On arrival into Kilimanjaro airport you’ll be driven to Parkview Inn in Moshi. This evening you’ll have a briefing with the Lead Guide, Baraka, where you’ll be given details about the climb and have a chance to ask any questions.
After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the park gates where you’ll meet your guides and porters who’ll play such a big role over the next days. After registration and lunch, we will set off on foot through the forest. This is a gentle walk for about 5 hours leading to Machame Camp.
Today begins with a steep climb which gradually flattens out to an easier walk. You will begin to see amazing views on this day. After lunch, the trail heads downhill a little before climbing again towards Shira Camp. The estimated walking time today is 6 hours.
You’ll start the day walking slightly uphill for about 3.5 miles. You ascend into alpine desert and continue to Lava Tower before descending to Barranco Camp. Lunch is taken as a picnic lunch on route. This is a long day but is great for acclimatization as you walk high and sleep low. It’ll take about 8 hours to complete today’s route, which ends up at Barranco Camp.
From Barranco camp, you ascend the Barranco wall. After stunning views from the top of the wall, you will hike the glacial valleys to Karanga Camp. It’s just 4-5 hours walking today giving you plenty of time for acclimatization.
Today is another half day ascending to base camp, called Barafu Camp. Once again, lunch is taken at camp with great views of Mawenzi Peak in the afternoon. After an early dinner, you will try and get some rest before attempting the summit!
This is it – summit day! You’ll be awakened before midnight with a hot drink before you set out, torch in hand, for the initial climb to Stella Point. Patience and persistence is the name of the game to reach Stella Point on the crater rim at around dawn. It’s then a relatively short final push to the summit, Uhuru Peak – The Roof of Africa! You’ll see the glaciers and if the weather is clear may get wonderful views of the plains far below. Having achieved your goal, it’s time to head back down to base camp and then on to Mweka Camp. You’ll arrive, exhausted but elated, by mid-late afternoon.
This is the most challenging day with 12 – 16 hours hiking time.
After breakfast you make your final descent through the forest to Mweka Gate. You are picked up and brought back to Parkview Inn. Time to take a much needed shower and celebrate your Kilimanjaro experience!
Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport or your onward travels to Hope of the Nations.
