Trek Kilimanjaro: Isabel Hospice

This challenge is a joint venture between two UK hospices, Garden House Hospice Care and Isabel Hospice.

They have teamed up to bring their supporters together on this awe-inspiring fundraising challenge. You may choose to fundraise for either Garden House Hospice Care or Isabel Hospice. This booking page is for those who wish to fundraise for Isabel Hospice.

This trek is accompanied by professional English-speaking local guides who have an excellent knowledge of hiking in the region and have summited Kilimanjaro hundreds of times on various routes around the mountain. The guides are first aid trained and will support you throughout your journey. You will also be supported by an excellent team of assistant guides, cooks and porters who together make your journey possible. You will be accompanied throughout your challenge by a Different Travel Company UK tour manager.

The terrain will vary each day but in general you will experience undulating terrain with an uphill gradient as you approach the summit, and a downhill gradient on the way down from the summit. It is essential that your training includes hill walking to include trekking up and down gradients; training on flat terrain will not adequately prepare you. Underfoot the terrain will vary from muddy forests, rocky and dry trails, barren gravelly tracks, scree and possibly even snow.

Half way through the trek you reach the Barranco wall which is a vertical rock wall with a narrow winding path with a drop on your right hand side. No technical climbing skills are required but scrambling over large rocks is necessary. Your guides and support staff will help you every step of the way and most people say that this is a highlight of the trek.

Temperatures will depend on the altitude, the weather and wind chill. For the days between 1800-3500m you can expect day time temperatures to range between 5-25°C, and night time temperatures to drop to -10°C. From 4000-5000m day time temperatures will range from 0-10°C during the day and sub-zero night time temperatures (down to -15°C on average). Wind chill may make these temperatures feel colder.The summit night will be extremely cold, with cold high winds having an enormous impact on the temperature. Temperatures can range from a relatively balmy -5°C to an Arctic -30°C with wind chill.

Weather conditions will vary as the mountain has its own unpredictable weather system. Conditions include bright sunny days with clear skies, overcast days with high humidity, cold dry windy days, rain, snow etc. It’s important to be prepared for all weather conditions and temperatures by packing technical non-cotton layers and waterproofs.

Meals are provided throughout and will be a combination of Western meals and traditional Tanzanian food. Dishes may include, but are not limited to:
Breakfast: porridge, fresh fruit, toast, sausages, eggs etc.
Lunch: If you have a packed lunch it may be sandwiches, boiled egg and cake, a carton of juice, biscuits and fruit. If it is a hot lunch it may be soup and bread, toasted sandwiches, eggs, cakes, fresh fruit, salad, stew, pasta etc. Snacks: Popcorn and biscuits.
Dinner: Soup and bread, salad, coleslaw, potatoes, vegetables, pasta, rice, meat or vegetable stew, fish, eggs etc.
All your meals are freshly prepared by the trek chef. A mess tent with tables, chairs, plates, mugs and cutlery is provided.

At camp you will stay in 3-man tents (two to a tent). You will need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping mat, or these can be hired locally if you prefer. Meals will be taken in a mess tent where a table, chairs, plates, mugs, cutlery and other equipment is provided for you. Meals are cooked by your own dedicated trek chef who will prepare hearty, delicious Tanzanian and Western meals.

Each morning you will be provided with a bowl of hot water and soap to freshen up for the day ahead. There are no showers so please bring a pack of baby wipes to keep as clean as possible. Toilet facilities at camp will be long drop toilet huts which are often extremely smelly; it may be possible for the group to hire a private use portable toilet.
Toilet paper is not provided so you will need to bring your own. During the trek you will need to pack up any toilet paper you use to dispose of properly at camp. NEVER leave toilet paper or other litter on the trail.

The trek can be undertaken by anyone aged 18 upwards as long as you have a good level of fitness and you are healthy and determined. (It may be possible for you to participate if you are aged 16 or 17 years old if you are accompanied by a parent or guardian – please contact us for advice). There is no upper age limit. It is advised that you are of a good fitness level before departure to ensure fast recovery from each day’s exertions. An ideal candidate for the trek would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new.

