Climbing Kili

Guesthouses: Students will spend the first few nights of the trip, as well as the last two, staying in simple, but charming hostels in Moshi and Arusha. There will be electricity, flush toilets, and hot showers, but electricity does go out from time to time and the guesthouse does not have a generator.

Camping: While climbing Kili, participants will sleep in tents on safari mattresses that are carried from campsite to campsite by the porters. There will be no running water, showers, or electricity, and toilets will be simple pit toilets in outhouses at the established campsites.

Rustic Pathways works with local community leaders and organizations to identify and prioritize the needs of each community. Please note that while we try our best to ensure we provide our advertised projects, some changes may occur due to the communities and project partners we work with.

Jane Goodall Institute Service: This program includes a couple hours in Mweka village where students will contribute to a community partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute. As JGI works closely with the local community and listens to their needs on a case-by-case basis, the contribution may vary from assisting with household chores, to tree-planting, to trash collection, etc. As not all of these activities are considered to be service activities by Rustic Pathways, we list this day as having zero hours of service. However, if service — per our standards — is performed on this day, students who participate will be issued a community service certificate after the program.

This program involves adventure activities that require students to be physically active. 

Rustic Pathways brings our own hired chef to Moshi. Participants will eat a combination of local Tanzanian dishes and more western-style dishes. Breakfasts typically include porridge, breads, eggs, pancakes, and fruit. Lunches and dinners range from traditional Tanzanian staples of rice, beans, chapati, and ugali, to coastal Tanzanian beef stews and vegetable curries, to more western soups, pastas, fried fish, stir fries, and salads.

On Kilimanjaro, the mountain guides bring their own team of chefs who will cook a simpler version of the above menu, with a heavier emphasis on carbohydrates near the summit as that is considered the best food to consume for energy at altitude. Fuel for your body is extremely important for such a hardy climb and at high altitudes!

Dietary Requirements/Food Allergies –

Some dietary restrictions and allergies can be accommodated. Vegetarians and mild allergies are easily accommodated! We may on a case-by-case basis accept, though do not necessarily recommend, that vegans or gluten-free students undertake this program, as it can be difficult to ensure enough of the right kinds of fuels for a high-altitude, strenuous trek. Severe food allergies can be accommodated; however we encourage anaphylactic students to consider the risk carefully. While we control the diet and take very careful precautions with allergies, there are a number of other hikers on the mountain and so some risk of cross-contamination exists. If you are comfortable with that and with the distance from definitive care (which may run to several hours), and if you bring epinephrine, we can accommodate you on the program. Please make sure to include all dietary info on your medical forms so that our staff can prepare and we always recommend bringing along some of your own favorite snacks.

Water from the tap in the hotels is safe to use for brushing teeth etc, but students will be provided as much bottled water as they can drink in Moshi and Arusha. Water on the mountain will be boiled or filtered by the porters. Don’t forget to bring along your own reusable water bottle, so we can minimize our plastic usage. You will need at least 2, preferably 3 Liters of water space (some combination of a Camelback and a Nalgene are best — the Camelback for most days and the Nalgenes for summit night when Camelback tubes will freeze).

In Moshi and Arusha, students should be prepared for Tanzania in their winter, so the weather will usually be sunny and warm during the day (high 70s F), and cool at night (50s or 60s F). It is the dry season, so we do not expect heavy rain, but there is usually some rain.

On the mountain, the weather will vary between different extremes. You will traverse four distinct climate zones, from jungle to arctic, and you will need and want high-quality, cold-weather gear for the top of your ascent. Indeed, our instructors and Kili guides will conduct a thorough gear check on arrival; to protect your own safety, you will not be allowed to climb without the appropriate gear. Please refer to the Packing List for more information.

Flights: Rustic Pathways scheduled flights will depart from New York (JFK), travel through Amsterdam (AMS) and arrive in Arusha, Tanzania (JRO). The return journey will begin in Kilimanjaro (JRO), travel through Dar Es Salaam (DAR) and Amsterdam (AMS), and arrive in New York (JFK). The DAR stop is just 1 hour on the tarmac – students will not exit plane. The advertised dates for this program include travel time from the USA.

Visa: Visa requirements for Tanzania vary slightly based on program, so please visit our partner G3 Global Services to assist in the visa application process. You can review the updated visa requirements on their site at www.g3visas.com/rusticpathways.html. Since requirements for visas vary by nationality, G3 is only able to process applications for US citizens. However, they have provided additional information to assist families residing outside of the United States. Should you choose to apply for your visa directly through the embassy or via another visa service agency please contact us at tanzania@rusticpathways.com if you require additional assistance.

Internal Travel: This program does not have any internal flights. Students will travel visit Moshi, Mount Kilimanjaro via Marangu Gate, and Arusha.

We want to encourage students to disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves in the experience and get the most out of their program. Thus, students will have limited access to wifi while in Moshi. Reception for international plans is spotty and we do not recommend purchasing one for this trip. Parents will have access to our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff once your student is in country. Students connecting to another program will have a chance to connect to the internet in Arusha at the end of their first program. Students will not have internet access at all on Kili. If they have an international plan, it will be even less reliable on Kili than during other parts of the trip so parents should not be concerned or surprised if they do not hear from their student during the climb. Our staff will send an update on behalf of the group during the climb.

All activities in this itinerary are included. Personal gifts, Laundry, phone calls, and snacks are not. We recommend $200 per week to cover souvenirs and tips for the local professional guides on the mountain. While our instructors provide the standard tips to our local Kili guides, many students develop an excellent relationship with their guides and want to give them additional tips after the climb. This recommendation is in addition to your visa fee if you choose to obtain your visa on arrival.

Note: Bills should be clean, unwrinkled, and dated 2006 or later.

Students will not have an opportunity to do laundry on this trip. If you are connecting to another program, you will be provided an opportunity to do laundry on the transition between programs. Most of your Kili gear you will simply store with the Country Director as you will not need much of it for other programs.

The cold-weather gear on the packing list is absolutely required. Our guides will check your gear and will not allow you to climb without it. Please refer to the packing list for details.

For the non-Kili parts of the trip, Tanzanians dress modestly and as polite visitors we will dress accordingly. While the towns can be a little more relaxed, it is important that we show respect at all times, particularly in village settings. The requirements are fairly straightforward for town and village portions and the same for both boys and girls:
Shorts: Not permitted in the villages at all, unless worn over top of leggings. In town, basketball-style shorts only are permitted; no running or soccer-style shorts as they do not tend to cover the top of the kneecap.
Leggings or yoga pants: Only if paired with shorts.
Loose-fitting pants, capris, and long skirts: Acceptable and preferred
Tops: Shoulders must be covered — No tank tops or spaghetti straps.
If you arrive and your clothing is deemed unacceptable by your program leaders, you’ll have to purchase appropriate clothing before you can participate in the program.

Students are always surprised at the effects of altitude. This will likely be one of the hardest things you ever do! Kili is a non-technical climb and it’s not a very steep one – the challenge comes almost entirely from the lack of oxygen at heights above 14,000 feet. Altitude also affects people in surprising ways: peak athletes sometimes struggle more than casual exercisers. Generally speaking, you want to be in decent shape, do some day-hikes or overnight hikes if possible beforehand, break in your boots thoroughly, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate during the climb.