Our Routes

Londorossi Gate (2,100m) → Mti Mkubwa / Forest Camp (2,750m)

Transfer from Arusha to Londorossi Gate for registration, then trek through dense montane rainforest alive with colobus monkeys and birdsong. Arrive at Forest Camp for a welcome dinner and your first evening on the mountain.

Mti Mkubwa (2,750m) → Shira 1 Camp (3,500m)

The forest gives way to heath and moorland as you gain elevation. Wide views of the Shira Plateau open up ahead. The pace is deliberately slow to support acclimatization.

Shira 1 (3,500m) → Shira 2 Camp (3,900m)

A shorter day crossing the ancient Shira Plateau caldera. With Kibo's glaciated summit visible ahead, this is a powerful moment of intention. Afternoon is free for rest, reflection, and acclimatization walks.

Shira 2 (3,900m) → Barranco Camp (3,960m)

Climb high, sleep low. Trek up to Lava Tower at 4,630m for lunch and acclimatization, then descend to Barranco Camp. This profile is critical for altitude adaptation. The descent rewards you with views of the dramatic Barranco Wall you'll climb tomorrow.

Barranco Camp (3,960m) → Karanga Camp (4,035m)

The iconic Barranco Wall — a hands-and-feet scramble that looks more intimidating than it is. Guides lead you safely up each step. At the top, sweeping views of the Southern Circuit unfold. A short walk brings you to Karanga for rest.

Karanga Camp (4,035m) → Barafu Base Camp (4,673m)

The alpine desert begins in earnest. Short but significant gain to Barafu — your launch point for the summit. Arrive early afternoon, rest, eat well, and sleep by 6pm. You will wake at midnight.

Barafu (4,673m) → Uhuru Peak (5,895m) → Mweka Camp (3,100m)

Begin at midnight under a ceiling of stars. The final push is demanding — cold, dark, and thin air — but your guides are with you every step. Reach Stella Point (5,739m) at sunrise, then continue to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), the roof of Africa. Summit ritual. Photographs. Tears. Then a long but joyful descent to Mweka Camp for a final night on the mountain.

Rongai Gate (1,950m) → Simba Camp (2,625m)

Enter Kilimanjaro from the north, near the Kenyan border. The landscape is drier and more open than the southern routes — pines, cypress, and wide skies. A gentle introduction to the mountain, arriving at Simba Camp with the summit pyramid visible to the south.

Simba Camp (2,625m) → Second Cave Camp (3,450m)

Steady climb through open moorland. The vegetation becomes sparse and the mountain's true scale becomes apparent. Camp at Second Cave, a natural rock overhang used by climbers for decades.

Second Cave (3,450m) → Kikelewa Camp (3,630m)

A shorter day to allow the body to adjust. The landscape shifts to sparse alpine desert. The silence on the northern slopes is striking — a meditative quality that defines the Rongai experience.

Kikelewa Camp (3,630m) → Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,330m)

Climb to Mawenzi Tarn — a glacial lake cradled beneath the dramatic jagged peaks of Mawenzi (5,149m). One of the most striking locations on the entire mountain. Afternoon acclimatization hike to 4,600m, then return to camp. Ideal day for reflection and intention-setting before the summit push.

Mawenzi Tarn (4,330m) → Kibo Hut (4,750m)

Cross the famous Saddle — the high plateau that connects Mawenzi and Kibo peaks. Barren, windswept, and lunar in appearance. Arrive at Kibo Hut, the last stop before the summit. Rest, eat, and prepare. Sleep by 6pm.

Kibo Hut (4,750m) → Uhuru Peak (5,895m) → Horombo Hut (3,720m)

Midnight start up the scree slopes toward Gillman's Point (5,685m) on the crater rim, then along the crater rim to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak. Summit at sunrise. The descent follows the Marangu route down to Horombo Hut for a final night — a long but triumphant day.

Horombo Hut (3,720m) → Marangu Gate (1,820m)

Descend the classic Marangu route through montane forest to Marangu Gate. Summit certificates presented. Transfer to Arusha. The post-summit integration session follows in the evening — space to process the experience and carry it home.