IKilimanjaro imi kumntla-mpuma weTanzania, kufutshane nomda waseKenya. Ilele malunga neekhilomitha ezili-140 kumazantsi eNairobi (ikomkhulu laseKenya), kunye neekhilomitha ezingama-500 kumntla-mpuma weDodoma, ikomkhulu laseTanzania.

Ukuze ufike eKilimanjaro kufuneka ubhabhe kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya saseKilimanjaro (KIA). Kukho iinqwelomoya ezininzi ezivela eYurophu (ezisuka eAmsterdam nase Zurich) nakuMbindi Mpuma (Doha naseTurkey). Kodwa amathuba okuba ubhabhe udlula kwenye indawo yase-Afrika – iDar es Salaam, iArusha neNairobi lolona bhejo lwakho.

Ukunyuka kweNtaba iKilimanjaro kuya kudla ngokusuka kwenye yeedolophu ezimbini: i-Arusha, emazantsi-ntshona entaba, kunye neMoshi, ngqo emazantsi. Kuthatha malunga neyure ukuya eMoshi kunye nemizuzu engama-80 ukuya eArusha. Eyona ndlela ixhaphakileyo yothutho kukuhamba ngeteksi okanye ngesikhephe esibhukishwe ngaphambili - kwiimeko ezininzi, nangona kunjalo, umkhenkethi wakho uya kudibana nawe kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya.

IMount Kilimanjaro ihlala kwiPaki yeSizwe yaseKilimanjaro. Kuma-300km kumazantsi eikhweyitha – kwaye iTanzania yindawo yetropikhi ngokumangalisayo, enamaxesha emvula kunye nokwahluka kwexesha elomileyo okubekwe phezu kwemozulu eshushu. Ke leliphi ixesha elifanelekileyo lokunyuka iKilimanjaro? Makhe sijonge amaxesha onyaka kunye nexesha lokunyuka kweKilimanjaro.

ITanzania ifumana amaxesha amabini emvula: elifutshane ngoNovemba ukuya phakathi kuDisemba kunye nexesha elide lemvula ukusuka ngoMatshi ukuya kuMeyi. Iindlela zeNtaba iKilimanjaro zinokuba manzi yaye zibe nodaka ngaphantsi kula maxesha onyaka. Ukuba awukhathali malunga nemozulu ye-monsoonal kunye nokunye malunga nokuba wedwa, ngoko unokukhetha la maxesha ukunyuka njengoko kukho abantu abambalwa kakhulu. Nangona ulindele ukuba ube manzi kakhulu.

NgoJulayi ukuya ku-Oktobha lixesha eliphakamileyo entabeni, ngakumbi njengoko lihambelana neeholide zasehlotyeni zaseYurophu. Le festile yexesha yomile kwaye ipholile kuneenyanga zeKrisimesi, kodwa lungiselela ubusuku obubandayo. Ukuba ufuna ukonwabela imozulu efanayo, kodwa kunabantu abambalwa kakhulu, kuMbindi kaMeyi ukuya kuJuni lelona xesha lifanelekileyo kuwe. Kungaphambi nje kweeholide, kodwa kuseyincopho yexesha lokunyuka.

NgoDisemba ukuya kuFebruwari kushushu kakhulu kwaye kubonakala kakuhle. Ixesha elifutshane lemvula lingaqhuba ukuya kuDisemba nangona kunjalo isenokuba manzi. Ezi nyanga zikwangqamana neeholide zeKrisimesi ukuze ikwazi ukuxakeka.

Kukho iindlela ezisixhenxe zokunyuka iKilimanjaro, nganye kuzo ithatha phakathi kweentsuku ezintlanu ukuya kwezilithoba. Nangona kunjalo, kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba ungangxami ukunyuka njengoko kunokuthoba izinga lakho lempumelelo! Isizathu soku kungenxa yokuba kufuneka uqinisekise ixesha lokuba umzimba wakho uqhelane nokuphakama okuphezulu.

Ukunyuka okucothayo, okuzolileyo kunika umzimba wakho ixesha lokuziqhelanisa nokuphakama okuphezulu – apho kukho ioksijini encinane emoyeni – ukuba ubaleka ukuya encotsheni, usengozini yokugula ngenxa yokuphakama kwentaba kwaye kufuneka uyishiye intaba.

Ukunyuka iNtaba iKilimanjaro akuyondlwan’ iyanetha. Inokuthathwa njengenye yezona zilula kwiiNgqungquthela eziSixhenxe, kodwa iseyintaba eyi-5895m. Abathwali baya kuba bephethe ikiti yakho, kodwa uya kunxiba i-daypack equkethe konke ukutya, amanzi kunye nempahla oyidingayo ngosuku.

Ungatsiba iintsuku ze-acclimatization kwaye wenze ukunyuka ngokukhawuleza eKilimanjaro. Kodwa oku akukhuthazwa ngokuqinisekileyo. Isigulo esiphakamileyo asiyonto idlalayo entabeni.

Ngo-1991, urhulumente waseTanzania kunye ne-Kilimanjaro National Park bapasisa ummiselo wokuba bonke abakhweli mabakhatshwe ngumkhokeli obhalisiweyo nonelayisensi. Abahambi kufuneka babhalise kuGunyaziwe weePaki phambi kokuba bahambe, kwaye basayine kwinkampu nganye - abavumelekanga ukuba bagxumeke iinkampu zasendle okanye basebenzise imiqolomba ukuze bakhuseleke. IiRanger ezintabeni ziya kuqinisekisa ukuba le mithetho iyathotyelwa.

