Climb Africa's highest peak!

The Mount Kilimanjaro trek showcases some beautiful and unique features. The mountain rises from a vast expanse of dry savannah while its lower slopes are dense with lush forest. Despite this dormant volcano being near the Equator, the caldera is covered with ice. There is no doubt that the views from its top are the greatest reward of all. From the summit of Kilimanjaro peak, you can even observe the curvature of the planet. On a clear day, the views stretch as far as the plains of the Masai-Mara, in Kenya.

The Mount Kilimanjaro trek has much more to offer than its awe-inspiring views. Embarking on an expedition to the roof of Africa is like travelling from the Equator to the Arctic. The landscape varies from bush-land to tropical forest; from moorland to heath and alpine desert.

With our experience of high altitude trekking, we strongly recommend the Machame Route for your Kilimanjaro Trek. This route climbs through the beautiful rain forest and takes you up to the barren landscape of the Shira plateau. The Kilimanjaro trek route then leads you around the southern slope of the Barranco gorge, up the Barafu high camp, to reach the summit at Uhuru Peak. The 7 Day / 6 Night Machame route allows you to acclimatize better to the sudden increase in altitude. It also increases your chances of reaching the Kilimanjaro summit. With our help, you will soon be standing on the top of the fabled Uhuru Peak.

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Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport
  • Day 2 - Extra Day in Arusha for acclimatisation; rest and recovery from jet lag
  • Day 3 - Drive to Machame gate and enter Kilimanjaro national park. Complete registrations and trek to Machame camp.
  • Day 4 - Machame to Shira Camp (3810m)
  • Day 5 - Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp (3976m)
  • Day 6 - Barranco camp to Karanga camp (4995m)
  • Day 7 - Karanga camp to Barafu camp (4673m)
  • Day 8 - Barafu camp to Uhuru peak (5895m) - Descend to Mweka camp (3068m)
  • Day 9 - Final descend; transfer to Arusha
  • Day 10 - Departure from Kilimanjaro International Airport

Inclusions & Exclusions

Trip Cost Includes:

  • Airport pick up and drops on arrival.
  • Hotel Stay on a Bed & Breakfast plan.
  • All transportation arrangements.
  • Kilimanjaro National Park Permit
  • 03 person Dome mountain Tent, Double occupancy.
  • Staff Inclusions:- One Guide & Assistant Guide, One Cook and Assistant
  • Cook, Two Porters per client
  • Crisis management apparatus – VHF 2-way radio, basic first aid kit and anon call vehicle.
  • Weight Restriction per trekker – 12kgs
     

Trip Cost DOES NOT Include:

  • Lunch and Dinner while in the town/city.
  • Tips to porters and staff.
  • Airfare to and fro.
  • Any Kind of Personal Expenses or Optional Tours / Extra Meals Ordered
  • Tips, Insurance, Laundry, Phone Calls
  • Any Kind of Drinks (Alcoholic, Mineral, Aerated)
  • Soft or hard drinks, starters.
  • Anything not specifically mentioned under the head "Prices included".
  • International Flights
     

Things to carry

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Extreme temperature variations, high altitude, snow glare & proximity to sun are certain factors which necessitate the need for proper mountaineering equipment. In order to enjoy your experience in the mountains, we have recommended that you carry the following with you.

Apparel

  • Thermal Inners - At least 1 pair of Top and Leggings
  • 6-8 t-shirts or long-sleeve shirt (cotton / dryfit)
  • 2-3 pairs of trekking pants (no denim!)
  • 1 Sweater/Sweatshirt
  • 1 Fleece Jacket
  • 1 Down Jacket
  • 1 Waterproof Layer like raincoat or wind-cheater
  • 1 pair of hiking boots
  • 1 pair of comfortable sandals/floaters/sneakers
  • 6-8 pairs of cotton socks (for day)
  • 2 pairs of thick/woollen socks (for night)
  • Gloves - liner and outer
  • Sun hat
  • Woollen cap
  • Buff

 

Accessories

  • Duffel bag / Rucksack (60L+)
  • Daypack / Backpack (20-30L capacity)
  • Sleeping bag (can be bought or rented in Kathmandu)
  • 2x 1L Bottles (to carry drinking water)
  • Lunchbox
  • Torch + Batteries / Headlamp
  • Knee/Ankle/Wrist Guards
  • Trekking Poles
  • Sunblock
  • Sunglasses
  • Moisturiser
  • Hand Sanitiser
  • Personal Medical Kit
  • Personal Toiletries Kit
  • Snacks!

