14 DAYS MOUNT KENYA & MOUNT KILIMANJARO CLIMBING

DAY 1: Arrival at Nairobi
On arrival at Nairobi Airport, met and assisted. Transfer to hotel for an overnight stay on bed and breakfast.
DAY 2:Nairobi – Mountain Rock Lodge
Depart Nairobi in the morning with a drive to the Mount Kenya base at Mountain Rock Lodge for lunch taking about 4 hrs (excluding en route stop/s of about 30 minutes or so). Afternoon complementary leisure walk to the Mau Mau pre-historic as part of the acclimatization exercise. Dinner and overnight at Mountain Rock Lodge, B,L,D.
DAY 3: Mountain Rock/Nanyuki/Sirimon/Judmier Camp (Old Moses Camp) 3-4 hrs, 9km, 860m ascent
Leave Mountain Rock in the morning and drive through the Equator to Nanyuki town where your guide will collect fresh supply (fruits and vegetables etc) for the mountain. Proceed to Sirimon Gate, 1 hr, 2440m. From the gate follow the track as it winds uphill though the forest which becomes heath land after about 3 hrs. About 3½ hours from the gate the track veers right to Judmier Camp, 3300m for dinner and overnight, B,L,D
DAY 4: Judmier Camp/Shipton Camp 6-7hrs, 14km, 900m ascent
After breakfast, follow the track uphill, forking left at the junction. After one hour from Old Moses Camp, the track crosses Ontulili River. Go right contouring through the Moorland and crossing Liki North and continue uphill to Mackinders Valley from where there are panoramic views up the valley towards the main peaks. Dinner and overnight at Shipton Camp, 4200m, B,L,D
DAY 5: Shipton Camp
Spend the day acclimatizing. Walk to Kami Hut down to Hauseberg Lakes (Hauseberg Tarn and Nanyuki Tarn). Walk back to Shipton for dinner and overnight, B,L,D.

DAY 6:Shiptons/Point Lenana/Mount Meru Bandas (Chogoria Gate) 6 hrs, 14km, 785m ascent
Leave at 3am up a steep stony quarry that cuts through a cliff clearing visible part towards lower Hall Tarns arriving point Lenana at 6:30am, taking about 3hrs. After the sunrise, descend down to Mintos hut, 2hrs, for breakfast and further 3 hrs down to Mount Meru Bandas, 2950m, for dinner and overnight, B, L, D

 

DAY 7: Chogoria Bandas/Chogoria/Nairobi
Descend 2hr, 15km to forest clearance to catch a 4×4 transfer vehicle to Chogoria Village where you will connect with your transfer vehicle back to Nairobi. Overnight at Comfort Inn B,L.

 

DAY 8: Nairobi – Arusha - Moshi
After breakfast, catch the morning scheduled shuttle bus to Arusha for an afternoon leisure sorting any Kilimanjaro gear you may need for the next day.

 

DAY 9: MOSHI TO UMBWE CAVES
START – 5,906FT / 1800M
END – 9,351FT / 2850M
DISTANCE – 7 MILES / 11KM
TIME – 5-7 HRS
CLIMATE ZONE – AFROMONTANE FOREST
After breakfast you depart by vehicle to Kilimanjaro National Park. Your first stop is atMachame Gate to collect your permits before getting back in your vehicle and driving to Umbwe Gate. After checking in you set off up through the forest zone. The first day hiking is not overly difficult but certainly steepens towards the latter end of the day. In the late afternoon you arrive in the first camp in time for dinner.

 

DAY 10: TO BARRANCO CAMP
START – 9,351FT / 2850M
END – 12,796FT / 3900M
DISTANCE – 4 MILES / 6KM
TIME – 4-6 HRS
CLIMATE ZONE – HEATH
The second day ascends from the forest zone into the heath zone and there are some very steep sections here. Taking it easy is essential to allow your body to acclimatise. A picnic lunch is taken on route. Later that afternoon you arrive into Barranco Camp in time to relax for a while before dinner. The views of the Barranco wall and Western breach pertain to events some 60,000 years ago when this whole part of the mountain collapsed.

 

DAY 11: TO LAVA TOWER
START – 12,796FT / 3900M
END – 15,093FT / 4600M
DISTANCE – 2 MILES / 3KM
TIME – 4-5 HRS
CLIMATE ZONE – HEATH
The ascent today is very steep and into alpine desert. The air is generally very dry here. As you ascend, the guides will be carefully assessing your progress. Note that if your body is not acclimatising well then the routing may well be switched to an ascent via Stella Point instead. Lunch is taken at Lava Tower with the afternoon to rest.

 

DAY 12: TO ARROW GLACIER
START – 15,093FT / 4600M
END – 16,087FT / 4903M
DISTANCE – 0.6 MILES / 1KM
TIME – 1-2 HRS
CLIMATE ZONE – ARCTIC
The ascent to Arrow Glacier is relatively short and leaves plenty of time to rest for a large part of the day. Short walks are possible with the guides to enjoy views of the Great Barranco Wall and remnants of the once mighty glaciers that filled the breach before having dinner and an early night.

 

DAY 13: TO KILIMANJARO SUMMIT / MILLENIUM
START – 16,087FT / 4903M
END – 12,960FT / 3,950M
DISTANCE – 8 MILES / 13KM
TIME – 12-14 HRS
CLIMATE ZONES – ARCTIC, ALPINE DESERT, HEATH
There is a very early ascent up the breach at 1am. It takes around 4 hours to reach the crater. Here there is time for a quick rest and refuel before the final push, for about an hour, to the summit (Uhuru Peak: 19341ft, 5895m). The aim here is to arrive just after dawn to enjoy the most incredible sunrise from the roof of Africa. The hike then heads down via Stella Point to Barafu Camp. Here there is another short rest before continuing to Millennium Camp for the final evening on the mountain.

 

DAY 14: ARUSHA/ MOSHI START – 12,960FT / 3950M END – 5,381FT / 1640M DISTANCE – 8 MILES / 14KM TIME – 4-6 HRS CLIMATE ZONE – AFROMONTANE FOREST
After breakfast you descend once again through afromontane forest and in the early afternoon, after saying farewell to your crew, you are picked up and transferred back to your lodge for a well deserved shower! Later that evening you will be visited by a Gomberi Travel Representative to congratulate you, to find out how the trip went and to answer any final questions you may have about your onward journey.