Kilimanjaro Trek

If you are on a domestic flight flying near Kenya, the pilot might announce to look out of the window to see the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa. A major attraction and a popular peak in all of Africa, you can imagine someone’s obsession to covet the title of climbing the tallest mountain in Africa. But do not be fooled by the majestic presence of the summit. You must not think of the Kilimanjaro trek as a walk in the park. Touted as one of the most challenging trek in the world, Kilimanjaro must be triumphed with absolute caution and with necessary precautions.

Must-knows of the Kilimanjaro Trek Tour

  1. Go Slow and Steady on the Trek

Trekkers are known to brain-stuff themselves with every blog before going on a trek, like altitude sickness, etc. So to save you from all that reading, the first thing that we recommend you to is to go slow. Don’t be haphazard in trying to keep up with everyone. Join the line right at the back. Your body works harder at altitude. The air gets thinner and there is less oxygen to breathe. Our quality guides will also tell you to go slowly. Walk slowly than you normally would. The favorite thing about hiking is that it is not a competitive sport, where everyone wants to succeed.

  1. Drink Plenty of Fluids

Hydration is one of the best remedies for altitude sickness. Pack a Platypus instead of a bottle for constant water accessibility while walking. This will help you when your hands are cold and you don’t want to take off your gloves to unscrew a bottle. Avoid the hassle to stop and take a bottle out of your bag every time you feel thirsty and want to take a sip.

But water alone won’t do the job. You must take hydration salts. Put at least one sachet straight into Platypus to be uber-hydrated. Also, Diarrhea is common at the upper ranges of Kilimanjaro. So adjust your body to be on peaks and carry salts like Dioralyte with you.

  1. Make Allies with your Travel Mates

One must never climb the mountains alone. If there was ever a time that you will need other people, climbing Kilimanjaro it is. You must be with each other and look out for another. You must literally keep guard as you pee behind a rock. There are no toiletries around since you will not be in a camp. 

  1. Prepare yourself physically for the Trek

Altitude sickness strikes everyone indiscriminately. You can be an Olympian or reigning pie-eating champion, the sickness will hit you hard. So, being fit for this hike is important. For this, you must hikes up hills back home before heading over to the Kilimanjaro Peaks.

Kilimanjaro Trekking Tour package

Where to get the best Travel Guide for the Kilimanjaro Trek?

Ice Rock Trekking is one of the tour package providers for the Kilimanjaro treks in all of Africa. As a famed as well as a reputed touring company, Ice Rock Trekking provides you with the entire list of itineraries as per the suitable days and the length for the excursion you are comfortable with. We also have a pool of qualified travel guides who will take you from the safest routes, better than the smallest, from the base station to the Kilimanjaro Peaks.

As the terrain is unfamiliar, and difficult, a learned guide is necessary to make your trekking trip successful, and you bring you safe and sound back the base station. For such purposes, Ice Rock Trekking has an excellent track record. Many trust us with our services. We might not be the cheapest, but we surely are the most quality touring organizers of the region.

5 days Marangu route

Kilimanjaro is the highest peak on the African Continent. One of the most difficult places to be, the trek routes to this pinnacle are also difficult and varied. To climb Kilimanjaro, there are six established routes, such as the following:

  • Marangu
  • Machame
  • Lemosho
  • Shira
  • Rongai
  • Umbwe

Out of the aforementioned, the Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes start from the south of the mountain, whereas the Lemosho and Shira routes approach from the west. Only the Rongai route is climbed from the north side near Kenya. With such elaborate trekking routes, why is it that the Marangu route becomes suitable for many people? We will learn about this in the following sections.

 

Climbing Kilimanjaro via Marangu Route with Ice Rock Trekking

This seven-day itinerary, specially designed by Ice Rock Trekking, centers around the easiest route to take to ascend Kilimanjaro with the following main summits:

  • Mawenzi (5149m)
  • Kibo (5896m)

From these summits, you can see the glaciers, screes, cliffs, afro-alpine moorland, and forests down to the cultivated foothills. Our Marangu route takes you at a gentle pace through these dramatically difficult terrains.

Ice Rock Trekking Itinerary for Marangu Trek

Day 1: Nairobi to Moshi

You will leave Nairobi at 7:30 a.m. on your commute. Then, you will drive to Moshi arriving in the evening. We have arranged dinner at your arrival in the Zebra Hotel.

Day 2: Marangu Gate (1980m) – Mandara Hut (2700m)

Your day second will start with a hike with an estimated time of five hours. The distance of the trek is about 12 km. The habitat of the terrain is montane forest.

Day 3: Mandara Hut (2700m) – Horombo Hut (3720m)

Your day third will start with a hike with an estimated time of six hours. The distance of the trek is about 15 km. The habitat of the terrain is Moorland.

Day 4: Horombo Hut (3720m) – Kibo Hut (4700m)

Your day fourth will start with a hike with an estimated time of six hours. The distance of the trek is about 15 km. The habitat of the terrain is an Alpine forest.

Day 5: Summit Attempt Kibo hut (4700m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Horombo hut (3720m)

Your day fifth will start with a hike with an estimated duration of eight hours to Uhuru and six hours to descend to Horombo. The distance of the trek is about 6 km for ascent and 21 km for descent. The habitat of the terrain is stone scree and ice-capped summit.

Day 6: Horombo Hut (3720m) – Marangu Gate (1980m)

Your day sixth will start with a hike with an estimated time of six hours. The distance of the trek is about 27 km. Here, you have reached the two peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, i.e., Uhuru and Kibo rise from the African plains.

Day 7: Departure

On the last day, after having breakfast, we will transfer to Nairobi or the Kilimanjaro airport, as per your preference.

 

Tips to keep in mind while hiking to Kilimanjaro

Ice Rock Trekking, after leading many successful trips to Kilimanjaro and other mountains, there are several trekking hacks we tell our clients to help them enjoy their time in the mountains, like the following:

  • Ski sticks are useful during the scree-to-summit to ascend
  • Ski sticks protect your knees during descent
  • Carry a hot water bottle at night to create a comforting heating pad and slip it in your bag or beneath your pillow
  • Carry powdered drink/sports mix to maintain hydration, like Tang or Gatorade
  • Find your pace of comfort for hiking to keep you going all-day
  • Pack some of your favorite snacks for a break while hiking

 

To know more about Kilimanjaro trekking routes, visit the Ice Rock Trekking website or connect with us.