life of EASE......spirit of ADVENTURE
Sample Itinerary:
Kilimanjaro via Rongai route
(Five days)
Day 1
Breakfast at your hotel is served from 0700. Please ensure that you have packed your bags before breakfast, have signed over your extra luggage that will not be required on the mountain to reception, and have deposited your valuables into the hotel’s safe.
Transfer and Registration. You will normally be collected at 0730 from your hotel. Your driver will transfer you to Marangu Gate where we complete registration formalities. Climbers should have their passport numbers for their registry entries but are advised to have kept their passports and valuables in the hotel safe (excluding the amount they will budget for tipping their crew). Climbers under 16 years of age, however are required to present their passports to the KINAPA gate staff as proof of their eligibility to climb on a concessionary permit. Failure to do this will result in a cash surcharge being imposed by KINAPA per under-16 climber.
From Marangu we transfer to Naro Moru, north east Kilimanjaro, a further 68km and 2 hours 20 minutes on bad roads. Depending on the progress of your transit the guide will designate a suitable location for lunch, usually en route to Naro Moru near to Tarakea. Please note that following any transfer it is customary to tip the driver, $5 - $10 per group is usual.
Around 1400 we start trekking from the Rongai Start Point at 1996m, located 600 metres south west of the Naro Moru junction. Today we ascend to Simba Camp at 2626m, a trek of 6.7km. It is usual to arrive in camp shortly before sunset but in the event of road obstacles, recent road damage caused by rains or unforeseen delays, climbers are advised to carry their headtorches in their daysacks.
Day 2
Simba Camp to 3482m for lunch at Second Caves, a distance of 5.8km from Simba. After lunch we trek a further 6.0km to Kikelewa Camp 3679m, for overnight. It is not uncommon to experience a mild headache today though this usually abates within some 2 hours of arriving in camp. Please discuss this with your guide if your headache becomes persistent or intensifies.
Day 3
Today, initially we travel only a short distance of 3.7km, and while gaining only 624 metres in altitude from Kikelewa to Mawenzi Tarn at 4303m for lunch (some 320 metres higher than on the corresponding day on the Machame Route). We set up the lunch stop close to the water feature nestled between two spurs on the western side of Mawenzi.
After lunch we surmount Mawenzi’s north west ridge and move around the north western flanks of Mawenzi, crossing onto the high eastern edge of the Plateau, from where some of the rarest, clearest and most dramatic views of both peaks can be had. If you request your guide to take the higher left hand trail past Mawenzi, you will pass within just 820 linear metres of Mawenzi’s summit (5148m). The highest point on this excursion is 4614m and you will have covered 3.6km in distance to reach this from your start point this morning. From here we descend a distance of 8.0km to the tent site at Third Caves Camp to overnight at 3936m.
Day 4
After gently traversing the eastern slopes of Kilimanjaro yesterday, today we start the more challenging trek upwards from 3rd Caves Camp (3936m) to School Hut (4722m). Although a shorter distance than yesterday, we still have a 751m height gain. Distance = 4.9km.
Aim to get to sleep as soon as possible as you will be woken at around 2300-0000 to begin your summit ascent. Don’t worry about waking yourself for meals - your staff will wake you for these. You probably won’t feel like eating but please try to do so as your body needs the fuel. You are advised to get all your gear ready for the summit bid before you go to sleep as you may feel disoriented when awoken.
Day 5
Around midnight of Day 5 (your guide will judge the time that is optimal for you based on your pace thus far) quit camp for the assault via Gillman’s Point (5708m) to the summit. Tonight is very difficult - particularly the final few hundred meters, and you’ll need to draw on inner strength to help you achieve the summit.
Avoiding loose scree slopes above Kibo Hut, we ascend from School Hut (4722m) via Hans Meyer Cave (5243m) and Gillman’s Point (5708m), to Uhuru Peak (5895m).
When you reach Gillman’s Point you will sit and rest. Remember that you are only 187 vertical metres short of the summit (via Stella Point), and the journey from here is much less steep, with plenty of time for rests. Most people feel that resting and some fluid is enough for them find hidden reserves for a final push.
On the summit your guide will advise how much time you can spend there in consideration of your condition, your timings, and the weather. The brain does not always function very clearly at this altitude so please remember to take many photographs in all directions to make sure your capture and record your memories.
From the summit you will turn around and descend to Stella Point. From Stella we now follow the ridge line along to Gilman’s Point, and descend using the Rongai’s normal ascent route.
At Kibo Huts we have a short refreshment break before continuing to Horombo (3705m) for further refreshments and a rest before heading down via Mandara Huts (2715m) to Marangu Gate (1860m) for a late exit from the mountain. The trek from Horombo Huts to Marangu Gate is along well maintained trails. (Horombo to Mandara is 11.6km and Mandara to Marangu Gate is 8.1km). This is the standard Rongai descent route and the Marangu ascent and descent route.
Distances on summit day:
School Hut to Summit via Gillman’s Point: 5.4km
Summit to Gillman’s Point: 2.0km Gillman’s Point to Kibo Huts: 3.4km
Kibo Huts to Horombo: 9.6km
Horombo Huts, via Mandara Huts to Marangu Gate: 19.7km
Total summit day’s distance: 40.1km
At Marangu Gate it is customary for climbers to tip their support staff. Ordinarily tips are collected by one of the climbers and the total amount is handed to the chief guide who himself decides how the amount should be divided amongst the rest of the crew according to a customary scale that is determined by the responsibilities and experience of each staff member. All our chief guides are thoroughly honest and fair in this regard and it is not necessary for climbers to hand out individual envelopes to each porter, cook and assistant guide, unless they specifically wish to do so. Climbers nowadays tend to tip their support crew 10-15% of what they have paid for their climb.
Arriving at Marangu Gate we sign the Register and you will receive your Certificate if Achievement before being collected and driven back to your hotel.
PLEASE NOTE: Your safety is our business. All our Mountain Guides are highly trained in guiding at altitude and hold relevant, current First Aid Qualifications. In all matters of safety the decision of the Chief Guide is final.