We successfully climbed Mt Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho Route in 8 days with Majestic Kilimanjaro on October 19th. I can't praise the company and head guide Tumaini enough. He has just started this company but has been guiding for some time. Our total crew of 12 were a very happy lot and obviously enjoyed working with Tumaini.

He organised everything to perfection (including a 3 day safari) and he took great care of our well-being. We are aged 54 and a week off 57 when doing the trek. Food was excellent with often four courses most meals. Delicious soup twice a day (lunch and dinner) and it was never the same. Eggs every morning and fruit and vegetables every day. Plus plunger ground coffee in bed every morning! What more can you ask for?! We never had any tummy troubles.

Thick thermorest mats were provided but we took an extra one each as we like our comfort and this worked well. I mentioned I was cold at night, so a hot water bottle was produced the next evening using a heavy-duty water bottle!

Both Tumaini and assistant guide Leonard were very knowledgeable on the varied fauna and flora.
To acclimatize properly, Tumaini took us on extra walks such as via Shira Cathedral, to the 4000m mark above Shira 2 and the Lava Tower. As we weren't getting too many headaches we decided against taking Diamox. However, I took garlic tablets which I'd read about. Who knows if it helped but I got there!

Would recommend having a portable toilet - worth the extra expense. And definitely go in a small group. A group of 42 started the same day as us and the first camp was a nightmare - so overcrowded. Luckily they went ahead of us the next day.

A bonus was that there is internet/phone access on the mountain, so Tumaini was able to keep our friends up-to-date with our progress on Facebook.

It was hard, especially that last section around the rim and coming down - hard on the knees and toes but definitely worth it if you have a reasonable level of fitness. We spent our last night at Millennium camp rather than the more popular Mweka which is lower down. This made our summit day slightly easier.
Only disappointments were the large number of people and the rubbish. However, we did see people employed to pick up rubbish in some areas.

We would definitely recommend the 8 day Lemosho Route with Majestic Kilimanjaro.

Janette & Harry Asche

This post was based on Janette & Harry's Tripadvisor review. To see this review Click Here

All photos are the property of Janette Asche. If you would like to see more of her photos, Click Here to be taken to Janette's Flickr page

It looks like it’s possible to successfully climb Mt Kilimanjaro at any age.

8 Year old summited  on 1st July, 2012
As reported by Huffington Post and CNN, in the United States, Tyler Armstrong, who is eight years old, reached the summit of Kilimanjaro with his father on a charity climb for CureDuchenne. 

Officially, The Tanzanian National Park Authority’s rule is that children need to be over ten to go past the 3,700 metres and then the final summit. So, they must have sought special permission, as the mountain is well regulated and there is no where you can hide. In fact, Tumaini Sandi, Managing Director of Majestic Kilimanjaro, saw Tyler on this climb and wished him good luck along the way.

Tyler is the second youngest to climb the famous mountain, with Keats Boyd also from the  United States successfully reaching the summit at the age of seven. 

Now for the Oldest Climber
Another American national, Mr. Richard Byerley, 84, from Washington State, summited Kilimanjaro with his two grandchildren, Annie, 29, and Bren, 24, after a six-day trek on the Machame Route setting the new world record for the oldest man to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

As reported by the World Records Academy “Byerley didn't suffer any altitude sickness on his journey, but he did say his hands were cold when he reached the summit.

He trained for the climb by hiking mountains in both Washington and Idaho, bicycling, running and occasionally moving 40-foot pipes in the fields on his farm.

His wife Beth had summited Kilimanjaro 30 years ago, so Byerley figured "It was high time to catch up."  When asked how he felt about smashing a world climbing record at age 84, he said, "Well, I'm the same person I was before I left." 

His advice for anyone of any age who wishes to climb a mountain: ‘Just go.’ ”

The above two inspiring examples show you’re never to young, or old to climb Kilimanjaro and experience the roof of Africa. 

We believe that if you are in good health, have an active lifestyle and put in the effort to train, reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro is within reach of most people. 

It should be remembered that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a strenuous exercise and poses serious health risks. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be a challenge. We recommend you consult with your doctor to ensure you have the best possibility of success and so that your climb is memorable for the right reasons. 

Steve

www.majestickilimanjaro.com
Follow us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MajesticKilimanjaro

You can also follow Tyler Armstrong on his Facebook page and see what he gets up to next.