Marangu Route

We drive to Marangu park gate, then start to hike for about 4-5 hours through the lush montane forest to Mandara Hut. Look up in the trees for the black and white Colobus monkeys. Mandara consists of a group of mountain huts which you share with other climbers. Meals are prepared by our cooks and served up in a common dining area, where you meet climbers from all parts of the world sharing the excitement of your climb. The huts have running water and toilets.

We leave the rain forest behind, entering the heath and moorland zone.  You get your first view of Mawenzi and Kibo Peaks in the distance, and you see the mountainside gradually opening up. We arrive at Horombo Hut mid-afternoon, where you can relax and enjoy the stunning scenery, while our chefs have prepared dinner. We spend 2 nights at Horombo to acclimatize. On our extra day we a take a short acclimatization hike, returning to Horombo for lunch and a relaxing afternoon before dinner.

After breakfast we continue our trek through the Alpine desert habitat. Once across the barren Kibo Saddle, between Mawenzi and Kibo Peaks, we start our climb up to Kibo Hut, on the slopes of Kibo Peak. On a clear day you'll be able to see Gilman's Point on the crater rim, a key landmark on our way to the summit. After arriving at Kibo around mid-afternoon, we relax, then have dinner and prepare for our climb to the summit around midnight.

Your guide wakes you up just before midnight with some hot tea and snacks. Then we start the uphill climb. Today's the toughest day, with the most stunning sunrise views of Mawenzi, the Kibo Saddle and the plains below. We slowly wind our way over the rocky outcrops through the scree until we reach the rim of the crater at Gillman's Point. The toughest part of the climb is over, as we only have about 2 hours to the summit - Uhuru Peak - where the view awaiting you is truly exciting. Once there, we celebrate, and head back down towards Horombo for the night.

After breakfast we start our hike down past Mandara Hut, then to the national park gate and to our hotel in Moshi. It's a beautiful hike as we pass through the rain forest near Mandara. The Tusker vehicles meet us at the gate and then take us back to our hotel for a well deserved shower and a final climb celebration.