DAY 1 - 2: MOSHI
3,000-ft/914-m

After arriving in Moshi, you check into our hotel, and rest up after the long flight. You spend 2 nights here.  On your second day, in mid morning you will meet your guide for a climb orientation and equipment check.

This is a good chance to get to know your guide, who is your best friend on Kilimanjaro. He will explain how we run our climbs, and give you a full demonstration of all of our safety equipment. This is also your last chance to make sure you have all the right gear.

DAY 3: MACHAME CAMP
9,750-ft/2,972-m • 6.2 miles/9.9 km

After breakfast, you hand your gear to the porters, and then head out by vehicle to the gate to KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK. We pass the banana and coffee plantations, and stop briefly at a couple small shops en-route to pick up a few last-minute supplies.

After your guide takes care of the paperwork, we start our climb. The track narrows, and then leads us uphill for about 5-6 hours through the tropical rain forest to Machame Hut. Your tent will already be set up for you by our campmaster. So all you have to do is enjoy the natural beauty and solitude.

DAY 4: SHIRA PLATEAU
12,480-ft/3,804-m • 2.8 miles/4.5 km

We start out at about 8 a.m. and leave the last glades of the rain forest behind. On a clear day you can see your first close-up of Kibo Peak - from 20 miles away.

Passing through fields of heather, the mountainside gradually opens up. You now begin to feel the effects of the altitude, and should walk slowly for two reasons -- because that's all you can do; and to enjoy the hike. In other words, "stop to smell the giant lobelia". After 9,000 ft. you pass the first lobelia, protea and giant senecia, and reach Shira in 7-8 hours.

DAY 5: BARRANCO CAMP
12,850-ft/3,916-m • 5.6 miles/9 km

We hike uphill, past the Lava Tower, and slowly trek downhill through the Giant Senecios toward Barranco, around Kibo's spectacular south-facing glaciers. The view of the towering peaks are spectacular.

After descending through the heather and lobelias we arrive at Barranco Camp.

DAY 6: KARANGA CAMP
13,200-ft/4,023-m • 4.1 miles/6.7 km

Our first challenge of the day is to breach the 500 ft. Barranco Wall - not too tough, but a challenge nonetheless. Most of the day is spent skirting the base of Kibo peak over our left shoulder. We descend down into the Karanga Valley, and climb up the other side, where we rest up for the night before the tough climb up to Barafu hut.

DAY 7: BARAFU CAMP
14,950-ft/4,556-m • 3.4 miles/5.4 km

The air starts getting quite thin, and you will be running short of breath. It's a tough, but a rewarding uphill climb to the rocky, craggy slopes at the camp.  "Barafu" means, "ice" in Swahili, and it is extremely cold at this altitude. We arrive here relatively early. This is an important part of our plan, as we need to hike up a thousand feet from camp, so we can acclimatize at around 16,000 ft. before we climb to the crater tonight.

We'll go to bed early because we start our climb at midnight for the final leg to Uhuru Peak.

DAY 8: BARAFU to UHURU to MWEKA CAMP
Summit: 19,340-ft/5,895-m • 3.7 miles/5.9 km
Mweka: 10,400-ft/3,170-m • 10.2 miles/14.5 km

Dress warmly, because we start climbing
around midnight, on the steepest and most demanding part of the mountain. The moon, if out, will provide enough light, and we'll reach the Crater rim by sunrise, after a 7 hour hike, and welcome a new dawn. 

Mawenzi Peak is a thrilling sight, with the Kibo saddle still in darkness beneath you, and the crater's ice-walls looming ahead. We now continue to Uhuru Peak (1-2 hrs.) This is the highest point in Africa, and the
world's highest solitary peak (19,340 ft).
It's the best view in Africa.

The descent is invigorating. It's a good idea to have a little rest once in awhile as you continue down back to Barafu Camp (4 hours), and then down to Mweka camp (4 hours). This is where we spend our last night on the mountain.

DAY 9: MOSHI
3,000-ft/914-m • 3.7 miles/5.9 km

In the morning we have a four-hour walk down to the road, where we meet our vehicle, and drive a short way back to our hotel. A hot shower and a cold beer await you, before you head off to a well deserved rest in a real bed.