At 5895 metres (19,341ft) Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain. Yet with no mountaineering skills necessary to reach the summit, even non-climbers can experience the thrill of climbing one of the world’s greatest peaks. Taking you from the dusty plains of East Africa through jungle and moorland to the glacier-clad summit, this is one of the most beautiful and challenging treks there is.
The most authoritative and detailed guide to climbing Africa's highest mountain.
For the 4th edition
* The routes have been walked again, both on Kilimanjaro and Meru, to check that the descriptions are still accurate.
* Everything has had a thorough update including the guides to the cities and towns and the review of the trekking agencies.
* The Shira Plateau Route has been walked and added.
* Routes covered on 35 detailed walking maps in the proven Trailblazer style; all walking times are indicated along with points of interest and gradients. We cover what other walking guides leave out – comprehensive details of where to stay and where to eat along the way in gateway city guides. Includes a detailed bird spotter’s guide and a full-colour flora identification section.
* Extra colour sections plus a 16pp colour introduction to Kilimanjaro and the climb.
Plus as in the previous edition:
Comprehensive trail guide and maps (with GPS waypoints also downloadable from the website) to the six major routes: Machame, Marangu, Rongai (Loitokitok), Lemosho, Shira and Umbwe – by a writer who’s climbed them all
City guides – where to stay, eat and what to see en route to Kili in: Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Arusha, Moshi and Marangu
Planning your trip and booking a trek – when to go, what to take, how to book your trek: extensive reviews of trekking agencies
Mount Meru – a popular pre-Kilimanjaro trek
Background information – comprehensive history, geology, climate, flora and fauna, plus cultural information on the Chagga people
Porters’ rights – how you can help
Green trekking – minimizing your impact
Health and safety
Henry Stedman is a best-selling author who has written or co-authored more than a dozen guidebooks. He runs www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com and visits Kilimanjaro several times a year leading groups to the summit.