Kilimanjaro Climb

When anybody thinks of Africa, the mind wanders with images of Giraffes, Zebras, Lions and huge Tuskers! The mountain lovers also get images of legendary and unique mountain; Mt. Kilimanjaro in their minds. Mt. Kilimanjaro, is a unique mountain situated on the borders of Tanzania and Kenya, but is wholly in Tanzania. Visible from the planes of Serengeti and other games reserves, this uniquely shaped and snow-capped mountain is actually a dormant volcano!

These 5,896 meters (19,340 ft.) tall mountain is the highest point in African continent and is considered the highest point on earth by some people as it is the highest free-standing point on the planet. It is composed of 3 distinct volcanoes, out of which 2 are extinct and only one “Kibo” is dormant. Uhuru Peak (Freedom Peak) is the highest point of Kibo crater. The guides say this is the Hill (Hill means Kilima in local Swahili dialect) of the Njaro people and so is the name “Kilimanjaro”

On November 10, 1848, the German missionary Rebmann was the first westerner who sighted this mountain. On October 6, 1889, it was first climbed by the German geology professor Dr. Hans Meyer along with the celebrated Austrian mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller on his third attempt. They also entered the Kibo crater later through a notch in the rim, which was later named as Hans Meyer Notch!

There are six official and most frequented routes on Kilimanjaro. Out of which we will be climbing the Machame Route, which is by far the most scenic route, though may be slightly steeper. But we will be doing it slowly and will be spending one extra night on the mountain to get acclimatised better. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro will be a unique experience as it will give one an opportunity to go through enormous biodiversity. On lower slopes humans have planted the famous Tanzanian coffee and on higher slopes we will get to see very diverse forests starting from rain forest to the alpine meadows. Near the summit there will be hardly any vegetation as the temperatures will be nearly in sub-zero range throughout the year.

Those of you who will have time and inclination we can also plan a visit to the world-famous game reserves of Serengeti and Masai Mara. Those who will wish to extend their holidays by some time could avail this extension and enjoy the real beauty of Africa. It will be an out of the world opportunity for photo enthusiasts. So, pack up your shoes, cameras and join us on our African Adventure!

Day wise detailed itinerary of the trek

DAY 01: MUMBAI – Moshi, TANZANIA (VIA NAIROBI)
Reach Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania and enjoy a overnight stay in pleasant weathers of Moshi. Overnight in hotel in Moshi.

DAY 02: REST DAY IN Moshi. (1,400 MT. / 4,620 FT.)
A rest day in Moshi. This will help for a successful mountain climb. The weather in Moshi will be like a hill station and we will catch with some much-needed sleep! Overnight in hotel in Moshi.

DAY 03: MOSHI TO MACHAME CAMP (3,018 MT. / 9,927 FT.), AFTER REGISTRATION AT MACHAME GATE (1,738 MT. / 5,718 FT.) (ABOUT 13 KMS.)
We will climb the mountain by the Machame Route. We will drive from Moshi to Machame gate approximately in1:30 hours & will finish the registeration at the gate. This route starts from Machame Gate and travels upwards through the rainforest, characterized by dense vegetation, a muddy trail and short sections of steep climbs. Overnight camping in tents.

DAY 04: MACHAME CAMP TO SHIRA (3,756 MT. / 12,355 FT.) (ABOUT 9 KMS.)
The second day will continue through increasingly sparse trees and bushes into moorlands. The climb will be on narrow rocky ridges. Picturesque hanging mosses will often cover trees and will offer an ethereal quality to the landscape. The day will finish at Shira Camp, which is on a small plateau in the high moorlands, and features views of Kibo in the northwest and Mount Meru towards the east.
Overnight camping in tents.

DAY 05: SHIRA TO BARANCO (3,972 MT. / 13,066 FT.) (ABOUT 12 KMS.)
The third day will start in the moorlands and will move into alpine desert, with fewer trees and more rocks. The highest point will be the base of the Lava Tower, after which the trail will descend into the Baranco Valley. More vegetation will be present in this zone, especially the area just before the campsite.
From the Baranco Campsite the view will be awesome, down below us we will be surrounded by the clouds and mountains on both the sides. One side we will have a huge cliff and which we will be crossing when we will move upwards.
Overnight camping in tents.

