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- Jul 24, 2012
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Custom Trips on Kilimanjaro
This summer has been the season of small Kilimanjaro climbs! We completed three successful trips up the mountain in July, two on the Shira Plateau and one up the Machame Route, and they all had an air of custom, small-party quaintness. One group added a luxury beachside finish to their Shira Plateau climb on the beautiful white sand beaches of Zanzibar. What a wonderful way to reward yourselves after a summit accomplishment! Check out stories from the other two climbs below:
Climbers Mark J. and Neil W. joined us on July 7th with our lead guide Bonaventure for our classic Shira Plateau climb. To introduce the guys to the spectacular country, the team hiked up a hill close to camp to watch the sun set over the back of Kilimanjaro. As the group started out on towards the mountain, they passed through grasslands, to the montane forest, the Hagenia zone and up into the upper Heath zone. Mark and Neil were in photographic heaven with great views of the Shira ridge and clear skies.
(all photos from previous treks)
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=21fcb59ef157ffd7e5542b1b04482c59 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=015ba9c0cfc0797cbb27590b67229610 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=c901eb823a60dd5b68b30d492ef85639 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=49a0d4abcf559596f0c4b7c6676e40b0 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=3ef7da2f568fbfaa44f4037afdec4c6e 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=210c8d713c62732b6a4cd443f4e97814 1009w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9b31d19db5f94e07d6556e088f9aec74 1009w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-70.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=28339a737cf3d11198d64ad441fb15a8 1009w)
Trekking through the montane forest. David Bates photo
As the team started to gain elevation after passing the Lava Tower, they began to practice the technique of the resting step. Luckily, this technique allowed them to continue their entertaining conversation even as the air thinned with the gaining elevation.
The night at the Crater Camp was a bit rough for Neil. Altitude was not agreeing with him and our guides treated his altitude sickness symptoms and monitored him carefully well into the night. Luckily the treatment and close care from our lead guide made his symptoms subside and he got a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep before the next morning. Thanks to Bonaventure’s experience with altitude related illnesses, Neil was able to continue up with Mark the next day and stand on the top of Africa!! You never would have thought he had been sick the night before; he was so excited with his accomplishment he practically ran the whole way back down the mountain! Congratulations to both men for overcoming the challenges and reaching their goal!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=7b4e666635c4586e85ca2089ee16acbc 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=808b82f2680133b70f6ac600cea04f6e 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=47aff4ef97e7811ec66e8d3c7f2bac7b 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e456ff6f4b8f683d3853ba2dd43fc4d2 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=cffc976f654430d878731c33c55aa1f1 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=879b0e38b52782132ec644cea00d1539 1008w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=b7959f4cbb5e84996f3f26105dc3452b 1008w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FTanzania-466.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=8e0c4905a56c2530ea766039432f32e5 1008w)
The glacier on Kilimanjaro. David Bates photo
On July 14th, newly-weds Fabio S. and Shaadi S. celebrated the first half of their honeymoon on the summit of Kilimanjaro as well! This team decided to do our shorter Machame Route.
The trip started out with a preview of the great cuisine they would be experiencing as Fabio and Shaadi enjoyed breakfast with their guide, staff and a couple colobus monkeys lingering near camp! The great game viewing continued throughout the day as they shared their sundowner with a couple buffalo and started off dinner with a nearby leopard roar. What a way to start the trip!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=f82ff6fa60b6071a97ecea1a068046ca 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=9cbbafd7a9df15ee32afd4142ebd58c1 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=d564438c217ce1405f534707e73e5dfb 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=17a8d68f6a76aeac4fa965ced14046df 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=1f966144a1138b8f9e990026c896c6c0 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=434f16c4c1161d719ce6eb1fe980e0c4 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=dcf758a201ff8fb7d046d423c97407ae 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2Fmachamepictures_093.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=b0cfd2d0ebcaca079cb9e777a19838c0 1024w)
Climbing on the Machame Route. MM Collection
As the team made their way up the mountain, they enjoyed taking pictures of the surrounding spectacular scenery and even got snowed on a bit. (That night called for some hot water bottles in sleeping bags to stay warm.) On July 20th, Fabio and Shaadi topped off their honeymoon by standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro! As they descended to Mweka camp, they celebrated their accomplishment with a delicious dinner of fresh salad and leg of lamb.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
There are still plenty of Kilimanjaro climbs to join this year. Our September 21 trip is reaching 9 climbers so far. Call to get your spot on this climb!