|
Summary Itineraries
The “Coca Cola” Route is Kilimanjaro’s easiest, shortest,
and most popular route. The trip usually takes 5 days. You
can however also add an additional acclimatization day and
make it a 6-day trip.
Price:
USD $1,250 person.
Duration: 5 days trekking; 3 and a half days ascending, 1
and a half days descending
Length: 32 km/20 mi ascent; 64 km/40 mi round trip
Elevation: 4,065 m/13,340 ft gain; 4,065 m/13,340 ft descent
Marangu Gate (1,830 m/6,000 ft) to Uhuru Peak (5,895
m/19,340 ft) and return
Description:
The Marangu Route is the easiest and shortest route to
Kilimanjaro’s summit and is known as the “Coca Cola” or
“tourist” route. This is the only route on Kilimanjaro with
the comforts of solar-powered sleeping huts and comfortable
beds at every camp. The huts are communal, and each bunk has
a sponge mattress and pillow. There are 60 beds at both
Mandara and Kibo Huts and 120 beds at Horombo Hut. Bathrooms
and running water are available at the two lower huts. Basic
men’s and ladies’ latrines are available at the last camp.
All climbing groups, often from several countries around the
world, share meals in dining huts providing a jovial and
energetic atmosphere. Soft drinks, bottled water, and beer
may be for sale at the huts. Bring small Tanzanian bills to
purchase these items (prices increase with elevation).
This route is usually done in 5 days, but you can do it in 6
days for better acclimatization. You can spend your extra
day resting at Horombo or climbing to a basecamp below
Kibo’s sub peak Mawenzi.
We recommend you to bring gears like; smaller personal
backpack, thick hiking socks, windproof/waterproof pants and
jacket, heavy gloves, heavy winter jacket, water bottles,
gaiters (covers top of boots and bottom of pants), hiking
boots, larger backpack for clothes, cold weather sleeping
bags, safari style hat protecting face and neck from sun,
headlamp style flashlight, camera of course, dried fruit and
energy bars, sun block, malaria pills, water purification
tablets, inflatable pillows, your regular clothes.
Note:
We do not place groups together. This way you are ensured
the full attention of our guide, but with the added
knowledge of our guides’ experiences. It also means that we
can start the climb on the day you prefer.
|
|
Detailed Itineraries
Arrival Day:
Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be
met at the Airport and transferred to the hotel in Arusha or
in Moshi for your overnight and briefing by our mountain
guide. You can start your trek any day of the year!
Day 1: Arusha/Moshi to Marangu Gate to Mandara Huts
Elevation: (915 m/3,000 ft) to (1,830 m/6,000 ft) to (2,740
m/9,000 ft)
Distance: 7 km
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest
After breakfast and a briefing from your guide, leave Moshi
at 9 AM, drive for 45 minutes (or if driving from Arusha
leave the town at 7 AM, drive for one and half hours) to the
Marangu Gate on the eastern side of Kilimanjaro, register
with the national park, and begin hiking at 10:30 AM. In the
rainforest, look for towering Eucalyptus trees, bird life,
and Colubus monkeys. At these lower elevations, it can be
wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles will help.
Shorts and t-shirts should be sufficient, but keep your rain
gear and warmer clothing handy. Stop halfway for lunch, and
reach the Mandara Huts at 2 or 3 PM. Unpack, rest, and have
some tea or coffee. A 15 minute side trip to Maundi Crater
is a good way to see the surroundings including Northern
Tanzania and Kenya. Dinner is served during the early
evening at 7 PM. Bathrooms with running water are available.
Day 2: Mandara Huts to Horombo Huts
Elevation: (2,740 m/9,000 ft) to (3,690 m/12,100 ft)
Distance: 11 km
Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
habitat: Heathland
Wake to a 7:30 AM breakfast, and pack for your next trek.
Break camp by 8:30 AM, hike for an hour through rainforest
glades, then follow an ascending path through heathland
where you can look for giant lobelias and groundsels.
Continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the
main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, where you can enjoy
amazing views of Mawenzi. Arrive at the Horombo Huts by 3
PM, where you can see Kibo’s summit. Rest, unpack, and
prepare for dinner. Bathrooms with running water are
available.
