Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and fourth highest of the Seven Summits. It is among the tallest freestanding mountains in the world rising 4,600m (15,100') from its base. With all this in mind Kilimanjaro is an impressive mountain to say the least and it is the arguably one of the most popular climbs in the world let alone Africa.
With its three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 19,340 feet (5895 meters, the Uhuru Peak); Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5149 m); and Shira 13,000 feet (3962 m). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim. Mount Kilimanjaro is also among the tallest freestanding mountains in the world, rising 4600 m (15,100 feet) from the base.
MOUNTAIN FACT FILE - KILIMANJARO: UHURU PEAK 5,895M (19,340'). Approximately 450km north east of Dodoma on the Kenyan border. Grade 1C.
MOUNTAIN PROFILE: Kilimanjaro is an inactive stratovolcano that has three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 19,340 feet (5895 meters, the Uhuru Peak); Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5149 m); and Shira 13,000 feet (3962 m). Kibo or Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim.
MARANGU ROUTE DESCRIPTION:
This is the classic most straight forward route up Kilimanjaro staying in mountain huts along the way. You will be fully supported during this exhilarating six day climb by cooks, guides and porter. You will start the route through lush green rainforests, progress onto the arid desert of the upper slopes before you hit the steep snow covered top of Uhuru peak where you will walk past high altitude glaciers.
THE ASCENT: Normally a 12am start from the Kibo hut at 4,200m. The first part of the ascent is a six hour steep ascent over indistinct rock/shale trails to Gilman's point at 5,685m (this is where the majority of climbers turn around). From here it is gets easier but it is still a further two hours to summit. Coming down you have to progress to the hut below Kibo due to the new climbers taking your place in Kibo. The decent takes a further 4-5 hours. Climbing this mountain on the summit day entails about 14-15 hours of sustained effort at high altitude.
There are numerous routes on Kilimanjaro but this is definitely the easiest, cheapest and most popular route for climbing it. You can do Marangu in five days but we choose to do it in six as it offers a higher chance of summitting. Having that extra day on the mountain to acclimatise can make the difference in you attaining the summit or not, especially on the pretty gruelling 14-15 hour summit day. The first few days will entail about 4-6 hours of hiking a day at the most and you will rest during the night in a comfortable cabin. All the other routes entail camping so these huts ensure you enjoy your rest to the full before your summit attempt.
We can arrange for an ascent by another route of your choice but we offer this one as the first alternative due to it being cheaper than any other routes on the mountain. The other routes on Kilimanjaro are longer and require tented accommodation so the associated costs of having to employ extra portersand cooks for the ascent tends to push the price upwards. Climbing Kilimanjaro is now big business.
Your itinerary will include a brief description of our trip and an outline of your stays and meals provided. We normally only provide a breakfast at all of our city stop over locations as it gives you the opportunity to vary your cuisine by not being tied to hotel menu for your lunchtime or evening meal. We can provide full board trips on requests in particular if any person has any special dietary needs.
H=Hotel, R=Refuge, Lo=Lodge, T=Tents, B/L/D=Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner, PL=Packed Lunch.
Day 1: ARRIVAL DAY IN MOSHI. (H)
You will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel in Moshi. There you will settle in and start getting acclimatised.
Day 2: HIKE FROM THE MARANGU GATE (1,980m) TO MANDARA HUT (2,700m). Approx 12 kms in 5 hours.
This will be the first day of your ascent where you will ascend approximately 720m in height walking through lush African montane forest.
Day 3: HIKE FROM MANDARA HUT (2,700m) TO HOROMBO HUT (3,720m). Approx 15 kms in 6 hours.
Starting from the Mandara hut you will still be hiking through the forest but later on in the day you will make the transition from from rain forest to moorland.
Day 4: ACCLIMATISATION DAY AT THE HOROMBO HUT (3,720m).
Here we will spend an extra day and night at the Horombo hut for additional acclimatisation and take in an additional short hike.
Day 5: HIKE FROM HOROMBO HUT (3,720m) TO KIBO HUT (4,700m). Approx 15 kms in 6 hours.
You will now continue your ascent upwards into an alpine desert habitat with spectacular views. This trail will take you to the Kibo hut where you will stage your summit attempt from.
Day 6: SUMMIT DAY. HIKE FROM KIBO HUT (4,700m) TO UHURU PEAK AND DECEND BACK DOWN TO THE HOROMBO HUT VIA KIBO HUT (5,895m).
Ascent - Hiking time from Kibo hut to Uhuru Peak: 6hrs to Gilman's point and a further 2 hrs to Uhuru peak (summit). Approximately 6kms of ascent.
Decent - Hiking time from Uhuru Peak (summit) to Horombo Hut: 6 hrs. Approximately 21 kms of decent.
You will leave Kibo hut at midnight and hike up a scree slope for six hours to reach Gilman's point. From this high point you will witness an incredible dawn and then walk for a further two hours (much easier at this stage) over snow covered terrain to reach the summit of Uhuru Peak. After taking photographs and the great feeling of exhiliration of getting to the summit, you must then decend all the way down to the Horombo hut, stopping for a brief rest at Kibo hut.
Day 7: HIKE FROM HOROMBO HUT (3,720m) TO MARANGU GATE (1,980m).
This is a great day as you decend to the Marangu Gate and get your 'summit' certificate from the park office. You will then return to Moshi for a hot shower and a well deserved rest.
Day 8: DEPARTURE DAY.
We will take you to the airport to catch your flight home .....don't forget your certificate!!!
On our trips we include transport to and from the airport on arrival and departure, all transportation or travel in country including any internal domestic flights, all hotel and trekking lodge accommodation, a dedicated AB leader and all in country guides and porters, any park, mountain fees or permits and any sightseeing/tourist entry fees, Breakfasts at all hotel stays will be provided but lunches and dinners will only be provided where indicated. All meals will be provided during the duration of any trek or climb.
All booked activities and the use of any group equipment such as tents, cooking equipment are included but any additional activities booked with our in country providers will be subject to an additional surcharge.
Hotel = 3, Tents = 2, Refuges = 2, Lodges = 1 (8 nights).
Breakfasts = 8, Lunches = 3, Dinnners = 5, Packed Lunches = 3 (19 meals out of a possible 23).
There are daily flights going to Kenya and Tanzania from the UK so it is possible to complete this trip in a one week, two weekend turnaround. Day 1 being the Sunday of arrival and Day 8 being the day of departure on thefollowing Sunday. Our itinerary is based on the minimum time we allow to climb Kilimanjaro and we will only shorten it by a day if you are booked with us on the same trip to climb Mt Kenya as well and are therefore sufficiently acclimatised. We will not shorten it for any other reason on the grounds of safety and to allow you a greater chance of success in your attempt to climb Kilimanjaro.
However should you arrive on the first Saturday therefore extending your trip by a day i.e. 9 days we can arrange accommodation for you on this additional day and suggest you try and use this day as an extra acclimitisation day.