Meals on the Mountain

While on the mountain, eating a good diet is essential for a successful climb. The food must be high energy, plentiful, appealing and easy to digest. These are important components since a great amount of energy is required. The most common symptoms of altitude sickness are nausea and loss of appetite. Food that will not disturb the stomach further is essential and since climbers at times have to force themselves to eat. The food must be appealing.

A typical breakfast may have combinations of the following:
Porridge, breads/chapati, plantains, pancakes, eggs, sausage, hot chocolate/ tea/ coffee, fruit
Lunches and dinners:
Pasta, rice, plantains, potatoes, vegetables, meat, bread, soup/stew, fruit, popcorn, peanuts

Our cooks can accommodate special diets such as vegetarian/vegan, food allergies, gluten free, etc. We welcome special requests (before we are on the mountain please).

There is no food preservation method on the mountain (this gets less important as the temperature gets colder) but we resupply the food part way through the climb to insure freshness.

Excerpts from our Tripadvisor reviews:

• Food: Faustine, our chef, cooked the most incredible food - restaurant quality! He accommodated several dietary restrictions which was impressive. From our first lunch at the gate, I knew we were in for a treat. We had a hot lunch (with a tablecloth and silverware), while several groups from other companies just had boxed lunches. Every meal on the mountain had multiple courses- the pancakes at breakfast and the soups were some of our favorites! The meals were nutritious and included fresh fruit, veggies/salad, and different proteins. Faustine even surprised us with 2 delicious cakes for 2 birthdays in our group and to celebrate our summit. Be prepared to eat a lot and push yourself! Amos and Juma were very encouraging about this, knowing how important food is to a successful climb at high altitude.
  Waiters and Cook: Everyone talks about their guides and their porters but no one mentions their waiters and chefs – I want to highlight how important these roles are and take a moment to brag about Amosi, Juma, and Faustine. Chef Fau was a quiet hero, while we didn't see him everyday he literally fueled our trek. He fed us the most amazing meals, from the photos you would have no idea we were dining on a mountain. Fau even made specific meals for vegetarian, IBS, and other dietary needs in our group. His crepes/pancakes are still my favorite food. Amosi is the sweetest, most caring person I have ever met. He didn’t just bring us our meals– he sang to us good morning with coffee in bed as a wake-up call, congratulated us when we pushed ourselves to eat at high altitudes, always made sure our water bottles were full, and even haggled with other tour groups to get us more mint tea.
• ... eat the delicious hot food they prepare on the mountain for you (and catching glimpses of food from other companies, I felt very pampered indeed!)
• Tito, our chef, cooked the most amazing meals that were way better than anything I can cook at home with an actual stove and oven. He even made us a cake on the last night. The pancakes were my favorite and my husband loved the pizza and leak soup.
• Our Chef, Patrick, made incredible meals for us each and every day (plus snacks). Gladys emphasizes the importance of good, hot meals 3x a day to maintain energy through the hike and I think I actually gained a few pounds despite walking up and down 72km of mountains. On some occasions, while we were eating a hot meal, I noted that travelers with other groups were provided cold sandwiches.
• Food and water quality are taken seriously, so not only did I eat well on the mountain (lots of fresh fruits, veggies/salads and of course, tons of carbs), but I had no stomach issues (which would have been stressful to deal with on the mountain). The attention to detail is very appreciated (all of the condiments/pantry items used during my trek were brand new/sealed)

Mountain Safety

Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain that can be climbed without technical skills or equipment. So in mountaineering it is referred to as a "walk up mountain". But that does not mean that it is not difficult or should be taken lightly. It is because it is a "walk up mountain" that provides the challenge. At 5,895m (19,341 ft) elevation at the summit there is less than 50% of the oxygen available at sea level. Adjusting to the altitude is the challenge because it is possible to ascend faster than your body can adjust. Technical climbs progress far more slowly than walking, so the body has more time to adjust. This makes Mt Kilimanjaro more dangerous in regard to altitude related problems. It is important to go only with a well trained guide and with proper health monitoring of each person. Gladys Adventure guides will monitor your vital measurments including respiration, pulse, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, body temperature and blood sugar to make sure that you are fit. Our guides are Wilderness First Responders (WFR), trained to pay attention to your respiration and just by engaging in a conversation with you along the way they are monitoring your condition. It is imperative that you are honest and open with your guide about your health. Before the trek, we need to know of any health conditions and medications that you are taking. Chances are very great, that your honesty will not disqualify you from climbing, but the guide will be giving special attention to any potential health threat. Gladys Adventure has a 98% rate of success. We are not striving for everyone to summit. We are striving for 100% safety with the right number to summit.

