Trek Kilimanjaro
Event information
Join a small group of like-minded adventurers, led by an expert team from Discover Adventure, to take on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge.
Trek overview
This trek follows the scenic Machame route, allowing for gradual acclimitisation to the altitude – and an excellent chance of reaching the top!
You'll hike through diverse landscapes, from dense tropical rainforest to open savanna, and take in truly breathtaking sights – including an unforgettable sunrise over the summit – as you gradually climb towards Uhuru Peak, 5,895 metres above sea level.
Challenge costs
Registration fee: £499
Minimum fundraising: From £4,300, 50% of which covers the cost of your challenge.
The remaining 50%, plus any additional funds you raise on top of this target, will support our work with communities around the world to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene a normal part of daily life – for everyone, everywhere.
Registration fee: £499
Pay a further £500 to Discover Adventure, as part payment for your challenge.
Minimum fundraising: From £3,300, 50% of which covers your remaining challenge costs.
The remaining 50%, plus any additional funds you raise on top of this target, will support our work with communities around the world to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene a normal part of daily life – for everyone, everywhere.
Registration fee: £499
Pay from £2,150 to Discover Adventure (due eight weeks before departure).
Then fundraise what you can, with no minimum target, to support our work with communities around the world to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene a normal part of daily life – for everyone, everywhere.
What's included
- All return transport from London
- Meals, accommodation and camping equipment
- Experienced trek leaders from Discover Adventure, supported by local guides, porters and cooks
- National Park fees.
How to register
Sign up on the Discover Adventure website:
- Select your preferred date.
- Choose from the fundraising, part paymnt or self-funded options.
- Complete the registration form, making sure to select WaterAid as your chosen charity.
- Discover Adventure will let us know that you've registered, and we'll be in touch!
Why fundraise for WaterAid?
As a trekker, you’ll know just how important it is to stay hydrated – especially when you’re out walking all day.
But almost 1 in 10 people in the world still don’t have a reliable source of clean water.
That leaves millions – usually women and children – with no choice but to spend hours, every single day, walking miles to fetch the water they and their families need to survive.
The biggest problem we have is water. We’ve been living without it for a long time.
Irene Mukeshimana is a teacher and community leader in Mwogo, southern Rwanda.
When she’s not busy caring for her own children or teaching maths, Irene is dedicated to lifting up others in her community. She acts as a mediator in family disputes. She supports women to set up their own businesses. And she encourages people to take positive action to improve their lives, like joining savings groups or building rainwater harvesting systems.
But one thing’s holding her, and the rest of Mwogo, back: a lack of clean water.
Residents have to spend precious income on buying drinking water, sold by bicycle vendors who collect it from a spring in the neighbouring district.
For everything else, there’s a swampy lake, over an hour’s walk away.
Carrying full jerrycans every day is exhausting, and takes time that could be better spent at work, in school, or with family. The muddy, parasite-infested water makes it difficult for people to practise good hygiene, and causes diseases to spread rapidly.
Using dirty water causes illnesses, and when you get sick you can’t work – and when you don’t work, poverty is knocking.
Right now, we’re working with our local partners to build a new pipeline that will deliver clean water right to the heart of the community – bringing with it the power to stay healthy, earn a decent living, and thrive.
Trek Kilimanjaro for WaterAid and you won’t only reach your own personal goal: thanks to the transformative power of clean water close to home, you’ll be helping more people like Irene achieve theirs too.
Support for teachers
Summer holiday trek dates: 16–25 August 2024
Are you a teacher or educator? Trekking Kilimanjaro with WaterAid gives you a unique chance to share your experience with your students, helping them learn more about different cultures, and providing the perfect opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of climate change.
We've put together a range of bespoke resources to support you to make the most of your trek, including personalised posters, certificates, fundraising totalisers, and engaging games and classroom activities. For a preview, download our Tanzania fact file (PDF) and Kilimanjaro fact file (PDF).
We can also work with you to arrange for a volunteer speaker to visit your school to deliver an inspirational assembly, or run a workshop tailored specifically to your class.
If you'd like to find out more about how we can help you make the most of this opportunity, or if you're ready to sign up to the August 2024 trek, please get in touch with us on [email protected].
FAQs
Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro is tough – but with the right training and preparation, it's achievable!
Ensuring you have a good level of general fitness and stamina is essential, as is practising day walks on undulating terrain. You'll be walking through different ecosystems, including on rocky trails and forest paths, and over arid moorland; much of trek will be rough underfoot.
Once you've registered with Discover Adventure, they'll be in touch with a comprehensive training guide, and more advice on how to prepare for your trek.
The main challenge lies not in the distance covered (approximately 90km in total), but in the altitude gained. Taking the Machame route gives you the opportunity to 'climb high, sleep low' and gradually acclimatise, giving you the best chance of success. And of course, you'll be fully supported every step of the way by experienced leaders and their team.
Your trip will be led by experts from Discover Adventures, who have a wealth of experience in remote trekking, and training in expedition first aid. They, along with the local support crew, are fully equipped with everything they need to ensure your trip is safe and enjoyable – including satellite phones, extensive medical kit, and 24-hour access to UK-based emergency back-up.
Contact us
If you have any questions about trekking Kilimanjaro for WaterAid, or how your fundraising supports our work with communities around the world, please get in touch with Lizzie in our events team – she'd love to hear from you!
Email: [email protected]