Customer Reviews

Explore Mount Kilimanjaro (Rucksack Readers)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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

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 !!

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.

What a waste of paper! Like, why do you need a guidebook anyway, when you've got to take a guide up with you anyway! And if you've really gotta chuck your money way, why this book, which tells you nothing about the mountain or its wildlife or its history or. . .anything really.
Save your money, and keep the weight in your rucksack down.