Climbing Kilimanjaro: Marangu Route

Elevation gain: 870 m ↑ Distance: 11 km Walking time: 5-6 hours Difficulty level: medium Landscape: rainforest Our guide will take you by car from the hotel to the Marangu Gate, where you will begin the ascent. The first part of the Marangu route leads through coffee and banana plantations and then through untouched rainforest. It can be damp there, so it might be worth wearing rain gear. Today's hike will take around five to six hours. You will reach the first camp in the afternoon: the Mandara Huts. If you arrive early, you have the option of hiking to the Maundi Crater, a volcanic crater near the Mandara Huts.

Elevation gain: 1020 m ↑ Distance: 10 km Walking time: 5-6 hours Difficulty level: medium Landscape: Heather Today, the landscape slowly changes from cloud forest to grassy areas with some heather and other vegetation. On a clear day, you can have a good view of Kibo, the highest peak of Kilimanjaro. A little further away, you can see Mawenzi, the second peak of Kilimanjaro. The higher you go, the less vegetation you can see and the more the surroundings resemble a lunar landscape. The air becomes increasingly thin. After lunch, you have the opportunity to go on an acclimatization hike with an incline of about 200 meters. Note: The acclimatization hike is a walk with a slight increase in altitude. This can speed up your adaptation to the altitude. This is recommended, as it increases your chances of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro and reduces the risk of suffering from altitude sickness.

After breakfast you will do another acclimatization hike towards Kibo Huts and back. After lunch you will have the opportunity to take some nice photos of the Mawenzi volcano, explore the area or rest to be fit for the next day.

Elevation gain: 980 m ↑ Distance: 10 km Walking time: 4-8 hours Difficulty level: difficult Landscape: Alpine desert Today you will hike in a landscape similar to the Alps to a point between the two famous peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. The landscape becomes more open and barren and offers less protection. The hike is not difficult, but you should keep a reasonable pace to save your energy for the summit assault tomorrow. You will arrive at Kibo Camp for lunch and can then rest to prepare for the big day. It is advisable to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of water.

Elevation gain: 1195 m ↑ 2175 m ↓ Distance: 16 km Walking time: 9-12 hours Difficulty level: difficult Landscape: arctic summit zone At night you start the ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. You will need a headlamp until sunrise. The biggest challenge is the first part of the climb. A personal guide is assigned to each climber so that he can keep a close eye on their physical and mental condition. After a steep climb you reach Gilman's Point, which lies on the crater rim. From here, Uhuru Peak is not far and relatively easy to reach. Once at the top of the summit, you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise. After a small celebration at the summit, you return to the Kibo huts and from there descend to the Horombo huts. In total, you will be on the road for around 12 hours today, so be prepared for a long and hard day. When descending, be careful where you step to avoid injury on the last few meters down.

Elevation gain: 1890 m ↓ Distance: 18 km Walking time: 5-6 hours Difficulty level: medium Landscape: rainforest Today you will descend the remaining 1890 meters to the Marangu Gate. This is a five to six hour hike through the beautiful forests of Kilimanjaro. After arriving at the gate, you will be picked up by our driver and taken to your booked accommodation, where you can recover from the exertions of the mountain climb.