Diamox---good idea? Approximately 75% of climbers will display symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appitite, loss of reasoning, confusion and irratability. Diamox is a drug that causes an increase in respiration thereby increasing your body's ability to acclimatize. It is very difficult to predict a person's ability to handle high altitude. There have been world class athletes that have had to abandon their climb by the 3rd day while some who are far less fit or older have succeeded (88 years old is the current Kilimanjaro age record). There is no good data for comparing whether Diamox has made a difference for a specific person. If you do choose to use Diamox, it is best to purchase it when you arrive in Moshi. It is readily available at pharmacies in the correct dosage and will most certainly be less expensive here. Start taking Diamox before the trek so we can monitor any side effects so the effects of the drug can be distinguished from effects from the altitude. Before the trek, your guide can answer your specific questions.

First Aid Kit -- We will always have a well stocked first aid kit on hand. We suggest that you may bring a few simple items for blisters, sunburn, insect bites, stomach upset, diarrhea and headache.

Stretcher -- Mt Kilimanjaro National Park has some stretchers available scattered along the mountain. They are metal frames with a single motorcycle wheel and suspension mounted under the center of the metal frame. Unfortunately, the ride down is very rough. Rough enough to cause injuries since it is not uncommon for the stretcher to tip over or to throw the disabled climber off unless they are securely strapped in. The park has recognised that these are terrible and are in the process of eliminating them. Instead they will invest in making landing sites for helicopter rescue (see our evacuation insurance article). Gladys Adventure has portable stretchers available for their Kilimanaro treks. Rather than rolling these over the rough terrain like the park stretchers, we use porters to carry the disabled climber off the mountain or to an altitude where they can walk under their own strength. Because bringing a stretcher will most likely add an extra porter for your climb, we will bring a stretcher only upon your request.

Oxygen -- All Gladys Adventure climbs will have emergency oxygen available. We reserve the use of the oxygen for emergencies. Our guides are very well experienced to know how and when to allocate the use of the oxygen. Oxygen cylinders are a very important item but are one of the items often left out by companies looking to cut costs, especially if they are using guides that are not properly trained in administering the oxygen properly anyway.

Gamow Bag -- A gamow bag is an portable compression chamber designed for high altitudes as treatment if a trekker suffers from severe AMS. This can be a lifesaver where the recommended treatment of quickly descending is not possible. On some mountains this is a very important piece of equipment. On some mountains getting a person to a lower altitude can take days. But as we mentioned, being a "walk up" mountain means that it is a problem that people can ascend faster than their body can acclimatize. But this also means that a person can descend quickly with the aid of porters and supervised by a guide. Descending quickly is the preferred treatment of AMS. Gamow bags are inflated with a foot pump. They are also designed intentionally not to be air-tight. So descending with a gamow bag requires frequent stops to reinflate the bag. We do not include a gamow bag as standard equipment but have gamow bags available as an optional add on for any climb ($300 fee).

Our Guides -- Last but certainly not least is the experience and expertice of our mountain guides. It is easy for a company to say whatever they like. But here are what our clients have reported about Gladys Adventure climb safety on Trip Advisor reviews:

• Their medical knowledge is also incredible. They take vitals signs and are knowledgeable on what is expected in the body throughout the journey. I even had a cough and they listened to my lungs with a stethoscope. Because they were so thorough, I felt strong and reassured.
• I was very impressed by the professionalism and knowledge shown by all of our guides. I very quickly trusted them with my health and safety. Everything they do from day one factors into your success. I also noticed how well known they were by other groups on the mountain. Prosper is a very experienced chief guide, having completed over 500 summits. He let his assistant guides lead, but also knew when to step in. He kept a close eye on everyone’s food/water intake and health. Any health concerns/issues were immediately addressed both during the regular health checks and as they came up on the trail. We ended every dinner with a briefing about the next day (even telling us what we should wear) so we knew what to expect.
  What was most impressive to me was how well they knew the trail. They stood on either side of us if there were cliffs, and were always running ahead to be there to help us with difficult spots - literally holding our hands and arms to ensure our safety.
  I cannot begin to describe how impressed I was with the porters. They helped us everyday, watched out for us every night, and made the hike look easy. The Gladys porters served as a ‘security’ team at camp to ensure no one got lost or went into our tents. As an anxious traveler this was such a relief. I was able to sleep comfortably and relax at camp knowing that our trusted porters were keeping an eye on the place.
  Our group had a safe and successful summit, and it seems like this is the norm for this company.
• We recently completed the 7 day Machame route with Gladys and the experience was amazing. Everything was well organised, great equipment and food and health and safety was always at the top of their mind. All 20 of us in the group summited and any issues were taken care of quickly and professionaly. Prosper who was our lead guide has done hundreds of summits and his experience was invaluable. Great local operator and would highly recommend them.
• The head guide also made sure that each of us received proper attention and care. There were daily health checks and twice the guides administered care for altitude difficulties. The food was prepared to meet all our dietary restrictions and to provide the energy needed.
• The team were consistent in doing regular health checks to ensure that we were coping well with the altitude and providing advice from their wealth of experience.
• The guides and porters make sure you acclimate well; they make sure you eat well and consume sufficient calories for the task; they make sure you stay hydrated; they take your pulse oximeter twice a day and listen to your lungs; in short, they keep you safe, and help you manage the challenge in all ways — physically and mentally. You feel very well cared for in every regards.

