6 Days Marangu route Kilimanjaro Trekking
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Description
6 Days Marangu route Kilimanjaro Trekking : There are six established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai and Umbwe. The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all approach from the south of the mountain. The Lemosho and Shira routes approach from the west. The Rongai route approaches from the north near Kenya. All routes except Marangu and Rongai descend via Mweka.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via The Marangu Route
Marangu Route, commonly known as the Coca Cola route is more popular because it can be done in fewer days and has permanent sleep huts at the campsites. Summit night from Kibo Hut is steep and passes Gilman’s Point to Uhuru Peak. It is a shorter route with a steeper incline and less time for acclimatization it tends to have a lower summit success rate. This is the only route where the ascent and descent route is shared, thus creating more traffic.
DAY 1: MARANGU GATE – MANDARA HUTS: 8.3KM /5MI | 4-5 HRS | RAINFOREST
Elevation: 1905m/6250ft to 2723m/8934ft
Altitude Gained: 818m
Departing from Moshi a 1-hour drive will take you through the Village of Marangu to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. We will patiently wait for our permits to be issued while watching the hustle and bustle of operations as many crews prepare for the journey ahead Enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and windy trails while your guide tells you about the local flora and fauna and natural wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and quite slippery. We highly recommend gaiters and trekking poles here.
DAY 2: MANDARA HUTS – HOROMBO HUTS: 12.5KM/7.8MI | 6-8HRS | MOORELAND
Elevation: 2723m/8934ft to 3721m/12,208ft
Altitude Gained: 998m
After a good nights sleep and a hearty breakfast, we emerge from the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, through heathland, looking for giant lobelias and groundsels. Continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, to enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi. Arrive at the Horombo Huts late afternoon beneath the spectacular Kibo Summit viewpoint. Temperatures begin to drop.
DAY 3: HOROMBO HUTS
You can spend a full day and a second night at Horombo. On this day, you can either rest at the huts or take a stroll up to the Mawenzi base camp then return to the Horombo Huts. This extra day will help your acclimatization, and further your understanding of the mountains weather and altitude. After your pause, you will continue up to the Kibo Huts on your fourth day for your midnight start to the summit.
DAY 4: HOROMBO HUTS- KIBO HUTS: 10.5KM/6MI | 6-8HRS | SEMI-DESERT
Elevation: 3721m/12,208ft to 4714m/15,466ft
Altitude Gained: 993m
After breakfast, we continue on through the dwindling heathland that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. Here while we stop for lunch, and later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can examine the summit climb up Kibo that you will be starting in just a few hours.
DAY 5: KIBO HUTS – SUMMIT: 6.25KM /3.9 MI UP | 5-7HRS | – HOROMBO HUTS: 15.75KM /9MI DOWN | 5-6HRS | GLACIERS, SNOW CAPPED SUMMIT
Elevation: 4714m/15,466ft to 5895m/19,341ft
Altitude Gained: 1181m
Descent To: 3721m/12,208ft
Altitude Lost: 2174m
Excitement is building as morning comes with an early start between midnight and 2 a.m. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
We continue our way to the summit in a switchback formation through trying to stay warm and focused on the amazing sense of accomplishment that lies ahead. With a switchback motion, we ascend through heavy scree and possibly snow towards Gillman’s Point on the crater rim. You will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise during your short rest here. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit. From here on your remaining 1 hour ascent to Uhuru Peak, you are likely to encounter snow all the way. Congratulations, one step at a time you have now reached Uhuru Peak the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa! After photos, celebrations and maybe a few tears of joy we take a few moments to enjoy this incredible accomplishment. We begin our steep descent down to Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch and a very brief rest. We strongly recommend gaiters and trekking poles for uncooperative loose gravel and volcano ash terrain. Well-deserved rest awaits you to enjoy your last evening on the mountain. Overnight Mweka Camp.
DAY 6: HOROMBO HUTS – MARANGU GATE – MOSHI: 20KM/12.5MI |6-7HRS | RAINFOREST
Elevation: 3721m/12,208 to 1905m/6250ft
Altitude Lost: 1816m
After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation and team bonding with your crew, it’s time to say goodbye. We continue the descent down stopping at the Mandara Huts for lunch. Remember to tip your guides, cooks, and porters, since you will be leaving them here. You return back to the Marangu Park Gate and receive your summit certificates. As the weather is drastically warmer, the terrain is wet, muddy and steep and we highly recommend Gaiters and trekking poles. From the gate, a vehicle will meet you to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 45 minutes). Enjoy a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!!
Visa & Entry
Accesible Tanzania
Travelling to Tanzania
Vehicles rented
Safari Booked
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- Facilities: They sleep between 4 to 12 people per room on wooden bunk beds with simple mattresses.
- Ablutions: There are no running showers. Warm water will be provided in a basin for washing up, and toilets are the basic "hole-in-the-ground" type
While no technical mountaineering skills are required, you must have good cardiovascular fitness. The trekking days are long, and the final summit night is notoriously steep and physically demanding. It is highly recommended to train with long walks (4–6 hours) on hilly terrain before your trip.
Altitude sickness (AMS) can affect anyone, regardless of fitness level. The 6-day itinerary is explicitly chosen to give your body an extra day to adjust at Horombo Hut, which greatly increases your chances of avoiding severe symptoms compared to the 5-day route. Always drink plenty of water, hike "pole pole" (slowly, slowly), and communicate any headaches or nausea to your guides immediately
- Footwear: Broken-in hiking boots and moisture-wicking thermal socks.
- Layers: Thermal underwear, warm fleece layers, and a heavy-down or wind-proof jacket.
- Gear: A -10°C rated sleeping bag, a daypack for your daily items, and a larger duffel bag for the porters to carry (maximum 15 kg limit).
- Accessories: Trekking poles, a warm beanie, waterproof gloves, and high-UV sunglasses.
Prices generally range between $1,500 to $2,500 USD per person, depending on the group size, whether you book a private or open tour, and the quality of the local operator. This usually covers national park fees, hut accommodation, all meals while on the mountain, guides, cooks, and porters.
For climbing Kilimanjaro we suggest the following medicines: headache tablets (preferably not aspirin since this tends to irritate stomachs already sensitive at altitude), Imodium/Lomotil for diarrhoea sometimes associated with altitude.
Climbers may like to consult their physicians about azetazolomide (Diamox), a drug that many find mitigates the ill effects of altitude such as headache, diarrhoea & vomiting.
There is no malaria on the Kilimanjaro climb as you are above the altitude where malarial mosquitoes are found. Marangu also does not have these mosquitoes, although there have been very rare cases of Malaria found in Marangu once every few years.
If you are travelling to the coast of East Africa, or on safari after your climb it is a good idea to have malaria medication with you for this part of your trip.
We have a large stock of clothing, tents, sleeping bags and lots of other mountain equipment and gear. We do not charge our guests for mountain equipment if they are doing a fully equipped climb with us. Many other tour operators will charge per item, which can add up. In all cases, we encourage climbers to bring as much warm clothing as possible. In particular, climbers should avoid the need to rent or borrow boots.
If you need to change your plans, we can easily accommodate your new travel dates. If you need to cancel your stay at the hotel, there are no fees. If you are cancelling a climb, you would have paid a $118 non-refundable deposit per person, but depending on the situation, we are usually very understanding!
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Location / Contacts
- Address : Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- Phone : +255687590560
- Mail : info@serengetitrips.com
- Website : http://serengetitrips.com/
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