7-Days Rongai Route

When you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a member of the Ihana safaris hospitality team will greet you. He’ll take you to Panama Garden Resort, where you’ll find everything you need for a relaxing stay after a long flight, including comfortable rooms with hot showers, a delicious restaurant, a friendly service team, and Internet access. At the appointed time, your briefing will take place, during which your guides will go over all the details of the upcoming trek. They’ll answer your questions and make sure you’re prepared for the journey. They will let you rent it if you don’t have everything you need.

Accommodation: Panama Garden Resort
Journey time and distance: 1 hour’s drive, 40 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you’ll leave around 08.00 a.m., arriving at the Nalemuru Gate around 11.00 a.m., where you’ll enjoy your picnic lunch.

You finish the registration process and meet the members of the crucial trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain. Your porters will load you up, and you’ll be ready to begin your journey! The starting altitude today is 1,950 meters, and you will climb to a new altitude of 2,671 meters during your trek. The vegetation is initially pine forest with some vegetable fields, but you will briefly enter a lusher forest where you may see colobus monkeys. Following the forest, the landscape shifts to heathland, which is characterized by its massive heathers. By 17.00 hrs., you should have reached Simba Camp at 2,671 meters. Your current walking distance is only 8 kilometers (5 miles), and your estimated walking time is 3–4 hours. You will have dinner around 19.00 hours after arriving at the camp and relaxing.

Accommodation: In tents at Simba Camp

Hiking time and elevation: 3–4 hours’ walking, from 1,950 m at Nalemuru Gate to 2,671 m at Simba Camp

Wake up! Breakfast is served, and you should depart around 8:00 a.m. You’ll walk for about 16 kilometers (10 miles) today, with an elevation gain of around 929 meters. You should expect to walk for approximately 6.5 to 7 hours. Observe how the once-large heathers shrink in size as you climb, and how the trees become fewer and further apart. If the weather is clear, you can see Kenya across the border. The ascent is steady, steep, and frequently dusty. At around 13.00 hrs, a picnic lunch is eaten before continuing south-easterly with the craggy peak of Mawenzi in front of you.

Although the path crosses moorland and there is less ascent than this morning, it is still a long and difficult day. You should arrive at camp around 17.00 hours after your afternoon walk, and dinner will be served at 18.00 hours.

Accommodation: In tents at Kikelelwa Camp

Hiking time and elevation: 6.5–7 hours’ walking, from 2,671 m at Simba Camp to 3,600 m at Kikelelwa Camp.

As you’ve scheduled a slightly later departure, you’ll have an extra hour to enjoy in bed. Why? Well, today’s distance is only 3 km/2 miles, but you will have to climb over 600 meters, so you might appreciate the extra sleep! As you climb higher today, you’ll notice how quickly the vegetation thins out behind you: at this altitude, it certainly does! However, the views from Rongai are truly spectacular. You should arrive at Mawenzi Tarn Camp at 4,315 meters early in the morning, around 13.00 hrs, to allow time for acclimatization in this stunning location. The views up to Kibo (4,720 meters) are spectacular in clear weather. Dinner will be served tonight around 18.00 hrs.

Accommodation: In tents at Mawenzi Tarn Camp

Hiking time and elevation: 3.5–4 hours’ walking, from 3,600 m at Kikelelwa Camp to 4,315 m at Mawenzi Tarn Camp.

This is an extra day for acclimatization, and you will begin hiking in the direction of Mawenzi Ridge after breakfast, gaining 74 meters in altitude. Because you’ll be spending one or two hours at a higher altitude to properly acclimate, your lunch break will be at Mawenzi Ridge itself before returning to Mawenzi Tarn. Dinner is set for 18.00 hrs. once more.

Accommodation: In tents at Mawenzi Tarn Camp

Hiking time and elevation: 2-3 hours, 4,315 m at Mawenzi Tarn Camp to Mawenzi Ridge at 4,389 m and return to Mawenzi Tarn Camp at 4,315 m.

You’re back on track for an early breakfast to ensure you’re ready to leave Mawenzi by 08.00 hrs. Today you will climb to Kibo Camp, which is located at 4,720 meters, from your starting altitude of 4,315 meters. You’ll travel west before crossing the ridge and continuing on to the edge of the so-called “saddle.” While there isn’t much to see in the way of vegetation, don’t be surprised if you see an eland – quite amazing at this altitude. After stopping for a midday picnic lunch, your goal is to arrive at Kibo Camp, 4,720 meters, around 15.00 hrs. As you prepare for tomorrow’s summit attempt, dinner will be served early this evening (around 17.30 hours), allowing you to get a good night’s sleep!

Accommodation: In tents at Kibo Camp

Hiking time and elevation: 4.5–5 hours’ walking, from 4,315 m at Mawenzi Tarn Camp to 4,720 m at Kibo Camp.

Your “Summit Day” schedule is quite different. You have your tea and biscuits (23.30hrs) before a midnight departure at 23.00hrs. Today is your toughest day, with 1,192 meters to climb in 10–13 hours of actual walking time and a total distance of 22 kilometers (14 miles).

From 07.00 hrs onwards, you should expect to reach the summit. You start on a rocky path and work your way up through a series of zig-zags that get tighter as you go.

On your ascent today, your reference points are William’s Point (5,000 meters), Hans Meyer Cave (5,151 meters), and Gilman’s Point (5,685 metres). The emphasis today is on slowly walking pole pole. After celebrating the successful climb, taking photos, and congratulating yourself at the summit (5,895 meters), you descend to Kibo Camp (4,703 meters) for a well-deserved two-hour rest and a welcome brunch. You resume your descent at 14.00 hours and continue until you reach Horombo Camp (3,720 meters) at around 17.00 hours. Today’s dinner will be served at 19.00 hrs.

Accommodation: In tents at Horombo Camp

Hiking time and elevation: 11–13 hours’ walking, from 4,703 m at Kibo Camp to the summit at 5,895 m, then down to 3,720 m at Horombo Camp.