Kilimanjaro Trek

You will be received by an Adventure Pulse representative at the Kilimanjaro International airport in Arusha. After completing the visa formalities for the group, we all head to our hotel in Arusha for an overnight stay. 

It is approximately 1.5 hours drive to to reach our hotel in the heart of Arusha. Our team will help you with the check-in formalities and assign your rooms. You can rest during the day given the long tiring journey or explore the market around for any last minute shopping.

In the evening we will have a team briefing, where our expedition leader will take you through all the necessary details of the journey ahead and also do an equipment check. This is a good time to get all your queries answered and finish your last minute shopping in Arusha itself. In Arusha, you will be able to purchase and rent some basic gear for your trek. However, it’s a very small market in Arusha with only 3-4 good shops to purchase any trekking gears or equipment.

We highly recommend you should come completely prepared for your expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro.

Day 2 of our Kilimanjaro expedition will be an acclimatization day in Arusha. This day will be extremely crucial for your journey and we highly recommend you to utilize it at its fullest potential.

• Get enough rest from the long tiring airplane journey. 
• Focus on the hydration and appetite. (Recommended to eat food that suits your diet. We recommend not to experiment with food to avoid any sickness or an upset stomach just before beginning the journey.)
• Although, it’s a rest day, it’s a good idea to take short walks around the market and the city. Keep your body moving.

Elevation: 2866 m or 9,400 ft

Distance: 11 km

Hiking Time: 5-7 hours

Habitat: Rain Forest

After a sumptuous breakfast in the Hotel, we start our drive from Arusha to the Machame Gate in the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park which takes about 2.5 hours. The journey takes you through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. The Kilimanjaro trek begins at the Machame Gate where we meet up with our ground operations team of local guides and porters. Our team will load up the backpacks, camp equipment and accompany us up on the mountain. We start our walk from Machame Gate at an altitude of 1800 meters, through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. The first section of the trail is through a wide track that merges to a dense forest trail surrounded by lush green vegetation. We continue hiking through the forest as the trail gets steeper and narrow. Depending on the month you are trekking in, you will get to see some vibrant colors of the native plants and flowers with giant trees as high as 20-25 meters surrounding the trail. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. It’s recommended to use gaiters and trekking poles to navigate some slippery sections on the trail. We will stop on the way to enjoy a picnic lunch and refill the water. As we reach closer to the Machame Camp the forest starts to thin out and we get a glimpse of the Kibo peak. We continue for a short distance until we reach our destination, the Machame Camp at an altitude of around 3000 meters.

At the campsite one can rest up in our comfortable tents or hangout in the spacious dining tents with a warm cup of coffee in hand. Dinner is usually served around 7-7:30 pm and our expedition leader will give you a brief about next day’s plan.

Elevation: 3811 m or 12,500 ft

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. Today’s hike is relatively short with a total distance of 5-6 kms. However, the total altitude gain for the day is approximately 750 meters. After passing through the rainforest, we cross a little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather until the ridge ends. As we keep navigating through the trail surrounded with heather forest and vegetation, it leads to a giant groundsels. The Kilimanjaro trek route now turns left onto a river gorge. We stop on the way to have a light picnic lunch with some stunning views of the Kibo peak. The landscape changes as we approach the Shira Plateau and you can see some distinctive dark rock formations around. As it’s a short trek, we aim to reach Shira Camp by 2:30-3:00 pm to have a late lunch at the campsite. Once we reach the campsite, you can admire the views of Mt. Meru, Klute Peak and later in the afternoon can even do a short acclimatization hike to Shira Cathedral, a popular rock formation. Dinner and overnight at the Shira campsite. 

Elevation: 3963 m or 13,000 ft

Distance: 10 km

Hiking Time: 6-8 hours

Habitat: Semi Desert

We start our hike after breakfast  around 8-8:30 am and cross the rocky section of the Shira Plateau. 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 (4600 meters), 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 16,000 ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and stay overnight. We start the day from the altitude around 3800 meters, reach up to 4600 meters at Lava Tower, a volcanic plug and then descend back to around  3960 meters at Barranco Hut. While descending down to the camp, you get a glimpse of the famous Barranco Wall and views of the Heim glacier at a distance. 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 summit day.

Elevation: 3994 m or 13,100 ft

Distance: 5 km

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Barranco Hut and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, popularly known as the ‘Breakfast Wall”, to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatization. We only cover the distance of around 4-5 kms. However, due to the steep and strenuous climb on the ridge passing the Barranco Wall, we walk at an easy pace and it will take around 4-5 hours to reach the Karanga Camp. The air gets thinner as we move higher which adds to the challenge of walking on a steeper trail for the initial part. After the steep climb to the top, the descend down to the gully is relatively easy. The Hein glacier appears closer and we get some stunning views of the Karanga Valley below. The zig-zag trail during the last section are steep which leads to the beautiful and green Karanga Camp. We will reach the Karanga Camp by 2:00 pm and have a delicious hot lunch at the camp. We spend rest of the day resting and acclimatizing to the higher altitude.

Elevation: 4665 m or 15,300 ft

Distance: 4 km

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave the Karanga Valley campsite by 8:30 am. This day is shorter in terms of distance. However, we gain the altitude of approximately 670 meters on the day. As we leave camp, Kilimanjaro trek route leads away from Karanga Valley and hits the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. The trail passes through the barren and rocky landscapes with views of the Decken and Kersten Glaciers. We continue up to the Barafu Hut on a steep trail that descends in to a valley. We can see the Rebmann Glacier at a distance and our camp at the end of the valley. 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.

Elevation: 5895 m or 19,345 ft (and down to 10,000 ft)

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 trail 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. With our higher client to guide ratio, Team Adventure Pulse will make sure you can walk at your own comfortable pace and there is always someone to accompany and motivate you on this challenging climb. From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you will reach the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa at a staggering height of 5895 meters, 19350 feet. Depending on your pace, you may get rewarded with 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.

Elevation: 1646 m or 5,400 ft

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 Arusha.

With a heart filled with memories and gratitude, we bid adieu to Kilimanjaro. As the group departs from Arusha, we hope to reunite with you on another adventure soon!