Day by day itinerary of the trek
Follow the full journey from London to Mount Kilimanjaro
DAY 1
4th February
We will travel to London
(Overnight stay in prep for early departure)
DAY 2
5th February DEPARTURE
We depart London bound for Africa on an early morning KLM flight
from London Heathrow. We arrive into Kilimanjaro International
Airport late evening and are transferred to our lodge on the
outskirts of Arusha. We enjoy a light buffet dinner before
retiring to our beds.
DAY 3
6th February ARUSHA
Today we base ourselves at the lodge and enjoy a leisurely
morning before sitting down to lunch with our local guides. In
the afternoon we have a full event briefing and equipment check
and make the final preparations for the challenge ahead. We enjoy
a welcome dinner at the lodge before an early night!
DAY 4
7th February MACHAME CAMP 3,000m
5-6 HRS TRE KKING
After a good breakfast we make the 1 hour road transfer to the
Machame gate and the start of the trek. Here we are welcomed by
our porters who are going to be with us for the next few days.
We start by walking through lush vegetation of the humid
rainforest with its fascinating range of bird life, wild flowers,
endemic trees and insects. If we are lucky we might even spot a
blue monkey or hear the shy Colobus monkey leaping through the
trees above us.
We reach our camp in the afternoon, which lies just outside of
the forest. After dinner we settle down to our first night under
canvas.
DAY 5
8th February SHIRA CAMP 3,840m
6-7 HRS TRE KKING
This morning our route takes us through ever changing scenery as
we make the steep ascent up through heather and moor land to the
Shira plateau. We continue across the plateau to our camp and
this evening we can relax and enjoy the fabulous views.
DAY 6
9th February BARRANCO CAMP 3,950m
6-7 HRS TREKKING
Today we trek east across beautiful barren moon like landscape
and around craters that scar the earth. We trek always in the
shadow of mighty Kibo until reaching the Lava Tower where we stop
for some lunch.
This afternoon we descend through the surrounding ravines, with
their wonderful micro climates and beautiful birdlife. We
eventually reach our camp late in the afternoon. This decent aids
the acclimatisation process and allows our bodies to adjust to
the ever changing altitude.
DAY 7
10th February BARAFU CAMP 4,600m
6-7HRS TRE KKING
We leave camp early and it is a short climb and scramble over
volcanic rock up the Barranco wall. From here we have fantastic
views over to Barafu and for the rest of the day we make the
steady climb to reach our camp positioned on a ridge overlooking
the south east valley.
More exposed to the elements we wrap up with some extra layers
and enjoy some hot food together before settling to an early
night in preparation for our summit bid.
DAY 8
11th February SUMMIT DAY 5,896m
10HRS TRE KKING
And so to the summit day and our biggest challenge yet. We awake
just after midnight and by torch light climb the steepest and
most demanding part of the route for about 6 hours to reach
Stella point at the crater rim.
We then continue, making our final traverse to Uhuru Peak, the
highest point on the African continent, at 5,896m. Here we feel
as if we are on top of the world, with the morning sunlight
giving us spectacular views across the plains below and of Mount
Meru in the distance.
We then make our tough decent to Barafu Camp, where we stop for a
rest and some breakfast before continuing on to Mweka camp. After
a long but exhilarating day we can finally rest our tired legs
and get a good night's sleep.
DAY 9
12th February ARUSHA
3-4HRS TRE KKING
After breakfast we continue our descent back through the
rainforest to Mweka. A short transfer by bus returns us to Arusha
and our lodge. This evening we celebrate our achievements over a
sumptuous dinner at a luxury lodge in the grounds of Tanzania's
largest Coffee Plantation. There will also be a few surprises to
make our final night a memorable one
DAY 10
13th February ARUSHA - DEPARTURE
Today is free to relax by the pool, or for those who have the
energy, explore the area markets of Arusha. In the evening we
make our way to Kilimanjaro airport and board our overnight
flight back to the UK.
DAY 11
14th February ARRIVE HOME
Valentines day - There couldnt be a more perfect day to be
reunited with friends and loved ones.
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(You need to be aged 16 or over to donate and texts cost £1.50
plus your standard network charge.)