Special Offer:
Save $100 on all international treks and trips, or $50 on all domestic travels. Use code: facethecurrent when booking through Mountain Madness.
On this trekking ascent—one of the Seven Summits—you’ll be happily surprised at the quality of the experience every step of the way. Mountain Madness’ less-traveled route requires no technical experience and, as a result of their extended itinerary and logistical strategy honed over thirty-five years, their success and satisfaction rates are consistently high. In fact, more than ninety percent of all Mountain Madness clients successfully summit Kilimanjaro! To accomplish this, you need only be in great physical shape and have the desire to stand atop the “roof of Africa”. Coupled with Mountain Madness’ private camps and game-viewing safaris, you’re sure to have a memorable African adventure.
The Lomosho-Shira Plateau-Western Breach is the best non-technical route on the mountain and was pioneered by Mountain Madness founders Wes Krause and Scott Fischer in 1984. Remote and scenic, this trail and passes through five unique environmental zones from the tropical mountain forests of the lower slopes to the alpine scree of the summit. (Krause eventually moved to Tanzania and has been overseeing Mountain Madness operations on Kilimanjaro since founding the route.) Krause continues to play a key role in the certification and training of Mountain Madness guides and continues to provide outstanding service. Kilimanjaro is the most popular of the seven summits and it is so satisfying to hike a more isolated route in this beautiful mountain landscape without having to share the space with scores of other trekkers on the infamous “Coca-Cola route”.
Your journey will follow an eight-day itinerary on the mountain, which allows for appropriate acclimatization and time to enjoy the expedition experience. The bonus is summit day, which is only a one- to two-hour hike from high camp in the crater. Along the way you’ll appreciate fine mountain dining and comfortable camps. Porters carry your equipment, set up camp, assure your comfort and provide great companionship on the journey. Mountain Madness also utilizes a private toilet tent for each group to minimize the unsanitary conditions found with the commonly shared public toilets on the mountain. Mountain Madness’ Tanzanian guides are key to this fantastic experience. In addition to being trained Wilderness First Responders (U.S. guide standard for first-aid training), these highly seasoned guides have incredible mountain experience, are multi-lingual and expert in natural history, environmental conservation, and wildlife. Moreover, their sheer joy of being on the mountain is palpable. They truly love what they do!
An overnight stay at Crater Camp before reaching the summit is a Mountain Madness tradition. You’ll wake up to a nice cup of hot tea brought to your tent after a good night’s sleep, with only a short hike to the summit remaining. Remember, while you’re in your sleeping bag, other climbers are leaving their lower campsites at midnight and slogging up the scree slope through the cold and darkness. The short distance to the summit from Crater Camp allows you to get a jump on other climbers, so you can enjoy the sunrise in solitude.
With Mountain Madness it’s also about the food. Good food. You’ll not just be eating delicious meals; you’ll be having a dining experience. Sitting at a table. In a dining tent. On a volcano. This is not just about getting enough calories to carry you to the summit, it’s about enjoying those calories! The quality and variety of the food is exceptional. All dietary concerns can and will be addressed.
Credit: David Bates | https://www.instagram.com/davidbatesphoto/ 
If you choose to continue with a safari adventure after your climb, you’ll enjoy private camps far away from the busy lodges. Mountain Madness is one of the few companies allowed to have private luxury safari camps in protected areas. They take great pride in these accommodations. Each A-frame styled canvas tent is equipped with two hand-carved wooden beds with comfortable mattress, a dresser and nightstand, and a front porch with a canopy and lounging chairs for relaxation. Only available to those in your group, they avoid the hustle and bustle of lodge-based safaris. By day you’ll have the opportunity to experience the beautiful landscape and wildlife of Tanzania with highly knowledgeable Tanzanian driver/guides. In the evening, you’ll enjoy exquisite food and relax with a glass of wine as you listen to the wild sounds of Africa under a star-studded sky.
Mountain Madness travels in customized Land Cruisers that ensure everyone has a spectacular view of the landscape and wildlife while riding in comfort. You’ll encounter the diverse aquatic ecosystems in Lake Manyara, and the opportunity to see rhinoceros, zebra, elephants, lions, and wildebeests in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and in Serengeti National Park. In addition to your game viewing you’ll have a wonderful visit in the small village of long time Mountain Madness’ Maasai friend Olé Dorop and his family.
Your trip of a lifetime is only possible because of the experience, hard work and knowledge of the amazing Tanzanian staff. Mountain Madness offers rare career level work with commensurate wages, modern equipment and continuing education. During the low season in the spring and fall, they provide training programs in first aid, high altitude physiology, mountain rescue to their mountain leaders and additional courses to their cooks, drivers, and porters. Mountain Madness feels it’s important to make available opportunities for personal growth and career advancement. Mountain Madness has also joined forces with the Himalayan Explorer’s Connection (HEC) Porter Project. This project has developed guidelines for the proper treatment of porters, ensuring porters have appropriate gear, food, shelter, water, and access to medical care, among many other things. The HEC Porter Project also educates tourists on porter treatment and encourages the reporting of abuse. Over twenty porters a day attend the classes that are offered free of charge through the HEC Porter Project. Mountain Madness is proud to be involved with such an important program.
As an environmentally conscious adventurer, you’ll most likely be concerned about the environmental impact of your journey. The fragile tropical alpine environment of Kilimanjaro receives up to 27,000 visitors per year and hauling trash off the mountain is costly as it requires the hiring of additional porters. Instead of incurring that extra expense, many expedition companies simply leave their trash behind. Now the Tanzanian National Park Service requires all climbing operators to haul away their own trash, and to guarantee compliance, the Park Service weighs the trash when a trip leaves the exit gates of the mountain.
Also, until recently, many cooks and porters collected their cooking fuel from the mountain forest because their cut-rate operators would not purchase stoves and kerosene or hire the porters required to carry them. In 1999, to help end the plunder of the mountain’s forests, all companies were required to provide kerosene-fueled stoves on climbs. Mountain Madness not only complies with local regulations, they have been hauling trash off the mountain and providing porters with kerosene stoves since they started trips to Kilimanjaro in 1984.
Special Offer:
Save $100 on all international treks and trips, or $50 on all domestic travels. Use code: facethecurrent when booking through Mountain Madness.
Diversity makes the world a better place. Mountain Madness has put a lot of thought and effort into creating meaningful cultural interactions that are a valuable experience and positive for everyone. We have long relationships, spanning decades with indigenous groups that provide a genuine window into the daily lives of the people of Tanzania. Meals are shared, songs are sung, dances are danced, and stories are told. Mountain Madness also hires local guides from the village areas they visit which is an important source of income for the villagers.
Because many Mountain Madness visitors are interested in contributing to the welfare of Tanzania, they have identified and developed some important projects to which clients can contribute and visit. All of these projects are grass roots and ongoing, and their current project supports a rural village school with over 600 students near the city of Arusha. Mountain Madness has delivered school supplies, books, laptops, and sports gear, and has an ongoing commitment to support this small school.
Kilimanjaro. Respect the Earth, treasure the climb, and make your summit dreams a reality with Mountain Madness. What are you waiting for?
Special Offer:
Save $100 on all international treks and trips, or $50 on all domestic travels. Use code: facethecurrent when booking through Mountain Madness.
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