MARANGU ROUTE

The first day involves a drive from Moshi to the Marangu Gate at the end of Marangu village, located at an altitude of 1879 m. Only from this point will we be able to start our ascent to the first shelter - Mandara Hut, situated at 2720 m. The trek should take us 4 to 5 hours. The path leads through a tropical rainforest and a zone of giant heather. In the upper part of the rainforest, we will have a chance to see blue monkeys! The trail is easy, enjoyable, and not forcing us to face major difficulties.

After a steep 20-minute climb through the upper parts of the tropical forest, the heather zone and the alpine meadows begin. From here, we will be able to see the first views of the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks (two of the three volcanic summits that make up Mount Kilimanjaro). Continuing the climb for another 5 to 6 hours, at 3720 m, we plan to reach Horombo Hut. The trail is easy, and the distance to cover for the day is about 14 km.

This is a rest day we will use to start to get prepared for the summit attempt. There is also an option to hike towards the Mawenzi Tarn Hut at 4600 m, with the plan to return to Horombo in the afternoon (5 km hike in 2-3 hours, descent 5 km in 1-2 hours).

On the fourth day, we will head to Kibo Hut, located at 4703 m. The route passes by the "Last Water Point" (remember to fill your water bottle) and leads to "The Saddle," a broad, flat pass separating Kibo and Mawenzi. The harsh alpine desert zone begins, with sparse vegetation, covered with volcanic dust and rocks ejected from the crater. The path to Kibo Hut generally takes eight hours, covering 10 km. Although the route is easy, you may start to feel the effects of the significant altitude.

On the last day of our ascent, we will leave Kibo Hut just after midnight. It’s usually very cold and windy at night, but the frozen scree provides good footing and is advantageous to the ascent. After 5-6 hours, we plan to reach Gillman's Point at 5685 m, which is located on the crater rim. From here, you will be very likely to witness a breathtaking sunrise over Africa, with the enormous continent being beneath your feet. From this point, with the summit in sight, a relatively easy but tiring climb of about 1–1.5 hours along the not-so-steep crater rim will lead us to the highest peak, Uhuru Peak at 5895 m. From the summit, you will have endless views over the sea of clouds covering the beautiful landscapes of Africa. After spending an hour at the summit, we must descend the same way back to Kibo Hut, then continue to Horombo Hut for the night. The entire process takes several hours. The summit should be reached before 10:00 a.m. to avoid losing the chance to view Africa from the top, as clouds usually roll in later.

On the final day, we will have to face a long descent, with the return route mostly leading through the wild rainforest. At the park gates, a bus will be waiting to take us back to our hotel in Moshi for a much-needed rest. In the evening, during dinner, we plan to celebrate reaching the summit and have a farewell party !