5 Days Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Route: The Classic Hut Climb

After breakfast and briefing, drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate, approximately 1 hr 45 minutes, register and commence the climb. Walk through the rainforest to Mandara Hut at 2,740m. A side trip to Maundi Crater is a good way to see the surroundings including northern Tanzania and Kenya. In the rainforest, look out for towering eucalyptus trees, birdlife and colobus monkeys.

• Elevation: 1,700m to 2,740m
• Distance: 7 to 8 km
• Walking time: 4 to 5 hours
• Habitat: Montane forest

From Mandara Hut the trail passes through a short stretch of forest, skirts the base of Maundi Crater and then emerges into the transition from rainforest to moorland. It is well worth a short scramble up the rim of Maundi Crater for your first really impressive view of the Kibo Crater. On a clear day Kibo can be seen in the distance, showing off her glaciers in the morning sun. Once in the open moorland you get the chance to see some of Kilimanjaro’s most spectacular plants, the endemic giant lobelia which grows up to 3m in height and the giant groundsel, Senecio kilimanjari, which can reach 5m. After about 6 hours of trekking you reach Horombo Hut for an evening meal and overnight.

• Elevation: 2,700m to 3,700m
• Distance: 11 km
• Walking time: 6 to 8 hours
• Habitat: Moorland

After breakfast you continue the ascent into alpine desert habitat. From Horombo there are two trails to the Saddle, the area between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo, an upper route on the right hand fork and a lower route on the left. The upper route should feel familiar as you will have climbed most of it the previous day on your acclimatisation hike towards Mawenzi Hut. This section is very stony and eroded. Kibo Hut sits in the barren alpine desert, a stone built block house with bunk beds for 60 climbers but no streams nearby, though mineral water and soft drinks can be bought at the camp office. The summit is now a further 1,195m up and you make your final ascent the same night, so prepare your equipment.

• Elevation: 3,700m to 4,700m
• Distance: 9 to 10 km
• Walking time: 6 to 7 hours
• Habitat: Alpine desert

Wake at around 23:30, take a cup of tea and biscuits and set off for the summit. This section consists of a rocky path to Hans Meyer Cave at 5,150m, a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s Point at 5,681m on the crater rim. This section is very steep with a great deal of stone scree and requires real physical and mental effort. It is probably the most demanding part of the entire route, so do the Kili shuffle and move slowly. From Gillman’s Point you will normally encounter snow all the way to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m, the highest point in Africa. After roughly 3 hrs of descent back to Kibo Hut for breakfast and a short rest, you head down to Horombo Hut, around 3 hrs, for your overnight.

• Elevation: 4,700m to 5,895m to 3,700m
• Distance: 4 km up, 14 km down
• Walking time: 7 to 8 hours to Uhuru Peak, 6 to 8 hours down to Horombo
• Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

After breakfast you pack and proceed out of the mountain, around 6 hours, passing Mandara Hut and continuing down to Marangu Gate where you sign for your summit certificate. Climbers who reached Gillman’s Point at 5,681m are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak at 5,895m receive gold certificates. You are collected from Marangu village and driven back to Arusha for overnight.

• Hiking time: 6 hours
• Distance: approximately 19.7 km