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Mount
Kilimanjaro Climbing
RS/MC/101
: Marangu Route - 6 Days 5 Nights Kilimanjaro Climb
Duration: 6 days
Accommodation: Camping
TRIP
INFORMATION:
Marangu Route is also known as the "Coca Cola"
or "tourist" route. It is the easiest
and shortest route to the summit. This is also the
only route with the comforts of sleeping huts at
every camp site with solar lights and comfortable
beds. The huts are communal, and the bunks have
a sponge mattress and pillow. There are 60 beds
at both Mandara and Kibo Huts and 120 beds at Horombo
Hut. Bathrooms and running water are available at
the two lower huts. Mens' and ladies' latrines are
available at the last camp but are very basic. All
climbing groups, often from several countries around
the world, share meals in dining huts providing
a jovial and energetic atmosphere. Soft drinks,
bottled water, and beer are for sale at the huts.
Bring small Tanzanian bills to purchase these items
(prices increase with elevation). This route is
usually done on 5 days but can be done in 6 days
for better acclimatization. The extra day can be
spent resting at Horombo or climbing the small peak
of Mawenzi.
We
recommend you to bring with you gears like; hiking
boots, thick hiking socks, windproof/waterproof
pants and jacket, heavy gloves, heavy winter jacket,
water bottles, gaiters (covers top of boots and
bottom of pants), smaller personal backpack, larger
backpack for clothes, cold weather sleeping bags,
safari style hat protecting face and neck from sun,
headlamp style flashlight, camera of course, dried
fruit and energy bars, sun block, malaria pills,
water purification tablets, inflatable pillows,
your regular clothes.
I
T I N E R A R Y:
DAY
1: Marangu gate to Mandara Hut
1700m to 2740m
5500ft to 9000ft
7 km, 4-5 hours
Montane Forest
After
breakfast and briefing, drive to the Kilimanjaro
National Park Gate (45 minutes), register and commence
the climb. Walk through the rainforest to the Mandara
encampment located at 9000 ft / 2740 m. A side trip
to Maundi Crater is a good way to see the surroundings
including Northern Tanzania and Kenya. In the rainforest,
look for towering Eucalyptus trees, bird life, and
Colubus monkeys.
DAY
2 Mandara Hut to Horombo Camp
2700m to 3700m
9000ft to 12,100ft
11 km, 6-8 hours
Heathland
After
about 1 hour, you will leave the glades of the rainforest
and follow an ascending path on the open moorlands
to the Horombo encampment. Views of Mawenzi and
the summit of Kibo are amazing. Look for giant lobelias
and grounsels. You will start to feel the affects
of the altitude.
If you wish to extend you trek, here you can spend
an extra day resting at Horombo or climbing the
small peak of Mawenzi.
DAY
3 Horombo Camp to Kibo Camp
3700m to 4700m
12,100ft to 15,400ft
10 km, 6-8 hours
Alpine Desert
Ascending,
we now pass the last watering point, walking onto
the saddle of Kilimanjaro between the peaks of Kibo
and Mawenzi. Vegetation begins with upper heathland
but then disappears into "moonscape".
Dinner, rest, and prepare for summit climb.
DAY
4 Kibo Camp to Summit and Horombo
4700m to 5895m
(and down to 3700m)
15,400ft to 19,300ft
(and down to 12,100ft)
4 km up / 14 km down
10-15 hours
Alpine Desert
Very
early in the morning (midnight to 2am), commence
the climb to the summit on steep and heavy scree
or snow up to Gilman's point located on the crater
rim at 18640 ft / 5861 m (4-7 hours). Continuing,
we now ascend to Uhuru Peak, which is the highest
point in Africa: 19340 ft / 5895 m (1-2 hours).
Unbelievable views at every turn. Get your picture
taken at the summit to show your friends. From here,
we now descend, stopping for lunch and a rest at
Kibo before continuing on to the Horombo encampment
for dinner and a tired but happy overnight (1-2
hours).
This beginning of this climb is done in the dark
and requires headlamps or flashlights. It will be
very cold until you start descending, so you will
need all of your warm layers. This is, by far, the
most difficult part of the trek with many switchbacks.
"Pole pole" and an optimistic attitude
will get you there!
