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“What a fantastic trip I had to Kilimanjaro. Couldn't have picked a better route. It was fantastic! Our guide was extremely good. The safari too was amazing. Thanks for organizing a truly great trip of a lifetime. I'll recommend Tusker to anyone who'll listen.”
-Nye Hughes, England |
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Up Kili For Breast Cancer Research
 On February 21, 2006, AMY MICKS, a Breast Cancer Survivor, with her pioneering spirit, will take 30 Breast Cancer Survivors and their friends to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research.
EDDIE FRANK, Tusker Trail's founder, will be leading the climb. He has climbed Kilimanjaro 28 times in the past 29 years. If you're interested in joining Amy on her second climb up Kilimanjaro for Breast Cancer, email us.
Click for Video Invitation (1:34 minutes)
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 AMY MICKS
"I remember each step up the mountain. Every time I felt challenged, I reminded myself of the daily struggles that women and men were facing while battling breast cancer, and of all the lives lost to this disease. I knew it was their fighting spirit that helped me to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro that day. I reached the top and the tears started flowing. I stood there and sobbed. The view was spectacular. But for me, reaching the top symbolized all that I had accomplished since my diagnosis. It proved to me that I had survived. It was the beginning of the rest of my life."
THE CLIMBERS
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Climb Cost: US$2780 per person (Double occupancy)
Safari Cost: US$2250 per person (Double occupancy)
Call for airfare: 1-800-231-1919
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 Feb 21-22 - MOSHI (3,300 ft.)
After arriving in Moshi, you check into the Keys hotel, and have a hot meal, and a good night's rest. We spend 2 nights in Moshi. On your second day you will meet your guide for a climb orientation and equipment check.
Feb 23 - LONDOROSSI GATE to MTI MKUBWA (9,170 ft.)
A three-hour drive from our Moshi Hotel brings us to the Londorossi Park Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. At the gate we sign in and then drive to the trailhead at Lemosho Glades and start our trek through the rain forest. In places the vegetation is so untouched that it grows right across the narrow track. The flora and fauna are richer here than on the other more popular routes through the rain forest. In about 3-4 hours we reach our camp in the rain forest at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree).
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 Feb 24 - MTI MKUBWA to SHIRA CAMP (11,500 ft.)
After breakfast, we start the climb cross the remaining rain forest towards the giant moorland zone. Today is a 6-7 hour trek with an altitude gain of 2,400 ft. A great lunch stop is at Gane & Marshall One, a beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater at around 10,000 ft. After lunch we cross into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. The crater rim has been decimated by weather and volcanic action. Today you'll get your first close views of Kibo - the dramatic summit of Kilimanjaro.
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 Feb 25-26 - SHIRA CAMP to MOIR CAMP (13,650 ft.)
After breakfast we continue to hike east across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Moir camp. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular. It's about a 6 hour hike.
The next day, we'll take an "acclimatizing hike" to the Lent Group Mountains at 14,950 ft. This is the "hike high, camp low" rule. It's a key part of getting your body used to the altitude. The view at the Lent Mountains are fantastic. It's a 2-3 hour round trip.
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 Feb 27 - MOIR CAMP to LAVA TOWER (14,950 ft.)
In this Alpine Moorland Zone, the plants are extremely hardy, and consist of lichens, grasses, and heather, among others. Today is not huge altitude gain for us, which is great to help acclimatize. We have Kibo peak looming on our left, while the great expanse of the Shira Caldera spreads out on our right. Once we arrive at Lava Tower, if time permits, we have some fun aon a non-technical scramble up to the top of the Lava Tower rock. There is a spectacular view of Kibo Peak from the top of the rock, as well as Mt. Meru to the west. Today's hike is about 6-7 hours.
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 Feb 28 - LAVA TOWER to ARROW GLACIER CAMP
After climbing for awhile, you begin to see the route up the Western Breach appear. A 2-3 hour climb to Arrow Glacier camp gains us only a few hundred feet in altitude. After a hot lunch, we take a hike up to a great viewpoint. This will help us acclimatize. We then return to camp to relax and prepare for the toughest and most rewarding day.
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 Mar 1 - ARROW GLACIER to CRATER SUMMIT CAMP (18,370 ft.)
We repack our gear, taking only what we'll need for one day in the crater. The porters will carry the rest of our gear around to Millennium Camp, for a rendezvous on our descent.
The views from the Breach are nothing less than spectacular. Some Tusker climbers have talked about a spiritual experience as they ascend the breach slowly- with dramatic cloud formations hovering over the mountainous landscape and the savannah, miles below you.
Slowly winding our way up the breach, we reach the edge of the crater floor after about 8 hours, and enjoy our camp at the highest possible altitude.
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 Mar 2 - THE SUMMIT! to MILLENNIUM CAMP (19,340 ft. - 12,500 ft.)
We spend about 2 hours hiking up to Uhuru Peak, the summit, taking in the spectacular view. After all the photos and celebration, we head down to our last camp on the mountain, feeling "high" in more ways than one.
You will be totally euphoric after reaching Uhuru Peak. It's a long hike down to Millennium Camp, and your lungs will thank you as you as you breathe the oxygen-rich air. On the way down, we stop for lunch, refill our water and continue down to MIllennium camp through the Heath and Moorland. This is our last night on the great mountain.
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Mar 3 - MILLENNIUM CAMP to MOSHI
In the morning we have a 4-hour walk down to the road. We then get a lift back to the hotel and a well-deserved shower - and a cold beer, overnighting at the Keys Hotel.
Mar 4 - Depart Tanzania, or continue on your Wildlife Safari.
The 6-day safari takes you through some of the most spectacular wildlife reserves on the planet. You stay n some of the finest lodges of East Africa in the SERENGETI, NGORONGORO CRATER and at LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK. February& March is the finest time of the year to visit the SERENGETI, as most of the migratory wildlife is concentrated in the south, around our lodge. It's also the annual calving season for the millions of wildebeest. This is a spectacle not to be missed.
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Kilimanjaro Charity Climbs