Description
The Kilimanjaro Rongai Route is perhaps the easiest and most remote of all our routes up Kilimanjaro, giving the traveller the true feel of an unspoilt wilderness. Approaching the mountain from the north east side, although longer, it has a gentle gradient and shorter daily stages linked with a rest and acclimatisation day at the idyllic Mawenzi Tarn, nestling gracefully beneath dramatic rock spires of Mawenzi, the massif’s second summit. This gives 7 days walking, summiting on the 6th day. Descent is via the Marangu route.
All our Kilimanjaro routes have been carefully chosen both to improve your enjoyment through acclimatisation and also for your safety. We at Adventure Peaks do not believe it is wise to spend any less than 6 days on the mountain for the simple fact that we want our clients to feel good both mentally and physically and to reach their goal – the ‘roof of Africa’. Each route we offer has its own quirks and we encourage you to check our website or contact our experienced staff to help you decide which trip is perfect for you. Yes, every extra day on the mountain costs, but it helps retain our success levels of more than 99% for clients to the true summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak – and it will cost a lot more to come back for a second attempt!
All flights are to Kilimanjaro airport avoiding the overland journey to and from Nairobi.
And finally we include ALL PARK FEES in our prices.
The departure date is based on an overnight flight from the UK to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Same-day flights are sometimes available, however the overnight flight allows you more time to recover from the flight before heading up the mountain.
Days 1-2 We fly to Kilimanjaro International airport. On arrival in Tanzania you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Situated in a quiet location in the foothills of Kilimanjaro this is a pleasant and friendly hotel with restaurant and bar.
Day 3 After breakfast you will be transferred to the start of the Rongai route (3hrs). The climb begins from the attractive wooden village of NaleMoru (1950m) on a small path that winds through fields of maize and potatoes before entering pine forest. The track then starts to climb consistently, but gently through 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 begins to thin out and the first camp is at the edge of the moorland zone with extensive views over the Kenyan plains. Climb 900 metres; walking time: 4 to 5 hours.
Day 4 The morning walk is a steady ascent up to the ‘Second Cave’ (3450m) with superb views of Kibo and the Eastern icefields on the crater rim. After lunch, we leave the main trail and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Our campsite is in a sheltered valley with giant senecios near Kikelewa Caves. Climb 1000 metres; walking time: 6 to 7 hours.
Day 5 A short but steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb all-round views and a tangible sense of wilderness. We leave vegetation behind shortly before reaching the next camp at Mawenzi Tarn (4330m), spectacularly situated in a cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi. The afternoon will be free to rest or explore the surrounding area as an aid to acclimatisation. Climb 730 metres; walking time: 3 to 4 hours.
Day 6 We spend the day exploring the area around Mawenzi Tarn. The old adage of climbing high and sleeping low still holds very true and a second night spent at 4330m will greatly increase your chances of a successful summit bid.
Day 7 We cross the lunar desert of the ‘Saddle’ between Mawenzi and Kibo to reach Kibo Hut (4700m) at the bottom of the Kibo crater wall. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night! Climb 370 metres; walking time: 4 to 5 hours.
Day 8 We will start the final, and by far the steepest and most demanding, part of the climb by torchlight around 1am. We plod very slowly in the darkness on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gillman’s Point (5685m). We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the spectacular sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the three hour round trip to Uhuru Peak (5895m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Kibo (4700m) is surprisingly fast and, after some refreshment, we continue the descent to reach our final campsite at Horombo. Climb 1195 metres; descend 2175 metres, walking time: 11 to 15 hours.
Day 9 A steady descent takes us down through moorland to Mandara Hut (2700m), the first stopping place at the Marangu route. We continue descending through lovely lush forest on a good path to the National Park gate at Marangu (1830m). You will be transferred to our hotel for a well earned rest. The afternoon is free to buy souvenirs and try your hand at haggling with the local shopkeepers. Descend 1890 metres; walking time: 5 to 6 hours.
Day 10 Usually there is some time to visit town in the morning before transferring to the airport for your flight home. (Sometimes flights used will get you back home the same day).
Day 11 Arrive back in the UK.
It is vitally important that you have adequate travel insurance for your trip with Adventure Peaks. We recognise the complexity and variety of choice in the insurance market and know that many of you either have your own preferred insurer or have annual multi trip cover in place already. If this is the case, please ensure that your insurer is aware of your Adventure Peaks itinerary and can agree to cover the activities being undertaken.
Adventure Peaks do not provide any advice on travel insurance, although it is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have travel insurance which covers the activities which you are likely to be undertaking on your holiday. Cover must include emergency medical, helicopter evacuation, repatriation and rescue expenses.
It is strongly recommended that suitable cancellation insurance is purchased at the time of booking as all deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Suggested insurance companies include:
Expeditions or Treks
Treks only:
Nick –
Dean was fantastic made the trip a nicer guy and better mountain leader I’ve never met, a credit to adventure peaks and a one you want to keep hold of.
Ian –
A fantastic experience. The leader and local guides were very supportive. Leader performed in a professional manner throughout, he was supportive and encouraging.
John –
I found this to be a wonderful experience. Dean the leader was inspirational throughout but in particular when the going got tough, and I was also impressed with the local support team. I would not have missed this experience for anything. Many thanks.
Simon K –
Nick and I got back from the Kili trip over the weekend and just wanted to put in a good word for the local KWS organisation and the choice of Abraham (supported by Donald) as guide.
I thought you might like to know how well they supported us in overall organisation as well as campsite and trek detail and that we could recommend them for future clients.
Thanks too for your end of it. How AP goes from strength to strength!
Steve –
Usually I organise my own porters, food, commander, but Adventure Peaks took the stress out of it! Sadly Dave was sick on day two and had to descend. Great bloke, very sociable and knowledgeable. Great trip, many thanks
Michael –
The only recommendation I would make is to advertise and offer the opportunity to stay in the local vicinity for an extended period. We were lucky with our itinerary as we were offered an extra day to explore Moshy, however without that I would have felt stuck in the local area and then being shipped from airport to mountain to airport without experience the country itself.
Brian (verified owner) –
Summit day was hard but very rewarding
Seeing the sunrise and light up the mountain
Teamwork and camaraderie
Great sense of personal achievement
Brian –
[Adventure Peaks were excellent for…] details provided, plans and responsiveness.
Summit day was hard but very rewarding. Seeing the sunrise and light up the mountain. Teamwork and camaraderie. Great sense of personal achievement.
John Grant (verified owner) –
A really well organised trip by Adventure Peaks everything was on time and ran like clockwork from start to finish. Our guides on the trek Albert, Felix and their team were absolutely brilliant, very informative and looked after us throughout. We also completed a three day Safari after our trek which was a great way to relax and see a lot more of Tanzania, again our driver was absolutely brilliant really informative and couldn’t do enough for us. A fantastic trip with some great memories which will last a lifetime.
Mark –
We climbed with a great bunch of guys who all pulled together and summited despite the various challenges faced. Kilimanjaro is a challenge and am thankful that I had perfect health throughout which made the mountain easier than anticipated…the Tanzanian guides were great and did exceptionally well on summit day