Kilimanjaro Crater route

Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where you will meet an Altezza Travel representative, and transfer to the hotel under the rate. The hotel will provide all the essentials for a comfortable stay: cozy rooms, hot water, polite staff, a swimming pool, and Internet access. In the evening there will be a briefing with our managers, who will also make sure you are ready to begin the climb.

Note: Check-in starts at 2:00 PM.

A guide and a mountain support crew will arrive at the hotel in the morning in order to meet you and hold another briefing, after which you will travel by vehicle (roughly 3–4 hours) to Kilimanjaro National Park's western entrance: Londorossi Gate (2,200 m). After the quick formality of acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, the group will start trekking to the first camp on your route – Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,780 m). Taking rain covers (raincoats or ponchos) with you is important, because the trek lies through the dense tropical forest, where torrential rains are frequent.

By the time you reach the camp, our professional mountain crew will prepare everything necessary, put tents and cook lunch for you. After having lunch you will complete an acclimatization hike up to 300 m towards Shira 1 Camp and go back to Mti Mkubwa, where hot dinner will be served for you.

Note:The acclimatization hike is an easy trek with a slight gain in altitude done in order to speed up the acclimatization process. You should take the acclimatization hikes very seriously. They help increase your chances of successfully summiting Kilimanjaro and save you from the consequences of altitude sickness.

This will be your first day at this altitude, so it is strongly recommended you heed the following instructions from this point on:

• Abstain from consuming alcohol and caffeine
• Drink over 4 liters of bottled water daily (little by little, frequently)
• Take a Diamox pill to help alleviate symptoms of altitude sickness. Most mountain climbers take Diamox in the morning, before they start their ascent, in order to reduce discomfort associated with altitude sickness. We recommend you consult your doctor prior to the trip in case of potential allergies.

At night you may experience discomfort associated with acclimatization to the high altitude: because of a reduction in your waking breathing pattern, your body gets less oxygen than during the day. Taking altitude into account, you may therefore start feeling sick and have a headache. Pay attention to your own body and tell your guide if you start feeling any symptoms of altitude sickness.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,780 m) – Set point (3,095 m)
Hiking distance: 2 km
Hiking time: 1 hour

Elevation

2,200 m to 2,780 m

Hiking time

3-4 hours

Distance

6 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Rainforest

An early wakeup, breakfast, and a gradual walk up to the altitude of 3,500 meters; at this point you will be able to see stunning views of Shira Plateau and Kibo Volcano for the first time.

On the whole, the passage from Mti Mkubwa to the second high-altitude camp - Shira 1 (3,505 m) is rather easy and takes about 5-6 hours. This will allow you to start the acclimatization process gradually, which is the mainstay of good trekking towards the Kilimanjaro Crater Camp. When you reach the camp, your team of specialists will cook you lunch and you will have the chance to rest in your tent or walk around the nearby area.

Elevation

2,780 m to 3,505 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

5 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Meadows

Departing from Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m) and a light trekking towards the second high altitude camp: Shira 2 Camp (3,900 m). This trek is not difficult and you will be able to enjoy spectacular views of Africa and the unique flora of Kilimanjaro and the surrounding area. Shira 2 Camp is the best place on the trip to see Mount Meru (the fifth summit of Africa), weather permitting.

When you arrive to camp you will have lunch, and after a two-hour rest everyone will complete an acclimatization hike towards Lava Tower Camp that features a 300-meter gain in altitude.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Shira 2 Camp (3,810 m) — Destination point en route to Lava Tower (4,110 m)
Hiking distance: 2 km
Hiking time: 1–2 hours

Elevation

3,505 m to 3,810 m

Hiking time

3-4 hours

Distance

7 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Moorland

After breakfast you leave Shira 2 Camp (3,810 m) and start trekking for the day towards the route's key feature: Lava Tower (4,630 m). This section of the route has a lot of highs and lows that end in a camp at over 4,600 meters. It will be hard, and you may encounter some discomfort, but in order to successfully acclimate to the altitude you have to spend at least 1-2 hours here, so this is where lunch will be offered.

