MARANGU CLIMB

6 day trekking tour with accommodation in mountain huts + 2 nights hotel stay

Nicknamed the ‘Coca cola’ route, Marangu is the classic and oldest route up Mount Kilimanjaro. It is also the only route where hikers overnight in rustic huts and not in tents, so a good choice in the wet season. The ascent is constant and moderate but the section towards Uhuru peak is difficult. The route follows the same path up and down. Available as a scheduled departure (Fridays only) it can be booked as a private departure (any day) whereby you choose your own team mates.

Highlights

Day 1

Start: Marangu Gate (1860 m)
Finish: Mandara Hut (2700 m)
Altitude: ↑ 840 m
Walking time: 3-4h

The trail starts in the moist forest. Huge trees, birds and monkeys.


Day 2

Start: Mandara Hut (2700 m)
Finish: Horombo Hut (3700 m)
Altitude: ↑ 1000 m
Walking time: 5-6h

Vegetation changes with more senecia and lobelia.


Day 3

Start: Horombo Hut (3700m)
Finish: Horombo Hut (3700m)
Altitude: ↑400m  ↓400m
Walking time:  4h

Hike to Zebra rocks and back. This will help against altitude sickness.


Day 4

Start: Horombo Hut (3700 m)
Finish: Kibo Hut (4700 m)
Altitude: ↑ 1000 m
Walking time: 5-6h

Less plants, more rock. Almost a moon landscape crossing the Saddle to Kibo Hut.


Day 5

Start: Kibo Hut (4700 m)
Finish: Uhuru Peak (5895 m) – Horombo Hut (3080 m)
Altitude: ↑ 1195 m ↓ 2195 m
Walking time: 10-13h

Summit day. Start at midnight to arrive at Gilman´s Point at dawn. On to Uhuru and descend to Horombo huts.


Day 6

Start: Horombo Hut (3080 m)
Finish: Marangu Gate (1860 m)
Altitude: ↓ 1840 m
Walking time: 4-6h

Descent through the rainforest to the park gate.

Itinerary

Kilimanjaro Airport – Usa River

You will be met at Kilimanjaro Airport by our friendly transfer driver who will bring you to the Meru View Lodge in Usa River. The rest of the day is free to rest, swim in the pool or explore the town of Arusha. Later you will meet our operations team. They will conduct a pre-climb briefing and explain safety procedures, share tips and have a look at your equipment to see if everything is in order. Tonight you will dine at the lodge.

Dinner


Day 1 Usa River – Marangu Gate (1860 m) – Mandara Hut (2700 m)

Gear, food, equipment and backpacks will be loaded after breakfast and you will set off to Marangu Gate (1860 m) in the Kilimanjaro National Park. After registering at the park authorities you will start your trek through the forest. Gradually walking uphill, you will see and hear birds and monkeys, maybe spotting black and white colobus monkeys. You should reach Mandara Hut (2700 m) after about four hours walking. The rest of the day is free; relax or walk to the Maundi Crater to look out towards Kenya. Supper tonight will be a hot cooked meal with soup, meat and vegetables.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 2 Mandara Hut (2700 m) – Horombo Hut (3700 m)

Up early today. After breakfast you will ascend above the treeline and notice how the vegetation changes with the higher altitude. More scrubs, less trees. Today’s section will take between four and six hours before you will reach Horombu hut. This overnight spot has great views of the Mawenzi and Kibo peaks and towards the Masai plains.
Have a cup of hot tea and a snack when you arrive and rest for the rest of the afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 3 Horombo Hut (3700 m) – Zebra Rocks (4020 m) – Horombo Hut (3700 m)

Today will be a return trip to Zebra Rocks. Ascending to higher altitude will help your body adapt to the height according to high altitude trekkers’ motto of “climb-high, sleep-low”. Acclimatisation is important to prevent altitude sickness. So, after a leisurely breakfast you will head out towards the aptly named Zebra Rocks. After about four hours you will return to the hut where a hot lunch waits. Rest and drink enough water as this will also help your body cope with the altitude.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 4 Horombo Hut (3700 m) – Kibo Hut (4700 m)

