Kilimanjaro Climb Rongai Route
Kilimanjaro Climb Rongai Route
Kilimanjaro Climb Rongai Route
8 Days Starting and ending in Marangu
Visiting: Tanzania
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TYW
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 16
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Tour Overview
With its gentle gradient and sense of unspoilt wilderness, the Rongai Route approaches Kilimanjaro from the north and is less crowded than the most popular trails. We trek through farmlands, forest and alpine moorlands as we approach the beautiful summit cone. This route allows an extra day for acclimatisation under the imposing spires of Mawenzi, before the arduous final ascent. The final climb begins in darkness but our reward is an incomparable dawn vista over the sweeping East African plains.
Highlights
Itinerary
Depart London with brief stopover in Nairobi or Addis Ababa.
**
Day 2
There will be a trip briefing this afternoon/evening. Please bring your
passport, insurance details and air ticket details. The briefing will cover
all aspects of your trip and will include the distribution of any hired
equipment you have booked.
*Comfortable Hotel*
Day 3
After completing the necessary registration formalities, we transfer by road
to Nale Moru (1,950m) to begin our climb on this unspoilt wilderness route.
The first day is only a half-day walk on a small path that winds through
farmland and pine plantations. It is a consistent but gentle climb through
attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. We reach our first
overnight stop by late afternoon at the edge of the moorland zone (2,600m).
Approx 3-4 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 4
The morning walk is a steady ascent up to 'Second Cave' (3,450m) with superb
views of the Eastern icefields on the rim of Kibo, the youngest and highest
of the three volcanoes that form the entire mountain. After lunch, we leave
the main trail and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path towards
the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second of Kilimanjaro's volcanoes. Our
campsite, which we reach in late afternoon, is in a sheltered valley near
Kikelewa Caves (3,600m). Approx 6-7 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 5
A steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb panoramas of the Kenyan
plains to the north. We leave vegetation behind close to Mawenzi Tarn
(4,330m), spectacularly situated in a cirque beneath the towering cliffs of
Mawenzi. The afternoon will be free to rest or to explore the surrounding
area as an aid to acclimatisation. Approx 3-4 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 6
We leave our attractive campsite to cross the lunar desert of the 'Saddle'
between Mawenzi and Kibo to reach Kibo campsite (4,700m) at the bottom of the
Kibo Crater wall by early afternoon. The remainder of the day is spent
resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night! Approx
5-6 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 7
We will start the final, and by far the steepest and most demanding part of
the climb by torchlight at around midnight. It will be extremely cold as we
walk very slowly in darkness on a switchback trail through loose volcanic
scree to reach the Crater rim at Gillman's Point (5,685 m). 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 along the
snow-covered rim to the true summit of Uhuru Peak (5,895m), passing close to
the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit
area. The descent to Kibo Hut (4,700m) is surprisingly fast and, after some
refreshments and rest, we continue descending to reach our final campsite at
Horombo (3,720m). This is an extremely long and hard day, with between 11 and
15 hours walking at high altitude.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 8
A sustained descent with wide views across the moorland takes us into the
lovely forest around Mandara (2,700m), the first stopping place on the
Marangu route. The trail continues through semi-tropical vegetation to the
national park gate at Marangu (1,830m). We leave the local staff to return to
our hotel in Marangu by mid-afternoon for a well-earned rest and a much
needed shower and beer! Approx 5-6 hours walking.
*Comfortable Hotel*
Day 9
Depending on the time of your return flight the day can be spent resting in
the hotel garden or exploring the village for souvenirs. There is a highly
recommended but optional village walk that explores Marangu for half a day.
This village is a fascinating mixture of small but fertile coffee and banana
farms, friendly Chagga people, and some beautiful scenery with waterfalls and
magnificent views.
**
Day 10
**
What's Included
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Meals
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners.
* All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners
* All accommodationÂ
* All transport and listed activities
* Tour leader throughout
* Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
* Kilimanjaro Park Fee
What's Not Included
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Visas or vaccinations
-
Travel insurance
-
Single accommodation (available on request - includes single tent)
Food
All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 5 dinners included.  All meals during the
climb are included. Please allow about GBP40 (USD65) for the meals not
included, while in hotels.
On trek the emphasis is on a varied and well-balanced diet with a greater
amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids.
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any
special dietary requests. Please note that in Tanzania the availability of
certain specialised products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or
dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring
these specialised dietary items from home.
The menu has a high liquid and carbohydrate content; the two important
elements for successful
climbing. At higher altitudes, stimulants (such as coffee) and less
digestible foods (such as meat) are
not recommended. Our evening meal at the highest camp on Kilimanjaro is a
meatless stew as our
experience shows this to be the ideal preparation for the summit day. At
mealtimes a
selection of hot drinks are available. Soup is served twice daily.
*Daily Meals*
Bed Tea - tea or coffee served in your tent.
Breakfast - consists of seasonal fresh fruit (mango/banana/watermelon),
porridge, cooked eggs,
sausage, bacon and toast.
Energy snacks are provided for the daily walk such as biscuits, bananas, and
chocolate bars.
Lunch - either a packed lunch on longer days or, more usually, a hot
lunch served in camp by a small
team who have raced ahead of the clients. A hot lunch typically consists of
soup, bread or pancakes,
cheese, tuna, jam, peanut butter, pasta salad and cake.
Afternoon tea - served in late afternoon. It is an opportunity to drink
lots of hot drinks and snack on peanuts or popcorn.
Dinner - the main meal of the day and always consists of three courses;
soup and bread, followed by the main dish, which could be rice, potatoes or
pasta with fish, meat or vegetables, and is followed by a dessert often of
fruit.
Summit snacks - Whilst we provide enough food for the climb, we recommend
that you bring some of your favourite snacks, and keep them for the summit
day. This is because the summit day is a long and tough climb and having your
favourite snacks can give you a very welcome boost.
*Water*
Whilst the water we provide on Kilimanjaro is suitable for drinking you may
wish to be extra safe and treat it with your own water purification tablets.
Biox Aqua drops or tablets are the best available alternative for sale in the
UK as they kill giardia and cryptosporidium.
Accommodation
On this adventure, we spend five nights camping in three-person tents and two nights in a comfortable hotel.
Marangu: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort (nights 1 and 7)
Before and after the trek, we stay at the comfortable Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort. Close to Kilimanjaro National Park, it is tucked deep in the banana and coffee plantations of Kyalla village. It has two restaurants, plus a bar serving the refreshing Kilimanjaro Lager and banana wine. There is also a swimming pool to enjoy when you return from Kilimanjaro.
Kilimanjaro: Full-service camping (nights 2-6)
Although conditions are basic on the mountain, the camping we experience is one of the best available on the Rongai Route. We sleep in Vango Halo Pro 300 tents regardless of whether you have made a twin-share or single supplement booking. These are spacious three-person tents that are ideal for the conditions on Kilimanjaro. Our camp life is about as comfortable as it gets on Kili, with a communal mess tent, where we gather as a group and eat breakfast and dinner, and a private toilet tent. We also ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Worth knowing
The campsites on Kilimanjaro are designated by the national park and are mainly stone/dirt. They are not all level and can be crowded in peak season.
We always ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Handwashing water, treated with Dettol, is available along with soap before all meals, and everyone is strongly advised to make use of it.
The toilet tent has toilet paper within it, but we recommend you bring your own toilet paper and wet wipes.
All camping equipment is provided except for sleeping bags, sleeping mats and pillows.
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
18+ age people can go on this tour.
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Noi
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
Kilimanjaro Park Fee
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.