Day 1: Arrive at KIA and transfer to Arusha City
After you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you will be met by Maasai Wanderlust representative and be transferred to Arusha City. In the evening there will be a briefing with our chief guide, who will also make sure you are ready to begin the climb.
Day 2: Londorosi Gate –Drop Off- Shira 2 Camp (2,100m- 3500m-3,805m)
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Londorosi Gate on the western side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. After the quick formality of acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, drive in a 4WD through the forest track to Lemosho Glades (reaching 3,500 meters). From here start trekking to your first high-altitude camp Shira 2 featuring a moderate gain in altitude and is not too physically challenging. Due to this, you will be able to properly begin the process of acclimatization. By the time you reach the camp, our professional mountain crew will prepare everything necessary, put tents and cook dinner for you.
At night you may experience discomfort associated with acclimatization to the high altitude: because of a reduction in your waking breathing pattern, your body gets less oxygen than during the day. Taking altitude into account, you may therefore start feeling sick and have a headache. Pay attention to your own body and tell your guide if you start feeling any symptoms of altitude sickness. This will be your first day at this altitude, so it is strongly recommended you heed the following instructions from this point on:-
Day 3: Shira 2 Camp – Lava Tower - Barranco Camp (3,810m - 4,630m - 3976m)
After breakfast you will leave Shira 2 Camp (3,810 m) and start your way to the key point of the route: Lava Tower (4,630 m). This section of the route has a lot of ascents and descents that end in a camp at over 4,600 meters. It might be difficult, and you may feel some discomfort, but in order to successfully acclimate to the altitude you have to spend at least 1–2 hours here, so this is where lunch will be. Then you will descend to Barranco Camp (3,976 m). Here you can see the famous Barranco Wall, impressive in both its massive size and steepness! Next day you will be climbing it, but don't worry: it features a very simple hiking trail.
Day 4: Barranco Camp – Karanga Valley Camp (3,976m- 3,995m)
Early in the morning, start your first challenge of the day evading the base of Kibo peak by hiking toward the eastern side of the valley and cross the stream up a steep ridge to the Great Barranco wall. Even though huge and steep as it looks, turn out to be easier than an obstacle. Then you start a more difficult hike to Karanga Camp, which features numerous ascents and descents during the route, but don't worry: our guides are experts at choosing an optimal pace for the group. After reaching the camp you will be offered warm lunch. After a couple of hours you will have to complete an acclimatization hike in the direction of Barafu Camp with a 250-meter gain in altitude, and then descent back down to the camp.
Acclimatization hike:
Day 5: Karanga Valley Camp- Barafu Camp (3,995m- 4673m)
After breakfast, head to Barafu Summit Camp (4,640 m) and make a rewarding steep hike out east over the ridge and valley through the sparse, rocky and steep slopes landscape to Barafu Camp (14,910ft). Barafu (ice) Camp is proximate to the summit of Kibo where there is exceedingly cold weather, quite thin air and you may run short of breath as the amount oxygen is almost half compared to that on above sea level. Have your hot lunch and after regaining your strength complete an acclimatization hike towards the intermediate Kosovo Summit Camp (4,800 m) and then back to Barafu Camp, where you will be served a hot dinner.
Acclimatization hike:
Day 6: Barafu Camp- Uhuru Peak – Mweka Camp (4673m- 5895m- 3,068m)
Wake up around midnight and have breakfast before you start hiking up into the night on the steepest and demanding part of the Kilimanjaro. If you are lucky enough, the moonlight will light your steps up on the northwest through the most challenging heavy loose scree and boulders trails all the way to Stella point. Each pair of climbers will get a personal guide for the entire ascent to monitor your physical and mental conditions. At Stella point, you will have a short rest and welcome a new dawn with amazing and stunning sunrise. Then continue to Uhuru Summit, the highest point in Africa and the world’s highest freestanding peak where you create memories of lifetime. Take time to celebrate with your fellow trekkers, and snap once-in-a-lifetime photos before descending to Barafu camp. At the camp, pack your belongings then descend to Mweka Camp through empty rocky landscapes, moorland and lush forest. At the camp, you will celebrate the successful summit by grabbing some soft drinks or couple of beers and spend your last precious sleep on the cool mountain weather.
Day 7: Mweka Camp - Mweka Gate (3,068m- 1,640m) – Zanzibar
Wake up and have an early breakfast as usual, then pack your belonging and descent to Mandara hut. At Mandara, you will have lunch before you continue descending through the most beautiful cloudy, foggy and lush moorland forests to Marangu Gate. Lastly, we will present you with your commemorative certificates. After tipping and saying welfare to your mountain crew, you will be transferred back to Arusha City. You will be dropped off at the Airstrip and fly to Zanzibar. Upon landing in Zanzibar,you will be transferred to Nungwi and check in at the hotel and have time to relax.
