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Mount
Kilimanjaro 5895m trek
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| Course
overview |
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Course
dates & availability |
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Kilimanjaro
is is the “Seventh Summit” of Africa,
and the highest free standing in the world.
At nearly 6000m high, it is a high altitude
ascent, though essentially a non technical
one. |
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As
we run expeditions to high altitude peaks,
such as Aconcagua and Mount Elbrus, we are
very aware of the importance of acclimatisation,
and so this itinerary has been carefully designed
in order to prepare you as well as possible. |
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At
the equator the seasons are different, and
it is key to avoid the rainy seasons of mid-October
to mid-December, and April to June. During
these months there is often too much snow
on the upper mountain. Our scheduled dates
and private expeditions are all operated outside
the rainy seasons. |
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This
expedition will appeal to those who really
want to explore this region and who wish to
experience the thrill of high altitude climbing
for the first time. This especially appeals
to those with aspirations of higher peaks
such as Aconcagua or Denali, who are either
working towards ascents of the "Seven
Summits" (the highest peak on each of
the continents), or those who only have Alpine
mountaineering or trekking experience. |
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We
offer two options for our Kilimanjaro, either
a standard trip from Saturday to the following
Sunday (9 days), or you have the option of
extending the trip by four days to take in
the ascent of Mount Meru beforehand. |
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Many
companies state that they are 'experts' in
a mountain. We truely are, as every e-mail
you send, or phone call you make to a course
advisor, will be answered by someone who have
actually climbed the mountain, so can genuinely
give expert advice. |
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Dates
not suit?: For groups of just two or more,
we will run bespoke trips on any dates outside
the rainy seasons for exactly the same price
as the standard courses. This offers exceptional
value for money for those seeking a more exclusive
experience as a couple or in a small group
of friends. |
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Dates:
these
are listed in the column on the right, and
they show the live availability from our secure
online booking system. When you book online,
you receive immediate confirmation, your Alpine
Information Booklet, course specific kit list
and invoice. |
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Summer
trek dates
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Course Dates
Kilimanjaro Trek
- [ 4 ] 15 - 23 Sep 2012
- [ 4 ] 6 - 14 Oct 2012
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| Winter
trek dates |
Course Dates
Kilimanjaro Trek
- [ 0 ] 18 - 26 Feb 2012
- [ 0 ] 31 Mar - 8 Apr 2012
- [ 0 ] 7 - 15 Apr 2012
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| Client
feedback |
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I
am now back at work after the trip
to Kili with you recently. It was
brilliant! All logistics were seamless
– Evans and the crew were superb,
the food was great, and we all summitted.
What could be better!
David
Fletcher , Kilimanjaro
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Thank
you so much for your meticulously
organised and operated expedition.
Everyone in the group reached the
top. Also, your local team was great
Tom
Beesley , Kilimanjaro
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An
unforgettable holiday for all the
right reasons. Watching the sun rise
across the plains from the summit
was amazing. You have a great local
team, who love working for you, and
looking after us so well
Samantha
Budd , Kili & Mt Meru
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I
just wanted to say a big thank you to you,
Evance and the Icicle team for the great
experience we had climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.
The trip could not have gone better, from
the initial help with kit, training and
preparation to how we were looked after
in Tanzania. Evance
was superb and from picking us up at the
airport he always ensured we were well briefed
as to what would be happening each day.
On the mountain Evance and his team were
incredibly professional, keeping a close
eye on us and making sure we were fit for
each day. The camps were always well placed
and the food was excellent considering how
far we were from resupply. The route and
days we spent on the mountain meant we felt
little if any altitude sickness and on the
summit night, when alot of climbers turned
back due to the strong winds, he guided
us safely to the summit perfectly timed
for the sunrise on our fathers 70th birthday.
It capped a perfect week. We would definitely
recommend Icicle in the future to anyone
wanting to climb Kilimanjaro.
