Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is usually a "once in a lifetime" experience for most people, so it is vital that proper preparations are made beforehand. With superior information and sufficient time to prepare, you stand an extremely good chance of reaching the summit.
Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak and the world's highest free-standing mountain. As such - and aided by its relatively easy ascent - Kilimanjaro has become a major destination for mountaineers and trekkers from around the world. Many people travel to Tanzania just to climb this mountain and we believe that this is your time.
Routes
There are several routes that lead to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Park authorities require that all trekkers arrange their walk through a licensed agency and that they be accompanied throughout their walk by a guide. Our guides know the different routes, where the huts are and can arrange a trek for you, whether five to six days to the summit or a weekend trip to a "half-way" point. Stay in the huts along the way, or camp in tents, depending on the route you take.
The many ways of climbing Kilimanjaro have been left to the end, for it is first necessary to understand that there is a great deal more to Africa's highest landmark than simply climbing it. You can climb Mount Kilimanjaro through different approved routes ranging from Marangu Umbwe, Machame, Rongai to Lemosho routes
Hakuna Matata Tours makes available:
- Transportation to the Marangu Gate or other designated route
- Guiding up the mountain, using many of the predetermined routes
- Porters to carry your gear - food and water
Sample climb itineraries
Climbing Kilimanjaro from Marangu
Climbing Kilimanjaro from Machame
Climbing Kilimanjaro from Umbwe
Climbing Kilimanjaro from Lemosho
Climbing Kilimanjaro from Rongai
Marangu Route Commonly called the Coca-Cola Route. Marangu is by far the most popular route to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Typical duration is either 5 or 6 days depending upon whether you elect to spend an extra day for acclimatisation to the altitude. This is the only route that offers huts versus tents.
Day 1: Marangu Gate (1980m) - Mandara hut (2700m). Hiking time: 5 hours
Departure from Moshi in the early morning and drive to Marangu Gate. Walk through the rain forest.
Day 2: Mandara hut (2700) - Horombo hut (3720m). Hiking time: 6 hours
Leave the forest and cross open moorland to Horombo Hut.
Day 3: Horombo hut (3720m) - Acclimatisation day (if necessary)
Walk through moorland and alpine desert to "The Saddle" between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. From here you will walk for about an hour to reach Kibo Hut (4730m).
Day 4: Horombo hut (3720m) - Kibo hut (4730m). Hiking time: 6 hours
Very early start to the summit on steep scree up to Gillman's Point (5681m) which is on the crater rim. Continue around the rim (which will take about 2 hours if you are fit) to Uhuru Peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa. Descend to Kibo Hut for tea and biscuits or soup and then down to the thicker air and the relative warmth of Horombo Hut.
Day 5: Kibo hut (4700m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Horombo hut (3720m). Hiking time: 8 hours to Uhuru - 6 hours to descend to Horombo
Day 6: Horombo hut (3720m) - Marangu Gate (1980m) Descend to Marangu Gate where our driver will be waiting you to take you back to Moshi . Hiking time: 6 hours
Day 1. Early morning drive from Moshi to the Umbwe Roadhead at 1800m. The route initially follows a forestry track winding up through the natural rain forest. It then narrows and steepens to climb the ridge between the Lonzo and Umbwe rivers. The first campsite is in the forest by some rock overhangs (2940m, 5-6 hrs walk).
Day 2. Shortly after leaving the camp the forest ends and the path continues along a narrow spectacular ridge. Above, the sheer 1000m of the Breach Wall appears and disappears as the afternoon mists roll up the Great Barranco. From the Umbwe ridge the route descends slightly to the Barranco hut and your campsite in the valley floor (3900m, 5-6 hrs).3. A short scramble to the top of Great Barranco and then a traverse over scree and ridges to the Karanga Valley (4000m, 3 hrs), beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. After climbing out of the Karanga Valley the trail ascends a ridge to Barafu Camp, an area of little vegetation (4600m, 3 hrs).
Day 4. An early start for the ascent to the rim of the Kibo Crater between the Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers (4 hours). The last section before the rim can sometimes be snow-covered and an ice axe or ski stick is useful for balance. From here a further hour leads to Uhuru Peak, from where there are often fine views of Mt. Meru to the west and the jagged peak of Mawenzi to the east. After a short time on the summit you descend to the Barafu hut for a rest and lunch before continuing on down to camp at Mweka hut in the giant heather zone on the Mweka route. Those of you with enough energy on the summit might wish to descend to the Reutsh Crater and visit the dramatic ice pinnacles of the Eastern Icefields.
Day 5. A 3-4 hour descent through beautiful forest brings you to the Park Gate where our Jackpot will be waiting to drive you back to Moshi.
GO BACK
CLIMBING KILIMANJARO THROUGH MACHAME ROUTE
Machame Route Some call this the most beautiful route up Kilimanjaro. Where accommodation on the Marangu route is in huts, the Machame route offers strictly tents only This makes Machame (also referred to as the "Whiskey route") better suited to the slightly more adventurous hiker, however rewarding him with a scenic splendor such as not seen on the Marangu route
Day 1. Departure from Moshi in the early morning and drive to Machame Gate. Walk through shambas and then forest to Machame Campsite (3000m, about 6 hrs).
Day 2. Continue along the steep ridge going on to rock ridges and through heather. The route turns west into a river gorge, reaching Shira Campsite (3800m, 5 hrs).
Day 3. Continue east towards Kibo, passing the junction, then east towards the Lava Tower. Shortly after this you descend to Barranco Campsite (3940m, 4 hrs).
