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Detailed Itineraries
Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Elevation (m): 1,490m to 2,980m
Elevation (ft): 4,890ft to 9,780ft
Distance: 18km
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest
Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast
and a 50-minute drive from Moshi or a one and half hours
drive from Arusha to the Machame Village (1,490 m/4,890 ft)
where your guides and porters prepare and pack your
equipment and supplies. You will receive a lunch pack, and
you can also buy mineral water in the village. If the road
is very muddy, it may be impossible to drive from the
village to the Machame Gate, and in this case, it will take
you an hour to complete the muddy 3 km walk to the gate.
After registering at the park office, you start your ascent
and enter the rain forest immediately. Heavy rains on this
side of the mountain often transform the trail into a soggy,
slippery experience, so good footgear, trekking poles, and
gaiters are useful. Yo will enjoy a welcome lunch stop
halfway up and will reach the Machame camping area in the
late afternoon. Your porters will arrive at camp before you
and will erect your tent before you arrive. In the evening,
the porters boil drinking and washing water while the cook
poepares your dinner. Night temperatures can drop to
freezing at the Machame Camp.
Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Elevation (m): 2,980m to 3,840m
Elevation (ft): 9,780ft to 12,600ft
Distance: 9km
Walking Time: 4-6 hours
Habitat: Moorland
You rise early at Machame camp, and after breakfast, climb
for an hour to the top of the forest, then for 2 hours
through a gentle moorland. After a short lunch and rest, you
continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau where you
will be able to see Kilimanjaro's great Western Breach with
its stunning glaciers. Sometimes, the walls of the Western
Breach are draped with extensive ice curtains. You are now
west of Kibo on the opposite side of the mountain from the
Marangu Route. After a short hike west, you reach the shira
campsite. The porters will boil drinking and washing water
before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will
be colder, with temperatures dropping below freezing.
Day 3: Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
Elevation (m): 3,840m to 4,630m to 3,950m
Elevation (ft): 12,600ft to 15,190ft to 12,960ft
Distance: 15 km
Walking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Semi-desert
After breakfast, you will walk up a steepening path above
the highest vegetation toward Kilimanjaro's looming mass.
After several hours, you walk thorough a rocky landscape to
reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower, also called
the "Shark's Tooth." at 4,630 m/15,190ft. This chunky
remnant of Kilimanjaro's earlier volcanic activity is
several hundred feet high, and the trail passes right below
it. For extra credit, the sure-footed can scramble to the
top of the tower. After a lunch stop near Lava Tower,
descend for 2 hours below the lower cliffs of the Western
Breach and Breach Wall to Barranco Camp at 3,950 m/12,960
ft. There are numerous photo opportunities on this hike,
especially if the walls are festooned with ice. Barranco
Camp is in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco
Walls, which should provide you with a memorable sunset
while you wait for your dinner. On this day, be careful to
notice any signs of altitude sickness. Although you end the
day at almost the same elevation as when you started, this
day is very important for acclimatization and will help your
body prepare for summit day.
OPTIONAL DAY (7-day trek): Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Elevation (m): 3950m to 4200m
Elevation (ft): 12,600ft to 13,800ft
Distance: 7km
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep
ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley
campsite. There is water at this camp. Then, on Day 5 you
will hike from the Karanga Valley Camp to the Barafu Camp,
summit on Day 6, and finish your descent on Day 7.
Day 4: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation (m): 3,950m to 4,550m
Elevation (ft): 12,960ft to 14,930ft
Distance: 13km
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
After spending a night under the imposing Great Barranco
Wall, you climb this awesome obstacle, which turns out to be
easier than it looks. Topping out just below the Heim
Glacier, you can now appreciate just how beautiful
Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the
Karanga Valley and goes over intervening ridges and valleys
to join the Mweka Route, which will be your descent route.
You have now completed the South Circuit, which offers views
of the summit from many different angles. For now, all eyes
are still on the summit, so turn left and hike up the ridge
for another hour to the Barafu Hut. The last water on the
route is in the Karanga Valley; there is no water at Barafu
Camp, even though Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice.” The
famous snows of Kilimanjaro are far above Barafu Camp near
the summit of the mountain. Your tent will be pitched on a
narrow, stony, wind-swept ridge, so make sure that you
familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid
any accidents. Prepare your equipment and warm clothing for
your summit climb. This should include replacing your
headlamp and camera batteries, and to prevent freezing,
consider carrying your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed
by 7 PM, and try to get a few hours of precious sleep.