Adam,
Michael & Jolyon B , Kilimanjaro
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Course
Photo Gallery
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Expedition
groups and experience
Our
formula is to restrict the group sizes, so that there
are a maximum of 10 clients. The small group sizes enable
us to run specialist ascents, where the group can bond
well, and each expedition member has great access to all
the Icicle staff, local guides and porters. On the summit
day the guiding ratio is one guide per two clients. This
is more intimate than the mass group commercial style
expeditions run by some operators, where the individuals
needs and speeds cannot be catered for. Although
you require no previous mountaineering experience for
this expedition, you are advised to be a competant trekker
who is familiar with up to six hour days with 1300m height
gains. As you will note from the itinerary, this expedition
is quite intensive in order to ensure your acclimatisation.
Upon booking you will be sent an expedition dossier &
training training schedules. |
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Expedition
Food, Guides & Porters
A key factor in the success
of any expedition is its how well rested and fed
the team is. We have ensured that the camps and
porter services are as high as possible. All the
meals on the mountain are provided throughout the
expedition, so each day you are provided with breakfast
(porridge, eggs, sausages, toast, fresh fruit),
lunch (packed or cooked, such as spaghetti bolognaise,
fruit, cakes), afternoon tea (coffee / tea / hot
chocolate, and biscuits), and a large dinner in
the evening (soup, main course, and dessert). The
cooks and porters supply hot water to wash before
meals, and they also carry extra drinking water
and supplies in case anyone runs out during the
day. We find that clients are always amazed by how
good and plentiful the food is, especially when
you round a corner and your lunch table is laid
out before you! For
every two clients on an expedition, we use one local
guide and up to three porters. The porters |
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these tents and the sleeping bags, as well as the mess
/ cook tents and food, so you need not worry about carrying
any major loads each day. When
you stay in camps on Kilimanjaro, the tents are high quality
tents designed for altitude use, such as the Mountain
Hardwear Trango series tents. The porters pitch and strike
the tents for you each day. At each camp site on the mountain,
there are basic toilet facilities. We
recommend you carry only a 20 litre bag at most, the size
of a typical day sack for hillwalking in the UK. Evans
is the Icicle head local guide, and he is ably supported
by other guides such as John, McMillan and Rushtal. We
ensure that all the guides and porters are suitable fed
and clothed, and have forged close links with the Kilimanjaro
Porters Assistant Project (KPAP), www.kiliporters.org. |
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What
route do we use on Kilimanjaro, and why?
We always use the Machame Route
for ascent, and the Mweke Route for descent. There are
many reasons for this, perhaps none greater than the acclimatisation
potential in that you ascend to around 4000m, then spend
three days traversing around the mountain at this altitude
before ascending to the final camp at 4600m. This means
you are very well acclimatised to move to the top camp
just before the summit day. Clearly this works as we have
had a 95% success rate on the mountain since 2005.
The route also allows an extra day on the mountain to
prepare you, compared to itineraries from many other operators.
We avoid routes to the north of the mountain, such as
the Rongai, due to the political instability in nearby
Kenya and also the cross border security issues. We also
avoid the 'normal' Marangu Route, often called the "Coca-Cola"
Route, as it gains height every single day, not allowing
your body any time to acclimatise. For the descent the
Mweka Route offers the quickest method of losing height,
which is an essential method of avoiding potential altitude
sickness issues that may affect people after their summit
bid. The route also descends through some amazing jungle
scenary on the way to the park gate, and it is highly
likely that you will see Blue and Gibbon monkeys swinging
through the trees. |
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| Mount
Meru pre-Kilimanjaro Expedition Itinerary |
| Tue |
Fly
to Kilimanjaro International Airport, where typically
the KLM flight arrives around 19:00. Transfer to
the hotel in Moshi, evening meal, expedition briefing,
and equipment queries. Night in hotel. |
| Wed |
Drive
2½ hours to park gate and ascend to Mirikamba
Hut 2520m. This trek through the jungle forests
takes c.3 hours. Night in the dormitory style accommodation
in the hut, or in a tent at the camp. |
| Thu |
Trek
up to the Saddle 3566m on Mount Meru, and arrive
at Saddle Hut after c.4½ hours. After lunch
do an acclimatisation trek to Little Meru 3820m.
