Itinerary 21 February - 2 March 2011
Day 1 - London - Nairobi
Depart London on overnight flight to Nairobi.
Day 2 - Nairobi - Marangu, Tanzania
Arrive Nairobi 0630 and connect to our one-hour flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. Upon arrival we will be met by our guides and have a short 1-2hr transfer to our overnight hotel. The afternoon will be spent relaxing and preparing for the challenge ahead.
Day 3 - Naremoru Gate (1950m) - Simba Camp (2650m)
Early start, and drive round the mountain to Rongai 3-4 hour drive part of the way on a bumpy track. Upon arrival we will meet our guides and porters, and complete the park formalities. Our ascent begins from the Naremoru Gate (1950m) and after a short while we will stop for lunch. We trek through farmers fields and into the forest zone. It is a 3-4 hour trek and 700m climb through the forest. We camp overnight at 2650m, near the end of the forest line. There is a good chance to see the colourful Colobus monkeys on route; and if the weather is clear, we should get our good late afternoon views across Tsavo in Kenya. Overnight camp.
Day 4 - Simba Camp (2650m) - Kikelewa Camp (3678m)
After an early breakfast, we leave Simba camp and climb mostly on a narrow path through the moorland, with some fine views over Kenya to the north. AS we climb, the trees become sparser and later disappear; even the heather starts to shrink at higher altitudes. We trek up approx 4.5 hours to second cave (a lva cave) where we break for lunch. After lunch a 4.5 hour traverse to Kikelewa Cave - a pretty campsite just over 3600m on the edge of lobelia zone. Approx 9 hours trekking, 1000m+ climb.
Day 5 - Kikelewa Camp (3678m) - Mawenzi Tarn (4295m)
A steeper trek to Mawenzi tarn Hut at 4295m, 4-5 hours, 600m climb arriving for lunch. Its a pretty campsite, set in moraines in a glaciated valle with good views for the jagged peaks of Mawenzi above us. In the afternoon we will have a short acclimatisation walk to a higher altitude and then back down to camp.
Day 6 - Mawenzi Tarn (4295m) - Kibo (4700m)
Early start at 7am and a 5 hour trek to either school hut or Kibo hut (camping nearby) at 4700m. Its a slow 5-6 hour trek across 'the Saddle' - an alpine desert between the volcanic peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. Upon arrival at 4700m, we will rest and prepare for summit day.
Day 7 - Kibo (4700m) - Gilmans Point (5680m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Kibo (4700m) - Horombo Camp (3700m)
This is an extremely long and challenging day, walking up to 16hrs. We get up shortly after midnight and climb Kibo for about 6 hrs to Gilmans point on the rim of the volcanic crater for sunrise. If the day is clear there are spectacular views over the savannah plains with the possibility of seeing Mt Kenya some 360km away.
We then continue across the snow around the rim for a further 2 hours for the final push to Uhuru Peak - Africa's highest point !! It is a hard hike, but it is well worth it to see the glaciers and have your photo taken with a sign confirming your achievement.
We go down the way we came back to Gilmans point, then onto Kibo and then continue our descent on the Marangu route all the way back to Horombo huts where we will spend the night in tents at 3700m
Day 8 - Horombo (3700m) - Marangu Park Gates (1900m)
We descend from Horombo through the moorland and forest to the gate at Marangu, arriving at around 3pm. From here we will transfer back to our hotel.
Day 9 Depart for London
We transfer back to Nairobi for our overnight flight to London Heathrow.
Day 10 - London
Arrive early morning