Rongai 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 a quick briefing, after which you will travel by vehicle to Kilimanjaro National Park's northern entrance: Nalemuru Gate (2,020 m). After the quick formality of acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, the group will start trekking up to Simba Camp (2,625 m). Your trek this day will be moderate and take you through coniferous forest up Kilimanjaro's northern slope. Remember not to hurry and always keep a comfortable pace. By the time you reach the camp, our professional mountain crew will prepare everything necessary, put tents and cook dinner for you.

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.

Elevation

2,020 m to 2,625 m

Hiking time

3-4 hours

Distance

8 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Rainforest

Early in the morning after breakfast, the group will depart from Simba Camp to start trekking towards your second high altitude camp: Kikilewa Camp (3,630 m) where you can see Kibo Volcano at its finest (barring cloudy weather). This trekking is more physically demanding than the previous one, so once you are in the camp, full rest is recommended.

Elevation

2,625 m to 3,630 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

10 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

Early wakeup, breakfast and the start of trekking to Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated at the foot of Mawenzi Volcano, Kilimanjaro's second summit. When you reach the camp, you will have lunch and a two-hour rest, after which there will be an acclimatization hike towards Mawenzi Volcano with a 200-meter gain in altitude, followed by a hike back down to Mawenzi Tarn Camp, where you will have dinner in the evening.

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.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,310 m) — Destination point en route to Mawenzi Volcano (4,510 m)
Hiking distance: 2 km
Hiking time: 1–2 hours

Elevation

3,630 m to 4,310 m

Hiking time

4-5 hours

Distance

6 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

This day will be spent trekking towards School Hut Camp (4,715 m). The landscape will change significantly to give way to a rocky semidesert. The actual trekking is not very difficult; just remember to stick with an appropriate pace to keep up your strength for the trekking to Kilimanjaro's summit. When you reach the camp, we recommend you sleep well, avoid strenuous activity, and drink as much as you can, because that very night you will be ascending Uhuru Peak (5,895 m).

Elevation

4,310 m to 4,715 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

9 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Alpine desert

Night departure from School Hut Camp (4,715 m) and the start of your trekking to Kilimanjaro's summit: Uhuru peak (5,895 m). The trekking will be moderate from a physical standpoint, but the altitude presents a much more serious problem. For the entire length of the trekking each pair of climbers will be accompanied by their own guide, who will be monitoring your stamina and mental resolve. After your successful ascent to Uhuru Peak, you can descend to the nearest glacier if desired. Then you will return to Kibo Camp and after a two-hour rest continue your descent to Horombo Camp (3,720 m).

Note: Don't forget that 90% of all accidents occur during the descent, including all broken arms and legs. Please pay attention to your feet, as there is a high risk of damaging your toenails.

Elevation

4,715 m to 5,895 m
5,895 m to 3,720 m

Hiking time

12-14 hours

Distance

21 km

Difficulty

High

Habitat

Arctic

You will be offered a warm breakfast in the morning, after which we will head for the Kilimanjaro National Park's exit: Marangu Gate (1,860 m). After your descent the whole group will gather to congratulate you, and then you will have the chance to share your opinions on the trip 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

3,720 m to 1,860 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

18 km

Difficulty

Medium

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.

An Altezza Travel driver who will take you to your hotel will await you at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). The hotels in our programmes offer the comfort of rooms with hot showers, genial service teams, swimming pools and free Internet.
NB: hotel checking in time starts at 2:00 PM

You will meet your mountain guides and crew in the morning before setting out for Kilimanjaro National Park's northern entrance: Nalemuru Gate (2,020 m). Here, the head guide will acquire the necessary permits and finalize search and rescue registration.
This day’s trek through coniferous forest of Kilimanjaro’s northern slope to Simba Camp is moderate, taking you up to 2,625 m. Remember not to hurry and maintain a comfortable pace. By the time you reach the camp, our professional mountain crew will have pitched your tents and started dinner preparations.
It is advisable to adhere to the following rules from the very beginning of your climb:

• Stay away from alcohol and caffeine.
• Make sure you drink a minimum of 4 liters of water every day, taking it frequently and in small doses.
• The use of Diamox tablets is a good idea as it staves off altitude sickness symptoms. These are taken in the morning before the day’s climb. Consult your family doctor to make sure that you can safely take it.