Return to the Saddle Hut for the night in the hut
or camp. |
| Fri |
Very
early start to reach Rhino Point 3800m after c.1
hour, then after c.6 or 7 hours, you reach the summit
4556m on the crater rim. After summit celebrations,
you descend to Mirikamba Hut for the night. |
| Sat |
Today
it is an easy walk back to the park gate, and the
return drive to Moshi for the night, where you meet
the other group members, and start the itinerary
below from the Sunday. Night in Moshi hotel. |
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| Standard
Kilimanjaro Expedition Itinerary |
| Sat |
Fly
to Kilimanjaro International Airport, where typically
the KLM flight arrives around 19:00. Transfer to
the hotel in Moshi, evening meal, expedition briefing,
and equipment queries. Night in hotel. |
| Sun |
Drive
to Machame gate 1800m, obtain permits, than trek
to Machame camp through rainforests. Lunch boxes
are provided for the trek which takes c.4 hours.
Night in Machame camp 3100m. |
| Mon |
Trek
from Machame camp up to the Shira camp. Trek involves
some easy rough ground, and takes c.3 hours. Lunch
at camp, then a acclimatisation walk to 4000m. Night
in Shira camp 3860m. |
| Tue |
Today
you trek up to the spectacular Lava Tower at 4600m,
then descend into the Barancco valley, famed for
its Giant Lobellea trees. Trek takes c.6 hours.
Night in Barancco camp 3950m. |
| Wed |
First
you start with the long scramble up to the Karanga
plateau. This is easy but exciting scrambling. Today's
trek takes c.3 hours. Acclimatisation trek up to
4200m. Night in Karanga camp 3961m. |
| Thu |
Short
hike to the Barafu camp, followed by a hot lunch,
then an acclimatisation trek up to 4900m. Sleep
in the afternoon, then early dinner at around 17:00.
Night in the Barafu camp 4600m. |
| Fri |
Get
up at midnight for summit bid. Most of the ascent
is in the dark, by headlight, and takes c.6 hours.
You normally reach the summit 5895m for sunrise.
Descend to Mweka camp 3100m. |
| Sat |
Final
trek down to Mweka gate, which takes c.3 hours.
From the gate you check out of the park, and are
driven to the hotel in Moshi. In the evening you
can go out for a celebratory meal. |
| Sun |
Morning
off for you to explore Moshi, before the airport
transfer. The KLM flight usually leaves in the late
afternoon, arriving back in the UK on Monday around
06:00, so you could go to work! |
| ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow the itineraries,
but as mountaineering is always weather and conditions
dependant, we are sometimes forced to alter the
plans. If this is the case, a suitable different
route will be attempted, and you will be informed
at the first suitable opportunity. Please use this
outline course itinerary as a guide to the style
of expedition, with good conditions, as it will
not necessarily be an exact blueprint for the exact
routes and schedule that you will follow on the
expedition. |
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Acclimatisation
on Kili |
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Unlike
some operators, we avoid the infamous four
or five day summit dashes, as this gives you
a very low chance of summiting, and a very
high risk of mountain sickness. |
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As
you can see from the altitude graphic below,
our expeditions spend seven days on the mountain
and four days around 4000m before the summit
bid. |
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Our
acclimatisation programme works. We are very
aware of the symptoms and effects of altitude
sickness (AMS), and will be briefed on this. |
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Effect
of climate change on Kilimanjaro
The weather patterns on Kilimanjaro are changing, and
the icefields are shrinking. Generally it is not necessary
to use an ice axe or crampons on the mountain. The typical
weather at present is clear mornings, then an afternoon
cloud build up (often with short shower), then the clouds
break in the evening and over night. This pattern explains
why the day of the summit bid commences at midnight to
take advantage of the clear skies.