 

Fitness

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  • There are three main aspects of training to focus on – strength training, cardiovascular training, and trekking + trekking alternatives.
     
  • Strength training involves training different muscle groups, so that they can become stronger. There are different exercises for each muscle group, and working them all out 2x-3x a week should be enough to help you get comfortable trekking.
     
  • Legs / lower body - exercises like squats, glute bridges, step ups and leg presses with help you develop stronger muscles in the lower body. 

    Core - Exercises like planks, bicycle crunches and leg raises can help with core stability; Pilates is also a core-intensive type of workout that will help.

    Upper body - Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups and dips will help develop these muscles. You can also use resistance bands or light weights to develop them further.
     
  • It’s vital to do plenty of cardio training before your trek, so that you can get the most out of your experience
     
  • Running - This is the most recommended form of cardio activity, as it activates a lot of the same muscles as trekking. Being able to run 10km in 60 minutes will allow you to get the most out of your trek.

    Cycling / Swimming - If you have knee issues, or don’t enjoy running, you can also opt for cycling and swimming. Being able to cycling 30-50km or swim for 30-40 minutes, thrice a week, should be good to help you with treks like EBC.

    HIIT training / Crossfit - Another option to level up your cardio training is to opt for high intensity aerobic exercises like HIIT or Crossfit, 2-3 times a week
    The aim is to get your heart rate up, so you do not get winded on long days of trekking
     
  • Hiking
    Try to get outdoors and go for a hike on the weekends! Uphill trails of 4-8 kilometres are will help you get used to trekking. Make it a point to carry a loaded backpack, and walk in your trekking shoes.
     
  • Hiking Alternatives
    Climbing stairs, and using the treadmill or stairmaster on an incline, will help prepare you for treks. Make it a point to carry a loaded backpack so that you can get used to the extra weight; and use your trekking boots, so that you can break them in and walk comfortably.
     
  • If you’re confused with all this information, no need to worry! The most important thing with training is consistency, and staying injury-free. Your training week should ideally have
    Strength training - 3 sessions
    Cardio training - 3 sessions
    Hiking - 1 long session, best on the weekends
    Rest and stretching - at least 1 day

FAQs

Kilimanjaro

What are the staying arrangements for this trek?

This format is an ‘Expedition- Style’ format of trekking prevalent in Africa. The entire expedition will be completely self-sufficient with a separate Kitchen Tent and Staff, Dining Tent, Toilet Tent and 3- Man Dome shaped tents in which trekkers will be accommodated on double occupancy. For the 7 Days / 6 Nights, life will be simple as you follow the trail, and nights will be beautiful, as you fall asleep listening to the sounds of Africa. On landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be transferred to the hotel in Moshi Town. We will be spending two nights here to ensure that you completely recover from your travel journey before we head to Kilimanjaro and enter the national park at the Machame Gate. Feel free to leave any additional luggage at this hotel, as we will be coming back here after the trek for one night, before you continue onward with the rest of your journey either back home or to a Safari adventure.

What kind of physical shape do I need to be in, to undertake this trek?

You need to be in good physical shape to trek especially on Kilimanjaro. Though distances are not much, it is important to understand that on Kilimanjaro, every day involves substantial height gain. It’s a challenging trek and does demand good physical fitness and some bit of prior trekking experience. Please refer to our physical fitness document for more details on this topic.

What are the entry and exit points for this trek?

One needs to fly into Tanzania and reach the Kilimanjaro International Airport located between the city of Arusha and Moshi Town. There are regular International connections flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. On your arrival at the airport, you will be picked up and driven directly to the hotel in Moshi Town where an Adventure Pulse representative will greet you. We plan to spend two days at Moshi Town, before we move on to Machame Gate on Day 3 for the actual leg of the trekking expedition. After the 7 Day / 6 night Trek, we exit from the Mweka Gate and make our way back to the hotel in Moshi. The next day, you will be transferred back to Kilimanjaro International Airport where you can catch your International flight back home.

Do I need any special equipment / climbing gear for this trek?

Any kind of climbing equipment or gears are not required for this trek. For list of other things and warm clothing to carry, please refer to our list of things to carry for the trek. You do need to make sure you have adequate warm clothes and very good Rain Gear as we do expect rainfall on this trail.

What is the communication system available along the way?

While on the trail, most days there is no network but at each of the Campsites, there are specific points where one can access network especially if you have your international network and roaming activated. Please check with your service provider for roaming availability in Tanzania.

