Rating: 
Summary: A plea from the armchair walker
Review: Don't throw this book away or "save your money" as one other reviewer tells us. I can't speak about how effective the book is for people actually trekking up Kili - but I know someone who's done it and carried the book along: reckons it's extremely effective and still leaves plenty of room in the rucksack for other essentials.
But me, I'm an armchair walker - I can hardly walk upstairs without puffing nowadays (though managed a few thousand metres in the Andes in the past). To me the value of this book is that it is eminently readable and entirely realistic - so it brings to life a walk I shall never take and almost makes me feel I've done the exertion, seen the views, and cut that notch on my Alpenstock.
If I were spending a few thousand euros on travelling to and up Kili, the cost of this book would be negligible, but I have no evidence from my studies of the mountain that it is inaccurate or unhelpful or poor value for money. Surely those are the important criteria for judging a book like this?T'riffic trekking to all readers - even to those constrained nowadays to the armchair variety! Eric from Vienna, December 2003
Rating:
Summary: A plea from the armchair walker
Review: Don't throw this book away or "save your money" as one other reviewer tells us. I can't speak about how effective the book is for people actually trekking up Kili - but I know someone who's done it and carried the book along: reckons it's extremely effective and still leaves plenty of room in the rucksack for other essentials.
But me, I'm an armchair walker - I can hardly walk upstairs without puffing nowadays (though managed a few thousand metres in the Andes in the past). To me the value of this book is that it is eminently readable and entirely realistic - so it brings to life a walk I shall never take and almost makes me feel I've done the exertion, seen the views, and cut that notch on my Alpenstock.
If I were spending a few thousand euros on travelling to and up Kili, the cost of this book would be negligible, but I have no evidence from my studies of the mountain that it is inaccurate or unhelpful or poor value for money. Surely those are the important criteria for judging a book like this? T'riffic trekking to all readers - even to those constrained nowadays to the armchair variety! Eric from Vienna, December 2003
Rating: 
Summary: Explore Mount Kilimanjaro
Review: Explore Mount Kilimanjaro is a guide detailing two trails (The Marangu route and the Machame route) to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The two routes differ in distance, roughness of terrain, degree of ascending/descending, and the type of accommodations provided at the various stopover points. In this way, individuals can hike to Uhuru Peak at the top of the mountain while taking into consideration personal physical ability levels.
Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, is the highest point on the earth that can be reached by ordinary people and without the use of special equipment. This mountain is 5896 meters (almost four miles) at its highest point. Mount Kilimanjaro was formed between 500,000 and 750,000 years ago and contains three volcanic centers. Two of these centers are now extinct, while the third continues to be listed as dormant.
The Marangu route, though still challenging, is the least strenuous and demanding of the two trails. The guide divides this route up into four sections: from Marangu Gate to Mandara Huts; from Mandara Huts to Horombo Huts; from Horombo Huts to Kibo Hut; and from Kibo Hut to Gillman's Point/Uhura Peak. This route requires daily altitude ascents between 800 and 1195 meters per day. However, an extra day for acclimatization is included on the third day of the hike. Accommodations along this trail include permanent bunk bedded huts with solar powered electricity and toilets with running water.
The Machame route is the more strenuous and demanding of the two trails. The guide divides this route up into five sections: from Machame Gate to Machame Camp; from Machame Camp to Shira Camp; from Shira Camp to Barranco Camp; from Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp; and from Barafu Camp to Stella Point/Uhuru Peak. This route requires continuous daily altitude ascents between 780 and 1295 meters per day. It is of note that some of these sections include descending and ascending portions. Accommodations along this trail include rustic shared tents.
Explore Explore Mount Kilimanjaro outlines not only the various sections of the each of the two trails to the peak (including full color maps) but also details various long walking and high altitude hiking fundamentals. These details include what types of equipment the participant should bring to complete the walk, how long the various sections of the journey will take, and how temperature and seasonality will affect the walk. There are also helpful tips especially for novices about daily mileage, feet, weight, and the right gear.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning photography, enjoyable text, experienced advice!
Review: EXPLORE MOUNT KILIMANJARO is an incredible book! It is packed full of information that is essential not only for the hiker, but also for the historian, naturalist, geologist, and even the social critic (the author concedes that though the indigenous Tanzanian porters who work the trails aren't paid much, they still make more money than most people in Tanzania; tipping generously is encouraged). And with at least one vivid color picture on every page (sometimes two or three) EXPLORE MOUNT KILIMANJARO may be the next best thing to actually being visiting this natural wonder. What I really enjoyed the most about this book was Jacquetta Magarry's writing style, which is information-packed, candid, and yet succinct. I have never really considered a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, but reading EXPLORE MOUNT KILIMANJARO has made me toy with the idea.
Rating: 
Summary: Colorful but not particularly helpful to climbers
Review: It's a nice travelogue but it is not much help to someone looking to climb the mountain itself. Look to Carmichael's "Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro" for that.
Rating:
Summary: Colorful but not particularly helpful to climbers
Review: It's a nice travelogue but it is not much help to someone looking to climb the mountain itself. Look to Carmichael's "Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro" for that.
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Kilimanjaro Guide
Review: The Ruck Sack Reader guide to Kilimanjaro is the best and most informative guide i came across in my search for information on climbing Kili. It helped me no end in preparation and whilst climbing due to its in-depth, across the board approach. Every aspect of the climb is covered and the unique format of this guide makes finding information straight forward and easy. Essential !!
Rating:
Summary: This is a great guide!
Review: This is a great guide, and I want to try Kili even more now that I've read it. People who are positive they will never try the mountain would still enjoy a fine vicarious experience from this book. And anybody thinking of writing/publishing a trekking guide could well use it as a model. The format is great -- the coil binding makes it easy to get to things. The maps and photos are outstanding and the writing both informative and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute MUST for forward planning
Review: This is the 4th book in this series that we have used and it is packed with useful information to make a good trip even better. It is written in an easy to read and extremely descriptive manner and is not remotely condescending, as some guide books undoubtedly are. My husband has devoured every page in the pursuit of achieving one of his lifelong ambitions and we are booked to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in August of this year. After studying this book in depth, we have chosen the Machame route and feel that we are very well prepared and the information provided will be invaluable. As keen trekkers, we have tried the rest and now only use the BEST! Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute MUST for forward planning
Review: This is the 4th book in this series that we have used and it is packed with useful information to make a good trip even better. It is written in an easy to read and extremely descriptive manner and is not remotely condescending, as some guide books undoubtedly are. My husband has devoured every page in the pursuit of achieving one of his lifelong ambitions and we are booked to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in August of this year. After studying this book in depth, we have chosen the Machame route and feel that we are very well prepared and the information provided will be invaluable. As keen trekkers, we have tried the rest and now only use the BEST! Highly recommended.
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