Day
5: HOROMBO to MANDARA HUT
After breakfast, climb down with packed or break
for lunch to Mandara Hut, dinner and overnight Mandara.
DAY
6 Mandara Camp to Arusha
3700m to 1700m
12,100ft to 5500ft
18km, 5-7 hours
After
breakfast, a steady descent takes us down through
moorland to Mandara Hut (2,700m.), the first stopping
place at the Marangu route. Continue descending
through lovely lush forest on a good path to the
National Park gate at Marangu (1,830 m.). At lower
elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and
trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will
probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer
clothing handy).
A vehicle will meet you at Marangu village to drive
you back to the Hotel in Arusha Don't forget to
tip your guides and porters. It is time for celebration!
End
of Tour.
RS/MC/102
:Machame Route - 6 Days 5 Nights Kilimanjaro Climb
ITINERARY:
DAY
OO: ARRIVAL DAY
- Pick up from Kilimanjaro International Airport
and transfer to Arusha town for dinner and overnight.
DAY
01: Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Elevation (m): 1830m to 3100m
Elevation (ft): 6000ft to 10,200ft
Distance: 18km
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest
The
drive from Arusha to the Mount Kilimanjaro National
Park Gate takes about one and half hours. The journey
passes through the village of Machame which is located
on the lower slopes of the mountain.
We now leave the park gate and walk through the
rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower
down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters
and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue
a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.
DAY
02: Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Elevation (m): 3100m to 3840m
Elevation (ft): 10,200ft to 12,600ft
Distance: 9km
Walking Time: 4-6 hours
Habitat: Moorland
After
breakfast, we leave the glades of the rain forest
and continue on an ascending path, crossing the
little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge,
covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The
route now turns west onto a river gorge. Time for
rest, dinner, and overnight at the Shira campsite.
DAY
03: Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
Elevation (m): 3840m to 4630m to 3860m
Elevation (ft): 12,600ft to 12,700ft
Distance: 15 km
Walking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Semi-desert
From
the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a
ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of
Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the
South East towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's
Tooth." Shortly after the tower, we come to
the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow
Glacier at an altitude of 4,876 meters. We now continue
down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3,860
meters. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight.
Although you end the day at the same elevation as
when you started, this day is very important for
acclimatization and will help your body prepare
for summit day.
OPTIONAL
DAY (7-days trek): Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Elevation (m): 3860m to 4200m
Elevation (ft): 12,700ft to 13,800ft
Distance: 7 km
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
After
breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep
ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga
Valley campsite.
DAY
04: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation (m): 3860m to 4600m
Elevation (ft): 12,700ft to 15,100ft
Distance: 13km
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
After
breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep
ridge up the Barranco Wall, through the Karanga
Valley (lunch at 4200m), and the junction which
connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to
the Barafu Hut. You have completed the South Circuit,
which offers views of the summit from many different
angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and
prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi
and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
DAY
05: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut
Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m (and down to 3100m)
Elevation (ft): 15,100ft to 19,300ft (and down to
10,200ft)
Distance: 7km ascent / 23km descent
Hiking Time:6- 8 hours ascent / 7-8 hours descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit.
Very
early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue
our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel
glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction
and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point
on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and
physically challenging portion of the trek.
At
Stella Point (5685m), you will stop for a short
rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent
sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting).From
Stella Point, you may encounter snow all they way
on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak,
you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro
and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will
see the sunrise from the summit. It can be very
cold at night at these elevations, but it will be
quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will
want clothing for both extremes with you. From the
summit, we now make our descent continuing straight
down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu
for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles
for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated
in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected
in the late afternoon.
Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on
the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
DAY
06: Mweka Camp to Arusha
Elevation (m): 3100m to 1830m
Elevation (ft): 10,200ft to 6000ft
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Forest
After
breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka
Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At
lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters
and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts
will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear
and warmer clothing handy).
From the gate, continue another hour to Mweka Village.
A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive
you to the Hotel in Arusha for dinner and overnight.
DEPARTURE
This day you will be transferred from the hotel
in Arusha town to Kilimanjaro international Airport
to connect to your flight back home
*
End of Tour *
Costing
Above Includes:
- Transport to and from mountain gates.
- All parks entry fees.
- All camping fees.
- Rescue fees.