What about high altitude acclimatisation?

We at Adventure-Pulse consider acclimatization as one of the most important aspects of trekking / climbing a mountain and spend enough time to do that. We move up the mountain slowly giving enough time to our bodies to acclimatize. Each day, we monitor each trekkers SPO2, Blood Oxygen Saturation, with a portable Oximeter, to ensure they are acclimatizing well. Our senior guide will keep monitoring the team on a daily basis to ensure that there are no problems along the way. Kilimanjaro is notorious for steep trails and fast altitude jumps often leaving climbers exhausted.

What are the food arrangements?

Meals will be as close to home cooked food as possible with both Vegetarian & Non Vegetarian options available. Breakfasts will consist of bread, honey, jams, tea and coffee along with eggs, etc. For lunch there will be sandwiches, fruits, pancakes, boiled potato or boiled eggs as part of your full packed lunch. Dinner will usually be a soup followed by lentils, vegetable curry, with pasta, spaghetti etc. Our endeavour will be to try ensuring a daily variety in the food that we prepare so we keep the group's appetite up along with their morale.

Will I be able to take a shower or a bath during the course of the climb?

Regular shower facilities will be available in the hotel, but while we are higher up on the trek, shower facility is not available for the trekking period.

What are the emergency medical precautions available on this trek?

The Adventure-Pulse staff and guides carry a fully equipped medical kit with necessary medicines and an Oxygen meter. As a standard practice, we check oxygen levels of all our clients twice a day and take necessary precautions if any irregularity is found in the oxygen reading. In case the problem persists, the client is sent down with a qualified guide. In case of an Injury where the trekker is not in a position to walk down, our staff will guide and if necessary carry you down. Each campsite has an exit out of the national park to the closest road head where a vehicle and a doctor visit can be organized in Moshi town.

What happens in case of bad weather on the mountain?

Adventure-Pulse usually plans all it treks during the most favorable season on the mountain, but having said that, weather is always an unpredictable factor. We usually look at weather reports before leaving for the trek. In case the weather is unfavourable, we could delay it to the next day depending upon the Itinerary. A buffer day/s is always built in the itinerary as contingency if we get hit by unfavorable weather conditions. In the worse situation, we may have to turn back midway, but safety is always a priority which cannot be compromised on.

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

Adventure Pulse Kilimanjaro climbing Team arrives at Kilimanjaro International Airport

Day 2

Extra day in Arusha for acclimatization; Rest and recovery from jet lag.

Day 3

Drive to Machame gate and enter Kilimanjaro national park. Complete registrations and trek to Machame camp.

Elevation: 2866mtrs or 9,400ft Distance: 11 km Hiking Time: 5-7 hours Habitat: Rain Forest The drive from Moshi to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate takes about 90 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. The Kilimanjaro trek begins at the park gate with a walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.

Day 4

Machame to Shira camp (3810 m)

Elevation: 3811 mtrs or 12,500ft Distance: 5 km Hiking Time: 4-6 hours Habitat: Moorland After breakfast, we leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather until the ridge ends. The Kilimanjaro trek route now turns west onto a river gorge. Dinner and overnight at the Shira campsite.

Day 5

Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp (3976 m)

Elevation: 3963mtrs or 13,000ft Distance: 10 km Hiking Time: 6-8 hours Habitat: Semi Desert From the Shira Plateau, the Kilimanjaro trek route continues to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth“. Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and stay overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for the Kilimanjaro peak summit day.

Day 6

Barranco camp to Karanga camp (4995 m)

Elevation: 3994mtrs or 13,100ft Distance: 5 km Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatization.

Day 7

Karanga camp to Barafu camp (4673 m)

Elevation: 4665mtrs or 15,300ft Distance: 4 km Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert After breakfast, Kilimanjaro trek route leads away from Karanga and hits the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.

Day 8

Barafu camp to Uhuru peak (5895 m) – Descend to Mweka camp (3068 m)

Elevation: 5898 mtrs or 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft) Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent Habitat: Arctic Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. The Mount Kilimanjaro trek heads in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, the Adventure Pulse team will reach the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.

Day 9

Final Descend – Transfer to Arusha

Elevation: 1646 mtrs or 5,400ft Distance: 10 km Hiking Time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Rain Forest After breakfast, the Adventure Pulse Team will continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). From the gate, you continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet the Adventure Pulse Team at Mweka village to drive us back to the hotel in Moshi.

Day 10

Departure from Kilimanjaro International Airport.

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