Mount Climbing

Africa offers endless opportunities for highland trekking and mountain climbing, Mount Kenya, or total endurance trials, climbing the world famous grandfather of them all, Mount Kilimanjaro, the glacier-capped “Shining Mountain” which rises from the clouds, 5895 meters above the rolling plains of northern Tanzania. It is the highest stand-alone mountain in the world and must not be underestimated. Although there are a number of trails up the mountain, representing different levels of ability and endurance, it is a grueling undertaking, and can pose a very real risk to life. You do not need specialized mountain climbing skills nor mountaineering equipment on this challenging vacation on Africa’s highest peak, but you will need the skills of an experienced support team, provided by our Partners, a team partnership between Incredible Kenya Adventures and a well-respected family company with over thirty years acquaintance with this mountain, which is the ultimate pinnacle of many dreams of hazardous adventure on the beautiful continent. Apart from the personal triumph of attaining the summit of this magical peak of Kilimanjaro, there is also the unforgettable trek from summer to winter in a matter of days as you traverse the very different zones that mark your progress from verdant plains, through tropical forest, alpine meadows, inhospitable winter scree and glaciated snow fields to stand above the clouds as the sun rises in a world so inhospitable that you can only bear its wonder for a matter of minutes before being forced to descend from its oxygen-starved heights. In this alien place on Kilimanjaro mountain, you will find plants that grow nowhere else on earth: bizarre giant groundsel and senecios, like sentinel columns wrapped in fur or topped by cabbages. Other incredibly aged vegetation has adapted to being regularly uprooted by the cycle of freeze and thaw in its Arctic wastes. You will find a place like you few have ever seen before, and you will face yourself, your limits and a personal discovery you could never have achieved elsewhere on Earth. Mount Meru is less frequented, more gentle and forgiving, but still a wonderful trekking experience. It is a younger, exploded volcano with steep cliffs and a central ash cone still showing signs of life. More beautiful to some minds than the grander pair, it is home to a wide range of wildlife. Affording fantastic views over the Arusha National Park plains below and the algae-rich Momella Lakes, it is a more relaxing introduction to an acclimatized holiday in Tanzania. Further north, the “Mountain of God,” Ol Doinyo Lengai, is a sacred site. The Maasai people believe the Engai God triggers eruptions or drought, and make pacifying family pilgrimages to bless their children and livestock, or to beg the favor of fertility. It offers a challenging day-long scramble and should not be undertaken lightly.