6 DAYS KILIMANJARO TREKKING VIA MARANGU ROUTE

OVERVIEW:

Marangu route which is also known as the coca cola route is the least expensive route to the summit. This is also the only route with the comforts of sleeping huts at every camp site with solar lights and comfortable beds.
The huts are communal, and the bunks have a sponge mattress and pillow.
There are 60 beds at both Mandara and Kibo Huts and 120 beds at Horombo Hut. Bathrooms and running water are available at the two lower huts. Mens’ and ladies’ latrines are available at the last camp but are very basic.
All climbing groups, often from several countries around the world, share meals in dining huts providing a jovial and energetic atmosphere.
This route is usually done in 5 days (shortest route to the summit) but can be done in 6 days for better acclimatization. The extra day can be spent resting at Horombo or climbing the small peak of Mawenzi.

Day 0: Pre-trek Briefing

we will pick you up from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha airport and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi. Pre-trek briefing at your Moshi hotel. You should be planning to arrive atleast one day before the start of the trek. Today we will spend in having a pre-trek briefing. We will also review your equipment and rent any equipment which is needed.

DAY 1: MOSHI | MARANGU PARK GATE | MANDARA HUT

Altitude: 1,800 m – 2,720 m
Hiking distance: 11 km
Hiking time: 4-5 hours

DAY 2: MANDARA HUT | HOROMBO HUT

Altitude: 2,720 m – 3,720 m
Hiking distance: 10 km
Hiking time: 5–6 hours
Wake to breakfast and pack for the next leg. Hike to Horombo Huts. You travel through lower heath land with small shrubs being the main vegetation. Stop half way for lunch. Views of Mawenzi are amazing. The summit of Kibo can be seen from Horombo Huts. Arrive Horombo Huts, unpack and prepare for dinner. Bathrooms are available with running water.

Day 3: HOROMBO HUT (Acclimatization Day)

Today you have an extra day at Horombo for acclimatization. It will be a kind of training, and you will walk around the hut up to the Mawenzi turn hut. You will get an experience and be familiar to the summit weather. You will overnight at Horombo Hut.

Day 4: HOROMBO HUT | KIBO HUT

Altitude: 3,720 m – 4,720 m
Hiking distance: 10 km
Hiking time: 6–7 hours
Wake to breakfast as usual (if you wake before sunup you can get some great photos of the sunrise). Pack and begin the hike to Kibo Hut. The first half of the day’s hike traverses the upper heath land while the second half crosses the vast saddle that connects Mawenzi and Kibo. The saddle is an alpine desert that resembles a lunar landscape. Be careful to notice signs of altitude sickness. No running water at Kibo Huts.

Day 5:KIBO HUT | SUMMIT | HOROMBO HUT

Altitude: 4,720 m – 5, 895 m – 3,720 m
Hiking distance: 16 km
Hiking time: 15+ hours
Wake at around midnight to a light breakfast, and then prepare for the summit ascent. This part of the hike is carried out during the early morning before dawn so that the climbers reach Uhuru Peak at around sunrise. Leave at about 1:00am and reach Gilman’s Point at about 7:00am. The climbers are met with views of the crater from Gilman’s Point because it is on the Crater Rim. Another 2 hours of hiking brings the climber to Uhuru Peak, the summit. From there you will descend back to Kibo Hut, collect your things and cross the saddle again at Horombo Hut where you will spend the night. Enjoy dinner and get some well-deserved sleep.

Day 6: HOROMBO HUT | MARANGU PARK GATE | MOSHI

Altitude: 3,720 m – 1,800 m
Hiking distance: 18 km
Hiking time: 6-7 hours
Wake as usual, pack and descend to Mandara Hut. Take lunch there and continue on to the park gate where you will be met by your transport back to Moshi. Continue on to the park gate where you will be met by your transport back to Moshi. Overnight in Springlands hotel. Tips is recommended and highly appreciated and can be given to the Guide at Springlands Hotel. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates.