7 DAYS RONGAI ROUTE

After an early breakfast at your hotel (07.00), you depart one hour later and arrive at the Nalemuru Gate for around 12.00, when you take your picnic lunch. Once you have completed registration, you’ve met the trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain and the porters have loaded up, you are ready to start the trek. Your starting altitude is at 2,364 metres and today you will ascend up to 2,671 metres, beginning your approach from the north-east. The vegetation at first is pine, as well as some vegetable fields, but you briefly enter lush forest where colobus monkeys can sometimes be seen. After the forest, the landscape changes to heathland with its huge heathers. You aim to reach Simba Camp by 17.00, as your walking distance today is only 7 km and your walking time is around 3 hours. Dinner at Simba Camp will be at 19.00. Accommodation: Simba Camp Hiking time and Elevation: 3 hours, from Nalemuru Gate (2,364 m) to Simba Camp (2,671 m)

Your 07.00 breakfast is followed by today’s 08.00 departure. You would expect to spend about 6.5 to 7 hours walking today, covering a distance of 16 km. At the start, notice how the once-large heathers become smaller as you climb and the trees become fewer and further between. Behind you, you can see over the border to Kenya if the weather is good. The path is a steady, steep and dusty ascent. A picnic lunch is eaten at 13.00, before you continue in a south-easterly direction with the craggy peak of Mawenzi in front of you. The path crosses moorland and there is less ascent than you have experienced this morning, but overall, this is a long day. At the end of the afternoon’s walk, you should reach camp at around 17.00 and dinner will be served at 18.00. Accommodation: Kikelelwa Camp Hiking time and Elevation: 7 hours, from Simba Camp (2,671 m) to Kikelelwa Camp (3,600 m)

You have the luxury of a later (08.00) breakfast and a slightly later departure. Today, after leaving Kikelelwa at 09.00, you have a very short day of walking – at just over 3 km – but you have to ascend over 600 metres and you take between 3.5 and 4 hours to complete the stage. The scenery and views on this route are truly wonderful. You will notice how the vegetation disappears as you climb. On arriving at the campsite around 13.00, it will be time for a hot lunch. Some people like to use the afternoon to acclimatize, and if you are lucky enough to experience clear weather then the views of Kibo can be spectacular. In any event, the setting for this camp is truly beautiful. Dinner is served at 18.00. Accommodation: Mawenzi Tarn Camp Hiking time and Elevation: 4 hours, from Kikelelwa Camp (3,600) to Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,315)

This is an extra day meant for acclimatization and after breakfast you will begin hike in the direction of Mawenzi Ridge with a 74-metres gain in altitude. You will spend one or two hours at higher altitude in order to properly acclimatize yourself, so the lunch break will take place at Mawenzi Ridge itself before you head back down to Mawenzi Tarn. Dinner is once again scheduled for 18.00. Accommodation: Mawenzi Tarn Camp Hiking time and Elevation: 2 hours, Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,315) – Mawenzi Ridge (4,389 m) – Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,315)

After a 07.00 breakfast and departure from Mawenzi at 08.00, you set off on today’s 9 km walk, which will take you from an altitude of 4,315 metres up to the 4,720 of Kibo. Expect to spend around 4.5 to 5 hours walking on the stage today. You begin the day westwards, then cross the ridge and proceed downwards and along the edge of the so-called “saddle”. You won’t see much vegetation today, but it is not unknown for an eland to be sighted – amazing at this altitude. Equally incredible are the views today, the favourite day of many trekkers. On the way, you stop for your picnic lunch at midday, before continuing the climb to Kibo, which you would expect to reach by 15.00. Dinner is served at the early time of 17.30, an early bedtime is recommended, ready for your summit day. Accommodation: Kibo Camp Hiking time and Elevation: 5 hours, from Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,315 m) to Kibo Camp (4,720 m)

Your schedule for your ‘Summit Day’ is very different. Rising at 23.00, you take your tea and biscuits (23.30) before a midnight departure. Today, you have 1,192 metres to climb, on what will be your toughest day, with around 13 hours of actual walking time and a distance of 21 km Your expectation is to reach the summit from 07.00 onwards. You begin on a rocky path, and then climb via a series of zig-zags which get ever smaller. Your reference points on your ascent today are, first, William’s Point (5,000 metres), Hans Meyer Cave (5,151 metres) and then Gilman’s Point (5,685 metres). The focus today is on walking slowly. On reaching the top, you take time to celebrate the successful climb, take photos and congratulate yourself, then make the descent to return to Kibo Camp for about 11.00 and take a very well-deserved, two-hour rest and enjoy a welcome hot lunch. Setting off again at 14.00, you continue your descent until you reach Horombo for about 17.00. Dinner will be served at 19.00. Accommodation: Horombo Camp Hiking time and Elevation: 13 hours, Kibo Camp (4,703 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) to Horombo Camp (3,720 m)

After breakfast at your now-familiar time of 07.00, you take the chance to thank your hard-working guides and porters at the ‘Tipping Celebration’. You depart from Horombo and start your descent down towards Marangu Gate, stopping at Mandara for a hot lunch at around midday. Marangu Gate is reached by around 16.00, and today’s section is around 19 km which takes 6.5 to 7 hours of walking time. Having reached Marangu Gate, you will be presented with your certificate, recognizing your tremendous effort. You then return by vehicle to Moshi, to the comfort of your lodge, for your overnight stay and some deserved relaxation. Or perhaps, if you still have some energy, you can celebrate your wonderful achievement. After all, you have just climbed Africa’s highest mountain! Accommodation: Panama Garden Resort Hiking time and Elevation: 7 hours, from Horombo Camp (3,720 m) to Marangu Gate (1,879 m)

After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 11.00.(In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for day room which ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.) As a transfer to the airport is included on this trip, you will be collected from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travellers who have booked to go on safari, our Jerry Tanzania Tours guide will be meeting you in the evening to provide you with a briefing.