Idea #722 – Climbing Kilimanjaro to 5895 meters
With its 5,895 meters above sea level, Kilimanjaro offers eternal snow and glaciers at its summit. It belongs to the mythical list of the 7 Summits. The ascent of Kilimanjaro remains an adventure that is earned by the effort of several days of walking. It takes between 5 to 10 days of walking to complete this trekking, depending on your level and the route selected. Keep in mind that Kilimanjaro remains a sporting challenge, with temperatures at the top ranging from -5 ° to -20 ° C, not to mention the lack of oxygen due to the altitude. There are obviously simpler ways than others to get to Pic Uhuru, but simple does not mean easy. In all cases, they require training and preparation.
In this report, we make the ascent by the Marangu route, which takes 5 days, return included. It is the shortest and simplest route to Mount Kilimanjaro. Very popular with walkers in good physical condition due to its beauty and relative simplicity, it has been nicknamed “the coca-cola way”, because the infrastructures allow to rest and shelter at each stage. But beware: coca cola is rather diluted with acid!
The same path is used for both the ascent and the descent and includes several intermediate lodgings. In the lower part, the tropical forest, populated with eucalyptus, many varieties of birds and Colobus monkeys, reigns. The first day allows you to reach the Mandara refuge at 2700 meters above sea level, before reaching the Horombo refuge at 3720 meters the next day, which allows you to admire the panorama of Mount Kibo. An additional day can then be dedicated to an acclimatization walk: the route consists of leaving the refuge, reaching 4,500 meters and returning to the refuge. On the fourth day, serious things begin. The ascent resumes, with the crossing of an altitude desert, called the Saddle. In 6 hours, you reach the Kibo refuge at 4,705 meters. After a short night, it will be a sunrise at midnight, to attack the colossus. After 5 hours of walking, we reach the crater of Gillman’s Point (5,685 m), with the dawn that sets fire to the sky and the mountains that surround us. The cloud layers, as far as the eye can see, seem like an ocean as far as the eye can see. With stars in our eyes, we continue our ascent to reach, in about two hours, the Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa, at 5,895 m above sea level. We then reach the roof of Africa, the highest isolated mountain in the world!
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Kilimandjaro Summit, Tanzania
