Tanzania Itinerary: Kilimanjaro Climb
Day 1: You arrive at Kilimanjaro
International Airport at any
time and are shuttled to our hotel in Moshi, one of the two base towns
for Kili climbs. Most travelers arrive on a KLM flight from Amsterdam
that arrives in the evening, so you'll probably go straight to bed
after a long travel day. If you prefer to arrive one day early, we can
arrange an extra night's stay and airport shuttle at an extra cost.
Day 2: After breakfast, we drive about two hours to
the
Londorossi Gate entrance of Kilimanjaro National Park and
then another 45 minutes to Lemosho Glades and the start of our
trek. This first day we hike through the rain forest for three hours to
Mti Mkubwa camp site, where we learn our camp routine that will stay
with us for the remainder of our trip. Elevation change is
from 6890 feet to 9022 feet.
Day 3: We hike through the remaining rain forest
towards the
giant moorland zone, an area with grasses and cactus-like plants. Our
lunch stop is the beautiful valley just outside the Shira
Crater.
After lunch, we cross into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert
plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro's
volcanic cones and is filled with lava flows from Kibo Peak. The crater
rim has been decimated by weather and volcanic action. Today you’ll get
your first close views of Kibo - the dramatic summit of Kilimanjaro.
We camp at Shira Camp I. Elevation change is 9022 feet to
11,500
feet.
Day 4: After breakfast we continue our hike
east across the
Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Shira II camp. This camp
is large and exposed with beautiful views of the town of Moshi and the
Heim Glacier. Elevation rise is from 11,500 feet to 12,598 feet. This
is a relatively easy day designed to allow us to adjust to the altitude.
Day 5: The grade is gradual as we make our way up to Lava Tower but we gain quite a bit of altitude, reaching 15,280 feet. We then descend steeply down to Barranco Camp. This policy of "hike high and sleep low" helps us with acclimatization as our bodies adjust to the higher elevation during the day, making it easier at our lower camp site. The camp is in the beautiful Barranco valley with large lobelia and senecio trees dotting the landscape. Elevation gain for the day is 12,598 to 12,960 feet.
Day 6: We start the morning with a climb up the great Barranco wall, with some parts requiring a bit of scrambling over the rocks. Then it is about a two hour walk down to the Karanga Valley where we have lunch. After a rest, we continue up to Barafu camp. We again hike high and sleep low. While the overall elevation gain is only about 2,000' feet we will actually climb more like 3,700' since we climb up the Barranco wall, hike down into the Karanga valley, and then back up to Barafu camp. Elevation change for the day is from 12,960 to 14,928 feet. We are now sleeping higher than any mountain in the Continental U.S.
Day 7: This is the longest day of the trek by far. At around 12:30 am, we will begin our summit attempt. The path up to Stella Point on the crater rim zigzags back and forth along a gravel path. This portion takes about six hours and is the most grueling aspect of the trip for most climbers. We have timed our trip to have this hike during the full moon, which should make the hike more interesting and a little easier. From Stella Point we continue up to Uhuru Peak, at 19,453 feet our goal for the trip. After a few victorious photos and (with luck) a glorious morning view, it’s time to head back down to Barafu Camp for a short rest before making our way down to Mweka Camp for the night. This is a long, long day. Elevation change goes way up from 14,928 feet to 19,453 feet and way back down to 10,171 feet.
Day 8: Enjoy your last views of the mountain as you descend through the moorland and rain forest zones on your way to Mweka Gate. The path can be muddy, especially if it rained recently. At the gate, you will receive your completion certificate if you made it to Stella Point or Uhuru Peak. Then it's back to Moshi for a long hot shower and a celebratory dinner. Whether you made it to the top or not, the trip will be exceptional and worth celebrating.
Day 9: This is a free day to rest or explore Moshi. The KLM flight to Amsterdam leaves in the evening and we will provide you with a shuttle to the airport. If you choose to join our post-climb safari (which we highly recommend), we will depart this morning for the bush.