Just returned from a fabulous trip to Tanzania. We (hubby and I) did a 3 day safari, then Mt. Meru, a rest day in Marnagu Village, and then Kilimanjaro via the Marangu route. We went with Good Earth Tours. Everything was great, including the weather, and there were no moskitos (apparently it was too cold for many mozzies).

Here's the Kili portion trip report for anyone interested:

I had decided to do the Marangu route on Kili, because I wanted to stay in huts. Many companies state on their web sites that it's an awful route, that the huts are in poor condition, that it's dirty and not scenic. However, I found the huts to be in excellent condition, the route was clean with the exception of garbage found (toilet paper and the like) on the summit night's walk. The toilet ares were also kept clean. Maybe that isn't so during the high season. I really liked having the space and comfortable mattresses and pillows of the huts, which had locks. The scenery was very pleasant as well. Maybe the Machame route is more scenic, but I doubt that it's as easy to walk on as the Marangu route. Also the summit night is supposed to be steeper. I spoke to someone who did the Rongai route (we met him on the summit) and that route didn't sound very scenic, as he said it was mostly dry.

Day 1: Hubby and I were picked up at the Marangu Hotel by our same guide, and a couple of the same porters as our Mt. Meru trek. There was an addition to our team of 2, an American woman writer who came to do Kili so she could include the experince in a book she's writing. She had never hiked, nor camped, nor done anything outdoors, and all of her equipment was new. In time we gave her the private nickname of princess, since she was a bit high maintenance, and late for almost every meal and departure. Because she had ordered a stretcher, barriatric chamber and oxygen, we ended up with a staff of 12: 2 guides, a waiter who also became our assistance guide, the cook and porters. I'll call her N. After registering we started our walk in the rain forest. It wasn't hard and took about 3 hours. We stopped for lunch part way up and had to watch out for the ravens and mongoose who wanted to share our meal. There was a very clean outhouse at the lunch area, as well as picnic tables and a caretaker of the area. At the 1st set of huts (around 2700 meters), we were put in a cute 4 bedded A-frame, and so had space for all the clothes. After popcorn and peanuts we walked to the nearby crater with a guide and assistant guide.

Day 2: We walked to the Horombo huts (3700 meters), pole pole. It took over 5 hours to do about 13 kms. At this point we were all walking together still. We all felt fine at the huts, and again had a 4 bedded A-frame for the 3 of us.

Day 3: Acclimitization day. We walked to Zebra rocks. After about 10 minutes, hubby and I left with the second guide as N was having problems. We got to the rocks, and then passed a group of 23 (including a hyperactive 10 uear old boy) on the way to the top of the rocks. At first I was dissappointed that we weren't going to the mawenzi hut, which is at a higher elevation, but later on I thought it was a good idea to minimize the walking and have more chance to rest. We had a hot lunch that day.

Day 4: We walked almost 10 km. to the Kibo hut (4700 m.), passing through high altitude desert. I went pole pole. Hubby seemed to be racing ahead, and then waiting (at my insistence). He was tired of the pole pole. Although for the last 1-2 hours he was finally feeling the altitude and walked with me. N. showed up shortly after us. We all felt good, no headaches, no nausea, no lack of appetite. We were all taking diamox, which I felt helped a lot. Maybe some people don't need it, but the people we met who hadn't made it, weren't taking it, or did take it, but didn't take the extra acclimatization day (or both).

After reaching Kibo hut we had an early supper (at 5) and then were sent off to sleep. We were the 3 of us in a 10 bedded room, with our dining table in the room with us. I slept off and on, and then at 11 p.m. we were woken up.

Day 5: After porridge and hot drinks, hubby and I set off at 11:45 p.m. with the second guide and the assistance guide. The assistant guide was holding hubby's camera and 4 liters of water for us (we ended up using only 2) and hubby carried a half liter of water and some snacks and other lightweight stuff. The main guide had told us not to use our poles on the way up so our hands wouldn't get cold.

Things started out well, pole, pole, hubby in the lead, me between the 2 guides. We walked fairly steadily not stopping except for water until the Hans Meyer cave, where we ahd a short break. I had gone from walking without breathing heavily to 1 breath per step, to taking a half step between steps. The last hour before Gilman's point was difficult and I had half a power gel (tastes horrid, but works well). It started getting very cold and to my 5 layers on top, I added my down jacket (no one else other than me seemed cold). We reached Gilman's point at 4:25, and I was freezing cold. As we walked across the rim at first things were easy as the trail was either flat or going a bit down. Then things got hard again as we had to go uphill. At Stella's point I had another power gel and struggled on. Eventually the trail got very wide and pretty flat, and then the summit was in view. I perked up and picked up the pace a bit and we summitted at 6:15, just in time for a magnificaent sunrise over Africa. To N's credit, she showed up at the summit 10 minutes later. Our timing was perfect as I think it's a great psychological advantage to doing the hard part in the dark. We stayed for awhile taking photos. BTW no batteries froze. It was -13 on the summit, but not as windy as below Gilman's piont, so it didn't feel as cold. By the descent our water (which was in insulated covers) started to freeze. The descent was fun, and much quicker than the ascent. We also didn't eat much, a couple power gels and a couple biscotti the whole summit trek there and back.

After resting for an hour at the hut, they brought us some food and then it was back down to the Horombo huts. We all slept well that night.

Day 6: 21 kms., all downhill and a hot lunch at the first hut. I enjoyed the walk even more than the way up, since there wasn't the stress of the summit in front of us. We got down, and received our certificates and then back to Arusha for a well deserved shower.