Marangu Route 6-Day Kilimanjaro Climb

Welcome to Tanzania! Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport to your hotel in Moshi. Attend comprehensive pre-trek briefing with your lead guide covering the 6-day itinerary, hut facilities, packing requirements, and altitude acclimatization strategies. Equipment check and opportunity to rent sleeping bag and any other gear. The Marangu Route huts provide beds and mattresses but you need your own sleeping bag. Welcome dinner and early rest before tomorrow's start.

Drive to Marangu Gate (45 minutes), Kilimanjaro National Park headquarters. Complete registration while guides organize equipment. Begin trek through beautiful montane rainforest on well-maintained trail. Wind through dense vegetation with towering trees and colorful flowers. Excellent wildlife spotting - watch for colobus monkeys and blue monkeys in canopy, listen for tropical birds. Steady uphill walk to Mandara Hut, collection of wooden A-frame huts accommodating up to 60 climbers. Huts have sleeping bunks with mattresses and separate dining hall. Optional short walk to Maundi Crater for spectacular views. Distance: 8km, Elevation gain: +840m. Hiking time: 4-5 hours.

Trail continues climbing through rainforest for first hour before emerging into heather and moorland zone. Landscape opens dramatically with spectacular views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks on clear days. Path crosses moorland with giant heathers and increasingly sparse vegetation. More open and exposed with volcanic rock prevalent. Pass junction with Mweka Route used for descent. Trail climbs steadily to Horombo Hut, largest hut complex on Kilimanjaro accommodating up to 120 climbers. Excellent views of both Kibo and Mawenzi peaks from camp. Distance: 12km, Elevation gain: +1,020m. Hiking time: 6-8 hours.

Critical acclimatization day that significantly improves your summit success. After breakfast, take acclimatization hike toward Mawenzi Hut, climbing to about 4,200m before returning to Horombo for lunch and rest. This "climb high, sleep low" approach helps your body produce more red blood cells and adjust to altitude. Afternoon free to rest, hydrate, and prepare gear. The extra day at 3,720m is invaluable for altitude adjustment and makes the difference between 65% and 80% success rate. Enjoy social atmosphere in hut dining hall. Distance: 8km round trip, Elevation gain/loss: +480m/-480m. Hiking time: 3-4 hours.

Leave last vegetation zone as you climb into alpine desert. Trail passes through saddle between Kibo and Mawenzi peaks - vast high-altitude desert with volcanic rock and minimal plant life. Often called "lunar desert" for barren otherworldly appearance. Landscape stark but beautiful with expansive views across saddle. Steady climb passes last water point around 4,000m. As you approach Kibo Hut, air noticeably thinner and terrain increasingly rocky. Kibo Hut sits at base of Kibo crater wall - your summit base camp. Early dinner and rest before midnight start. Prepare all summit gear tonight. Distance: 10km, Elevation gain: +980m. Hiking time: 6-8 hours.

Wake around midnight for hot tea and biscuits. Begin steep ascent in darkness through heavy volcanic scree on zigzag path toward Gilman's Point (5,681m) on crater rim. Most challenging part of trek - steep switchbacks, freezing temperatures, thin air, mental fatigue. Progress slow with frequent breaks. Reaching Gilman's Point at sunrise is major achievement. Those with energy continue 1-2 hours along crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) - true summit of Africa! Summit photos and celebration, then long descent to Kibo Hut for short rest. Continue all the way down to Horombo Hut. Long tiring descent particularly on knees. Summit: 6-7 hours, Total: 12-15 hours. Distance: 21km, Elevation: +1,195m/-2,175m.

Final day is long descent back to Marangu Gate. Retrace steps through moorland with heathers and open landscape, passing Mandara Hut before entering lush rainforest. Trail can be slippery after rain - poles help. As you lose altitude, air thickens and warms, vegetation becomes vibrant. Forest descent beautiful but tough on tired knees after summit push. At Marangu Gate, sign out with park authorities and receive summit certificate - gold for Uhuru Peak, green for Gilman's Point. Transfer to hotel for hot shower and celebration dinner. Distance: 20km, Elevation loss: -1,860m. Hiking time: 6-7 hours.