny thing is my brother is in much better cardiovascular conditioning than myself.

I climbed it in 1999 with my dad and brother. Our trip was 6 days, 4.5 up and 1.5 down. I think it was the Marangu route, but we broke off from the main route and went directly up the Arrow glacier the last day of ascending.

With the fast ascent I got altitude sickness starting at 14,000 feet and started on Diamox. I felt better after that. My brother got sick on summit day, but never took Diamox. My dad was feeling fine, but started taking diamox when I did and never got sick at all. We have all spent time up to 14000 feet in Colorado and never had trouble with altitude sickness before or since. You will definitely feel the extra 5000 feet of elevation.