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Kilimanjaro – 9 Days Rongai Route

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Duration

7 Days Trek

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Tour Type

Specific Tour

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Group Size

Unlimited

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Languages

English

Overview

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through the Rongai route used to guarantee you and at some point, still is a quiet trek away from the crowds. The Rongai route is promoted as a remote wilderness experience and for much of the year it still is.

But watch out: over the last years Rongai has acquired a great popularity. If you climb Kilimanjaro using the Rongai route during the main season and your climb starts on the normal group departure day, you may find yourself in the middle of a big population.

For that said, still, Rongai remains much softer than the common Machame/ Marangu paths. It also has numerous advantages that should make it one of your first picks:

  • Rongai is the easiest route up Kilimanjaro, in certain respects easier than Marangu. Rongai has excellent peak success rates.
  • Rongai is the single route that approaches Kilimanjaro starting from the north. You will descend via the Marangu Route on the southern side, so you get to see both sides of the Kilimanjaro mountain.
  • The northern side of Kilimanjaro is a lot drier. You are so unlikely to have gush through mud and drizzle on the first 2 days.

A disadvantage is that to get to the other side of Kilimanjaro you have to drive for a couple of hours, and that costs extra dollars. So, Rongai is more expensive than a 6 days trek on Machame or Marangu. On the first day, you will be trekking through fairly open country instead of the dense rainforest. But you’ll see the rainforest on your way down. Sure enough, you will not miss out anything.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through the Rongai route used to guarantee you and at some point, still is a quiet trek away from the crowds. The Rongai route is promoted as a remote wilderness experience and for much of the year it still is.

But watch out: over the last years Rongai has acquired a great popularity. If you climb Kilimanjaro using the Rongai route during the main season and your climb starts on the normal group departure day, you may find yourself in the middle of a big population.

For that said, still, Rongai remains much softer than the common Machame/ Marangu paths. It also has numerous advantages that should make it one of your first picks:

  • Rongai is the easiest route up Kilimanjaro, in certain respects easier than Marangu. Rongai has excellent peak success rates.
  • Rongai is the single route that approaches Kilimanjaro starting from the north. You will descend via the Marangu Route on the southern side, so you get to see both sides of the Kilimanjaro mountain.
  • The northern side of Kilimanjaro is a lot drier. You are so unlikely to have gush through mud and drizzle on the first 2 days.

A disadvantage is that to get to the other side of Kilimanjaro you have to drive for a couple of hours, and that costs extra dollars. So, Rongai is more expensive than a 6 days trek on Machame or Marangu. On the first day, you will be trekking through fairly open country instead of the dense rainforest. But you’ll see the rainforest on your way down. Sure enough, you will not miss out anything.

Less

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Arrival
  • Nalemuru Gate to Simba Camp
  • Simba Camp to Second Cave Camp
  • Second Cave Camp to Kikelewa Camp
  • Kikelelwa Camp to Mawenzi Turn Hut
  • Mawenzi Turn Hut to Kibo Camp
  • Uhuru summit attempt and descend to Horombo Hut
  • Final Descent to Marangu Gate
  • Departure

Itinerary

Expand All
Day 1 (Arrival)

Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where you will meet our representative, and transfer you to the booked Accommodation. The hotel will provide all the essentials for a comfortable stay: comfortable rooms, hot water, 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.

Day 2 (Nalemuru Gate to Simba Camp)

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 chief guide will acquire the necessary permits and finalize search and rescue registrations.
This day’s trek through coniferous forest of Kilimanjaro’s northern slope to Simba Camp is moderate, taking you up to 2,625 m above sea level. 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 litres 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 headache are common occurrence on the mountains. However, make sure you alert your guide to any symptoms of altitude sickness.

Elevation Change: Nalemuru Gate (2,020 M) – Simba Camp (2,625 M)
Distance: 8 Km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hrs

Day 3 (Simba Camp to Second Cave Camp)

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 Kikelelwa 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.


Trekking from Simba Camp to Second Cave Camp:
Elevation Change Simba camp (2,625 M) – Second Cave Camp (3,480 M)
Distance: 4 Km
Hiking Time: 2-3 hrs

Acclimatization Hike:
Elevation Change: Second Cave Camp (3,480 M) – Kikelelwa Camp (3,580 M)
Distance: 2.5 Km
Hiking Time: 1-2 hrs

Day 4 (Second Cave Camp to Kikelelwa Camp)

After break-fast you will begin trekking to Kikelelwa 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 your health condition for each person of the group and give the necessary instructions for tomorrow's trekking.

