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A six-day trip to ascend Africa’s highest peak, using the popular Marangu Route. Expect a variety of landscapes, perhaps some wildlife on the lower slopes… This six-day trip to majestic Kilimanjaro allows for extra acclimatization time, giving you an excellent chance of reaching the snow-capped summit. You will have a private vehicle to take you to and from the mountain; on the mountain, your accommodation on this trip will be in comfortable huts.
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you will be met by our guide who will drive you to your hotel, which provides all the amenities necessary for your comfort: pleasant rooms with hot showers, swimming pool, restaurant and access to the internet.
Your briefing, in the course of which your guide will provide all the details of the upcoming trek, takes place in the evening. A final gear check will be conducted as the final part of your preparations.
Accommodation: Hotel
Journey time and Distance: 1 hour, 40 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi
After an early breakfast at your hotel by (07.00am), you depart two hours later and arrive at the Marangu Gate around 11.00am, ready for registration and the start of the trek. Excitement builds as the porters load up equipment and you meet the trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain. Starting on the south-east side of Kilimanjaro, at an altitude of 1,879 meters and finishing the day at 2,720 meters, your total walking time today to Mandara Hut – where you will spend the night – is around 3.5 to 4 hours (excluding breaks), during which you cover just over 8 km.
You start the walk in the afternoon, take your picnic lunch and then start walking with short breaks within until you reach the hut at Mandara huts. Dinner is served at 19.30. Today’s walk, though almost entirely uphill, is a pleasant one, with perhaps the chance to see some blue monkeys or to admire the rainforest vegetation on the ascent. The rainforest is the chief feature of today’s landscape. Look out for the bright red impatiens kilimanjaro flower, a symbol of the mountain. At the end of the day, the giant heathers and bearded lichen begin to show themselves for the first time. The Mandara A-frame Huts feature solar-powered lighting. Water is supplied from a stream and there are flush toilets. As you will be sleeping in dormitory-style accommodation with others, bringing some earplugs is advisable.
Accommodation: Mandara Huts
Hiking time and Elevation: 4 hours, from Marangu Gate (1,879 m) to Mandara Huts (2,720 m)
Your early 07.00 breakfast prepares you for an 08.00am departure and today your 11 km walk will take between 5.5 and 6 hours of actual walking time (excluding breaks) and you will climb a total of 1,000 meters to the finishing-point at Horombo (altitude: 3,720 meters).
On the way you will enjoy your picnic lunch at 13.00, before continuing your climb and arriving at the hut at Horombo around 16.00. Dinner will be served at 18.00. On today’s walk, you will note that the forest landscape is quickly replaced by moorland and heather, as your route takes us past the renowned Maundi Crater. Altogether, the scenery today becomes more barren, but nevertheless some of Kilimanjaro’s iconic plant species can be seen today. Look out for the fascinating giant groundsels, lobelias and proteas. If you are lucky enough to have a clear day, you should get the first chance to see the snow-capped peak of Kibo and also the distinctive Mawenzi peak. Like Mandara, Horombo also consists of A-Frame huts and caters for those on the way up the mountain and those on the way back down. Once again, you will be in dormitory accommodation.
Accommodation: Horombo Huts
Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, from Mandara Huts (2,720 m) to Horombo Huts (3,720 m)
Today, after breakfast you will hike to Zebra Rocks (4,100m) for further Acclimatization with your guide. From the Zebra rocks, you will head back to Horombo huts for lunch. You will have the rest of the day to yourself, rest enough as you wait for dinner to be served at around 18.00.
Accommodation: Horombo Huts
Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, Horombo Huts (3,720 m) – Mawenzi Ridge (4,389 m) – Horombo Huts(3,720 m)
Today, you ascend a further 983 meters, cover around 9 km and aim to arrive at the huts of Kibo camp for your overnight stop by around 15.00. Once again, you start early, with a 07.00am breakfast and a 08.00am departure.
Where the path divides today, you choose to take the southern (left-hand) route. On this path you take the opportunity to fill up your water reserves at the Maua River, the last useable water point at a height of around 4,000 meters. At first, today’s stage is rather steep, and there is less vegetation, but you are rewarded with your first sight today of some of the famous ‘cones’ of Kilimanjaro. Picnic lunch, normally packed, is once again scheduled for 13.00. After the Maua River, you climb towards the Mawenzi Ridge and across the barren, dry terrain known as the Saddle and head for the huts, which are at the bottom of the Kibo summit. Dinner tonight is at 17.30 and you are advised to get to bed early, in preparation for the midnight departure for the summit. Some of the Kibo Huts are made of stone and quite basic and some others are made of wood.
Accommodation: Kibo Hut
Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, from Horombo Huts (3,720 m) to Kibo Huts (4,703 m)
Your schedule for your ‘Summit Day’ is very different. Rising at 23.00, you take your tea and biscuits (23.30) before a midnight departure. Today, you have 1,192 meters to climb, on what will be your toughest day, with around 13 hours of actual walking time and a distance of 21 km
Your expectation is to reach the summit from 07.00 onwards. You begin on a rocky path, and then climb via a series of zig-zags which get ever smaller.
Your reference points on your ascent today are, first, William’s Point (5,000 meters), Hans Meyer Cave (5,151 meters) and then Gilman’s Point (5,685 meters). The focus today is on walking slowly. On reaching the top, you take time to celebrate the successful climb, take photos and congratulate yourself, then make the descent to return to Kibo hut for about 11.00 and take a very well-deserved, one-hour rest and enjoy a welcome hot lunch. Setting off again at 14.00, you continue your descent until you reach Horombo huts for about 17.00. Dinner will be served at 19.00.
Accommodation: Horombo Huts
Hiking time and Elevation: 13 hours, Kibo Huts (4,703 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) to Horombo Huts (3,720 m)
After breakfast at your now-familiar time of 07.00, you take the chance to thank your hard-working guides and porters at the ‘Tipping Celebration’. You depart from Horombo and start your descent down towards Marangu Gate, stopping at Mandara for a hot lunch at around midday.
Marangu Gate is reached by around 16.00, and today’s section is around 19 km which takes 6.5 to 7 hours of walking time. Having reached Marangu Gate, you will be presented with your certificate, recognizing your tremendous effort. You then return by vehicle to Moshi, to the comfort of your lodge, for your overnight stay and some deserved relaxation. Or perhaps, if you still have some energy, you can celebrate your wonderful achievement. After all, you have just climbed Africa’s highest mountain!
Accommodation: Hotel
Hiking time and Elevation: 7 hours, from Horombo Huts (3,720 m) to Marangu Gate (1,879 m)
After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 11.00.(In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for day room which ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.)
As a transfer to the airport is included on this trip, you will be picked from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travellers who have booked to go on safari, our guide will be meeting you in the evening to provide you with a briefing.
Our team of experienced travel experts will mentor you from start to finish as you embark on safari
Our team is standing by 24/7 to assist from the time you inquire. Our goal is to ensure everyone has a great service experience.
We will make your bucket-list wishes come true.
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