Birding and summiting Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

7 Wonders Birding is probably the first birding tour company that offers an itinerary that combines birding and trekking to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

There is a huge draw to climb Kilimanjaro and it is very high on non-birders bucket list. It is hard to know how many birders are actually in shape to do this trip, but we are sure there are quite a few birders who have thought of summiting the highest peak of Africa. It is certainly the dominating and genuinely iconic feature on the horizon of the savanna.

From a climber’s point of view, it is also relatively easy to summit. It is a classic trekking peak. You don’t need climbing skills to reach the top. What you do need is determination, being in relatively good shape, and coping with the altitude.

We have come up with an itinerary where you can summit Kilimanjaro, do a lot of birding, and only take 5 days off from work. So even from the west coast of North America leaving Friday night, it is possible to be back on Sunday evening the next week!

The fastest route takes five days. Longer treks on other routes take up to nine days. It is pretty common to add one day to the short route to have an acclimatization day. We shall also add one day to our customized program for birders, with one difference. We add a day to have more time to bird and to acclimatize much better than the regular trekkers.

In many ways, our strategy works better than the traditional program of the trekkers. On day most trekking companies climb from 2700m to 3700m, and on day three make an excursion to about 4000 meters and back to sleep at 3700m a second night.

We do it differently!
At 3700 meters, there is heath and very few species of birds. Also, at this altitude one does not sleep well. At 2700 meters there is cloud forest and many more birds. It makes a lot of sense for birders to spend as much time as possible in the forested areas.

In fact, many birding companies include a day walking the first part of the Marangu trail, as it gives easy access to forest birds that are not seen on regular safaris. Also, you are rarely allowed to walk in nature on safaris. Kilimanjaro NP offers a nice contrast to this fact.

So, what about the acclimatization?

We have developed a strategy that will give you better birding results and which will prepare you even better for the high altitude.

We use the alpinist mantra.
• Work high.
• Sleep low.
By working high, you get exposed to altitude. By sleeping low, you oxygenate your body and get better rest.

Trekking companies don’t use our strategy because they have to adapt to the weakest people in the group. For slow walkers it would be counterintuitive backtracking and doing the same uphill hike two days in a row, even if it is the most sensible thing to do.

For birders, it is different. It will allow us more time in prime habitat and more birding.
We will walk some extra miles to get more birds.
The detailed itinerary can be found here.

There are two possible extensions.
One is a week birding for endemic species in the Usambara Mountains.

The other is a classic one week Safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro and nearby sites. If possible we will adapt the program to go where Wildebeest migration is taking place.
In the Serengeti we will, apart from the big five, put much effort trying to see Cheetah, Serval and Caracal.
We shall also look for regional special birds of course within the allotted time we have.