Day One:
- arrive jro.
- transfer to arumeru river lodge.
- dinner and overnight at arumeru river lodge hb.
Day Two:
After Breakfast at your Hotel, drive across the Masai Steppe to the trailhead in the Lemosho Forest, continue driving up to morum barrier gate. we start walking to shira camp in the chattering forest. Shira is one of the three craters of the Kilimanjaro volcanic massif, the others being mawenzi and kibo and from our camp we have great views of the shira needles.
Overnight: Shira Camp 1 at 11000 feet
Day Three:
After a spectacular sunrise that reveals the magnitude of the distant snow-capped crater, we slowly climb into the alpine heather zone, approaching the Kibo massif from the west, to our private camp. Today is a shorter walk allowing for further exploration of the lobelias, senecios and other endemic plants on an acclimatising walk for those so inclined.
Overnight: Shira Camp 2 at 12,500 feet
Day Four:
the entire shira plateau greets you this morning with sweeping vistas across to meru and the shira needles. A steady walk takes you up to the pass at Lava Tower (15,000 ft), where you stop to have lunch. Crossing the Bastains stream, you will begin to descend towards barranco camp. the descent takes you along an immense canyon called grand barranco. Along the way, you will see numerous waterfalls, which are fed, by streams coming from the mountain, converging here to form the umbwe river. your camp is set at almost the same altitude as the night before. Today's trek lasts for about six hours and arrival at camp is between 4:30PM and 5:30pm. Overnight: Barranco Camp (13,000 ft)
Day Five:
This morning you begin your hike to Karanga Camp, which is on the same altitude as barranco camp.
you will encounter a bit of a climb at barranco cliff and spend the rest of the trek climbing up and down the slopes of the mountain most of the way to camp. The climbing is not considered difficult and you should arrive in time for lunch (approximately 1:00PM) having trekked for about four hours.
In the afternoon you have the opportunity to hike in the Karanga Valley where giant senecios and lobelia grow; however, you are well advised to rest as much as you possibly can to prepare you for the climb ahead.
Overnight: Karanga Camp (13,000 ft)
Day Six:
The scenic climb to Barafu is mostly on a moraine with a view of Mawenzi peak towering majestically to the right, and overhead, kibo peak seemingly just out of reach. the alpine desert terrain encountered at this point is mostly a mineral environment with few lichens and mosses. Lunch will be taken along the way and climbers arrive at Barafu Camp at around 2:30pm. Climbers who choose to ascend the peak will go to bed very early this night, as the next day is the longest one.
Overnight: Barafu Camp (15,200 ft)
Ascent to Summit (19,430 ft) / Descent
Day Seven:
You will be awakened at midnight and after a light breakfast, start climbing at around 1:00 am. it is at this stage that the climb becomes much more difficult. Here, very few will not be suffering from altitude sickness in some form or another; and climbers should carry as little as possible on this portion of the climb. Temperatures will range from -4° to 5° fahrenheit. Making your way up a path that is flanked by the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers, you will climb for about six hours before reaching the edge of the crater, between stella and hans meyer points. another hour of climbing brings you to the summit. Uhuru stands at 19,340 feet and is the highest point on the continent of africa. the track around the edge of the crater is rocky and icy. Concentrate on your feet, and follow your guide very closely for this portion of the journey.
the descent is no easier than the ascent. You will reach Kibo Hut after about three hours (around 11:30 AM). climbers will be given the opportunity to rest and have some refreshments before continuing on to mweka camp for the night. Arriving into camp at around 5:00PM, you will have trekked a total of thirteen hours today.
Overnight: Mweka Camp (10,200ft) Mweka to the Gate
Day Eight:
On the final day of the journey, climbers descend from mweka camp to the base. The descent to the gate will take approximately 4 hours and climbers usually arrive before noon. Upon arrival at the gate, climbers will be rewarded with certificates attesting their success at climbing mount kilimanjaro and then transfer you to arusha.
Day Nine:
- Breakfast,
- Morning at leisure,
- lunch on own.
- day room is on own.
- At 1800hrs, transfer to JRO & depart.