The Marangu route is perhaps the easiest and most comfortable route to reach the summit of mount Kilimanjaro.Marangu is a term derived from the native Chagga language with the meaning “full of water”. The route is well-developed and the climb is constant and moderate. Only the approach to the summit is the exception as it is slightly more demanding. The accommodation on this tour is in simple mountain huts, which might be an advantage compared to the camping routes.
The Marangu route is the oldest route and one of the shortest route to reach the summit. It is the only route that approaches the mountain from the south-east.Your own sleeping bag is required but the huts have relatively comfy mattresses and bunks. The huts have communal dining halls where you will be having your breakfast, lunch and dinners. The huts have basic washrooms that range from installed plumbing and running water at the lower huts to long drop toilets and buckets of water at the Kibo hut. Both ascent and descent is via the Marangu gate.
TOTAL TREKKING DISTANCE: 74.2 Kilometers
TOTAL TREKKING TIME: 40 Hours
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
SUMMIT SUCCESS RATE: 80%
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO),(If you have chosen to take a flight to JRO ),you will be met by your host outside customs area, then you will drive to your hotel in Arusha. A day before the climb, your mountain guide will give you a climb briefing at the hotel. He will also inspect your gear to ensure that you have all the necessary and proper climbing gear.For a gear that will be missing, can be rented on this day.
FROM: Marangu gate(1,860m.)
TO: Mandara huts(2,720m.)
HEIGH GAIN: 860m.
After breakfast you will be collected from the hotel and transferred to Marangu gate with a picnic lunch. Once the necessary paper work has been completed, your trek can begin and you will soon be hiking through the dense rain forest. The path is interesting, starting off through rain forest vegetation, then opening up to giant heather. You might be lucky to catch a glimpse of the thumb less black and white colobus monkeys or blue monkeys scrambling through the lush vegetation. On the way, you will take a short break at picnic point, where you can eat from your lunch box in a shade-shelter. Then you will keep on walking up to Mandara huts, near the upper edge of the forest line.
If time and weather permit, a short acclimatization walk from Mandara to Maundi crater is worth it,where you can enjoy wonderful views of the Kenyan interior.
Dinner and overnight at Mandara huts.
TREKKING DISTANCE: 8km.
TREKKING TIME: 4-5hrs.
VEGETATION ZONE: Heather
FROM: Mandara huts (2,720m.)
TO: Horombo huts (3,720m.)
HEIGHT GAIN: 1,000m.
The day begins with an early breakfast and shortly after you have left mandara hut, you will reach the tree-line where vegetation changes to shrubs. Today, on the way, we will get our first views of Kibo summit and the Mawenzi cone, one of the three volcanoes that make up Kilimanjaro. The trail is strenuous and slippery in wet season and takes us clear of the forests and out on to the moorland. It passes beneath the rocky Southern face of Mawenzi. After about 4 walking hours, you will take a break to the picnic point with shelter and it is time for you to eat from your lunch box. After lunch, you will remain with about 2 hours more to Horombo.
Dinner and overnight at Horombo huts.
TREKKING DISTANCE: 12km.
TREKKING TIME: 6-7hrs.
VEGETATION ZONE: Moorland
Acclimatization day (at Horombo huts (3,720m.)
Today is an extra day to acclimatize and rest, and is best spent taking a day hike up towards Zebra rock(3,980m.) by the upper trail. The rock has distinctive black and white stripes give the rock formation its name. On your return to Horombo huts, a cooked lunch will be waiting for you. You can relax in the afternoon and regain your strength for the hike for the following day. Horombo typically has beautiful sunsets and a night sky full of stars.
Dinner and overnight at Horombo huts.
TREKKING DISTANCE: 0m.
TREKKING TIME: 0hrs.
VEGETATION ZONE: Moorland
FROM: Horombo huts(3,720m.)
TO: Kibo base camp(4,720m.) - 9.6km/6-7hrs
HEIGHT GAIN: 1,000m.
Then,
FROM: Kibo base camp (4,720m.)
TO: Uhuru peak (5,895m - 7.5km./8hrs
HEIGHT GAIN: 1,175m.
Today`s stage is long and tough. The trail passes the “last water point” which is followed by the so called “saddle”, a wide, flat area with the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi looming overhead. This nearly plantlets plateau links the summit of Kibo with Mawenzi. Views from here can be fantastic. The last part of the trail passes across the arid plateau before ascending to Kibo hut.
On the way, you will have a lunch break and you can eat from your lunch box. At Kibo,you will have some time to rest and doing some summit`s preparation. In the late afternoon, there will be tea for you in the dining room; your guide will give you a summit-briefing. Then you will have an early dinner so that you can go to bed early.
The summit climb is an event you will not forget, with the night sky full of stars and only your breathing to help focus your mind. In the night you will be woken up probably around 23:00 and you will have just few minutes to finish with the last summit preparations. Then you will have light breakfast before you start your summit attempt in the mid-night.It takes normally around three hours to arrive at the Hans Mayer`s cave( at 5,200m.),which is the half way to the crater-rim. Starting off, the trail swings back and forth up a steep scree slope and the climate can be bitterly cold. About an hour before reaching the Gillman`s point,you will cross the “boulders area” but manageable, and is quite steep, but the switch-backs trail helps to reduce much energy and effort to be consumed. Most of the climbers arrive at Gillman`s point in time to enjoy sunrise around 06:30.The views from the top looking down on the plains of Africa make it all worthwhile. You can also see the crater floor and the Reusch-crater. The trail to the summit from here is less steep and flatter at some points. You will be walking now along the crater-rim all the way to Uhuru peak, and it takes about half an hour to forty minutes to get to Stella point, then approximately one more hour to the peak. At the summit, you can spend more or less fifteen minutes, depending to your condition and the weather, for resting, taking photos and enjoying the beautiful views.
FROM: Uhuru peak (5,895m.)
TO: Horombo huts (3,720m,)
HEIGHT LOSS: 2,175m.
From Uhuru peak, you will turn and walk back the same way to Gillman`s point. The descent from Gillman`s point is fairly rapid taking about two hours more to Kibo hut.
At Kibo, you will take a short rest, and you will have lunch as well and you will eventually pack your gear and be ready for another descending to Horombo huts. The trail to Horombo is well maintained, crossing the Saddle area through Alpine desert to moorland vegetation zones. You will arrive at Horombo in the late afternoon. At Horombo, you will be welcomed with warm washing water and tea.
TREKKING DISTANCE: 17km.
TREKKING TIME: 6hrs.
VEGETATION ZONE: Moorland
FROM: Horombo huts (3,720m.)
TO: Marangu gate (1,860m.)
HEIGHT LOSS: 1,860m.
Today is the last day of your expedition. The last stage passes through the heather and moor zone to the Mandara hut, where you can take a short drinking and snacks break. Soon you will again be in the lush tropical rain forest. You will arrive at the gate probably between 13:00 – 14:00 and you will do a quick paperwork before having cooked lunch in the shelter, at the gate. Your guide will collect your summit`s certificate, hope you are going to make it!After lunch, you will drive to your hotel in Arusha,via Moshi town, where warm shower and a comfortable night sleep in the hotel awaits you.
TREKKING DISTANCE: 20km.
TREKKING TIME: 6-7hrs.
We hope that, your stay in Tanzania for your tour with us in our hands, will be safe and enjoyable and your climb will be successful and a life time experience.
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