With its glittering peaks rising from the high Tanzanian plateau, this immense dormant volcano seems to watch over the fauna of East Africa. “Kili” is actually made up of three different craters; the little Shira in the west, Mawenzi, in the east, and in the center, the enormous cone of Kibo, whose summit, Uhuru Peak, set in a spectacular background of hanging glaciers, is the climbers goal. After the Climb you have a chance to experience the Wildebeest Migration in Ndutu Area.
Day 1-2: Arrive in Tanzania
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International airport, you will be met by our driver and assisted through customs and immigration formalities. Thereafter you will be transferred to Kia lodge where you will spend two nights giving you ample time just in case of the travel mishaps with the luggage and also acclimatization. Dinner and overnight at Kia Lodge.
Day 3: Kilimanjaro trekking
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.
Day 4: Machame Camp
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 savanna 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.
Day 5: Shira Camp
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.
Day 6: Barranco Camp
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.
Day 7: Karanga Camp
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.
Day 8: Barafu Camp
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.
Day 9: Mweka Camp
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.
Day 10: Kilimanjaro – Arusha
Continue your descent to the base of the mountain when you arrive, exhausted but exhilarated, will meet your Ecological Wilderness Adventures driver/guide and transfer you to Zawadi House where you will relax and enjoy hot shower. Nest morning you will start another adventure on safari.
Day 11-13: Arusha – Ndutu
On this morning we will leave on our way to Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive. Our drive takes us up 3 hrs to get to the rim of the Crater; we will descend more than 2,000 feet on steep tracks cut into the crater wall to reach the open plains of the Crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is undoubtedly the best place in Tanzania to view black rhino as well as large prides of lion that include magnificent black-manned males. It is also home to huge herds of wildebeest and zebra and many other plains game, such as Thomson’s gazelle. An alkaline lake in the floor of the Crater provides a habitat for colorful flamingo and a variety of other water birds. Massive bull elephants feed in the swamps, some adorned with enormous tusks. Later in the afternoon proceed to Ndutu where we will spend three night searching for the Wildebeest and other residents animals. Overnight Serengeti Savannah Camp.
Day 14: Ndutu – Kilimanjaro
Today you will enjoy your last early morning game drive around the Ndutu area then have breakfast at the Camp and thereafter drive to the Kilimanjaro with picnic lunch along the way, arrive at the Airport ready for your home bound flight.
