CLIMB UP: KILIMANJARO

AFCA teams fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport where someone from SENE meets them. After loading the gear into vehicles, team members will enjoy a drive that takes them through the flat farmlands leading to the lush slopes of Kilimanjaro. The ride will end at Mbahe Farm where climbers relax and enjoy the hospitality of SENE staff for the next 1-2 days.

Mbahe Farm sits at 6,400 feet above sea level and offers climbers the opportunity to acclimate to altitude and enhances the changes of summiting. In addition, Mbahe Farm is tucked into the beautiful countryside and offers peaceful vistas with the ever-present sound of a waterfall in the background.

After this peaceful respite, the SENE staff will lead the team to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro following the Machame Route. Click on the button below for details about the Machame Route. Climbers will spend 6 nights and 7 days on the mountain climbing through four climate zones to reach Uhuru Peak, the pinnacle of the climb.

At the conclusion of every climb, climbers return to Mbahe Farm for a celebration dinner with the guides and porters of SENE. It’s a lively, song-filled evening that brings the Climb Up Kilimanjaro experience to a wonderful conclusion.

When climbing Kilimanjaro, your gear is critically important. Begin gathering your gear early so that you have time to make exchanges as needed. Also, keep in mind that the closer you get to your climb, the more time you will be investing in training and the less time you will have to collect your gear.

Click on the buttons below for a packing list provided by SENE, the official guide company used by AFCA and additional packing information provided by climbers who climbed Kilimanjaro.

PACKING LIST

ADDITIONAL PACKING INFORMATION

Keep drinking! It’s VERY easy to dehydrate at altitude. The air is very dry so you breathe off more moisture. Also, your body adjusts to the high altitude by eliminating more water. Keep replacing it. SENE guides will keep reminding you to drink water – they know how much it helps, so drink up!

Make sure you eat plenty! Most people lose their appetite at altitude, but the cold weather and the long days mean your body burns through a lot of calories. Keep replacing them. You will need them. High carbohydrate foods are better than fatty foods. SENE will be providing you with healthy and plentiful food to make sure you have the energy needed to climb to the top. Eat it! It is freshly cooked and your body needs it, whether it feels hungry or not.

Keep warm! Take the correct gear because staying warm will lessen your risk of succumbing to altitude sickness. What should you take with you? SENE has provided a suggested packing list for you to consider. Some of these items can be rented if you aren’t an avid hiker who will use them again and don’t want to spend the money to purchase new items.

Keep your day pack light. Only take what you really need. Every extra pound needs extra oxygen to carry.

And last but not least, avoid alcohol, tobacco, and sleeping tablets.

Climbing Kilimanjaro is not a walk in the park. It’s also not Mt. Everest. So how do you train?

First, there is no technical climbing involved when climbing Kilimanjaro. This means you do not need ropes or rock climbing skills. But, you will be hiking uphill several miles each day with decreasing levels of oxygen. This makes cardio and endurance training essential.

We strongly encourage you to consult with your physician before registering for the climb. Talk you your doctor if you have any concerns, especially related to your heart, lungs and/or leg joints as this climb is physically demanding.

Once your doctor clears you to climb, it’s time to begin training. There are countless ways to approach training for your climb and the American Foundation for Children with AIDS does not endorse one training over another. Instead, we encourage you to do some research and create an exercise regimen that progressively builds your stamina and your cardio strength. Here are a couple links to get your research started.

http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/preparation.htm

http://www.mountkilimanjaroguide.com/kilimanjaro-training.html

While we do not recommend one training over another we strongly encourage you to:

• Hike often wearing the boots you will wear for your climb and progressively increase the length of your hikes. Include as much elevation as possible.
• Hike wearing your day pack and build up to hiking with 15-25 lbs in your pack.

Fundraising can be a bit daunting, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from being part of Climb Up Kilimanjaro. We are here to help you with brainstorming and to answer any questions you have. Please contact us at tweaver@AFCAids.org with questions but also check out our fundraising tips below. Maybe one or two of them will help you get on your way to your fundraising goal.