 Do not be unduly alarmed if you experience discomfort during the night- high altitude has this effect on the human body. Nausea and headaches are a common occurrence in the mountains. However, make sure you alert your guide to any symptoms of altitude sickness.

Elevation

2,020 m to 2,625 m

Hiking time

3-4 hours

Distance

8 km

Difficulty

Low

Habitat

Rainforest

Early in the morning after breakfast, the group will depart from Simba Camp to start trekking towards your second high altitude camp: Second Cave Camp (3,480 m). This route is rather easy and will only take around 3 hours, so when you reach the camp you will still have ample time to rest and explore the surrounding area. After lunch you will have a couple hours to rest, followed by an acclimatization hike in the direction of Kikilewa Camp (3,630 m) on a stretch of the Rongai Route at a short distance with a 100-meter gain in altitude, after which you will hike back down to Second Cave Camp.

NB: 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.

Acclimatization hike:
Altitude gain: Second Cave Camp (3,480 m) —  Kikilewa Camp (3,580 m)
Walking distance: 2.5 km
Duration: 1–2 hrs

Elevation

2,625 m to 3,480 m

Hiking time

2-3 hours

Distance

4 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

After breakfast you will begin trekking to Kikilewa Camp (3,630 m), where you can see Kibo Volcano at its finest (barring cloudy weather). This will be a relief day, so after lunch you will have time to sleep before the next trekking towards Mawenzi Tarn Camp. In the evening after dinner the guide will check health conditions of the each person of the group and give the necessary instructions for tomorrow's trekking.

Elevation

3,480 m to 3,630 m

Hiking time

3-4 hours

Distance

5 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

Early wakeup, breakfast and the start of trekking to Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated at the foot of Mawenzi Volcano, Kilimanjaro's second summit. When you reach the camp, you will have lunch and a two-hour rest, after which there will be an acclimatization hike towards Mawenzi Volcano with a 200-meter gain in altitude, followed by a hike back down to Mawenzi Tarn Camp, where you will have dinner in the evening.

Acclimatization hike:
Altitude gain: Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,310 m) —  Mawenzi Volcano (4,510 m)
Walking distance: 2 km
Duration: 1–2 hours

Elevation

3,630 m to 4,310 m

Hiking time

4-5 hours

Distance

6 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Moorland

This day will be spent trekking towards Kibo Summit Camp (4,700 m). The landscape will change significantly to give
way to a rocky semidesert. The actual trekking is not very difficult; just remember to stick with an appropriate pace to
keep up your strength for the trekking to Kilimanjaro's summit. When you reach the camp, we recommend you sleep
well, avoid strenuous activity, and drink as much as you can, because that very night you will be ascending Uhuru Peak
(5,895 m).

Elevation

4,310 m to 4,700 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

9 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Alpine desert

The team will depart Kibo Summit Camp with its elevation of 4,700 m at night. The trek up to Uhuru Peak’s 5,895 m puts more of a strain on your cardiovascular system than your muscles as the high altitude takes its toll on your body despite the moderate gradient of the climb. One guide will be assigned to every two climbers, constantly evaluating their fitness over the duration of this part of the climb. A walk on the nearest glacier can be undertaken upon reaching the summit. The descent to 3,720 m at Horombo Camp will include a 2-hour rest stop at Kibo Camp. It is highly advisable to keep in mind that 9 out of 10 climbing accident happen on the way down, so watch your step!

Elevation

4,700 m to 5,895 m
5,895 m to 3,720 m

Hiking time

12-14 hours

Distance

21 km

Difficulty

High

Habitat

Arctic

The final descent to Marangu Gate’s 1,860 m starts after breakfast. The stop at the gate presents a good opportunity for a last exchange of impressions and memories of the expedition with the whole of your support crew. The climbers will receive their certificates of achievement at our offices before being driven back to their hotel.

Elevation

3,720 m to 1,860 m

Hiking time

5-6 hours

Distance

18 km

Difficulty

Medium

Habitat

Rainforest

Rest and recuperation at the hotel before your transfer to the airport. Hotel check-out time is generally 11:00 AM but late check-out or day-use of the rooms are available for a modest additional fee.