Kili summit trip advice/group
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:58 pm
I am planning to summit Kili in either late June or early September of this year. This will be my first trip up Kili, and I have not yet made plans with a guide service. Nor do I have a group - I'll be going over there by myself, but I'd love to join on with a group going during the same time frame - so let me know if you've got room for a 24 yr old Texan on your trip (I must add that, contrary to common perceptions of Texans, I do have high altitude backpacking and climbing experience).
So a few questions...
1.) Any advice on which month I should make the trip? I've heard that June is the tail end of the rainy season, but don't know how much Kili is impacted by this. Also, crowds?
2.) What kind of gear can I count on bringing? I'm not familiar with guided trips...but I was planning to bring a 60 liter pack (too big?), all appropriate clothes, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camera gear, camelbak bladder, head lamp, and personal items...anything else I should count on bringing or leaving at home? Also, I'm not familiar with the terrain of the trails...what kind of boots would you recommend?
3.) Any guiding services you'd recommend booking with or steering clear of?
4.) After some research, the Lemosho and Machame routes sound most appealing to me. Any comments?
Any other advice you could offer to a Kili first-timer would be much appreciated.
And drop me a line if you're planning to be on the mountain during either of my stated timeframes and have space for an extra climber!
So a few questions...
1.) Any advice on which month I should make the trip? I've heard that June is the tail end of the rainy season, but don't know how much Kili is impacted by this. Also, crowds?
2.) What kind of gear can I count on bringing? I'm not familiar with guided trips...but I was planning to bring a 60 liter pack (too big?), all appropriate clothes, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camera gear, camelbak bladder, head lamp, and personal items...anything else I should count on bringing or leaving at home? Also, I'm not familiar with the terrain of the trails...what kind of boots would you recommend?
3.) Any guiding services you'd recommend booking with or steering clear of?
4.) After some research, the Lemosho and Machame routes sound most appealing to me. Any comments?
Any other advice you could offer to a Kili first-timer would be much appreciated.
And drop me a line if you're planning to be on the mountain during either of my stated timeframes and have space for an extra climber!