rongai route

Day 1 Airport Pick-Up - Drop Off At Hotel

A member of Jerry Tanzania Tours hospitality team greets you upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport. He will drive you to Panama Garden Resort, where you will have all the essentials for a comfortable stay after a long flight, such as: pleasant rooms with hot showers, a restaurant with delicious choices, genial service team and access to the Internet. Your briefing, in the course of which your guides will provide all the details of the forthcoming trek, takes place at the appointed time. They will answer your questions and make sure you are properly equipped for the trek, providing rental gear when necessary.

Accommodation: Panama Garden Resort

Journey time and Distance: 1 hour’s drive, 40 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi

Day 2 Moshi – Nalemuru Gate – Simba Camp

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you depart around 08.00hrs, arriving at the Rongai Gate for around 11.00hrs, when you will enjoy your picnic lunch.

You complete the registration formalities and are introduced to the all-important trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain. Your porters will load up, and then you are ready to start the trek! Today’s starting altitude is at 2,364 metres and during your trek you will ascend up to a new altitude of 2,671 metres. The vegetation at first is pine forest, as well as some vegetable fields, but you briefly enter lusher forest where colobus monkeys can sometimes be seen. After the forest, the landscape changes to heathland with its characteristic huge heathers. You aim to reach Simba Camp 2,671 metres by 17.00hrs, your walking distance today is only 7 km/4 miles and your projected walking time is around 3-4 hours. After relaxing on arrival at the camp, you will take your dinner at about 19.00hrs..

Accommodation: In Tents At Simba Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 3 –4 hours’ walking, from 2,364 m at Rongai Gate to 2,671 m at Simba Camp

Day 3 From Simba Camp To Kikelelwa Camp

Wake up! With your first night on the mountain complete, you are served breakfast and then can expect to depart about 08.00hrs. You will walk further today, approximately 16 km/10 miles and have an ascent of around 929 metres. Your expectation is that this will involve about 6.5 to 7 hours of actual walking. At the start, notice how the once-large heathers become smaller as you climb, and the trees become fewer and further between. Behind you, you can see over the border to Kenya if the weather is good. The path is a steady, steep and often dusty ascent. A picnic lunch is eaten at about 13.00hrs, before you continue in a south-easterly direction with the craggy peak of Mawenzi in front of you.

The path crosses moorland and there is less ascent than you have experienced this morning, but this is certainly a long, tough day. At the end of the afternoon’s walk, you should reach camp at around 17.00hrs and dinner will be served at 18.00hrs.

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

Day 4 From Kikelelwa Camp To Mawenzi Tarn Camp

An hour extra to enjoy in bed, as you schedule a slightly later departure. Why? Well, your distance today is short at only 3 km/2 miles, though you do have to ascend over 600 metres so you may come to appreciate that extra sleep! As you continue to climb today, you will notice how you leave the vegetation behind you: it definitely thins out rapidly at this altitude! But the views on Rongai are truly exceptional. You aim to arrive at Mawenzi Tarn Camp 4,315 metres nice and early, probably around 13.00hrs, in time for acclimatization in this beautiful setting. In clear weather, the views up to Kibo 4,720 metres are exceptional. Dinner tonight will be served around 18.00hrs.

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

Day 5 Mawenzi Tarn Camp – Mawenzi Ridge – Mawenzi Tarn Camp

This is an extra day meant for acclimatization and after breakfast you will begin hike in the direction of Mawenzi Ridge with a 74-metres gain in altitude. You will spend one or two hours at higher altitude in order to properly acclimatize yourself, so the lunch break will take place at Mawenzi Ridge itself before you hike back down to Mawenzi Tarn. Dinner is once again scheduled for 18.00hrs.

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 4,315 m

Day 6 From Mawenzi Tarn Camp To Kibo Camp

You are back to your early breakfast schedule again, to ensure you are ready to depart Mawenzi by 08.00hrs. From your starting altitude at 4,315 metres, you will ascend today to Kibo Camp, which sits at 4,720 metres. On the way, you head westwards before crossing the ridge and continue towards along the edge of the so-called “saddle”. While there is little vegetation to admire, don’t be too surprised if you see an eland – quite astonishing, really, at this lofty altitude. Your objective is to arrive at Kibo Camp 4,720 metres at around 15.00hrs, having stopped for your midday picnic lunch. This evening, as you prepare for tomorrow’s summit attempt, you will be served dinner at an early hour (around 17.30hrs) which will allow you to retire to bed at a good time!

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

Day 7 Ascent To Uhuru Peak And Descent To Horombo Camp

Your schedule for your ‘Summit Day’ is very different. Rising at 23.00hrs, you take your tea and biscuits (23.30hrs) before a midnight departure. Today, you have 1,192 metres to climb, on what will be your toughest day, with around 10-13 hours of actual walking time and a total distance of 22 km/14 miles.

Your expectation is to reach the summit from 07.00hrs onwards. You begin on a rocky path, and then climb via a series of zig-zags which get ever tighter as you climb.

Your reference points on your ascent today are, first, William’s Point (5,000 metres), Hans Meyer Cave (5,151 metres) and then Gilman’s Point (5,685 metres). The focus today is on walking pole pole – that is, slowly. On reaching the top (5,895 metres), you take time to celebrate the successful climb, take photos and congratulate yourself, then make the descent to return to Kibo Camp (4,703 metres) for about 11.00hrs and take a very well-deserved, two-hour rest and enjoy a welcome brunch. Setting off again at 14.00hrs, you continue your descent until you reach the now-familiar Horombo Camp (3,720 metres) for about 17.00hrs. Dinner today will be served at 19.00hrs.

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

Day 8 Descent From Horombo Camp To Marangu Gate – Moshi

After breakfast at your now-familiar time of 07.00hrs, you take the chance to thank your hard-working guides and porters at the important ‘Tipping Celebration’. Afterwards, you depart from Horombo Camp and start your descent down towards Marangu Gate, stopping at Mandara around midday for a cooked lunch.

Marangu Gate 1,879 metres is usually reached by 16.00hrs, and today’s section is approximately 20 km/ 12 miles which takes you between 6.5 to 7 hours of walking time. Having reached Marangu Gate, you will be presented with your certificate, a fitting souvenir recognizing your tremendous effort. You then return by vehicle to Moshi, to the comfort of your hotel, for your overnight stay and some deserved relaxation. Or perhaps, if you still have some energy, you can celebrate your wonderful achievement. After all, you have just climbed Africa’s highest mountain!

Accommodation: Panama Garden Resort

Hiking time and Elevation: 6.5 – 7 hours’ walking, from Horombo Camp to Marangu Gate, descending from 3,720 m to 1,879 m, then return by vehicle from Marangu Gate to your hotel 1 hours’ drive.

Day 9 Departure - Kilimanjaro International Airport

After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 10.00hrs.(If you wish to remain in the hotel during the day, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for a ‘day room’ which allows you to stay until 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.)

As the transfer services have been already included in this package, you will be collected from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travellers who have booked to go on safari, our Jerry Tanzania Tours guide will be meeting you in the afternoon to provide you with a pre-safari briefing.