UKC

Question in regards to hydration on the trek:

I've done the EBC trek and we stopped at villages all the way through, so hydration wasn't an issue, but looking at our trek itinerary, we don't go through many villages, so if anyone has done the trek ( Rongai Route )what's the gen' with water and hydration, especially as you are in a hotter climate.

Thanks

In reply to Carpe Diem:
Don't worry. You have to have a guide and probably assistant guide, cook and porters. Water will be given to you each morning. Think about it, if you dehydrate, you don't make it to the top, they have a poorer Success-record, they get less work, they have a smaller income in the future. You will have enough water don't worry.

In reply to siisu: echo that comment

Water will not be/ should not be a problem... The stampede up and down the hill is probably of more concern.
Have fun and enjoy it.

In reply to Carpe Diem: I got up Kilimanjaro last summer, Marangu route. As siisu has suggested, our porters made sure we had ready access to water in the mornings to fill water bottles, plus plenty of soup, coffee, tea etc at breakfast plus in the evenings. Our guide stressed the need to stay hydrated to aid with the altitude acclimatisation. I’m not sure if our porters were boiling or treating the water they provided to us, but the two people in our group who got particularly sick were ones who had filled their own bottles from a mountain stream. Be aware that your porters will almost certainly not be with you for the final summit push and return, which is typically a very long day. You need to have several litres of water with you then, and you need to make sure it is accessible but doesn’t freeze. Quite a few in our group had problems with CamelBak-type systems (freezing or leaking).

In reply to Carpe Diem:

I flew past Kilimanjaro last week on the way from Nairobi to Dar. You'll be pleased to know that it's still got some snow on it.

In reply to Carpe Diem: are you going with a Guiding Company? If so, everything will be taken care of. Even if not, the local guides and porters that you are obliged to hire will ensure you have more than enough water. There are also many streams to collect water from for the first 3 or 4 days.

Do not worry about the negative comment about a stampede. It would be interesting to know when, whether and which route the commentator took. The Rongai route will be much quiter than an EBC trek.

Enjoy. It will be a great experience.

If you want more detailed and constructive information, you are welcome to contact me.

In reply to Carpe Diem:

Do not forget to get your Yellow Fever / Cholera certificate before you go. It is about the only thing that is checked at Customs, and could result in a return flight, but more likely a "fine" of at least US$ 50.