Kilimanyaro Expedition
Description
This trip will allow you to climb the highest mountain in Africa, the Kilimanyaro or Uhuru Peak, ("Independence" in Swahili) of 5,895 meters.
Optionally, after the expedition you can join our safari in the famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks, and also enjoy the paradisiacal beaches of Zanzibar. To participate in this expedition, you need to have experience in mountains of four thousand meters. You must also be in optimal physical condition, especially in the aerobic aspect.
Itinerary
We land at Kilimanjaro International Airport, and transfer to Arusha, where we stay in a centrally located hotel. Dinner with the group at an exotic Ethiopian restaurant.
Early departure to Moshi town, and stop at Marangu Gate, where we manage our permits. Lunch and depart through a magical rainforest to the first camp, Mandara, where we arrive mid-afternoon. Distance: 7 kilometers. Elevation gain: 800 meters.
We have breakfast and leave early for camp 2 through the same rainforest. Halfway we stop for lunch. Mid afternoon we arrive to Horombo, occupy our cabins, and have dinner.
Distancia: 12 Kilometers.
Elevation gain: 1,000 meters.
This day is dedicated to achieve a better acclimatization; we will walk to an original rock formation called "Zebra Stones, in the vicinity of the Mawenzi, and return to sleep at Horombo Hut.
Distancia: 8 kilometers.
Elevation gain: 600 meters.
Today we walk above the alpine forest to camp three, Kibo, with spectacular views of Kilimanyaro and Mawenzi. We go to bed early, because the next day we will go to the summit.
Distancia: 10 Kilometers.
Elevation gain: 1,000 meters.
Before midnight we have breakfast and start walking from Kibo to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro at dawn, while listening to the cheerful songs of our porters, who encourage us. Before sunrise, we surpass Gilmans Point, at 5,681 m, from where we can already see the inner crater. After enjoying the summit we descend to Kibo, and after a refreshing lunch, we return to Horombo Hut in the same day.
Distancia: 20 Kilometers.
Elevation gain: 1,000 meters.
Today we make a long walk back to Marangu Gate, where we say goodbye to our porters, and travel to Arusha where we will enjoy our celebratory dinner.
Distancia: 19 Kilometers.
Elevation gain: -1,800 meters.
End of the expedition to Kilimanyaro. If you wish, you can join our wonderful safari:
Our driver takes us to the town of Karatu, about three hours from Arusha. We stop to taste the tasty Tanzanian coffee and visit some handicraft stores. In the afternoon there is time to relax by the hotel pool, have dinner and enjoy local beers.
Today we travel to the mythical Serengeti National Park, and do a full morning safari. Around 1pm we stop for lunch and continue our exploration. At 18h we arrive at our comfortable cabins inside the park. Time for a shower, a good dinner and a breathtaking African sunset.
Full day safari, today we get to see what we always dreamed of and only saw on TV! Herds of zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, gazelles, lions, hippos and countless birds. If we are lucky we may also spot cheetahs, leopards and rhinos.
Full morning safari. Around 13 we stop for lunch and continue our adventure. Around 18:00 we arrive at the hotel in Karatu.
Full day adventure in the fabulous Ngorongoro Crater - nowhere else in Africa is there such a concentration of species! At 18 we return to our hotel in Karatu. Today during dinner we will also talk about the origin of mankind, which took place in this region, to prepare our unique coexistence with the local tribes.
We arrive in the vicinity of Lake Eyasi and spend a full morning with the Bushmen. These people live in the stone age, like our ancestors of 300,000 years ago. We will go hunting with them and experience being part of one of the few remaining nomadic tribes in Africa. After lunch we will return to Arusha (five hours drive).
End of safari. If you wish, you can join our exploration of the mythical island of Zanzibar:
We fly to the island of Zanzibar and tour with our guide the Stone Town (Stone Town), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alleyways, markets, mosques, churches, on a journey into the centuries-old past of this mythical place.
Our driver takes us to the paradisiacal beach of Nungwi, where we stay in beautiful beachfront cabins and have lunch with fresh fish in a beachfront restaurant. In the evening we watch the sunset and stroll along the beach.
Today we take a boat trip to one of the most popular snorkeling areas, Mnemba Island, where we usually see pods of dolphins and plenty of fish. In the evening we return to our hotel in Nungwi for another magical dinner in front of the sea as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean.
After a morning of sun and beach, we drive through the exotic local villages, and return to Zanzibar airport for our flight to Arusha.
In the morning we visit the Arusha Museum of Natural History, where we will see fossils of the first hominids found in the region, and a large collection of photographs of the flora and fauna of the country. In the afternoon we take the international flight to our country of origin.
Equipment list
- Hiking boots
- Trail running shoes
- Wool or synthetic thick mountaineering socks
- Expedition weight underwear, tops and bottom
- Shorts
- T-shirts
- Insulating layers, i.e. fleece vest and fleece jacket
- Fleece pants or wind proof climbing pants
- Pants windproof, waterproof and breathable (preferably Gore Tex)
- Gore Tex parka
- Hooded down jacket
- Balaclava
- Sun Hat
- Mountaineering gloves
- Mittens
- Sunglasses or glacier glasses
- Clothes for wearing off the mountain (4 days)
- Trekking Poles
- Headlamp and batteries
- Sunscreen and Lip balm (SPF 30 as a minimum)
- First Aid Kit
- Reading material
- 30 liter backpack
- Expedition (duffel) bag
- 3 one liter water bottles
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, wet wipes and liquid soap
- Sleeping bag that can withstand up to -5º C
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