Today will be a long day. You will pass the ominous-sounding ‘Last Waterpoint’ and then cross the Saddle. This piece of rock is actually a lava-flow formed when Kili was still young. It has now solidified and connects two of Mount Kilimanjaro’s three peaks, Mawenzi and Kibo. After about six hours of hard work, you will reach Kibo hut where hot drinks will be waiting. Eat as much as you can, drink lots of water and go to sleep early as you will need to wake up around midnight to start your summit attempt.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 5 Kibo Hut (4700 m) – Uhuru Peak (5895 m) – Horombo Hut (3700 m)

It will still be dark when you will be woken up with hot tea and some biscuits. Put on your warmest gear and headlamp and follow the string of lights slowly ascending towards the top of Kilimanjaro. The volcanic ash will be frozen and with the guide’s encouragement you will pass Hans Meyer cave at 5 200 m. A few hours later – at around sunrise – you will reach Gilman’s Point (5681 m) on the edge of the crater. Well done! Keep going for one to two hours and you will reach the top. Uhuru peak at 5895 m is the highest point on the Kilimanjaro Massiv. You will have a few minutes for photos and hugs, before the descent starts along the same path. It will be dusty now as the ash will be defrosting. Soon you might start to feel relieve of the altitude and cold and before long you will be at Kibo hut (4700 m) where a hot meal waits. You will rest for an hour before continuing downhill. After a few hours you will reach Horombo Hut (3700 m). Here you will have supper and stay for the night.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 6 Horombo Hut (3700 m) – Marangu Gate (1860 m) – Usa River

Feeling a bit stiff? This is your last day on the mountain. The last stretch passes through heather and shrubs to Mandara Hut at 2700 m. You will rest and have a hot lunch here. Now you will descend into the forest with its cool, moist air. After about six hours hiking, you will reach the park gate (1860 m) and say goodbye to the porters and cooks. You driver will now return you to the lodge where fresh clothes, hot showers and something cool to drink will be waiting. You will have supper at the lodge tonight to celebrate your adventure.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Usa River – Kilimanjaro Airport

You will have breakfast at the hotel before your transfer to the airport. From here you can fly back home or continue to Zanzibar for a few days at the beach. Another option is to join a safari in Tanzania.

Breakfast

Price includes:

  • Trekking tour according to the itinerary
  • Accommodation in huts and hotels as indicated in the itinerary
  • Professional English-speaking guide
  • Personal porter
  • Meals as indicated in the itinerary
  • Drinking water
  • Transfers as indicated in the itinerary
  • National park fees
  • Rescue fees

Price excludes:

  • Flights (international and domestic)
  • Meals not indicated in the itinerary
  • Beverages other than water (alcohol and soft drinks)
  • Visa, tips, personal expenses, travel insurance
  • Sleeping bag (can be rented at an additional cost, please inform us at the time of the booking)

 

FAQ

  • The group size is the client’s decision and can vary from a solo hiker to a group of over 50 guests.
  • On a private climb, you choose you hiking partners. You will not be teamed up with strangers.
  • As per the national park authorities, the minimum age for climbing Kilimanjaro is 10 years but seeing that children are more prone to altitude sickness than adults, we recommend a minimum age of 14 to 16 years. There is no maximum age restriction, but a medical check-up is advisable for people over the age of 60.
  • Kilimanjaro is one of the few mountains of its height, than can be summited without mountaineering skills or experience. You should however be healthy and fit enough to manage the 4-6 hour hike each day, as well as the 12-14 hour hike on the day of the summit. For the last stretch, much endurance and willpower is needed.
  • Generally yes. We however discourage any attempts during the main rainy season (end of March to beginning of June). During the short rainy season (November), daily short rainfalls and cloudy views can be expected. From December until the end of February, temperatures are at their highest and rainfall is at its minimum. The best time to travel is between the end of June and the middle of October, when temperatures are a little lower and there is almost no rain.

The Marangu route, also known as the Coca-Cola Route is considered to be the easiest path up the mountain. You will overnight in mountain huts opposed to sleeping in tents like on all other routes. Protected from bad weather conditions, this type of accommodation allows you to rest when you need it most and this might give you a better chance of reaching the summit. Both ascent and descent follow the same route where you will meet other groups hiking in opposite directions.

