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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.
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