STEPS TO SUCCESSFULLY FUNDRAISE:

1. Make a list of everyone that you know – friends, family, co-workers, professors, wedding guests, spouses/significant other’s family, people you do regular business with—dentists, doctors, gas stations, stores you regularly frequent, coffee shops, insurance agents, bakeries, brokers, gyms, anyone.
2. Prioritize – put the people you know best first. Remember, people give to people. By asking the people you know best first, you will have success and it will make you more confident in asking those you don’t know too well.
3. Download the sample letter and press release or create your own. Personalize it…make it exciting by printing it on brightly colored paper.
4. Be specific. People like to know what is expected of them. If you know someone can only give $5 then ask them for $5. If someone can give $50, ask them for $50. By asking for a specific amount, you will be more effective.
5. Keep track – get a 9×12 envelope and keep a record of everyone who has given you money and the amount and keep this record in the envelope along with the forms and checks. If someone gives you cash, deposit it to your account and write a check for that amount. Never send cash through the mail.
   Mail checks and the record form ahead of time to:
   American Foundation for Children with AIDS
   1520 Greening Lane
   Harrisburg, PA 17110
6. Get the word out. You can hand people the letter, you can email it or you can mail it to them. To ensure that people will return the form with a check at a higher rate of return, put an extra size 9 self-addressed stamped envelope in the letter with your address on the outside.
7. Create an online fundraising page. Click on the Fundraise Online button on your team page. Click on ‘Climber: Create Your Page’  and the web site quickly and easily directs you through the creation of your own fundraising web page for that specific team where you can then direct your donors.  This is a GREAT way to get the word out and it’s sooo easy!
8. Emphasize charity. American Foundation for Children with AIDS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization so all donations you receive are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Make sure that checks are made out to the AFCA and make sure you keep track of who gives you cash and their addresses so we can send them a thank you note.
9. Give thanks. It is important for you to personally thank your donors. AFCA will send a formal thank you to donors by mail.

You are ready to go! Keep remembering that you are asking people to help make a difference in the lives of others. Remind people that by giving a dollar a day, less than what they would spend on a cup of coffee, they can save a child’s life.

You will pay AFCA directly for the AFCA portion of the trip. These funds will be used to directly impact programs we support in Sub-Saharan Africa. You may fundraise for this portion of the trip. Your flight to Kilimanjaro may or may not be tax deductible due to the fact that you are supporting AFCA. Please consult a tax adviser concerning your specific situation to determine if your trip’s costs are tax deductible.

NOTE: Fundraising is for AFCA’s portion of this trip. Direct costs to SENE may not be fundraised through AFCA

Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience (SENE) and the American Foundation for Children with AIDS have partnered to provide the best Kilimanjaro experience possible to hikers who want to have a great adventure while helping children.

Karibu! Welcome!

Simon Mtuy invites you to join him and his company, Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experience, for an adventure of a lifetime in Tanzania. SENE offers a variety of unique trips, ranging from extreme active endeavors to leisurely luxurious escapes. We lead expeditions up Kilimanjaro, the Roof of Africa and tallest free-standing mountain in the world. We have expert guides that take you on exciting 4-wheel drive safaris through remote parts of the Serengeti and other fabulous wilderness parks.

Simon will accompany you on backroad bicycle rides around the base of Kilimanjaro, all the way to the Indian Ocean, or just for a day through the village coffee farms at the foot of Kilimanjaro. Then savor your experience while relaxing on a tropical beach on exotic Zanzibar Island, just off the coast of Tanzania, and the site of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Before or after your adventure, Simon invites you to spend a few days in Mbahe Village, on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, in the hand-built guest cottages on his family homestead where he was born and raised. Enjoy this unique opportunity to encounter Africa on a personal level as the local people, the Chagga, warmly welcome visitors into their community.

SENE offers some of the best safari experiences in Tanzania. To participants in AFCA’s Kilimanjaro climbs, SENE has generously discounted the price of safaris.

Depending on the time of year, there are options from which to select. Here are two of the most common safaris, but please do contact us if you are interested in something different or if you’d like to visit Zanzibar, watch the wildbeast migration in the Serengeti, stay longer or shorter of if you’d like to hear your other options.

Safari I (December – May)

Safari II (June -November)

The cost for safaris is not tax deductible.

Feel free to contact SENE directly for safari options:

www.nomadicexperience.com
info@nomadicexperience.com
1.866.417.7661 (toll free in North America)

SENE is a Partner for Responsible Travel with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, International Partner of Leave No Trace environmental ethics, and member of the Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa, International Ecotourism Society, Sustainable Travel International, and the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators.