6 Days Kilimanjaro Trekking via Rongai Route.

After having breakfast, we will take you to Rongai gate, passing through the wooden village on a path that winds through fields of maize and potatoes before reaching the entrance gate. The climb will start from Rongai gate (2,150 m). The track will then start climbing consistently, but gently, through an attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife, including the beautiful Kilimanjaro Colobus monkey. These monkeys are black with a long "cape" of white hair and a flowing white tail. The forest will begin to thin out, and the first camp will be at the edge of the moorland zone (2,600 m) with extensive views over the Kenyan plains. The walking time for this stretch will be around 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes.

We will start our day with a morning walk uphill to the 'Second Cave' (3,450 m.), which will offer breathtaking views of Kibo and the Eastern ice fields on the crater rim. After having lunch, we will leave the main trail and follow a smaller path through the moorland towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Our campsite will be located in a sheltered valley near Kikelewa Caves (3,600 m.), providing us with stunning views. This campsite is an alternative to the third camp, as per your program. The trek will take around 6-7 hours of walking.

After a short but steep climb up grassy slopes, you will be rewarded with magnificent views and a sense of being in a remote wilderness. As we approach Mawenzi Tarn camp (4,330 m.), the vegetation gradually disappears and we are left with a spectacular view of Mawenzi's towering spires. Once we reach the camp, you will have the free time to rest or explore the surrounding area, which will help you acclimatize to the altitude. The walk is expected to take around 3-4 hours.

We will trek across the lunar desert of the 'Saddle' - the area between Mawenzi and Kibo - to reach the School campsite, which is situated at the bottom of the Kibo crater wall, at an altitude of 4,750 meters. Once we arrive at the campsite, we'll spend the remainder of the day resting and preparing ourselves for the final ascent, which we'll be making very early the next day. This leg of the trek will take us around 4-5 hours to complete.

We will begin the final and most challenging part of the climb around 1 a.m. by torchlight. This section of the climb is steeper and more demanding than the rest. We will move slowly in the darkness along a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree until we reach the crater rim at Gillman’s Point (5,685 m.). There, we will rest for a short time to appreciate the stunning sunrise over Mawenzi. For those who still have the energy, a three-hour round trip to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m.) is possible. The route takes you close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still cover most of the summit area. The descent to Kibo (4,700 m.) is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshments, we will continue the descent to our final campsite at Horombo (3,720 m.). This section of the climb will take 11-15 hours of walking.

After waking up in the morning, we will begin our descent through moorland to reach Mandara Hut, which is the first stopping path for us before we reach the National Park gate at Marangu (1,830 m.). It will take us around 5 to 6 hours of walking to reach our destination. After reaching Marangu, we will be transferred to Springlands Hotel or an alternative hotel in Moshi where we will spend the night.