After lunch you will trek a little higher, after which there is a gradual descent to Moir Hut. This camp is located on the way to the northern part of Kilimanjaro.

Note: If one or more participants feel sick, the group may refrain from passing the Lava Tower and adjust the route, following instead the road for porters. In this case you will not reach an altitude of 4,630 meters, getting up only to a maximum of 4,400 meters.

Elevation

3,810 m to 4,630 m
4,630 m to 4,200 m

Hiking time

5-7 hours

Distance

14 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

On this day you will have a rather long but at the same time easy trek. After a short steep climb out of Moir Valley you will start going around the northern slope of Kilimanjaro, and just like on the way to Lava Tower the path will be full of highs and lows, without any steep gains in altitude. This route passes close to the border with Kenya, so you will be treated to amazing views of the Tsavo and Amboseli Valleys.

Elevation

4,200 m to 4,020 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

12 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

You will finish trekking up the northern slope of Kilimanjaro and stop for the night in 3rd Cave Camp, where the route will meet up with the traditional Rongai route. On this day the trekking will be shorter than on the day before, and by this time your body will already have become completely acclimated to an altitude of 4,000 meters, which will contribute to your general feelings of well-being.

Elevation

4,020 m to 3,870 m

Hiking time

4-6 hours

Distance

8 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Moorland

On this day you will be trekking to the School Hut Summit Camp (4,750 m). The actual trekking is not very hard, so remember to just choose an appropriate pace in order to keep your strength up for the next day. When you reach the camp, we recommend you sleep well, avoid strenuous activity and drink as many fluids as you can, because tomorrow you will manage the trekking to the crater.

Elevation

3,870 m to 4,750 m

Hiking time

4-5 hours

Distance

5 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Arctic desert

This day will be one of the toughest on your route. The cooks will make a warm breakfast for you to reinforce your energy. Reaching the crater rim requires much dedication. Reaching the crater, you will be astonished by the ancient glaciers and snow. If you want, you may further climb to the Ash Pit (it takes some 90 minutes), or leave this exploit for the next day.  It is very cold at the campsite, and the possibility of snowing during the night is high. If you are in the crater, you are among the few who did it. Warm dinner and supper will energize you, but try reducing your physical activities to the utmost.

Elevation

4,750 m to 5,700 m

Hiking time

4-6 hours

Distance

5 km

Difficulty

High

Habitat

Alpine

Waking up around 5:30 you will have a rich, nutrional breakfast and enter the darkness. The chances that you will be striding in the snow are very big. Technically, this leg of your journey is not difficult, but high altitude is really a challenge. A guide will accompany each couple of the climbers. He will monitor your stamina and health. Within two hours you will reach the Uhuru Peak, where you will see one of the most amazing sunrises. Summit time depends on the weather conditions, but do not stay there for long – starting again may be very difficult because of coldness and fatigue.

Then, you will start descending to Millenium Camp through Barafu.

Elevation

5,700 m to 5,895 m
5,895 m to 3,820 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

16 km

Difficulty

High

Habitat

Alpine

The camp is situated in a tropical rainforest. When you wake up, you will feel relief from the reduction of the height and the satisfaction of reaching the summit. After a warm breakfast, you will head for the park's exit: Mweka Gate (1,650 m). After your descent the whole group will gather to congratulate you, followed by offering you a chance to share your opinions on the climb in the guestbook. Lastly, we will present you with your commemorative certificates in our office and provide you a transfer back to the hotel.

Elevation

3,820 m to 1,650 m

Hiking time

4-5 hours

Distance

12 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Rainforest

Rest in the hotel and transfer to the airport.

Note: Hotel check-out is at 11:00 AM. In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, there is the option to extend your hotel stay for an extra fee.