You may start to feel the effects of altitude here, and to
aid your acclimatization, you can choose to spend an extra
day resting at Horombo or climbing to a basecamp below
Kibo’s sub peak Mawenzi.
Day 3: Horombo Huts to Kibo Huts
Elevation: (3,690 m/12,100 ft) to (4,695 m/15,400 ft)
Distance: 10 km
Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Wake to breakfast as usual, but if you wake early you can
get some great photos of the sunrise. The first part of the
day’s hike climbs through the dwindling heathland that
blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle
connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. When you stop for lunch, and
later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can
examine the summit climb up Kibo that you will be starting
in just a few hours. Be careful to notice any signs of
altitude sickness. There is no running water at the Kibo
Huts.
Day 4: Summit Day! "Kibo Huts to Uhuru Peak to Horombo
Huts
Elevation: (4,695 m/15,400 ft) to (5,895 m/19,340 ft) to
(3,690 m/12,100 ft)
Distance: 4 km up, 14 km down
Hiking Time: 10-15 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Wake at midnight to a light breakfast, then prepare for your
summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you
can reach Uhuru Peak shortly after sunrise. Leave at 1 AM,
switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach
Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft
between 5 and 7 AM. Here, views of the fabled crater and its
icecaps greet you. Another 2 hours of hiking along the
crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to
Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak, by 9 AM. This is
Africa’s highest point, and you would have to travel more
than 3,000 miles toward the Himalayas to find a higher
peak! Be sure to have your picture taken at the summit to
show your friends. After your summit stay, descend back to
the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your things, and re
cross the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Eat dinner and get
some well-deserved sleep!
You do the beginning of this climb in the dark with
headlamps or flashlights. It will be very cold until you
start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers.
This is, by far, the most difficult part of the trek. Slowly
slowly, or, “pole pole,” and an optimistic attitude will get
you there!
Day 5: Horombo Huts to Marangu Gate to Moshi/Arusha
Elevation: (3,690 m/12,100 ft) to (1,830 m/6,000 ft) to (890
m/2,920 ft)
Distance: 18 km
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Wake as usual, pack, and descend through the moorland to the
Mandara Huts. Have lunch there then continue your triumphant
recessional down through lush forest to the park gate, which
you should reach around 2 or 3 PM. Remember to tip your
guides, cooks, and porters, since you will be leaving them
here. A vehicle will take you back to the Hotel in
Moshi/Arusha, where it is definitely time for celebration!
Arusha/Moshi:
Depart for the airport or other destinations in Tanzania or
Kenya. A trip to the beaches at Zanzibar is a good way to
recuperate. We can arrange many reasonably priced trips and
safaris to the Tanzania Nothern Parks such as trips to
Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara
National Park,
Tarangire National Park and to Arusha National Park. Also we
can arrange trips to Southern Circuit such as trips to
Selous game reserve, Mikumi National Park and Ruaha National
Park.
Extra Day for Acclimatization:
You can add an extra day at the Horombo Huts (3,690 m/12,100
ft). You can spend a full day and a second night at Horombo.
On this day, you can either rest at the huts or take a
stroll up to the Mawenzi basecamp then return to the Horombo
Huts. This extra day will help your acclimatization, and
further your
understanding of the mountain’s weather and altitude. After
your pause, you will continue up to the Kibo Huts on your
fourth day for your midnight start to the summit.
Price:
US $1250 per person sharing (minimum 2pax) - 5 days climb
Extra days on the Mountain: US $250 per person per day
* Discounts available for groups of 4 persons and above
Price Above Includes:
- Transport to and from mountain gates.
- All parks entry fees.
- All camping fees.
- Rescue fees.
- Guide and porters fees.
- Guide and porters salaries.
- All accommodations on the mountain based on three meals a
day.
- Cook and all kitchen utensils.
Price Above Excludes:
- International and domestic flights (we can arrange on
request)
- Accommodation on the first night upon your arrival before
climb and on the last day after climb (book with us)
- Airport transfers (book with us)
- Tips, drinks and all items of personal nature
- Hard and soft drinks and tips
- Sleeping bags but we can provide for hire on request.
- All Mountain Gears (we can arrange hire of this)
 |
