Crater Camp, Kilimanjaro

Elevation (m): 1800m to 3000m, Distance: 11 km, Time: 5-7 hours, Habitat: Montane Forest

Drive from the Hotel to Machame Gate for registration. Our porters prepare and pack the supplies and luggage before we start our ascent along the forest trail  through rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge to Machame Camp where we will camp overnight

Elevation (m): 3000m to 3850m, Distance: 9 km, Time: 4-6 hours, Habitat: Moorland

Today we leave the rainforest behind, and continue climbing up into the moorland/low alpine zone to Shira camp.  The scenery is much sparser and barren now, with a few small flowers and also the rather unusual Giant Lobelias dotted along the way.  

Elevation (m): 3850m to 4600m to 3950m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 6-7 hours, Habitat: Semi-desert.

This will be our toughest day so far and we will start to feel the symptoms of altitude as the air gets thinner as we reach higher altitude.  We will climb up to 4600m to Lava Tower and stop and take a short rest and lunch there to acclimatise. Climbing up to this higher altitude before descending back down to our overnight camp at lower altitude will  help your body prepare for summit day.  There will be plenty of opportunities on our descent to take some photos of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, a great spot to watch the sun go down.

Elevation (m): 3950m to 3930m, Distance: 7 km, Time: 4 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert.

We start today, with a short, but fun, scramble, to the top of the Great Barranco Wall.  We are now well above the cloud level with exhilarating views across the surrounding area.  Even though we will climb to higher altitude during the day, we will descend back down to the same altitude from which we started this morning to help us acclimatise.  We will spend the night in the slightly cooler air of the  Karanga Valley (3930m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim Glacier, Kersten and Decken Glaciers.

Elevation (m): 3930m to 4600m, Distance: 6 km, Time: 3 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert

We leave Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent trail. From here we continue up to the Barafu Hut. You have now completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. At camp, we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are clearly seen from here.

Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m to 5730m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 7-8 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert

We will be woken at 07:00 and eat a hearty breakfast before starting our summit ascent between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers. We will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim.  This is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. At Stella Point (5732m), we will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent views.  At Uhuru Peak (5895m), we will have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. After celebrating with a few summit photos we begin our descent into Kibo Crater to camp for the night. The scenery is breathtaking and depending on the time of year you will see the fast receding glaciers set amidst either sandy, desert or snowy conditions.

Elevation (m): 5730m to 3100m, Distance: 23 km descent, Time: 7-8 hours descent, Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit and Moorland

From here, we start an hour before dawn to trek over to the rim to catch the spectacular African sunrise. We then descend down to the Mweka campsite, via Barafu for lunch. Trekking poles will be needed for the loose gravel going down to Mweka Camp (3100m). Later in the evening, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

Elevation (m): 3100m to 1800m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Forest

We depart after breakfast descending down to the Mweka Park Gate to sign out of the park. In the forests of the lower slopes it can be wet and muddy so gaiters can be useful. It may be warm enough for shorts and t-shirts (but still carry your rain gear and warmer clothing!).

Elevation (m): 2360m to 2895m, Distance: 6 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Montane forest.

Depart from the hotel and transfer to Londorossi Park Gate to register for the climb. The porters will be preparing and packing the supplies and luggage and then it’s time to begin your climb. The trail through the forest takes us to our first camp at Mti Mkubwa campsite.

Elevation (m): 2895m to 3500m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 5-6 hours, Habitat: Moorland

We continue to trek to the east, where the western flank of Kilimanjaro is now visible. We camp on the edge of the Shira Plateau at Shira 1 campsite. The camp is more exposed that the previous one and will feel much colder at night.

Elevation (m): 3500m to 4200m, Distance: 14 km, Time: 5-7 hours, Habitat: Moorland

We continue trekking east across the Shira Plateau, the collapsed volcanic crater, and head to our next camp at Moir Hut, a quiet campsite at the base of the Lent Hills.

Elevation (m): 4200m to 4600m to 3950m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 6-7 hours, Habitat: Semi-desert

Our route continues back to the south side of the mountain, where we ascend to the base of the Lava Tower at 4600m for lunch and acclimatisation. This will be our toughest day to date as we may start to feel the effects of altitude for the first time. After lunch we will descend again by almost 650m to the Barranco Camp. The high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower and then descending to a lower elevation to sleep will greatly aid acclimatization. The trek to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours. Our camp is situated below the Great Barranco Wall, where we can enjoy the sunset while dinner is prepared.

Elevation (m): 3950m to 3930m, Distance: 7 km, Hiking Time: 4 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert.

