Arrival:
- You will be collected from airport.
- Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1: Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Cave
We will register at Umbwe Park Gate before starting our trek. The small winding path leads us up through rainforest and along the Umbwe river. The first night’s camp is at Umbwe Cave Camp, at about 2,900m altitude.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Day 2: Umbwe Camp Cave to Barranco Camp
We leave camp and shortly afterwards the forests end. We can see the sheer wall of the Western Breach appearing and disappearing as the afternoon mists roll up the Great Barranco. We will camp at Barranco camp tonight.
Meals: All meals
Accommodation: Camping
Day 3: Barranco Camp - Karanga Camp
Today starts with a short, but fun, scramble, to the top of the Great Barranco Wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley (3930m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at Karanga campsite.
Meals: All meals
Accommodation: Camping
Day 4: Karanga Camp - Barafu Camp
We leave Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent Trail. From here we continue up to the Barafu Hut. You have now completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. At camp, we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be clearly seen from this position.
Meals: All meals
Accommodation: Camping
Day 5: Barafu Camp - Uhuru Peak - Millennium Camp
You will be woken at 23:30 with some quick tea and some snacks. We start our trek to the summit. We will head in a north-westerly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. At Stella Point (5732m), we will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). At Uhuru Peak (5895m), we will have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. From the summit, we descend down to the Millennium camp site, via Barafu for lunch. Trekking poles will be needed for the loose gravel going down to Millennium Camp (3790m) Later in the evening, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Meals: All meals
Accommodation: Camping
Day 6: Millennium Camp - Mweka Gate
A gentle trek takes us down through the rain forest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration.
Meals: All meals
Accommodation: Your Hotel