Day 4. A short scramble to the top of the Great Barranco and then a traverse over scree and ridges to the Karanga Valley (4000m, 3 hrs), beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. After climbing out of the Karanga Valley the ascends a ridge the Baraful Campsite, an area with little vegetation (4600m, 3 hrs)
Day 5. An early start for the ascent to the rim of Kibo Crater between the Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers (4 hrs); the last section before the rim can sometimes be snow-covered and an ice axe or ski stick is useful for balance. From here a further hour leads to Uhuru Peak from where there are often fine views of Meru to the west and the jagged peak of Mawenzi to the east. Descend to Barafu for a rest and lunch before continuing on down to camp at Mweka in the giant heather zone on the forest edge. You may wish (your energy permitting!) to descend to the Reutsh Crater and visit the dramatic ice pinnacles of the Eastern Icefields.
Day 6. A 3-4 hour descent through beautiful forest brings you to the Park Gate where our driver will be waiting to take you back to Moshi.
GO BACK
GO BACK
CLIMBING MT KILIMANJARO THROUGH LEMOSHO ROUTE
Lemosho Route Little used and more remote than other routes. The route is one of the few where groups may be accompanied on the first day by an armed ranger, as the forests around the Lemosho Glades are rich in buffalo, elephant and other big game animals.
Day 1.Breakfast, Drive to the gate of Londorosi for a few minute of registration and other formalities. The 4WD will take you further up to Lemosho glades, thereafter you can walk for about 4hrs to Mti Mkubwa Campsite (9,200ft) Dinner and overnight at the camp, B.L.D
Day 2.Breakfast, leave the Mti Mkubwa campsite for Shira plateau (11,550ft), walking through the moorland steepenning track. Dinner and Overnight at the Shira I Camp, B.L.D.
Day 3.Breakfast, hike across the high desert to Shira II camp (12,220ft) with significant acclimatization effect as we goes up the mountain. B, L, D.
Day 4. After breakfast, we leave Shira II for Baranco Camp (13,100ft). We will pass through the last water drop at Karanga valley on the way up. Overnight Baranco Camp, B, L, D.
Day 5.After breakfast, we leave Baranco Camp for Barafu Camp (14,910ft). We will pass through the last water drop at Karanga valley on the way up. Overnight Barafu Camp, B, L, D.
Day 6.Wake up at midnight, and after a small snack, start ascending to Uhuru Peak through the Stella point (18,640ft), then after reaching the summit, we will head down to Mweka Camp (10,100ft) for dinner and overnight, B, L, D.
Day 7.After breakfast, we will head down to Mweka gate with lunch packet, and the waiting vehicle will take you to our hotel in Moshi, B, L.
Day 8.Transfer to the airport for your return flight, Or go on a safari with us.
GO BACK
RONGAI ROUTES
The Rongai route ascents Kilimanjaro from the northeastern side of the mountain, along the border between Tanzania and Kenya.
Day 1: Rongai Gate (1950m) - 1st Caves camp (2600m). Hiking time: 5 hours
Day 2: 1st Cave (2600m) - Kikelewa Cave (3600m). Hiking time: 6/7 hours
Day 3: Kikelewa Cave (3600) - Mawenzi Tarn camp (4330m). Hiking time: 3/4 hours
Day 4: Mawenzi Tarn camp (4330m) - Kibo hut (4700m). Hiking time: 4/5 hours
Day 5: Kibo hut (4700m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Horombo hut (3720m). Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru - 6 hours to descend to Horombo
Day 6: Horombo hut (3720m) - Marangu Gate (1980m) . Hiking time: 6 hours
GO BACK
Mount Meru is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 metres (14,980 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast about 8,000 years ago, similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity.
The mountain is little-known, but second-highest peak in Tanzania. It is, of course, overshadowed in the consciousness of tourists by its neighbour Kilimanjaro, 80 kilometres to the east and the highest mountain in Africa.
However, although it's much less popular than Kilimanjaro, Meru has some distinct advantages over the higher mountain. For a start, Meru is much cheaper to climb. The climb up Meru is more scenic and spectacular, and you are much less likely to suffer altitude sickness on 4,667-metre-high Mt. Meru than on 5,895 m Kilimanjaro. In fact, Meru makes an ideal high-altitude acclimatization warm-up climb before tackling Kili. Meru is a spectacular volcano. Once upon a very long time ago, it rose higher than Kilimanjaro; this is also said about Mt. Kenya and the Ngorongoro Crater, so you may want to take this assertion with a grain of salt. However tall it once was, it certainly erupted sideways, rather like Mt. St. Helens, a few million years ago, leaving the northern, southern and western slopes intact, but obliterating the eastern slope of the volcanic cone.
From above, mt Meru is now shaped like a horseshoe opening east, with a new tiny cinder cone forming in the bottom of the devastated crater, and huge cliffs extending up the crater walls almost to the summit. The crater floor and the lower slopes are densely forested, but the upper slopes are barren expanses of black volcanic ash and occasional massive boulders of lava.
Mount Meru is just only 23 km by road outside Arusha, the staging post for safaris to the Serengeti,
4 DAYS AND 3 NIGHT MOUNT MERU CLIMB ITINARY
Day 1: Arrival and transfer at hotel.
Day 2: Departure from Moshi after breakfast in the early morning and drive to Momella gate. Start the climb dinner and overnight to the first hut called Miriakamaba. 4 HOURS
Day 3. After breakfast. Proceed to the second hut called Saddle the steep part compared to the first part 3 hours. In the afternoon, we will attempt climbing little Meru peak and back. Dinner and overnight at Saddle hut.
Day 4: Wake up at middle-night and have a cup of tea before starting attempt big Meru peak. Proceed to summit crossing rocky path and back to Saddle hut for full breakfast. The day will be spent resting . Lunch, dinner and overnight at Saddle hut.
Day 5; Leave Saddle hut and descend down to Momella gate where the driver will be waiting for you and transferred to Arusha/Moshi.
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