Today we begin with a scramble up the Great Barranco Wall – and are rewarded with some great photo opportunities at the top! We cross several smaller valleys as we make our way to the Karanga Valley. We climb out of the valley to Karanga Campsite (3930m) If the cloud clears we can see all the way back to Moshi

Elevation (m): 3930m to 4600m, Distance: 6 km, Time: 3 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert

We leave Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent trail. From here we continue up to the Barafu Camp. We have now completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of Kilimanjaro’s summit from many different angles. At camp, we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are clearly seen from here.

Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m to 5790m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 7-8 hours, Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

We will be get up around 7am and eat breakfast before we begin our summit ascent. We will follow a steep trail to the north west and climb through heavy scree towards the crater rim. This is the most challenging part of the climb, both mentally and physically. We reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5732m) where we will take a short break and enjoy the amazing views. We follow the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5895m) – the highest point on Kilimanjaro and in the whole African continent. We will celebrate with some photos before we trek down into the Kibo Crater. We will have chance to explore the ash pit and glaciers, and may be the only people camping here tonight.

Elevation (m): 5790m to 3100m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 6-8 hours, Habitat: Stone scree and moorland

From the crater we trek back up onto the crater rim to watch the magnificent sunrise. We then begin our descent to Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for some lunch on the way. Trekking poles are recommended as we descend over rocks and loose gravel. We will celebrate our final night on the mountain with a Tanzanian dinner and a well-deserved sleep.

Elevation (m): 3100m to 1800m, Distance: 10 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Forest

After breakfast, we make the final descent to Mweka Gate. Back in the forest, it can be wet and muddy. You may be able to don your shorts again, but keep your waterproofs and some warm clothes to hand.

Elevation (m): 2360m to 2895m, Distance: 6 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Montane forest.

We leave the hotel after breakfast to drive to Londorossi Park Gate for registration. Our porters have to organise the supplies and equipment and then we head up the trail to reach our first camp – the Mti Mkubwa (or Big Tree) campsite.

Elevation (m): 2895m to 3500m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 5-6 hours, Habitat: Moorland

We leave the forest and continue to trek east onto the Shira Ridge, the edge of the Shira Plateau. At the base of the ridge is Shira 1 camp where will spend the night.

Elevation (m): 3500m to 3810m, Distance: 7 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Moorland

We cross the Shira Plateau, taking in the rock formations left when this volcanic cone collapsed. We camp at Shira 2 campsite, from where we have amazing views of Mount Meru rising out of the clouds.

Elevation (m): 3810m to 4200m, Distance: 14 km, Time: 6-7 hours, Semi-desert.

We continue to trek towards the Western Breach before heading north to our next campsite at Moir Hut. The camp sits at the base of the Lent Hills and has some great paths for acclimatisation walks.

Elevation (m): 4200m to 4000m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 7-8 hours, Habitat: Semi-desert

We head north from Moir Hut and climb to the top of the Lent Hills begin traversing the northern circuit. We reach 4400m early on, but then begin a long descent into Pofu Camp, crossing a number of valleys on the way.

Elevation (m): 4020m to 3960m, Distance: 7 km, Time: 6 hours, Habitat: Semi-desert

We continue to traverse the northern slopes, crossing numerous dry valleys as we head to Third Cave Camp. Great views of Kibo to our right, while Mawenzi rises up ahead of us.

Elevation (m): 3960m to 4790, Distance: 6 km, Time: 5 hours, Habitat: Alpine desert

We set off for a slow, steep climb along the eastern side of Kilimanjaro onto the Saddle, which connects the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. We then turn west and head directly towards Kibo, with a final climb up to School Hut. We arrive early afternoon so there is plenty of time to rest and prepare for the summit.

Elevation (m): 4790m to 5895m to 5730m, Distance: 14 km, Time: 10 hours, Habitat: Stone scree and moorland

We start the final and most demanding part of the climb around 7 a.m. on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gilman’s Point. We rest here for a short time before we continue on to Uhuru Peak, passing close to the glaciers and ice cliffs that are still visible on Kilimanjaro’s summit. We celebrate at Uhuru Peak as we reach the highest point on Kilimanjaro – 5895m. Once the celebrations are complete we begin the short descent to Crater Camp, where we can visit the Furtwangler Glacier and the ash pit.

Elevation (m): 5790m to 3100m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 6-8 hours, Habitat: Stone scree and moorland

We wake up early to hike to the Crater Rim in time to see the sunrise. From the rim, we start the long descent to Mweka Hut camp site, with a timely stop at Barafu for a well-earned lunch. The trail to Mweka is strewn with rocks and gravel, so trekking poles will be useful. We enjoy a Tanzanian dinner to celebrate our last night on the mountain.

Elevation (m): 3100m to 1800m, Distance: 10 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Forest

We leave early after breakfast to descend to Mweka Gate where we leave the park. This final part of the trek takes us back into the forest, and it may be cool and wet, so keep some warm clothes and waterproofs with you.