Commitment to physical preparation is fundamental for this challenge, to ensure your best chance of success, and enjoyment, during the trek.
Attempting to complete the trek without training will make each day more challenging than necessary, being inadequately prepared may prevent you from reaching the summit, and it may hinder the experience of your teammates. The ascent does not require technical climbing skills but it is a huge mountain at high altitude so you must take your training seriously and not underestimate the scale of the challenge.

It is essential that your training includes hill walking to include trekking up and down gradients; training on flat terrain will not adequately prepare you. Your training should replicate the trek as closely as possible so engaging in many multi-day hill walks of 7+ hours per day is the optimal training ground. Hill walks should be supplemented with strength training and cardiovascular exercises such as gym workouts, running, swimming, cycling, boot camps etc. You can download a number of free apps which help you train and track your progress. E.g. MyFitnessPal, MapMyWalk, C25K (couch to 5k run) etc.

This trek is graded challenging to extreme. You will be trekking on challenging terrain which is steep at times, you will be exposed to altitudes up to 5895m and will camp in basic campsites. Each day you will trek up to 8 hours per day.

Summit night is the most challenging part of the trek because it starts at 11pm or 12am after only a few hours’ sleep. You trek through the cold and dark of the night up to the summit on a loose scree path until you reach the top of the crater at Stella Point, around 6-7 hours later. You then take around an hour to trek around the crater rim to the true summit, Uhuru Peak. It is an incredibly arduous night. You need to stay positive, remember your goal, and keep a very slow, steady pace. The hard work pays off after you reach the summit and have taken your photos at the famous signpost! You then take an almost immediate descent of 5-6 hours to a much lower altitude campsite where you will have a well-deserved rest. It could be a 14-hour trek day.

The highest altitude on the trek is 5895m, the summit of Kilimanjaro. For the majority of the trek you will ‘trek high, sleep low’ which means you trek to high elevations each day to expose your body to a higher altitude environment, then descend to a lower altitude to rest allowing your body time to recover and acclimatise. The first four nights of the trek are spent at campsites no higher than 3963m.

It is generally considered that altitudes above 3000m are ‘high altitude’ and from this point it is possible for individuals to experience altitude related symptoms. The susceptibility of an individual to experience altitude related symptoms is not clear-cut and can happen to those who have visited areas of high altitude many times before. Your local guides are very experienced in spotting the signs of altitude sickness but you must also take responsibility for reading up on the effects of altitude exposure so you can recognise the signs. A great source of information can be found at the NHS pages on altitude sickness or on the Travel Doctor website.

We require a medical form to be completed by everyone upon registering, and any pre-existing conditions, medications used and other medical issues must be specified. All your medical details are treated in the strictest confidence.

The information will be securely screened by a qualified medical professional, and details provided to your tour manager and local guides so our staff are adequately informed and prepared to support you during the trip. By completing this booking form you are giving consent for us to contact you confidentially with any follow up questions regarding your health.

If you declare any medical conditions you may be asked to provide more information, or we may request to contact your GP.

In the event that your medical issues at the time of booking represent a concern for your safety and wellbeing, or the safety and wellbeing of others in the group, you may be recommended not to take part. If this happens your booking will not be confirmed and the deposit will be refunded.

We must be informed if any conditions or medication change, or if new conditions develop. If necessary confirmation of fitness to travel from your GP or specialist may be required.

Please note that we will never unreasonably deny participation on a trip nor contravene the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: This list is just a guideline and is not exhaustive. The items on this list do not take into account your personal preferences based on your previous trekking experience, or individual requirements. For information about items on this list please refer to the trip dossier or contact The Different Travel Company on info@different-travel.com

*Please ensure you pack your hiking boots into your hand baggage in the unlikely event your checked luggage goes missing or is delayed.

*Please consider eco-friendly or biodegradable options. Consider shopping at Little Footprint Gifts.