Customer Reviews

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

These authors climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and they want to tell you about it. Although their husband-and-wife hearts are in roughly the right place, in their haste to print they have bypassed the editing stage. A professional editor would have checked their facts and deleted the more embarrassingly personal bits.

It's easy to list samples of their factual errors: Kilimanjaro was never in Kenya, Queen Victoria did not give it to Kaiser Wilhelm, who was not her cousin, nor is Mount Rosa the highest mountain in the Alps.

Less forgivable is the self-absorption: if Susan Stoddard's training really culminated in "the exceedingly boring goal of two hours' continuous stair-climbing", she must be unaware of the complete irrelevance of those muscle groups to the rough terrain and steep descent on this mountain.

Their trip to Zermatt was misguided. This Swiss ski resort is too low, too expensive and too far away to be a sensible way of pre-acclimatising for Kilimanjaro. Finally, once you have told your readers that you took five cameras, you cannot defend such muddy, amateur black-and-white photos.

While there are some good things in this book (for example its moon tables), what it really underlines is the need for somebody to write a well-researched, sensible and, above all, well-photographed book along similar lines.

This book impresses upon the reader the difficulty of the climb, the necessity of preparation, and the types of preparations one has to make. Especially helpful is the full moon calendar (we can't imagine climbing to the summit in the total darkness). All four members of our party made it to the top, and this should be recommendation enough.

It is frequently said of Mt. Kilimanjaro that it's not a "technical" climb; the implication being that it's not so difficult. But people have died trying and only half who make the attempt make the summit.

Nonetheless, the process is not complicated; arduous, but not complicated. All you need to start is some idea of what to expect and what to do. This book gives these things to you in a simple format, easily read, with instructions that are straightforward.

Kilimanjaro is far away for most of us, in a country we know virtually nothing about, on a continent that is always seen by the Westerner as dark and mysterious. Altitude sickness and its more serious friends, edema, must be confronted (20,000 feet is no joke) and the weather is variable to say the least ... starting in a rain forest and ending on a frozen snowfield four miles up.

Diseases must be prepared for, as must travel and physical conditioning and numerous other details. Carmichael does a good job of laying all this out and setting you on your way.

The rest is up to you. He does say that his exersize routine involved getting his heart rate to 150 beats per minute for two hours every day; this I find extreme even for me but it gives you a sense of what lies in store for you on the roof of Africa.

...

Wouldn't recommend it except to fill out your background reading of a fairly obsessive couple preparing to and then climbing. Much better books available such as "Kilimanjaro: A Guide to Climbing Africa's Highest Mountain, Includes City Guides to Arusha, Moshi, Marangu, Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam" by Henry Stedman.

Mount Kilimanjaro is not a "tourist trap" as an anonymous reviewer has mistakenly written. My wife, 2daughters, and I read Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro by Carmichael and Stoddard, and we all made it to the Top of Africa. It was grand! We particularly appreciated the advice about using poles on the ascent, and particularly on the descent; it was treacherous going in the muddy parts of the rain forest., and poles were essential. Also, I noticed that Dr. Carmichael is a Professor of Anatomy (and Orthopedic Surgery) at the Mayo Clinic, so I am convinced that he knows more about anatomy than the reviewer cloaked in anonymity. I am a surgeon myself, and the anatomical references are correct. The advice in this book worked for us, which speaks volumes. I understand that a new edition will be out soon, which is good news for those of you who are considering climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
I wanted to add, that while the ascend is tough and challinging in regards to muscular and cardiovascular fitness, the descent poses a different challenge and is hard to prepare for. I found it very helpful to use a sideways descnet technique, especially in the loose gravel on top, similar to slalom ski run downhill. The strain on the upper legs and knee joints is impressive.
Bernd-Uwe Sevin, M.D.

Accomplishes what the authors set out to do -- and more. Whether you're planning the trek yourself or not, well worth the read.

Although my "mountaineering" is limited to hikes in the Canadian Rockies, I found Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro a fascinating and informative how-to on summiting this high point in Africa. The book is dense with practical tips on getting in shape, getting there, and getting to the top, with just about everything to keep you out of trouble in-between. This is not a page turner for the professional mountain climber or the extreme sport fanatic. But for the average hiker with aspirations for a sunrise at the top of Africa, it's hard to imagine a better guide. Pay special attention to the tips for staying healthy - the authors (both from the Mayo Clinic) obviously know of what they write.

I have read several books on climbing this mountain, and found this one to be, by far, the most informative. It shed some light on several oversights that I had made from my trip in September. Recommended.

In a world with a lot of over-hyped outdoor adventure dreck, this book lets the reader walk up this mountain in the shoes of a more "everyman" sort of couple. It's proof that you don't need to be wrapped in lycra, and equipped with Everest-style junk out of the latest catalogs to get this done. These authors are regular people, who offer the sort of advice that real people really need to know before attempting this trip. Of particular interest is the stuff about personal training, and how a couple of busy people living in the USA actually got it done. Trailside tips are also excellent -- and of the variety that many "adventure" authors might leave out because they might consider them laughably pedestrian and obvious. Carmichael and Stoddard realize that the rest of us really NEED to know this stuff ahead of time.

I can't wait to go! I read this book on an airplane...unfortunately it was not headed for Africa...and it not only entertained me the entire flight, but it made me want to attempt what had otherwise seemed an impossible dream.

I'm glad I own a copy so I can keep it in my library as a reference when the time comes. Carmichael and Stoddard certainly seem to know what they're talking about and present it in a forthright and encouraging fashion.

Pick it up today...You'll be hooked, too!