Kilimanjaro

Departure from Arusha in the morning to the Chagga village of Machame, the starting point of this trek. 4 to 6 hours of walking through a dense rubber forest with giant ferns, begonias and ficus.

Little by little, the altitude changes and the vegetation changes. The rainforest gives way to tall grass and giant heather. Arrive at the camp which was established near Machame Hut. (10,000ft).

After leaving the camp you can enjoy an amazing view of Uhuru if the weather is clear. Pass through the tall savanna grass over volcanic stones and beautiful moss.

Then you will spot the first giant gulls appearing as sentinels of this foreign territory. The steeper trail crosses a ghostly landscape of volcanic lava, caves and streams leading up to the plateau. After a 5-6 hours trek you will reach Shira camp situated at around 12,000 feet.

Heading out from Shira camp the next trek is pointing towards Kibo. It is a steady climb until you pass the Lava Tower at 15,000 feet and head back down to acclimatize. The descent leads to the edge of a gigantic canyon. The Great Barranco, in which numerous waterfalls are in abundance. After 6 hours trek we will setup camp at an elevation of 13,000 feet.

You will now cross the great wall of the Barranco. It is not difficult but it is a truly impressive sight. After the long crossing we will set up camp in Karanga.

We continue in small steps to acclimatize. You will head up a big moraine to reach our camp for the night at Barafu at 15,000ft. The trek will take around 3 hours.
We will enjoy a nice relaxing dinner and prepare for the final ascent.

We will depart from camp around midnight. The temperature can be expected to be between 5-15 fahrenheit. It is a windy path to reach the foot of the Glaciers which we will trek in between. The slope is steep and the feeling is almost alien. After around 6 hours of walking you will reach the edge of the crate between Stella and Hans Meyer tips just as the sun starts appearing over the horizon.

After another hour or so you will finally reach the summit at 19,341 feet!

Then, you will regain strength before starting the descent toward Mweka Hut, which you will reach after a 3 to 4 hours walk.

The final day of trekking you will descend directly to the park entrance. The trek will take 6-7 hours total. Then we return to Arusha for a final night of relaxation at the Moyoni lodge.

Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport from the lodge.