Uya kufuneka kwakhona uhlawule imali yokungena epakini ukunyuka i-Kilimanjaro. Ezi zinokubonakala zinzima, kodwa zibandakanya umrhumo wolondolozo - ukunceda ukuhlawula iindleko zolondolozo - imirhumo yenkampu, kunye nomrhumo wokuhlangula (ukuba kunokwenzeka nje). Ungalindela ukuhlawula malunga ne-£600-£800 kwimirhumo yepaki, kuxhomekeke kwixesha lohambo lwakho. Oku kufuneka kubonelelwe kwabasemagunyeni epakini kwangaphambili ngomkhenkethi wakho, endaweni yokuzimela.

Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, uhambo lwaseKilimanjaro lunokubiza imali eninzi. Akunjalo kuphela imirhumo yepaki yesizwe, kodwa kuya kufuneka uhlawulele isikhokelo sakho. Uninzi lwabakhenkethi basebenzisa abathwali bempahla ukunceda ukuthwala izixhobo ezinzima zokukhempisha, kunye nabanye abasebenzi abaxhasayo.

Ukunyuka iKilimanjaro kudla ngokubiza phakathi kwe-£1500 kunye ne-£4500, kuxhomekeke kubude bendlela yakho kunye nomsebenzisi womkhenkethi omsebenzisayo. Asinakucebisa ukuba uye kweyona ndlela inexabiso eliphantsi onokuyifumana xa ukhangela izikhokelo zokuhamba - uhlawulela amava kwaye oku kuthetha ukwenza izinto ngokufanelekileyo. Izikhokelo ezifanelekileyo ziya kuqinisekisa izixhobo ezifanelekileyo, amava kwiimeko zemozulu kunye nokuhamba, ukutya okulungileyo, kunye nexesha elifanelekileyo lokuvumela ukuphumla kunye nohlengahlengiso.

Nangona iKilimanjaro ithathwa 'njengentaba yokuhamba', ungakhohliswa ukuba ucinge ukuba kulula. Ukulungiselela ngundoqo, ngakumbi ukuba ukwixesha elifutshane okanye indlela enzima. Abathwali banokuthwala ukutya kunye nezixhobo zokupheka kunye nenkqubo yakho yokulala. Uninzi lweenkampani zokuhamba ngeenyawo zinezixhobo ezininzi ezisecaleni ukuba unesidingo, kodwa njengesiqhelo, izixhobo zobuqu ezizanyiweyo nezivavanyiweyo azixabisekanga. Pakisha ngendlela obuya kwenza ngayo kulo naluphi na uhambo olude lweentsuku ezininzi kumphakamo, kuquka oku kulandelayo:

• Iibhutsi ezilungileyo zokukhwela amanzi kunye nokuphefumla kunye neekawusi ezininzi ezishinyeneyo. Ezi kufuneka zizanywe kwaye zivavanywe ngaphambi kokuba uhambo luqale njengoko ukufumanisa ukuba azifanelekanga kwaye azikhululeki kwiintsuku ezimbini kuyona nto yokugqibela oyifunayo.
• Ubhaka olungileyo ongangeni manzi kunye nesaka yokugalela amanzi - enye enkulu ngokwaneleyo ukuba ingaphatha izinto zakho zobuqu (ikhamera, itotshi eyintloko, iimpahla kunye nokutya okunikwayo kosuku).
• Ii-thermals zobusuku obubandayo (kunye neentsuku ezithile) ukuhamba.
• Ibhulukhwe engangeni manzi/engangeni moya kunye neqokobhe, nokuba uhamba ngamaxesha omileyo – imozulu ingabanda ngokukhawuleza.
• Iimpahla zokuhamba ezikhawulezayo kunye neebhulukhwe. Iibhulukhwe ze-Zip-off zilungile kwiintsuku zokuqala nezokugqibela zokuhamba.
• Iibhatyi zefleece/ezantsi ziyafuneka xa ubushushu buyehla. Kulula ukulibala ezi zinto ngelixa ubila emazantsi entaba kwilizwe elitshisayo. Incopho inokubanda njenge--30 degrees celcius.
• Beanie kunye neiglavu.
• I-sunscreen kunye nezibuko zelanga enye abantu abaninzi abayilibalayo. Ungavezwa kakhulu ngezinye iimini kwaye awufuni kutshiswa ixesha lakho entabeni.
• Ukutshintsha okufudumeleyo kweengubo zobusuku ngumbono omkhulu. Bakunceda ukuba uhlale upholile kwaye uchithe ixesha elifunekayo ukuba ulichithe kwiimpahla zakho zokuhamba.
• Njengalo naluphi na uhambo, yiza nezinto zangasese ezisisiseko njengebhrashi yamazinyo kunye nentlama yamazinyo, kodwa hayi kakhulu kangangokuba uyasokola ukuthwala ubunzima obupakishile.
• Itotshi yentloko yangokuhlwa kunye nobusuku bengqungquthela.
• Ukuhamba i-snacks - kunye neninzi yazo! Imivalo yamandla ilula, i-high-calorie option.
• Ikhithi encinci yezonyango enezinto eziyimfuneko ezifana neeplaster kunye nesikhumba sesibini sinokuba luncedo kakhulu. Amadyungudyungu yinto yokugqibela oyifunayo!