- Guide and porters fees.
- Guide and porters salaries.
- All accommodations on the mountain based on three
meals a day.
- Cook and all kitchen utensils.
Costing
Above Excludes:
- International flights
- Accommodation on the first night upon your arrival
before climb and on the last day after climb book
with us for US$42 per person at Impala hotel, bed
and breakfast.
- Airport transfers book with us for US$60 per vehicle
per transfer.
- Tips, drinks and all items of personal nature
- Hard and soft drinks and tips
- Sleeping bags but we can provide for hire on request.
- All Mountain Gears (we can arrange hire of this)
RS/MC/103
:7 Nights/ 8 Days - Lemosho Route Trail.
Day
– 1 - Arrive at Kilimanjaro International
Airport, meet and transfer to Impala Hotel (B&B).
Day
- 2 - Drive from Moshi or Arusha to Londorossi
Park Gate (2250m, 2 hours). From here a forest track
requiring a 4WD vehicle leads to Lemosho Glades
(2100m, 11km, 45 minutes) and a possible campsite
(park fees are not paid to camp here). Walk along
forest trails to Mti Mkubwa (big tree) campsite,
(2750m, 3 hours).
Day
– 3 - The trail gradually steepens
and enters the giant heather moorland zone. Several
streams are crossed then it gains the Shira Ridge
at about 3600m and drops gently down to Shira 1
camp located by a stream on the Shira Plateau (3500m,
5 hours). This campsite could be omitted.
Day
- 4 - A gentle walk across the plateau
leads to Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream
(3850m, 1.5 hours). A variety of walks are available
on the Plateau making this an excellent acclimatisation
day.
Day
– 5 - The moorlands soon come to
an end and the rocky path leads amongst outcrops
to the Lava Tower where there are good campsites
(4600m, 4 hours). A strong group may want to continue
up a steep scree path to the site of the Arrow Glacier
hut where there are poor campsites (4800m, 5.5 hours).
Day
– 6 - From the Lava Tower [or Arrow
Glacier] steep scree and rocky outcrops requiring
scrambling lead up the Western Breach to the crater
floor. On rare occasions after snowfalls the route
can become icy and in these conditions an ice axe
or ski stick will be required, (5700m, 6 [or 4.5]
hours). It is possible to camp almost anywhere in
the crater or in a further 2 hours Uhuru Point may
be reached. Descend the Mweka Route to Mweka Hut,
5 hours.
Day
-7: A 3 - 4 hour descent through beautiful
forest brings you to the Park gate and your waiting
transport. Drive back to Arusha Impala Hotel. Evening
you can refresh and relax in your day room. If you're
continuing with one of our scheduled departures
you'll overnight and begin your wildlife safari
the next day. Otherwise you'll continue according
to your onward arrangements.
RS/MC/104
:Mount Meru 3 nights,1 night Momella*, 1night at
hotel
DAY
-1 - Today we depart Arusha at around 8:00am
to momella gate. After completing the administrative
formalities and meeting with the porters and ranger,
we will commence the 4-5 hour walk to Miriakamba
Hut. The uphill trek will take us through the forest,
past the fig tree. We will then walk on and cross
a large stream just above the water falls. Another
2 hours of trekking should bring us to Miriakamba
at 2,514m. above sea level. Dinner then retire for
the night.
DAY
- 2 - Take the uphill path through beautiful
glades between trees to reach ‘Mgongo wa Tembo’.
Views of the Meru Crater from this point are spectacular.
Kilimanjaro is seen beautifully sitting on the Eastern
horizon on clear days. From here the path steeps
through grassy tracks up to the Saddle Hut - at
3,570m. above sea level. Overnight.
DAY
- 3 - Early morning start for the summit,
between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. The path leads to the
summit through a very narrow ridge between the outer
wall of the Meru Crater and cliffs of the inner
wall. The Summit 4,566m. above sea level is reached
just before sunrise, from the summit retrace the
route down to Miriakamba Hut where we take our lunch.
We leave after lunch and head straight for Momella
gate and proceeding to your hotel or lodge in Arusha.
Evening you can refresh and relax in your day room.
If you're continuing with one of our scheduled departures
you'll overnight and begin your wildlife safari
the next day. Otherwise you'll continue according
to your onward arrangements.
End
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