Mountain Kilimanjaro Climbing 6 Days Marangu Route

Mountain Kilimanjaro Climbing 6 Days Marangu Route

Marangu Route:

Known as the “Coca-Cola” route, the Marangu route is a classic trek on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the oldest, most well established route. Many favor the Marangu route because it is considered to be the easiest path on the mountain, given its gradual slope. It is also the only route which offers sleeping huts in dormitory style accommodations.

The minimum days required for this route is five, although the probability of successfully reaching the top in that time period is quite low. Spending an extra acclimatization day on the mountain is highly recommended when climbing Klimanjaro using the Marangu route.

However, despite its immense popularity, we avoid leading climbs on the Marangu route. The route has the least scenic variety of all the routes because the ascent and descent are done on the same path and it is the most crowded route for that reason. Marangu is favored only during the rainy season, where the hut accommodations are preferred.

Itinerary

Day 1: Marangu Gate To Mandara Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
After breakfast and a briefing from your guide, leave Moshi at 8 AM, drive for 45 minutes to the Marangu Gate on the eastern side of Kilimanjaro, register with the national park, and begin hiking at 10:30 AM. In the rainforest, look for towering Eucalyptus trees, bird life, and Colubus monkeys.

At these lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts should be sufficient, but keep your rain gear and warmer clothing handy. Stop halfway for lunch, and reach the Mandara Huts at 2 or 3 PM. Unpack, rest, and have some tea or coffee. A 15 minute side trip to Maundy Crater is a good way to see the surroundings

Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Mandara Hut

Day 2: Mandara Hut To Horombo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Wake at 7:30 am breakfast, and pack for your next trek. Break camp by 8:30 AM, hike for an hour through rainforest glades, and then follow an ascending path through heath land where you can look for giant lobelias and groundsels. Continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, where you can enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi.

Arrive at the Horombo Huts by 3 PM, where you can see Kibo summit. Rest, unpack, and prepare for dinner. Bathrooms with running water are available. You may start to feel the effects of altitude here, and to aid your acclimatization, you can choose to spend an extra day resting at Horombo or climbing to a base camp below Kibo sub peak Mawenzi.

Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Horombo Hut

Day 3: Acclimatization Trek Zebra Rocks To Horombo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Wake to breakfast as usual, but if you wake early you can get some great photos of the sunrise. The first part of the days hike climbs through the dwindling heath land that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. When you 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. Be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness. There is no running water at the Kibo Huts.

Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Horombo Hut

Day 4: Horombo Hut To Kibo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Alpine Desert Wake at midnight to a light breakfast, and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly after sunrise. Leave at 1 AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilmans Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 5 and 7 AM. Here, views of the fabled crater and its icecaps greet you. Another 2 hours of hiking along the crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak, by 9 AM.

This is Africa’s highest point, and you would have to travel more than 3,000 miles toward the Himalayas to find a higher peak! Be sure to have your picture taken at the summit to show your friends. After your summit stay, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your things, and re cross the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Eat dinner and get some well-deserved sleep! You do the beginning of this climb in the dark with headlamps or flashlights. It will be very cold until you start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers. This is, by far, the most difficult part of the trek. Slowly - slowly, or, pole pole, and an optimistic attitude will get you there!

Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Kibo Hut

Day 5: Kibo Hut To Uhuru Peak & Down To Horombo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Today is “The Big Day” – the summit stage. You will begin your final ascent around midnight which will be long and strenuous. Passing the Hans Meyer Cave at 5220m, the climb slowly but surely goes upwards. At sunrise, you will reach Gillman’s Point (5681m) – the crater rim of Kilimanjaro – where the sun will slowly start to warm up the land. You will have soon forgotten the cold of the night and after a further hike of 1 – 2 hours, you will reach Uhuru Peak at 5895m.

On your return to Kibo Hut, a warm meal awaits you followed by a 1 – 2 hour break before proceeding back down to Horombo Hut.
Duration: 15 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Horombo Hut

Day 6: Horombo Hut To Marangu Gate

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
The last stage passes through the heath and moor zone to the Mandara Hut (2700m) where a warm lunch is waiting for you. Soon, you will once again pass the tropical rainforest and after a total time of 6 hours trekking, you will be back at the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate (1860m). After saying goodbye to your mountain guides, a short transfer follows to take you back to your hotel in Moshi. Once there, you can take a warm and relaxing shower and celebrate your success in reaching the summit of the Kilimanjaro.

Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel