THIS ROUTE IS NEW and we are the first outfitter to use it on a regular basis.

Nothing beats the thrill of camping on the crater rim during a full moon with the snows of Kilimanjaro towering above!

Description

Day 1

We hike 2.6miles

We go from 7752ft at the trailhead to 9222ft

It will take about 3-4 hours (lunch included)

At breakfast we drink as much water as we can! After breakfast, we drive for about an hour to the town of Londorossi where we must complete some paperwork at the warden’s office. Then we drive for another hour on a muddy and slippery road to the starting point at Lemosho where our porters are waiting.

While one of our guides stay behind to organize the porters, we begin our trek around noon at an altitude of 7775 ft. The walk is absolutely beautiful and our pace is slow to assist with acclimatization. Along the way we may see fresh elephant dung! Fortunately these elephants are very elusive!
The guides will stop frequently to point out some interesting plants. We identify many different kinds of trees such as juniper, olive and Nuxia congesta.
The scenery will change often; at some points the forest is thick and dark. In open areas we may see a few colorful flowers!
The trail is slippery when it rains so we walk carefully. Every now and then our legs get scraped with nettle plants. Some climbers develop a rash so we recommend you wear long pants during today’s hike.
We must watch the ground for safari ants. Their bites burn! Stamp your feet when you’re near ants. And roll your socks over your long pants.
An hour or so after starting the climb, we stop for lunch. You will be surprised at the feast that awaits you! A lunch buffet table, comfortable chairs, a portable toilet. This is F&S Kiliwarrior style and it’s much appreciated by our guests.
The rest of the climb is mildly strenuous at times but the hills are short. Some of the downhill stretches are quite steep so we use our poles to prevent us from slipping and sliding!
Don’t forget to take pictures! The forest is now at its most beautiful.
We continue to climb slowly and reach our camp about 2 hours after our lunch stop.
Our camp is in the montane forest at 8,764 ft. Everything will be ready for our arrival. Tonight we will have about an hour or so before dinner, so we have some time to get organized for the evening.
We must eat well tonight. At the higher altitudes we may lose appetite so these first few days are important for building up energy reserves. We must also drink at least another liter of water before going to bed.
Darkness comes early in the forest and the clear sounds of the night remind us that we are far away from home. We are finally camping on the slopes of Kilimanjaro!

We hike 4.90 miles

We go from 9222ft to 11520ft

It will take about 6 hours (lunch included)

Breakfast is served at 7:30 and we start our walk at 8:30am. The hike from the Forest Camp to our lunch stop is easy. After lunch, we will hike mostly uphill for long steep stretches until we arrive at the Shira Ridge. The last hour will be an easy stroll across the plateau. We start off with a short steep climb. In the early morning the colobus monkeys are noisy but they are hard to spot! After about 2 hours we stop for a quick snack— we eat energy food such as peanuts and chocolate bars.
Soon afterwards, the forest clears and we enter the heath zone. We see plants such as Erica arborea and Philippia excelsa. This is a good time to cover up with sunscreen as the temperature often reaches a sunny 75º F or warmer.
In this area we may see illegal beehives. Beekeepers often set the forest on fire (by accident) when they create smoke, so they’ve been banished!
The tussock grasses are always fun to look at! In the open landscape we can now see the trail ahead as it winds along the ridges of Shira. It is clear that we have some hiking to do before this day is over! About 3 hours after leaving Forest Camp, we will reach the top of a hill where we can see our lunch stop in the clearing below.
The downhill walk is pleasant and we increase our pace a bit. After lunch, we will hike mostly uphill along the Shira ridges.
We reach our lunch stop around noon. It is time to kick back and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. This is another opportunity to eat and drink as much as we can.
After lunch we immediately start a very steep hike for about 30 minutes, and then we follow one ridge after another—hiking higher and higher as we get closer to the upper slopes of Shira.
Behind us, clouds may start to roll in—a common afternoon occurrence on Kilimanjaro.
Around 2:30pm we reach the high-point of the day and turn west for an easy 20-minute walk to the western edge of Shira. Suddenly, on the right, we see Kibo for the first time!
To the north and north-west, we see the Shira Plateau and we take a short rest and photo opportunity before we hike the final stretch across the plateau to Shira 1 Camp at 11,520 ft. We reach camp before 4pm. In the late afternoon the clouds often clear away and we are treated with a magnificent view of the Western Breach in the distance!

We hike 6.62 miles

We go from 11520ft to 13700ft

It will take about 6.5 hours (lunch included)

Breakfast is served at 8:00 and we start our walk before 9:00am. Today’s hike is short with just one steep section at the end of the trek. The Shira Plateau is truly beautiful with interesting plants, rock formations and several water streams. When we wake up this morning we will see the sun rise behind Kibo, and this magnificent view will be in front of us all day. We start with a very short climb before the trail flattens out for a very pleasant walk. To our right, we can see the Shira Cathedral and behind us the Shira Ridge will slowly fade into the distance. We are hiking at an altitude of 11,500 ft but most climbers have no problems with this part of the trek. Early on in the day we cross a refreshing stream, reminding us to stop frequently and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Then it’s a short uphill walk to a section that reminds us of the heath zone of yesterday. We are now in an area well-known for eland and buffalo, so we look for fresh tracks. Soon we cross back into moorland and the lava ridges of Kilimanjaro now appear closer in front of us. Our lunch spot is on top of the first major ridge, but we still have another 2 hours to go! On the left, we follow a stream with many caves. In the old days, this was lion country and the caves were lion hideaways. We also see a 4x4 track used by the rescue vehicles. Around noon we reach the lower areas of a steep ridge. On our right we can hear the peaceful sound of a fast-flowing stream. We are now in senecio country! We always stop to take pictures of the majestic Senecio Kilimanjari which grows into a small tree up to 15 ft high. A bit further up the hill we see our first Lobelia Deckenii. To protect their sensitive buds in the central core, the outer leaves close at night! From the top of the ridge the views are spectacular! To the north, we see the Western Breach, and to the south we can see the Shira Ridge where we left from this morning. It is 1pm and we are at Fischer Camp, so named in memory of the guide who died on Everest. We are at 12,864 ft. We eat lunch and visit the Fischer memorial before continuing the trek for another 2 hours to our overnight stop. Along the way we have one rather steep section but there are several flatter areas to save some energy! Once we are beyond the steep section, we hike next to a dramatic rock section with caves and overhangs. Soon afterwards we see a strange structure to the northwest in the distance! This is an old hut at Moir Camp - our stopover. Moir Hut is at 13700ft. It is time to take a shower and a well-earned rest. At this height some climbers begin to experience mild AMS headaches. It is crucial to drink plenty of water and to eat well. Wear your thermals to bed tonight as it may dip to the freezing point.

We hike 5.50 miles

We go from 13700ft to 15300ft then down to 13054ft

It will take about 7 hours (lunch and Lava Tower climb included)

Breakfast is served at 7:00 and we start our walk before 8:00am. Today’s hike to the scenic Barranco Camp is long and the first part has 3 long uphill sections, but after Lava Tower the path is mostly downhill! The day starts with a rather steep section next to Moir Camp. Due to the altitude, some climbers will feel less energetic than yesterday! As the sun rises higher, the views are stunning. Looking towards Kibo we can see the trail ahead crossing several ridges and valleys. Behind us to the right, the Shira Ridge, Shira 1 and Fischer Camps are fading in the distance. After an hour or so, Mount Meru appears in the distance. We get an idea of how far away we are from Arusha! After the initial few ridges, the scenery starts to change. We are leaving the moorland and are now in the alpine zone. These are inhospitable conditions where it freezes every night. Plant life is reduced to mosses, lichens and a few everlasting flowers. The trail can now get very dusty and we spread out a bit to avoid each other’s dust! Wet bandanas and wet wipes come in handy to keep our faces clean! The first of a few long uphill stretches awaits us about an hour into the trek. As we slowly make our way uphill, we can see the Machame route camp sites. Using binoculars, we can see a long stream of porters and trekkers leaving these camps for the Lava Tower area. The long uphill hike continues to a point where our trail meets up with the Machame route. Here we take a break while watching many large groups walk by. It is strange to see so many other climbers. Until now we basically had the mountain to ourselves! After the break, we follow the convoy of trekkers and porters to Lava Tower. Along the way, we climb down a steep gap in the rocks before we reach the final uphill stretch of the day. The last uphill walk is long and seemingly never-ending but then we see the recognizable shape of the Lava Tower and we are only a few hundred yards away from our lunch stop at the foot of this landmark. We reach Lava Tower around 12:30pm. After lunch, climbing to the top of Lava Tower (30 minutes) is a good way to gain altitude and for spectacular views. But be careful since there is some scrambling involved.  

From Lava Tower we go basically straight down for about 2 hours. The path is dusty and rocky, but the scenery is beautiful with lots of water streams and even waterfalls.

We hike 3.15 miles

We go from 13054ft to 13277ft

It will take about 4 hours

Immediately after leaving camp we cross a small stream before we start scrambling up the Barranco Wall.

The wall is steep and we have to use our hands to steady us, but the climb is very pleasant and takes about 75 minutes. In this picture we are half-way...

The views from the top of the wall are breathtaking. If you look up you can see the Kibo massif with the Heim Glacier looming above.

If you look down you can see the Barranco Valley and our camp site - where the porters are breaking up camp.

You can see the next gully below - the first of a few today! Up and down we walk until we descend down into a greener valley with a stream of water. You will see porters everywhere as they collect water at this last water stop.

After a short stop to fill our water bottles, we climb the steep hill (a 25min climb) to reach our next camp. 

We hike 2.15 miles

We go from 13277ft to 15200ft

It will take about 3 hours

Today is a short but steep uphill climb at the start and end. We continue our our uphill climb across barren landscape with lots of boulders and shattered rocks.

It is very quiet and peaceful. The Decken Glacier is always presence to your left.

At some point you will come to a fork - the way down to Mweka is to the right. We will go left, following a very steep ridge until we reach a rocky section for some more scrambling.

25 minutes later we reach our camp amidst large rocks with dangerous cliff-faces. We need to be careful here - some climbers have been killed when they lost their way during the night while looking for the long-drop toilets.

Tonight almost all other climbers we will go to bed early (7pm) as the wake-up call is 11pm for the other groups! But don't worry - your next day starts at 6am so you can have a good night's rest! Other teams climb during the midnight hours - we start as soon as it gets light; a much more comfortable way to reach the Stella Point area.

Overnight at Barafu Camp at 15,200 ft or 4600m

We hike 3.40 miles

We go from 15200ft to 19365ft to 18500ft

It will take about 9 hours (lunch included)

For many, this is the day they've been thinking about. Climbing the last long stretch to the Crater Rim area won't be a walk in the park, but our route zig-zags up the steeper sections and the warm sunshine makes for a pleasant hike at pretty serious altitude!

We start at 6:30am and immediately do some light scrambling over a rocky section just above Barafu Camp. After an hour or so the rocks give way to gravel and firm scree and we start our zig-zag hike that will continue for four hours. Along the way we take many short breaks to take in the views and to snap pictures.

Around 1pm we find ourselves just below Stella Point at a spot with a small waterfall where we have a short picnic lunch. We are at 18472ft. We now we have to negotiate the loose scree towards the Stella point ridge. This is somewhat challenging - it is easy to slide backwards with every step! But within 30 - 45 minutes or so we reach the welcoming boulders of Stella Point - about 7 hours after the start at Barafu. By now we have seen many climbers on their way down from their early morning summit attempts. Some stragglers will still be at Stella Point - looking haggard and zombie-like!

At Stella Point, we take a short rest and then slowly proceed with the hour-long uphill hike to the summit (arriving between 2-3pm). After the summit celebrations we begin the short but steep and dusty descend down to the Crater Camp!  At this time of day the crowds are gone and you will have the summit to yourself!

On our way to camp, on our right we see the Furtwangler glacier. It is a 30-minute walk past the glacier to the foot of Uhuru Peak—the site of our Crater Camp at 18,500 ft (5600m)! We have reached the snows of Kilimanjaro! It is about 3pm and some of us will head straight to the tents to relax before lunch. Others may walk to the glacier to touch it. After lunch a few tough souls may walk to the actual crater and back — a 90 min hike. We have come a long way!

We hike 7.60 miles

We go from 18500ft to 10146ft

It will take about 5.5 hours (lunch included)

After a cold night but fantastic scenery we rise early to catch the sunrise from Stella Point!

It takes about 30 minutes from the Crater Camp to Stella Point where we watch the midnight climbers arrive in zombie-like conditions! Most of them are surprised to see fresh-looking climbers (us) at Stella Point! They don't know we camped nearby!

Spare a thought for these poor hikers on other routes who started their summit attempts at midnight!

But please be prepared for an aftershock - the way down is a steep, rigorous route via Stella Point down the mountain to Barafu where we will stop for lunch. On the way down you may pass other trekkers who are still on the way up!

Many hikers are unprepared for this 4-hour ordeal down the slippery slope of scree. Don't be. The sun will beat down and you will start to curse your 4-layers of summit wear! You will sweat and eat dust like a rodeo cowboy! At Barafu you can take a good rest before tackling the rest of the way down. It is time to relax and think about your experiences of the past week. The way down to Mweka camp is a comfortable walk but rather dusty.

We hike 5.50 miles

We go from 10146ft to 5425ft

It will take about 3 hours

Breakfast is served at 8:00 and we depart at 9:00am.
Today is a short but steep downhill walk through the rainforest to the park gate. When it rains, the trail is muddy and very slippery. We use our poles to prevent knee or ankle injuries.
There are many other climbers on this trail and plenty of stories and experiences to share. It is noisy all the way to the gate—arrival at noon! At the gate, we are treated with a final feast of fruits and drinks, and an opportunity to buy a few souvenirs! Then we sign the register and gather for the presentation of our climbing certificates by our guides, followed by a short tipping ceremony.
Sadly, it is time to say goodbye to our mountain team. With their assistance, we achieved something extraordinary!

Day 10

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