Kilimanjaro summit success on the up

Kilimanjaro summit success on the up
By admin


More people are now making it to the summit of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro than ever before, according to local firm Tanzania Rift Valley Tours.

The company now claims a 95% summit success rate, which it attributes to better availability of equipment and medical supplies.

However, the figure is well above that cited by the Kilimanjaro National Park which estimates only 41% of trekkers actually reach the Uhuru summit, with the majority turning around at Gilman’s Point.

The firm differentiates itself from many rivals by insisting climbers spend an extra day acclimatising to the high altitude. As a result, its tours generally last seven days rather than six offered by many competitors.

Head guide Peter Simbo has worked with the firm for 10 years, during which time the frequency of tours has risen from one per month to around four.

The vast majority of business continues to come from charity groups, but other types of travellers are growing in number, he added.

While the UK remains its number one source market, Australia is also showing good growth in second place.

Simbo also revealed the most popular of the six official trekking routes up the 5,895 high mountain has also switched from the easier Marangu route to the lesser travelled Rongai route.

"On the Marangu route, you have to share the hut with other groups, whereas on Rongai we camp, so you can have your own tent," he said.

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