DAY 06: REST BARANCO TO KARANGA HUTS (4,200 MT. / 13,776 FT.), (ABOUT 5 KMS.)
The day will start with the ascent of the Baranco Wall, which is considered a scramble in climbing terms. The trail will continue with many up and down sections across small streams and rivulets, and will finally cross the Karanga River to the Karanga campsite. The view from Karanga Valley will be great as we will be surrounded by mountains on three sides. We will see the top of Kili covered with snow from here.
Overnight camping in tents.

DAY 07: KARANGA HUTS UPTO BARAFU CAMP (4,633 MT. / 15,239 FT.), (ABOUT 4 KMS.)
This will be a very short day. The path will go up and across a rocky zone, finishing at the high camp of Barafu. We will find very little vegetation on this inhospitable terrain. Overnight camping in tents.

DAY 08: BARAFU CAMP TO UHURU SUMMIT (5,895 MT. / 19,340 FT.), AND THEN DECEND TO MWEKA (3,102 MT. / 10,204 FT.), (ABOUT 4 .5 KMS.ASCENT AND ABOUT 13.5 KMS DESCENT)
The summit push will usually start around midnight. We will typically take somewhere between five and seven hours to ascend, using headlamps and cold weather gear. The first milestone, generally we will reach shortly after dawn, will be Stella Point (18,652 ft/5,685 m), which is on the crater rim. From the Stella Point, the trail will continue for another 30 minutes to the summit - Uhuru Peak (5,895 MT. / 19,340 FT.) If we reach the Uhuru peak just before sun rise, we will be witness to the most amazing view of the sun rise. We will see the shadow of the mountain on the clouds.
The descent back to Barafu will take roughly four hours. After reaching Barafu, we will take a short break and will have lunch at the camp. Then will continue our walk downwards through the alpine desert and ensuing moorlands to Mweka Camp.
Overnight camping in tents.

DAY 09: MWEKA TO MWEKA GATE (1,649 MT. / 5,423 FT.), (ABOUT 10 KMS) THEN DRIVE BACK TO ARUSHA.
This will be the final day of the trip. The entire trail will be downhill. We will reach Mweka Gate around noon, here we will get our certificate.
From the gate we will drive back to Arusha through Moshi, which normally will take about an hour. After a good night’s rest, we could proceed for the African Safari OR people who will not enrol for the Safari will leave for their homes on the next day. Overnight in hotel in Arusha.

DAY 10: ARUSHA TO KILIMANJARO AIRPORT FOR ONWARD JOURNEY.
After breakfast we will leave for airport to catch our respective flights.

Where Will I Stay?

2 nights in a 3-hotel in Moshi on FB Basis
6 nights in two men mountaineering tents during Kilimanjaro Climb
1 night in a 3-star hotel in Arusha on FB Basis

How willI travel?

Arrival and departure Kilimanjaro International airport transfers OR Scheduled Riverside bus shuttle transfer Nairobi – Arusha - Nairobi if arriving / departing from Nairobi.
Transport from the hotel to the mountain and back to the hotel.

What about my health?

A health certificate is mandatory for all the travellers. It should clearly certify that the traveller is physically fit to carry out a high-altitude trek
We do take medical precautions, however, due to high altitude traveller can suffer through headache, loss of appetite, nausea, breathlessness and loss of sleep. These ailments are temporary and disappear as soon as the person gets acclimated to the weather conditions.
4-5 litres of water intake is a must to avoid altitude related sickness. A tablet of Diamox comes handy to help in acclimatization.
In case of sever medical emergency, all the cost incurred by us on treatment & evacuation are to be borne by the traveller immediately in cash.
To ensure safety at all points of time, it is highly advisable to follow the instructions of the group leader.
Hills and Trails does not offer any type of insurance against losses. It is recommended that every person gets his/her international travel insurance which is valid in in the country you are trekking in and covers evacuation, if needed.