Climbing Kili

Your adventure in Africa begins as soon as you board the flight to Tanzania. All of Rustic Pathways’ scheduled group flights to Tanzania depart from New York and are escorted by a flight leader. After boarding the flight in the evening, you’ll have plenty of time to relax, get to know your fellow travelers, and sleep in preparation for your arrival to Africa. Team Tanzania will be ready and waiting to take you on the adventure of a lifetime when you arrive at the airport.

Welcome to Tanzania! You will arrive into Kilimanjaro in the evening and transfer to your guesthouse in Moshi, the small but bustling staging town for Kili excursions. This first night in Africa will offer the chance to get to know the other students on your program, your staff members, and your new host country. Your guides will give you a quick orientation that will introduce you to the local culture and prepare you for the adventurous two weeks ahead.

Work out that flight tiredness and immediately strike off on an adventurous hike in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro! Drive to Marangu village, one of the main starting points for those attempting to summit the mighty mountain. Take a short hike to viewpoint and religious pilgrimage site, where the Moshi valley opens up on one side and if you are very lucky, the Kili summit dominates the other . . .  though it is usually shrouded in mist. On the way down, stop by a historic Chagga tribal cave refuge, a place this innovative tribe built into the sandstone to hide from their enemies. Wrap the day with a local coffee-making demonstration before heading back for a good night’s rest.

While it is known for being a world-famous climbing destination, Mt. Kilimanjaro is also a protected national park and an important ecological center for the region. Wake up early and head to a rural village on the slopes, where you will learn about the culture of the local community and partner with them on a development or reforestation initiative. Possible projects you might participate in include building fuel-efficient stoves, building trashcans, planting trees, or cleaning the litter scattered throughout the area. Participate in traditional cooking and harvesting, and end with a rousing song-and-dance routine!

You’ve participated in community projects, ecotourism, and chimp conservation – now add sustainable agriculture to the mix. You will spend the morning taking a tour of a local coffee plantation where you will be able to see all of the steps that result in the delicious drink you know and quite possibly love, and end the tour treat yourself a sampling session of fresh brews. In the afternoon, visit the pioneer institution of wildlife studies and ecotourism, Mweka. You may even be lucky enough to drop in on a lecture and listen to one of Mweka’s notable professors, who are reputed beacons of knowledge in this growing field in east Africa.

Spend your last day before the mountain visiting a local social entrepreneur, who has started a community-based organization to provide high-quality, low-cost education in a sustainable way to communities in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. Learn how strong local leaders are reshaping their own futures, play a game of soccer with the students at their school, and remember that as you climb one mountain, others climb a different sort of mountain. Head back early to your guesthouse for a thorough briefing and gear check, and prepare for the adventure ahead!

Today, you embark on one of your biggest challenges ever. The trip to the summit moves through five unique climate zones, beginning with the rainforest portion of the trek. After breakfast, you will drive from Njoro Village to Machame gate – the starting point of your Kilimanjaro adventure. From the gate (1,640 meters elevation), the group will trek a distance of about eleven kilometers (estimated hike time: 5-6 hours) to the first base camp of Machame (2,850 meters). Each morning and evening, trip leaders and mountain guides will monitor your health and encourage you to hydrate and fuel up for the days to come. You will camp in tents along the way.

Practice your Swahili hiking songs as you trek out of the rainforest and into the open, rolling moorlands. Covering eleven kilometers (estimated hike time: 4-6 hours), todays hike will traverse nearly a thousand vertical meters before arriving at Shira 2 Camp (3,810 meters).

After a big dinner to rehydrate and refuel, you will enjoy hot chocolate as you take part in group discussions, journaling and card games with your local guides. Heading back to your tents before bed, don’t forget to take a moment and gaze up at the remarkable night’s sky.

In preparation for the remaining climb, your group will spend today acclimatizing to the elevation. Hike from Shira Plateau up to Lava Tower (4,630 meters), and past the Arrow Glacier (4,877 meters) before descending to Barranco Camp (3,976 meters). By following the “climb high, sleep low” wisdom, your body will thank you as you near the summit. Today’s trek covers about ten kilometers and 6-8 hours.

Today is a short day and will allow your body to continue to adjust to the altitude. Depart Barranco Camp for Karanga Camp (3,995 meters) over about 4-5 hours of trekking through alpine desert.

On the penultimate day of your ascent, continue through alpine desert up to Barafu Camp (4,673 meters). At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. At Barafu you will rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day!

Your summit approach starts at midnight. After a quick snack and a big group pep talk, you will chant their new Swahili songs as you proceed to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. Ascend through the most challenging portion of the trek toward Stella Point (5,685 meters) on the crater rim. This portion of the trek usually lasts six to seven hours and allows for a breathtaking view of the sunrise on arrival for the faster hikers.

Continuing from Stella Point, it’s another one or two hours of hiking through the arctic zone before arriving at Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters) for your big group picture and well-deserved celebration on the Rooftop of Africa!

Afterwards, you will turn tail and get out of dodge! Retracing your steps back to Barafu, you will rest for a short lunch before continuing your descent to Mweka Camp (3,068 meters). From the summit, you have the next 12 kilometers (estimated hike-time: 4-6 hours) to reflect on the incredible feat you just accomplished.

Today is, as they say, all downhill. Starting at Mweka, you will cover 10 kilometers (estimated hike time: 3-4 hours) on your way back to Mweka Gate.

After thanking your porters, receiving your certificates of accomplishment and taking one last group photo, you’ll pile onto the bus and head back to Moshi for some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

This evening, you will be asked to reflect on your experience, the challenge you faced and what you have learned about your true potential.

Recover from your climb with a casual morning resting and exploring the markets of Moshi. In the afternoon, take a drive down gravel roads to the Moshi hot springs, locally popular but largely off the beaten path for tourists. Take a dip in the beautiful waters and enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by sprawling fig trees. In the early evening transfer to a cozy guesthouse in the Arusha suburb of Usa River. End your day with a reflection on the adventure you have just completed, and a closing ceremony to remember.

After a full night’s sleep, spend your final morning saying goodbye to your friends. Enjoy a Swahili meal in town for your last taste of local cuisine, and then hit the markets and barter prudently as you browse the stalls for popular souvenirs like paintings, Tanzania soccer jerseys, wood-carved masks, the Masai tribal blanket called the shuka, and more! Options abound. Compare your purchases with your friends as you prepare for your journey home in the evening.

Return home to the sights, sounds, and smells you grew up with, and the loved ones who will greet you at the airport as you say goodbye to your newfound friends. Take a moment to pause and reflect on what you and your group accomplished. What challenged you? How did you engage with the place and the people that you visited? And more importantly, how will you amplify their stories as you tell others about the growth-filled experience you’ve just had?

We trust you’ve had an incredible time and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Kwaheri na safari njema! Goodbye and safe travels!