Snows of Kilimanjaro

A climb of Mount Kilimanjaro is a must taking you through the mists of equatorial jungle to reach the snows and breath-taking views from the summit. Gaze over Tanzania and Kenya from Africa’s highest point. Mount Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano reaching an elevation of 19 335.6 ft. (5 895 metre).

Other names for this volcano are Kilima Dscharo, Oldoinyo Oibor (white mountain in Masai), Mount Kilimanjaro’s highest and youngest cone is named Kibo. Shira to the west and Mawenzi in the east are older cones that make up Kilimanjaro.

All our Kili Climbs include a large staff including the chief guide, an assistant guide, cook, and porters. The camp is superbly outfitted, including sleeping mats for all the igloo tents, a toilet tent, tables and chairs, and high frequency two-way radios for communication with base. Your guides provide oxygen and a portable altitude chamber for safety purposes and are trained every year.

Smart African Travel recommends Machame Route, as it is a good all rounder in terms of value for money, length of the trek, and success rate. It is a particularly scenic route, is less used than the Marangu route and is all the better for it. You ascend from the western side of Kilimanjaro and descend down the south face. Smart African Travel has an excellent success record for Kilimanjaro climb on this route.

Day 01 Arriving ,Tanzania

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International airport, you will be met by our driver and assisted through customs and immigration formalities. Thereafter, drive to Arusha the nerve center of East Africa, and getaway to severalnational parks in the north of the country.

Day 02 Arusha National Park

Today your driver will take you into Arusha National Park. Lying between the peaks of Kilimanjaro and Meru, Arusha National Park is an outstandingly beautiful area.The Park has a wide range of habitats, from the string of crater lakes where many water birds can be watched, through the highland montane forest and on up to the imposing summit of Mount Meru.Get a rare opportunitity Walk in the park with an armed ranger for acclimization and game viewin on foot

The forests contain a wealth of birds and other animals, like the beautiful bushbuck easily glimpsed in the glades between the ancient cedar trees, or the black and white colobus monkeys climbing along their branches. The interesting geology of the area is reflected in the impressive view of the ash cone and cliff face leading to the summit of Mount Meru.

You have the option of taking a picnic lunch and half a full day game viewing in the Park or you can decide to have half day game drive and return to the lodge for lunch, afternoon at leisure.

Dinner and overnight at a Lodge
Day 03 Arusha/Kilimanjaro

After breakfast you will be driven from Arusha to Machame Village on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to begin your climb. From the village, you will hike for about six hours through a dense rubber tree and giant fig forest to your camp, set up near huts which were once used for shelter on the mountain. As you make your way up through the forested terrain, with luck, you may see Colobus monkeys. Your first day’s camp is at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

Machame Camp
Day 04 Mount Kilimanjaro

You will be awakened at approximately 6:00 AM with a steaming cup of tea or coffee. As you leave camp, weather permitting, you will be greeted by a fabulous view of Uhuru peak.

With abundant bird life all around you, trek out of the forest today and up into the Hagenia zone, through a savannah of tall grasses and bearded heather, ghostly landscapes of volcanic lava, caves and foamy streams framed by giant groundsels.

Today’s hike will be about six hours in length. Your final destination is the Shira Plateau, where you camp at 12,500 feet.

Shira Camp
Day 05 Mount Kilimanjaro

A view of the entire Shira Plateau greets you this morning. Today’s route takes you steadily upward to the pass at Lava Tower (15,000 feet) and then descends toward Barranco Camp through the immense canyon called Grand Barranco where groundsels are once again encountered. Here there are numerous small waterfalls, which are fed by streams from the mountain to form a river. The hike today is again about six hours long and your camp is at an elevation of 13,000 feet.

Barranco Camp
Day 06 Mount Kilimanjaro

You will have a bit of real trekking today as you travel along the Barranco Cliff; however, this will be a light day (about four hours of trekking) with no increase in elevation to allow you time to rest and adjust to the increasingly higher altitudes.

Karranga Camp
Day 07 Mount Kilimanjaro

Another short trek and day of acclimatization as you near the mountain’s peak. Today’s hike of four to five hours to Barafu Camp (15,200 feet) will be mostly on a moraine with a view of Mawenzi Peak towering majestically to the right and Kibo Peak overhead, seemingly just out of reach. You will be encouraged to turn in early this evening as tomorrow will be your longest day.

Barafu Camp
Day 08 Mount Kilimanjaro

Your day begins when you are awakened at midnight to start the final ascent. You will make your way up a winding path flanked by Ratzel and Rebman glaciers. After about six hours of hiking, you will reach Gilman’s Point, at 18,630 feet on the rim of Kilimanjaro’s crater. Watch the sunrise and then, if you wish, continue around the rim to Uhuru Peak (19,340 feet); the air is rarified and the climb takes at least two hours. You then begin the descent to 10,200 feet and your last campsite on the mountain. Total trekking time today will be about thirteen hours.

Mweka Camp
Day 09 Kilimanjaro/ Arusha

Continue your descent to the base of the mountain where you arrive, exhausted but exhilarated, to meet your Smart African Travel driver/guide to a lodge to freshen –up till evening when you will be transferred to the airport where you will board your home bound flight.

Includes:

All park, camp and rescue fees,services of trained guides, porters, a cook and his assistant, portage of 2 bags (maximum 33 lbs) per person. Three meals a day and all camping gear will be provided. accommodation in tents, First Air Responder emergency evacuation insurance.

Excludes:

Does not include, International air fare , travelers, communication charges or other personal items, meals or transfers other than those included on the cost of the climb, optional activities, beverages, laundry, personal gear or clothing for the climb is provide, evacuation transport for non emergency reasons and accommodation in Arusha.( if a client returns before the completion of the climb)

Qualifications:

This trip is rated Strenuous. Trip members should be strong and in excellent physical condition. Previous experience hiking at high altitude will be an asset to your chances of summiting on Kilimanjaro. Your physical fitness is important to your success on the climb.

A serious physical conditioning program should be undertaken several months in advance to get into shape. Hiking hills for the legs, swimming to increase lung capacity and circulation, jogging and bicycling for overall fitness, these are excellent for building the strength necessary for the trek. The best training is extensive hiking up and down hills, putting in 10 mile hikes on weekends prior to the trip. Consult with your doctor.

High Altitude:

The summit of Kilimanjaro is at 19,340 and even with a rest day, the climb has rapid rate of ascent. We attempt to minimize the effect of altitude through our program of acclimatization. Most climbers experience some symptoms of altitude illness during the climb.

These symptoms can include headache, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing and general weakness. More severe reactions can include both cerebral and pulmonary edema, which can result in permanent injury or death. The only cure is to descend.

Weather:

The weather on Kilimanjaro is quite diverse. The climb starts through a wide belt of wet tropical forest then goes through zones with generally decreasing temperatures and rainfall to the summit where there is permanent ice and sub-freezing temperatures.

Our trips avoid the rainy season which runs from mid – March to May and the short rains in November.

Do you want to conquer Kilimanjaro ?

Then our Kilimanjaro Trekking information is a must read. There, you will find a full gear list and pre-departure information on how to summit Killimanjaro successfully.

Most climbers fail to summit because they have not been prepared well by their travel agents/tour operators, increase your chances of summiting by reading our trekking information from the first paragraph to the last.