Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met and transferred for overnight Accommodation at Silver Palm Hotel B&B. Your head guide will meet you for your briefing, and gear check, and arrange for you to hire any equipment you may need.
Day 2 Arusha to Rongai Gate to Simba Camp
6,398 ft to 9,300 ft, 5 miles, approx. 4 hours
After breakfast, you will be given an overall briefing from your guide. At 7.30 am you will be met by the rest of our guides and porters and then we will drive you to the Kilimanjaro National Park. While officially registering for your climb at Marangu Park Gate, our staff will do a final cross-check of equipment and supplies and pack the vehicles. After the Registration, you will be shuttled a further 70 kilometers on poor roads to the Rongai Start Point at 1.950 meters. The trek begins from Nale Moru village and follows a gradual and winding trail that first crosses maize and potato fields before entering the rainforest which is occupied by various wildlife. After 4-5 hours of trekking, you will be welcomed with boiled washing water and some snacks before dinner is served in the mess tent.
Day 3 Simba Camp to 2nd Cave Camp
9,300 ft to 11,300 ft, 4 miles, approx. 3-4 hours
You will be woken up after your first night on the mountain with a nice cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate at 06:30 am in your tent. After breakfast, you start your climb on a trail continuing up towards Kibo. For most of the day, you will be walking up slopes flanked with heather and erica with a nice view of the twin peaks of Kilimanjaro – Mawenzi and Kibo and your first glimpse of the ice fields on the Eastern crater rim. Once we approach the second cave our cook will welcome you in the camp with boiled drinking water and hot washing water. You can put your feet up with some snacks and a hot lunch. After lunch, there is plenty of time to relax and enjoy the spirit of the camp and take pictures.
Day 4 2nd Camp to Kikelewa Camp
11,300 ft to 11,811 ft, 4 miles, approx. 3-4 hours
From Second Cave the path takes an abrupt south-easterly turn directly towards the jagged peak of Mawenzi. Traversing open moorland you stumble into Kikelewa Camp, situated by a couple of caves by the Kikelewa River with giant groundsels and lobelias flourishing nearby. The views start to open up and from Kikelewa Camp and you will see for yourself how huge Mt. Kilimanjaro
Day 5 Kikelewa Camp to Mawenzi Tarn Hut
11,811 ft to 14,160 ft, 3 miles, 4 hours
Though this stage to Mawenzi Tarn is relatively short at less than 4-5km and it is usually completed in the morning. The climb is also steep as you gain 660m, the path shedding the moorland vegetation as it climbs steadily. The Mawenzi Tarn Hut is situated in one of the most spectacular settings, in a cirque beneath the jagged teeth of Mawenzi. In the afternoon we offer you another walk up the ridge in the west for better acclimatization. If you are lucky and the sky is clear, you will enjoy fantastic views of Kibo.
Day 6 Mawenzi Tarn Hut to Kibo hut
14,160 ft to 15,430 ft, 5 miles, 5-6 hours
This lovely day begins with a slight retracing of your steps before you strike out westwards, crossing the ridge and dropping down the slope to tiptoe along the beautiful barren Saddle’s northern edge. With views like screensavers to the east and west, this day is the most favored day on the mountain. Our destination for today will be Kibo Campsite, which offers you again a spectacular view of the Kibo.
We will arrive at the camp very early and you get served hot lunch. In the afternoon our guides will give you a final briefing to prepare you for the summit day. Time to relax, cross-check and prepare your equipment and clothing. Dinner will be served very early to give you ample time to rest and sleep. Good food, lots of water, and sleep are the keys to a successful summit. We advise you to be in bed before 7 pm to be rested for your wake-up hot drink at 11:30 pm.
Day 7 Kibo Hut to Gilman’s Point to Uhuru Peak – Horombo Hut
15,430 ft to 19,341 ft to 12,205 ft, 4 miles ascent, 10 miles descent, 6-8 hours ascent, 4-5 hours descent
The wake-up tea will be served at 11:30 pm with the departure at midnight. After a hot drink and some biscuits, we will start the challenge for the summit. Our initial 6-hour climb begins in the dark with only our headlamps and guides to show us the way. Just remember the golden rule ‘pole, pole’, which means slowly, slowly. There are a number of landmarks on the way: William’s Point at 5.131m, and Hans Meyer Cave at 5.259m that act as milestones to break up the journey and provide you with some measure of your progress.
At Gilman’s Point (5.681m) you will see what might be the most magnify-cent sunrise in your life so far. After taking some pictures at the sign and enjoying a fantastic view of Mawenzi, we continue our climb on a part of the Marangu Route for 1-2 more hours to reach your ultimate goal – the summit – the highest peak of Africa – Uhuru Peak at 5.985m. Congratulations! You are now standing on ‘the roof of Africa’.Our guides will take pictures of you and post them on Facebook for your family and friends at home.
After a few minutes spent at the summit, due to the altitude and the cold, it is important to start our descent. After the descent, the rest of our team will congratulate you and welcome you with a hot lunch at Kibo Camp. You will have the chance for a break before we start the next descent to Horombo Hut. After this long day, you can enjoy your dinner and your last night on the mountain.
Day 8 Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate to Arusha
12,205 ft to 6,046 ft, 12 miles, 5-7 hours
Once again you will be woken for your final celebratory break-fast where our team will thank and congratulate you in their unique, special way! This is also the opportunity for you to say thank you for your support and encouragement and show your appreciation by giving a tip. We continue our descent by passing Mandara Hut down to Marangu Gate. There you will get the chance to have a celebratory beer while the equipment is loaded in the van and then it is off to a restaurant in Moshi for lunch where you will be presented with your certificate of achievement. After lunch, you will be dropped off at your hotel, where you can relax under a long, well-deserved hot shower.
Day 9 Departure
If your time in Africa ends today our transfer team will drive you back to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your departure. If you have booked with us a safari or a few days to dissolve into the pristine sandy beaches and tropical waters of Zanzibar, we will be there to help you comfortably transition from your climb into your next Tanzanian adventure.
