DAY ONE: ARRIVAL.
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where a Sokwe Africa Safari representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi. The hotel will provide all the essentials for a comfortable stay: cozy rooms, hot water, polite staff, a swimming pool, and Internet access. In the evening there will be a briefing pre-trek with our managers, who will also make sure you are ready to begin the climb with all the necessities.
DAY TWO: TREKKING FROM MACHAME GATE TO MACHAME CAMP
Elevation: 1,800m/5,905ft to 3,000m/9,843ft
Distance: 11 km
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Rainforest
A guide and a mountain support crew will arrive at your hotel in the morning in order to meet you and hold a quick briefing. Then you will travel by vehicle to Kilimanjaro National Park’s entrance: Machame Gate. After the quick formality of acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, the group will start trekking up to Machame Camp. Day 1 on the Machame Route includes passage through a rainforest where tropical showers are highly probable, so we recommend you take not only spare clothes but also a raincoat. As evening approaches, the porters will boil water for drinking and washing, while the cook prepares dinner before you retire to your tent for the night. It is important to keep in mind that temperatures at the Machame camp can drop to freezing point during the night.
DAY THREE: TREKKING FROM MACHAME CAMP TO SHIRA CAMP.
Elevation: 3,000m/9,843ft to 3,840m/12,600ft
Distance: 5 km
Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
Habitat: Moorland
After breakfast, you will start trekking up to the second high-altitude camp, Shira Camp. On this day you will emerge from the rainforest and for the first time be able to see stunning views of the Shira Plateau laid out in front of you. Technically speaking, trekking is not very difficult, but you may feel the change in altitude, so pay attention to your body and remember that choosing the proper pace is extremely important for good trekking. When you reach the camp, you will have lunch and some rest, after which the group will go on an acclimatization hike towards Lava Tower Camp with a 400 m /1,312 f gain in altitude. Back down at Shira Camp, you will be served a hot dinner.
DAY FOUR: SHIRA TO BARRANCO CAMP VIA AN ASCENT TO THE LAVA TOWER.
Elevation: 3,840m/12,600ft to 3,950m/12,960ft (Lava Tower: 4,630m/15,190ft)
Distance: 10 km
Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
Habitat: Semi-desert
After breakfast, your group will depart Shira Camp and head towards Lava Tower. The rise-and-fall nature of this trek may present some difficulties. However, reaching the 4,600 m /15,088 f altitude at the Lava Tower is crucial for proper acclimatization, which is why we encourage our groups to eat lunch at the top of the Lava Tower. This allows you some additional time at a high altitude before descending approximately 700 m /2,297 f to Barranco Camp, which is the next overnight stop on this route.
Here you can see the famous Barranco Wall, impressive in both its massive size and steepness! The next day you will be hiking it, but don’t worry: it features a very simple hiking trail and is not intimidating at all.
DAY FIVE: TREKKING FROM BARRANCO CAMP TO KARANGA CAMP.
Elevation: 3,950m/12,960ft to 4,035m/13,106ft
Distance: 5 km
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
On this day it is best to make an early start to avoid crowding on the way up Barranco Wall. Despite the Wall’s seemingly daunting height and steepness the actual climb is rather simple and takes only an hour or so to complete. The top of the wall provides a great photo opportunity with Kibo Peak as the backdrop.
The next part of the day is rife with ups and downs and your guides will choose the best pace for individual trekkers. A lunch break at Karanga Camp will be followed by an acclimatization hike in the direction of Barafu Camp with its highest point of the hike being 3,995 m /13,104 f. The group then hikes back to Karanga Camp for the night.
DAY SIX: TREKKING FROM KARANGA CAMP TO BARAFU CAMP.
Elevation: 4,035m/13,106ft to 4,673m/15,331ft
Distance: 4 km
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, you will begin your way to Barafu Summit Camp. Our team will set up a camp for you ahead of time, including tents and sleeping bags, so you can relax upon arrival. After regaining strength, you have to complete an acclimatization climb towards the intermediate Kosovo Summit Camp with its highest point being 4,870 m /15,974 f and then back to Barafu Camp, where you will be served a hot dinner. It is better to spend the remainder of the day resting and sleeping before the night summit.
DAY SEVEN: SUMMITING ON UHURU PEAK AND DESCENT TO MILLENNIUM CAMP.
Elevation: 4,673m/15,331ft to 5,895m/19,341ft (Uhuru Peak), then descend to 3,067m/10,062ft
Distance: 5 km ascent, 12 km descent
Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent, 6-8 hours descent
Habitat: Arctic (summit), then back through alpine desert and rainforest
Summiting starts around midnight. You will begin at an altitude of 4,870 m /15,974 f and climb to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m/19340f. While the trek itself is fairly simple, the high altitude means that even regular physical exercise will feel strenuous. Therefore, climbers will be put in groups of two and assigned a personal guide who will monitor their condition throughout the climb for the entire summit trek. Upon summiting, you will have an opportunity to walk to the nearest glacier. You will enjoy a 2-hour rest at Barafu Camp and then continue descending to Millennium Camp.
DAY EIGHT: DESCENT FROM MILLENNIUM CAMP TO MWEKA GATE.
Elevation: 3,067m/10,062ft to 1,640m/5,380ft
Distance: 10 km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Rainforest
You are sure to enjoy a good night’s sleep at the lower altitude, and the sense of satisfaction from reaching the top. Breakfast will be followed by another descent, down to 1,640 m /5,379 f and arrival at Mweka Gate. After a short celebration with the whole of the climbing crew, you will receive your climb certificates and be transported back to your hotel.
DAY NINE: DEPARTURE
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departure.
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- All park entry fees
- Professional and experienced guides, porters, and cook
- All meals during the trek
- Accommodation as specified
- Airport transfers
- Pre and post-trek accommodation in Moshi
PACKAGE EXCLUDES:
- International and domestic flights
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guides, porters, and cook
- Personal trekking gear
- Meals and drinks not specified
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