  • The group will sleep in rustic timber huts with dormitory style bedrooms and stacking beds.
  • There are no ablution facilities except for basic long-drops (very simple latrines), but on private climbs mobile chemical toilets are included.
  • Fresh water will be collected from the available sources on the mountain and is boiled before it’s served. Porters will carry water in canisters for the higher areas, where no more fresh water is available. All meals are freshly prepared by your cook.
  • Meals are included as indicated in the itinerary.
  • Breakfast usually consists of fruit, scrambled eggs, porridge, toast and jam, hot chocolate, coffee or tea. For lunch you are usually provided with a lunch box that contains sandwiches, boiled eggs, chicken etc.
  • For dinner you will be served a soup and bread followed by the main course that either consists of red meat or poultry served with some sort of starch (chips, mashed potatoes, pasta or rice) and vegetables. For dessert you will get fresh fruit, hot chocolate, coffee or tea and milk.
  • Breakfast and dinner are served in a mess hall that is equipped with tables and benches while lunch is enjoyed en-route.
  • We are able to provide meals for vegetarians or people with other dietary requirements or food allergies but we need to know in advance in order to cater for special requests.
  • Almost every hiker attempting Kilimanjaro will notice the altitude and the thinner air. Fitness fanatics are just as likely to suffer from it as couch potatoes. Symptoms include headaches that are often accompanied by fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea. More often than not, symptoms are mild, allowing you to continue to ascend. Occasionally the symptoms are more severe and a rapid descent is required, after which your body tends to recover quite quickly. Please keep in mind, that severe altitude sickness can be life threatening and it may even lead to death. We do not recommend the use of medication, as it suppresses the symptoms of altitude sickness. We do however encourage you to drink enough water to replace the fluids lost from the physical activity. Two to four litres per day are recommended, as well as mineral supplements (magnesium) to help replace lost minerals and prevent muscle cramps.
  • Unfortunately there are no state of the art mountain rescue services like the ones to be found in the European Alps for example. If you no longer have the ability to walk, you will either be carried or transported on a wheeled stretcher. This is by no means a pleasant experience which is why we encourage you not to overstrain your body and to travel safe. Helicopters can only land at a lower altitude and are therefore rarely used.
  • Please ensure that you are covered by your health insurance while travelling. If you do not have sufficient coverage, we highly recommend taking out appropriate travel insurance. Your insurance should cover all your medical expenses including costs for rescue and repatriation.
  • It is common practice to tip the members of your mountain crew after the climb. Tips make up a large portion of their income and are therefore highly appreciated. Below are some guidelines based on a group (not per person).
  • Guide: 15-18 USD / day
  • Assistant Guide: 12-15 USD / day
  • Cook:   8-10 USD / day
  • Waiter: 7-9 USD / day
  • Porter:   6-7 USD / day
  • Of course the above is just a guideline. If you are happy with the service received, you are welcome to show this when it comes to tipping.
  • If you plan to tip in USD, please make sure the notes have been printed after 2004 as any earlier dated bank notes are not valid and can therefore not be used in Tanzania.
  • Travel bag, backpack or kitbag, weighing no more than 12kg. Please do not bring a suitcase or trolley bag, as this type of luggage cannot be carried by the porters.
  • Day backpack with rain protection.
  • High quality sleeping bag for harsh conditions (at night temperatures can drop to -20°C).
  • Different layers of clothing including thermal base layers, fleece clothing, trekking pants, warm jacket and water-resistant top layers as well as a warm headgear.
  • Water-resistant and comfortable hiking boots and a variety of trekking socks.
  • Please note that the above list is not complete and these are just a few things that you will have to bring with you. Once we have confirmed your booking, you will receive a more detailed list.
  • Citizens of all nationalities need to contact the embassies of their travel destination to check the visa regulations.
  • In general, European citizens can apply for a Tanzanian Tourism Visa upon arrival in Tanzania.
  • It is the sole responsibility of every traveller to be in possession of the required documents and visa that allows them to enter their holiday destination.
  • The trekking tour starts and ends in Tanzania, a yellow fever region, which is why we recommend a yellow fever vaccination.
  • Although there are no mosquitoes at high altitude, Tanzania is within a malaria region. It is up to you if you wish to take medication, but we suggest that you speak to your doctor or travel clinic about the different prophylaxis and their effects and side effects.
  • Although Tanzania does not require proof of immunization against tetanus, diphtheria, polio and hepatitis A and B, we nevertheless recommend those vaccinations.

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