The Challenge

The Kilimanjaro trek can be undertaken by anyone as long as you have a very good level of fitness, you are determined and have a flexible and positive attitude. The ascent does not require technical climbing skills and is followed by a fairly quick descent. That said, adequate preparation planning and training are absolutely essential. The trek takes the stunning Machame Route, which is affectionately called the whiskey route!

Itinerary

Day 1-2 (Fri– Sat): London – Kilimanjaro - Moshi
Depart London for overnight flight to Kilimanjaro via Nairobi or Amsterdam. On arrival, take a short transfer to your hotel in Moshi and spend the rest of the day at leisure. A briefing and welcome dinner tonight. (Meals included: Dinner)

Day 3 (Sun): Machame Gate to Machame Huts (3000m)
A 45 minute drive from the hotel delivers you to Machame Gate to register and meet your porters. Your pace will be slow and gentle and the day will be spent trekking slowly up the muddy track through the rain forest. It’s a long day and typically takes 7– 8 hours but by the end you emerge into a clearing and the welcome sight of your tents, hot tea and dinner. (Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Day 4 (Mon): Machame Huts to Shira Plateau (3,840m)
Following a hearty breakfast you start the climb through the remaining rainforest towards the giant moorland zone. The trek today is shorter and the environment changes rapidly as you ascend out of the rainforest. Depending on the group pace, it is a 5 - 6 hour trek, during which you gain approximately 800 metres in altitude. Lunch is taken on a stunning outcrop of rock before completing the last stretch to Shira Camp and a stunning view over the Shira Plateau. Weather permitting you should also get your first close views of Kibo - the dramatic peak of Kilimanjaro. (Meals: BLD)

Day 5 (Tue): Shira Plateau to Barranco Camp (3,950m)
After breakfast you set off early as today is a long trek. You will climb gradually through alpine desert where you reach a crossroads with the option of climbing to an altitude of 4,500 metres to the Lava Tower, or dropping back down towards Barranco Camp. It will depend on how fit you feel at the crossroads as to whether you visit the Lava Tower, but if you can manage it, it is highly recommended for acclimatisation. Whilst long, the environment is extraordinary and few would disagree that Barranco, nestled at the foot of Kibo, is a wonderful campsite. Your sleeping altitude is not much higher than the previous night at Shira but this is a great day for acclimatisation if you make it to the Lava Tower at 4,500 metres. (Meals: BLD)

Day 6 (Wed): Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (3,963m)
After breakfast, your first obstacle is to breach the Barranco Wall, a 600-foot rock face. No technical or rock climbing experience is required and whilst steep, it is still classed as a trek. This portion of the trek will involve scrambling over rocks. Once over the wall, the climb becomes extremely beautiful, with fantastic views of the crags and crevasses of the jagged peaks on your left, and then descends into the Karanga Valley where you will camp for the night. (Meals: BLD)

Day 7 (Thu): Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,700m)
It is a slow, tough hike up to Barafu camp, which means "ice" in Swahili. The air starts to get quite thin at this stage and you will be running short of breath as you climb out of the Karanga Valley. It can be extremely cold at this altitude and with an early start ahead, an early night is required. At midnight you start the final ascent to Uhuru Peak – the Summit. (Meals: BLD)

Day 8 (Fri): Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) to Mweka Hut (3100m)
After light snacks and hot drinks, start climbing around midnight on the steepest and most demanding part of the mountain. Light is provided by your head torches and the moon on a clear night. As you ascend, the sun climbs spectacularly behind you, staining the sky a vibrant reds and oranges. Once you reach Stella Point, you have reached the top of the Machame route and are only an hour from Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, and the world's highest solitary peak (5895m/19,340ft). From there you descend to Barafu Camp for a brief rest before continuing to descend for other 5-6 hours to Mweka Hut, where you will say goodbye to your trekking staff. This is likely to be the toughest day that you will have ever experienced. You will have ascended 1100m (3,600ft) and descended 2700m (8,800) feet in a period of 14-18 hours. Although exhausting, you will have just achieved something extraordinary. (Meals: BLD)

Day 9 (Sat): Mweka Hut to Moshi
In the morning you will walk down to Mweka Gate through the rainforest. This takes around 6 hours. You will then be transferred back to the hotel for lunch and a well deserved shower and relax! Enjoy a gala dinner tonight in celebration of your climb and be awarded your certificates of achievement. (Meals: BLD)

Days 10-11 (Sun – Mon): Moshi – Kilimanjaro – London
Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to London, arriving the next morning. (Meals: B)

N.B. This itinerary may change due to unusual weather patterns, wildlife movements, the ability of the group and so on. We will do our best to keep to the set itinerary however we cannot be held responsible for changes that might occur outside of our control. In all such circumstances your guide and tour leader will have the final say in the interest of the health and safety of the group.

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