Leave London Heathrow for Kilimanjaro International.

Arrive Moshi and transfer to the hotel. A chance to freshen up, before meeting for a full trip briefing and dinner.

Community Project Phase

The exact details of your the community project will be confirmed nearer the time. There will also be opportunity during this time to explore Moshi, where there are some good markets.

The group who are just trekking, fly out to Kilimanjaro Airport today.

After breakfast transfer from Moshi to the gate to the Machame route. Here we will meet our crew of porters and start to climb! The first section of the route climbs steadily and involves real jungle bashing (machete not provided!) through magnificent forest. We camp at Machame camp, 3100m

The route continues on up through the forest until we are at the steep ascent on to the Shira Plateau, where there are rewarding views of the mountain. Looking back, you will be able to see Mt Meru rising high above Arusha town. We camp at Shira caves, 3840m.

Walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. We traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp at the Barranco Hut (3900m).

We start the day by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley, which is our last water stop before the summit.

With an early start to avoid the sun we walk steeply upwards to the Summit glaciers. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5750m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to Mawenzi and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit Uhuru (5896m), the highest point; Uhuru means freedom in Swahili.

We begin the descent by contouring around to Gillman’s Point (5861m) before descending on scree to Kibo Hut (4,700m). The route then crosses the flat arid plain of the Saddle between Kibo and Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro’s secondary but more technical peak, before continuing down to the Mweka camp (3000m)

A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to the Mweka Gate, where you complete the trek and receive your certificates of ascent! We are then met by the vehicles and drive back to our hotel in Moshi where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before the celebration meal.

Today is a free day to rest our aching limbs or explore Moshi.