Travel/Medical Insurance

For Mt Kilimanjaro climbs we require medical insurance coverage. You must be sure that this covers non technical trekking up to 6,000m.

Through experience, we find World Nomads to be a good provider (www.worldnomads.com). You can also consider using Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance (ripcordrescuetravelinsurance.com). Other companies that our clients commonly use include AIG, Priceline, I-Trek, Columbus Direct, Virgin and Simply Travel Insurance.

Q: Doesn't Kilimanjaro National Park already charge a rescue fee? Doesn’t this provide coverage?
A: There is a mandatory fee of $20/climber (already included in your climb package price). This goes toward park evacuation equipment such as wheeled stretchers, not towards evacuation costs.

Q: Is there emergency airlift available?
A: Medical helicopter rescue service has been reinstated for Mt Kilimanjaro. This option is used only in the most dire circumstances.

Coffee Tour/Waterfalls Hike

We offer a very popular half day cultural/ acclimatization tour. This tour visits a small village just outside of Kilimanjaro National Park boundary. We will tour a small coffee farm and you will learn from a local guide about the cultivation and processing of coffee. You will also learn about the history and customs of the local Chagga tribe. There will be hiking at a waterfalls and even a chance for a swim if you like. The local women will prepare a lunch consisting of traditional Chagga foods. Included in this tour is private transportation, local fees and taxes, English speaking guide, lunch and drinking water. Good shoes for hiking are needed since to get to the waterfalls involves some steep terrain. Athletic shoes are ok, flip-flops or other shoes without much stability are not. There will be a chance for a short swim so a swimsuit underneath your clothes and a towel would be good items to bring. This trip offers some exercise after your long flight but not so much as to tire you out for the climb.

Prices (quoted in USD) 1 person participating: $120, 2 people: $81/person, 3 people: $69/person, 4+ people: $50/person

Some excerpts from our Tripadvisor Reviews about it...
"...We visited on a drizzly day but the muddy hike was well worth the reward of seeing this beautiful waterfall! Our guide, Noela, was patient and friendly as she helped us navigate the slippery track. Nothing could have prepared me for our visit to a local Chaga coffee farm to learn about how coffee is produced using traditional methods. You simply cannot call this a tour because it was a fully immersive experience! As a non-coffee drinker, I wasn't even slightly excited about this part of the day, but oh my goodness! We learnt, we sang, we danced, we ate! This is the kind of positivity that everyone needs in their life!"

"...The day trip on the front end to the water fall and coffee farm was a perfect acclimatization day..."

"...Noelle gave a very thorough history on the coffee in Tanzania and showed us how to make it the traditional way over a fire. This coffee was absolutely amazing! We had lunch in the village which was equally as amazing and full of fresh ingredients. We then did the beautiful waterfall hike to help with acclimatization for our hike up Kilimanjaro the next day..."

“...the tour itself was way more than I expected. The coffee part was great - Emanuel went through the process for preparing the beans, and we drank the coffee that we made, and it was followed by a walk to a waterfall (which was honestly dream-like, seeing the water cascade down and the swifts flying around described the history of his area (coffee-growing during colonial times and the development of irrigation from the waterfall) and showed us many interesting plants and animals (chameleons on trees, the nice smell of lime and eucalyptus leaves, a rough leaf used as sandpaper, and, of course, coffee berries [sweet and delicious!]).”

"...The waterfall and coffee tour led by Noelle was a great time as well to see and take part in all of the steps to harvest and make a cup of coffee. The waterfall as well was an amazing sight to see and a good way to shake off the jet lag with some light acclimatization..."

“...We did a day trip to the Materuni village with a coffee plantation tour and a hike to the waterfall. This was our acclimatisation day, which seemed very helpful and a lot of fun. “