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Accommodation & upgrades
On your first and last night in Tanzania, you are based
in a comfortable hotel in Moshi on a B&B basis. We
vary the hotels that we use, but we always try to ensure
that you stay in a hotel with a swimming pool and stay
in twin rooms. Airport transfers to and from either hotel
are included in the expedition price.
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| Course
Prices |
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Kilimanjaro
Expedition
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7
days guiding, 9 days in total |
£899 |
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Kilimanjaro
+ Mt Meru
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11
days guiding, 13 days in total
(Standard Kili trip plus 4 day Mt
Meru ascent) |
£1499 |
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Secure
online booking system |
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Course Inclusions: 1) Kilimanjaro guides for
daily leading, 2) Icicle rep if group has ten clients,
3) Pre expedition Info Booklet, 4) Equipment discount
voucher for in UK, 5) All hotel and tent accommodation
in Africa on a full board basis, 6) Road transport in
Arfica to national parks and airport transfers, 7) All
costs for expedition leaders, local guides and porters,
8) Personal certificate for all those who reach the summit,
9) We provide all communal equipment such as tents and
cooking kit (you provide your own clothing, walking boots,
and sleeping bag with mat). |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to & from Kilimanjaro International airport,
2) Travel insurance, 3) Bar / restaurant bills & tips,
4) Evening meals on the first and last night in Africa
(budget on £10 per night), 5) UK and foreign airport
taxes, optional trips, souvenire and tips, 6) Peak permit
for Kilimanjaro / Meru parks, 7) Your personal laundry,
telephone calls, and any purchases in mountain huts /
hotels / restaurants, 8) Extras before course: personal
activities insurance, & excess baggage charges. |
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Group
leaders can go for FREE
If nine people book
together, the group organiser (tenth person) goes
for FREE. This offer applies to either the Kilimanjaro
or Kili+Meru trips. Sounds too good to be true?
Well it is as simple as it sounds, and there is
no catch. You get the £899 (Kilimanjaro) or
£1499 (Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru) completely
for free. We only ask that all the booking forms
are sent together, and you can take advantage of
this amazing offer.. |
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Icicle
expedition kit bag for FREE
All those booking on
this course are entitled to a free Icicle expedition
kit bag. This tough c.75 litre capacity kit bag
is designed for full expedition usage and is made
out of durable and waterproof rip-proof material.
It normally retails at £50. Postage within
the UK is included in the prices. If you live overseas,
it's not a problem at all. We'll let you know the
price for postage. Want a second bag? Order another,
click
here. |
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| Upgrade
options |
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Flights
UK to Kilimanjaro
From £600
(inc. airport taxes) |
Icicle
is fully bonded with ATOL, and so we are able to
offer flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
This is served by KLM, and flights from the UK are
via its main hub at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam.
See our ATOL licence,
details. |
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National
Park Fees
Kilimanjaro £500
Mount meru £350 |
We
do not force clients to have these obligatory park
fees included in the prices, as they are paid locally
in US Dollars, and some clients may benefit from
the exchange rates by opting to pay these directly
at the park gate(s).
Note that we only accept Park Fee upgrades for trips
during the current year, to allow for price changes
by the Tanzanian National Parks which are made annually. |
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Extend
your trip with a safari
Many people choose to extend their stay in Tanzania with
a safari. Close to Moshi are three famous game parks,
the Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara. We
offer a three day safari extension for £699 (exc.
park fees). You are likely to see elephants, giraffes,
rhinos, gazelles, hippos, zebras, baboons, lions and wildebeast,
to name but a few. The jeeps used for the safaris are
generally Landrovers or Landcruisers. At night you stay
in local lodges that are really comfortable. If you are
interested in a safari, contact us for further details.
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