5days - Marangu Route

Day 1 - Marangu to Mandara Hut 9,000 feet
After breakfast, packing is completed and vehicles will take your party to the park entrance, roughly 4 miles from Marangu Hotel. Formalities over at the Park entrance you enter the rain forest for a gentle 3 hour walk to Mandara. This can be done much faster but it is the first day of your climb and there is absolutely no point in rushing it. The slower the better for the eventual success of your safari. It is worth the gentle walk to enjoy the beauty of the scenery. Whenever you feel like it you can stop for your packed lunch. Once you do reach the hut it is likely that you will have time on your hands before the evening. You may like to walk to the Maundi Crater at the upper edge of the rain forest, about half an hour's walk from the hut, which is very pretty and from where you can obtain some lovely views. In the evening a cooked meal will be prepared in the modern and comfortable huts, lit by solar power; and the following morning you will be awoken with a cup of tea, and warm water will be provided for washing.

Day 2 - Mandara to Horombo Hut 12,500 feet
After a cooked breakfast you will leave Mandara at about 8 o'clock. The first half hour or so continues through the rain forest after which you emerge into alpine meadow for the approximately 10 miles walk to Horombo. If the day is clear there are splendid views to be had of both peaks and also of the plains stretching away below the mountain. The vegetation around is also spectacular, especially higher up where you might see giant lobelia. As you go higher the vegetation thins and you may experience some of the effects of altitude, commonly shortness of breath.

Day 3 - Horombo to Kibo Hut 15,500 feet
After breakfast start the climb to Kibo Hut. At this stage you are closer to Mawenzi than to Kibo, and the climb appears to be taking you to the wrong peak. There is a more direct route to Kibo which the porters use, but it is not advisable on the ascent, as the route you will follow will assist in a more gradual acclimatization, and there is the added advantage of spectacular views of Mawenzi from just under the peak. Until you reach the saddle the terrain is very similar to the previous day; once on the saddle, which resembles semi-desert, you can see clearly across to Kibo Hut which seems scarcely any distance away but is in fact some few hours walk. Again, take this slowly in order to acclimatize. The last half hour to the hut can be very tiring as the hut is some way up the peak, and the sight of the next day's path can be pretty daunting, but most people recover some strength after a few hours rest.

Day 4 - Kibo Hut to Summit, Descent to Horombo Hut
You will be woken shortly after midnight with a hot drink, and then you put on all your warm clothing. The first part of the ascent to the Hans Meyer cave is quite indirect, going around large rock outcrops and it is not as steep as the latter part. The surface is loose and hard going and it is very important to pace yourself. After the cave the scree slope becomes extremely steep and you have to climb in a zig-zag fashion. It takes an average of 6 hours to cover the 4 miles from Kibo Hut to Gillman's Point on the crater rim. If you are lucky you will see a fiery sunrise from behind Mawenzi. Gillman's Point, at 18,635 feet is acknowledged to be the top and you will receive a certificate from the Park authorities for reaching it. From here, there are splendid views of the ice cliffs across the crater. After a rest, if you feel able, if weather and time permit, and, most importantly, if your guide says it is possible, you can attempt to reach Uhuru Peak around the crater rim. This is about another one and a half to two hours' walk. If you reach Uhuru you will get a different, gold, certificate, and the satisfaction of having reached the roof of Africa! The descent that follows is, in some ways, as difficult as the ascent. You will be tired, and the slope has lost none of its steepness. Back at Kibo Hut you will have a rest, take off a lot of your warm clothing, which will be packed, into your kit bags. The you will continue to Horombo Hut, this time by the more direct route. This is a long and tiring day and you will be sure to sleep well.

Day 5 - Horombo Hut to the Park Gate
Today you complete the trip back to the Park Gate, still going slowly so as not to sprain an ankle nor twist a knee. At the Gate vehicles will be waiting to take you back to the hotel to the luxury of a hot bath and a cold beer.
Optional day 6. Some people choose to spend an extra day at Horombo hut on the ascent. This day is usually spent walking up towards the saddle between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. The important point to remember about this extra day is not to become overtired by attempting to climb as high as possible during the day in the hope of becoming better acclimatized.

Cost of the Itinerary