Elevation Change: Second Cave Camp (3,480 M) – Kikelelwa Camp (3,630 M)
Distance: 5 Km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hrs

Day 5 (Kikelelwa Camp to Mawenzi Turn Hut)

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.
Trekking from Kikelelwa camp to Mawenzi Tarn Hut:

Elevation Change: Kikelelwa Camp (3,630 M) to Mawenzi Tarn Hut (4,310 M)
Distance: 6 Km
Hiking Time: 4-5 hrs

Acclimatization Hike:
Elevation Change: Mawenzi Tarn camp (4,310) - Mawenzi Volcano (4,510 M)
Distance: 2 Km
Hiking Time: 1-2 hrs

Day 6 (Mawenzi Tarn Hut to Kibo Camp)

This day will be spent trekking towards Kibo Summit Camp (4,700 m). The landscape will change significantly to give way to a rocky semi-desert. 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 Change: Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,310 M) – Kibo Camp (4,700 M)
Distance: 9 Km
Hiking Time: 5-6 hrs

Day 7 (Uhuru summit attempt and descend to Horombo Hut)

The team will depart School Hut Camp with its elevation of 4,715 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-hours 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 Change: Kibo Camp (4,700 M) – School Hut Camp (4,715 M) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 M) – Horombo Camp (3,720 M)
Distance: 21 Km
Hiking Time: 12-14 hrs

Day 8 (Final Descent to Marangu Gate)

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 Change: Horombo Camp (3,720 M) – Marangu Gate (1,860 M)
Distance: 18 Km
Hiking Time: 5-6 hrs

Day 9

Depature

Included/Excluded

  • 2 Nights’ accommodation in Moshi is or Arusha included
  • All transfers to the mountain and back to your Moshi hotel
  • Professional, experienced, mountain guides
  • Guides, Porters, cook salaries and park fees
  • Quality, waterproof, four seasons private mountain sleeping tents
  • Sleeping Mattress
  • All meals while on the mountain
  • Quality mess tents with table and chairs
  • Large portions of fresh, healthy, nutritious food
  • Clean purified drinking water
  • Airport pick up and drop off
  • Kilimanjaro National Park Entrance fees
  • All Government taxes and levies including 18% VAT.
  • Community Development Fund
  • Conservation Fund
  • Flights
  • Tips to mountain crew
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Laundry Services
  • Entry visa for Tanzania
  • Personal trekking equipment such as sleeping bags, hiking boots, clothes etc. (available for renting)

Tour's Location

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FAQs

How much weight of equipment will I carry?
You are expected to carry your own day pack, with only things which should be able to sustain you until you reach the next camp at the end of the day. You do not need to carry your personal backpack/ duffel pack - It will be carried by our porters.
What if I am slower than the other trekkers?
No worries about that - this is a common concern. It is much better for your body if you proceed slowly and guides will permanently remind you about this (“pole-pole” - which means “slowly slowly”). By walking slowly, your body will much better acclimatize to high altitude.

There is plenty of time allocated each day for the treks, even for those who like to go very slowly.
What if I cannot make it to the top?
Some climbers may fall short of reaching the summit, but not at the expense of their overall experience. Even for those who never reached the top, the experience of the wonders of Kilimanjaro is very rewarding.

If one or more members of the group decide they cannot continue, or if a guide deems it unsafe for an individual (or a group) to continue, they are escorted to the most convenient campsite or Hut.

Our guides intimately know the network of shortcuts to escort climbers to safety, and they are trained to act quickly and calmly under any circumstance.
What is the accommodation like during trekking?
On the Marangu Route, there are simple basic Huts. The first 2 Huts sleep four people each and the last Hut is a dome-style with bunk beds.

On all the other routes, you will sleep in 3 dome-style Tents, two people each. The Tents are modern and have an outer flysheet and large vestibules keep equipment from the elements. They are set up, broken down and carried- along with everything else- by our porters.

There are public toilets set up at every campsite, but portable toilets are available upon request at the cost of $ 100 per group for the whole tour. Hot water is provided for each person every morning but No showers during trek

There will be dining tents with chairs and tables where all meals will be served. Before any meal, we will provide soap and hot water for washing your hands.
What is the food like on the mountain?
For each trek on the Mount a dedicated cook will be part of the logistical team. They are professional chefs and have the ability to prepare different kinds of dishes. Please see a sample page for Dietary Menu.
What if I get sick up the mountain?
You shouldn't worry- You are in safe hands. Our guides are professionally trained to handle all sorts of distress and respond quickly and accordingly. They all have Wilderness First Aid Responder qualification and they will all time bring you to safety. They will directly call for an emergency evacuation if the situation worsens.
When and where does the tour start?
The tours are scheduled to start in Moshi, departing on Daily basis. However, circumstances like clients’ arrival time, activities to be done and client’s preference could affect the program. Our company is flexible for such arrangements and adjustments. Normally the program starts around 7:30 AM
When and where does the tour End?
The tours are scheduled to End in Moshi. You may also wish to be dropped outside Moshi at an extra cost depending on the place of drop off. However, our travel specialists will need to know your specific drop-off point prior to the hike to get aligned with the program
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from $2.190,00

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