“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” ~ John Steinbeck
Tanzania/Kilimanjaro Expedition
Expedition dates: June 12-26, 2010
In June, Roadmonkey will return to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, at 19,345 feet the highest point in Africa, and build a fishpond at a school in Babati, Tanzania, in cooperation with the Livingstone Tanzania Trust.
In July, Roadmonkey completed its second adventure philanthropy expedition, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro for one week, then working for five days at a small school near Dar es Salaam, building a clean-water system, replacing charcoal cooking barrels with clean-burning gas stoves and refurbishing a number of classrooms.
Check out all the best photos here.
After our one-day descent, we traveled overland to Dar and spent four days building a clean-water system, 25 school desks and painted classrooms on behalf of more than 100 children at a small school, in cooperation with our local non-profit partner was The Bibi Jann Children’s Care Trust.. Expedition members funded the volunteer project by gathering tax-deductible donations through their own social networks. The group raised $11,500!
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro—“shining mountain” in Swahili – rises 19,340 feet above sea level (5,895 meters), the tallest free-standing peak in the world. But nowadays Kili is an eco-climate system in crisis: the ice fields near its summit are melting rapidly; many scientists predict the glaciers’ disappearance within 20 years.
The Roadmonkey team was accompanied up Kilimanjaro by professional guides and porters from Tanzania Journeys, an experienced, locally owned and operated company based in Moshi, a town in the shadow of the great mountain. Roadmonkey chose Tanzania Journeys for several reasons, foremost among them its focus on paying porters and guides equitable wages, ensuring its expeditions preserve Kilimanjaro’s delicate ecology and environment, and sharing economic benefits with the local community.
June 12-26, 2010: Why Climb Kili with Roadmonkey?
Next June, Roadmonkey will launch its second expedition to Tanzania & Mt. Kilimanjaro. The Roadmonkey trek up this incredible mountain is unique. In addition to experiencing Kilimanjaro’s wildlife and flora, our expedition includes the chance to converse in question-and-answer seettings with our guides and porters, about Kili’s ecology, Tanzanian history and culture and almost any other subject. With us, you’ll experience the journey like an old-world explorer—firsthand, and hands on – and bring back a world new knowledge and understanding about one of the most fascinating places on our planet. Bring your notepads and sketchbooks!
The Lemosho Route
Lemosho is the least traveled route, making our group unlikely to cross paths with other climbing groups and far more likely to encounter large game, especially during the first day’s walk, which requires an escort by an armed park ranger. Lemosho requires seven days – six to summit and one to descend – and, because of its longer ascent, also allows for easier acclimatization. The route is physically challenging, and includes hikes through numerous valleys and forested regions.
We will sleep in tents and live by a zero-impact policy at all camps. All food, water and other beverages are carried by teams of porters, though Roadmonkey members are encouraged to shoulder their own small packs with essential items. Porters are a necessity on Kilimanjaro, but it is important to understand that we are all on expedition together.
Yes, You Can…
Summiting Kilimanjaro is a challenge that will test your physical and mental endurance. But as long as you have a healthy heart and lungs, you probably can do it! Children and elderly hikers frequently reach the top; the climbing is 100-percent non-technical. The main obstacle to summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro is not physical conditioning but altitude sickness; indeed, it is often the best athletes, who have the greater tendency to storm up the trails, who fail to summit.
Our 2009 Volunteer Project
Last June, Roadmonkey built a clean-water system, school desks and gave several classrooms a much-needed painting in cooperation with our local non-profit partner, the Bibi Jann Children’s Care Trust. We also installed affordable, clean-burning gas stoves to replace the more expensive and environmentally unfriendly wood charcoal stoves at the school. Check out the video below to get a visual sense of the experience.
In June 2010, Roadmonkey will team with the Livingstone Tanzania Trust to fund to create another hands-on, sustainable volunteer project: building a well-stocked fish pond for a newly constructed school in Babati, southwest of Kilimanjaro. The pond, and its fish, will provide a steady and nutritious source of food for the students. Can you see yourself working hard for four days to make this project a reality for these Tanzanian students?
Expedition Cost and Timeframe
The two-week expedition is $4,595 (£2,825 | €3,091 | AU5,012). The price includes all food and camp-style lodging during the seven-day Kilimanjaro climb and all transportation and lodging in Tanzania, including hotels near Babati. The price also includes all meals, excepting two or three lunch/dinners during group free time.
The price does not include airfare to Tanzania or the cost of purchasing a travel visa, roughly 100USD, easily acquired at the airport upon arrival.