Day 5: Summit Day! "Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka
Camp"
Elevation (m): 4,550m to 5,895m (and down to 3,100m)
Elevation (ft): 14,930ft to 19,340ft (and down to 10,170ft)
Distance: 7km up / 23km down
Hiking Time: 6 - 8 hours up / 7 - 8 hours down
Habitat: Stone scree, seasonal snow and ice-capped summit
You will rise around 11:30 PM, and after some steaming tea
and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. Your 6-hour
climb northwest up through heavy scree between the Rebmann
and Ratzel glaciers to Stella Point on the crater rim is the
most challenging part of the route for most climbers. At
Stella Point (5,685 m/18,650 ft) you stop for a short rest
and a chance to see a supremely sanguine sunrise. At Stella
Point you join the top part of the Marangu Route, but do not
stop here too long, as it will be extremely difficult to
start again due to cold and fatigue. Depending on the season
and recent storms, you may encounter snow on your remaining
hike along the rim to Uhuru Peak. On the summit, you can
enjoy your accomplishment and know that you are creating a
day that you will remember for the rest of your life. After
your 3-hour descent from the summit back to Barafu Camp, you
will have a well-earned but short rest, collect your gear,
and hike down a rock and scree path into the moorland and
eventually into the forest to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft)
"You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose
gravel going down". This camp is in the upper forest, so you
can expect mist or rain in the late afternoon. Dinner, and
washing water will be prepared, and the camp office sells
drinking water, soft drinks, chocolates, and beer!
Day 6: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Moshi/Arusha
Elevation (m): 3,100m to 1,980m to 890m
Elevation (ft): 10,170ft to 6500ft to 2,920ft
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3 - 4 hours
Habitat: Forest
After a well-deserved breakfast, it is a short, scenic,
3-hour hike back to the park gate. At lower elevations, it
can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help.
Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep
rain gear and warmer clothing handy). Don’t give your
porters any tips until you and all your gear have reached
the gate safely, but do remember to tip your staff at the
gate. At Mweka Gate, you can sign your name and add details
in a register. This is also where successful climbers
receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reached
Stella Point are issued green certificates and those who
reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates. From the Mweka
Gate, you will continue down to the Mweka Village, possibly
a muddy, 3 km, 1 hour hike if the road is too muddy for
vehicles. In the Mweka Village you will be served a
delicious hot lunch after which you are driven back to
Moshi/Arusha for an overdue hot shower and comfortable night
in a hotel.
Day 7: Arusha – Tarangire National Park
- In the morning at 0830hrs pick up from your hotel in
Arusha and drive on tarmac road 120km to Tarangire National
Park for game drives. Lunch picnic and there after lunch
continue with afternoon game viewing in the park to look for
Lion, Leopard, Elephant, buffalo, Python, Zebra, Oryx,
Impala and more… Over 450 species of birds have been
observed. Late in the afternoon the driver will take you for
dinner and overnight at campsite, Tarangire. FB
Day 8: Tarangire – Ngorongoro Crater
- After an early breakfast at 0630hrs drive 180km to
Ngorongoro with packed lunch. Descend into the Crater floor
for both morning and afternoon game drives All the BIG FIVE
Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo and Elephant live in this
wonderful caldera, others are Zebra, Hippo, Wildebeest,
Hyena and more…Birds includes flamingos on the Soda lake
Geese, Storks, Vultures and more…Your lunch will be served
in the picnic site in the Crater at Ngoitoktok swamp a Hippo
pool. After lunch proceed with game viewing at 1645hrs
ascend the Crater for dinner and overnight at Lodge or
campsite, Ngorongoro. FB
Day 9: Ngorongoro – Serengeti National Park
-Breakfast in Ngorongoro then launch a journey with game
drives and lunch enroute to the Great Serengeti National
park. After picnic lunch in the park continue with afternoon
game viewing in the park a home of lion, leopard, Elephant,
Cheetah, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Eland, Wild dog,
Gazelles, Crocs and more. Lot of birds include the Eurasia
migrants. Dinner and overnight at campsite, Serengeti. FB
Day 10: Serengeti – Lake Manyara National Park
- Early morning game drives in Serengeti then back to your
lodge or Camp at 0845hrs for breakfast. Then check out and
drive 220 km to Manyara via Olduvai Gorge (on your option)
you will have your lunch on the way. Evening short walking
for about 3 km or relax by the pool if lodge or around the
Camp. Dinner and overnight at campsite, Manyara. FB
Day 11: Lake Manyara – Arusha
- Breakfast followed by morning game drives in Lake Manyara
National Park. At 1245hrs leave the park and back to your
Camp for hot lunch after lunch check out and drive back to
Arusha.
Price:
US $2,564 per person sharing (minimum 2pax)
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 and safari based on
three meals a day.
- Cook and all kitchen utensils.
- Transport is in Land cruiser, Land rover or Mini bus
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)
- all items of personal nature
- Mineral water, drinks (soft or hard)
- Laundry and extras in the lodges
- Tips and gratuities
- Sleeping bags but we can provide for hire on request.
- All Mountain Gears (we can arrange hire of this)
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