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Arrive to Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania
Meet and greet with a Barking Zebra representative at the Kilimanjaro airport. Transfer to your hotel near Arusha for dinner and your overnight stay. We spend two nights here to recuperate after the long international flight, especially arriving from North America.
Next day we meet with Barking Zebra guides for a detailed climb orientation and a final gear check. In the afternoon relax and acclimatize.
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MTI MKUBWA CAMP 9,170 ft
Londorossi Gate 7,742 ft
Distance: 7.2 miles | Hours of trekking: 3-4
After breakfast, we depart to the western side of the Kilimanjaro National Park to Londorossi gate and complete registration formality. Our trek today will be an easy walk up a small path through beautiful and lush rain forest. Our first camp is Mti Mkubwa camp (Big Fig) in the rain forest.
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SHIRA PLATEAU 11,500 ft
Distance: 5,2 miles | Hours of trekking: 7-8
This morning we leave the glades, and start trekking towards the moorland zone and Shira Caldera, which is a high altitude desert plateau. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones, filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. Today we will get our first close views of Kibo – the summit of Kilimanjaro.
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MOIR CAMP 13,650 ft
Distance: 6.3 miles | Hours of trekking: 7-8
Today we hike east across the Shira Plateau towards Moir camp, tucked away at the end of a huge gorge at the foot of a giant lava flow. Shira Plateau is one of the highest plateaus in the world.
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BARRANCO CAMP 12,950 ft
Distance: 6.2 miles | Hours of trekking: 6-7
The trail becomes a bit rocky and strenuous as we get closer to the Lava Tower, a 300 ft tall volcanic tower. We have lunch at Lava Tower at 15,000 ft to help our bodies acclimatize to the thin air. This is where the Machame and Lemosho routes converge, so we meet other climbers ascending the Machame Route. After lunch we descend to Giant Senecio Valley to Barranco Camp. Although we end the day at a lower elevation than we started, this day is very important for acclimatization.
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KARANGA CAMP 13,250 ft
Distance: 3.6 miles | Hours of trekking: 4-5
Today our first challenge is to hike up the Barranco Wall, a 500 ft lava flow. It is a quite spectacular looking obstacle, which in the end usually turns out easier than how it appears. The views of crags and crevasses are stunning from the top of the wall. We continue to walk up and down a greener valley to our camp.
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BARAFU CAMP 14,950 ft
Distance: 2.1 miles | Hours of trekking: 3-4
As we begin trekking today the trail turns steadily uphill. The temperature will grow colder and the landscape more sparse as we work our way to Barafu Camp. Barafu means “ice” in Swahili. The camp is set on an exposed ridge and is the staging point for our push to the summit.
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SUMMIT 19,340 ft – MWEKA CAMP 10,400 ft
Summit: Dist. 3 miles | Hours of trekking: 7-8
Mweka Camp: Dist. 6.8 miles | Hours of trekking: 7-8
Around midnight, we set out for the glacier zone atop Kilimanjaro. We’ll walk slowly, drink plenty of water and refuel with small snacks to keep our energy high. Climbing approximately 3,000 feet today we will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the views of Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro second volcano cone.
Now the toughest part is over, as we hike along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak – the highest point of Kilimanjaro. We celebrate our achievement with cheers and hugs before descending to Barafu camp. Gaiters and trekking poles come in handy for the loose gravel going down. After a short rest at Barafu we continue to Mweka Camp for dinner and to overnight.
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MWEKA GATE 5,360 ft
Distance: 5.3 miles | Hours of trekking: 4-5
Descend back through the rainforest and enjoy a farewell lunch with your group at Mweka Gate before heading back to the hotel for a well-deserved shower!
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WILDLIFE SAFARI OR FLY HOME
Depart Tanzania or continue on your wildlife safari or Zanzibar.
