KCFC Itinerary

Here's where we'll be, and when - Wish us luck!


June 25th-26th (MOSHI - 3,000ft.)
After a ridiculously long flight, we'll arrive in Moshi and try to get acclimated to the time change. In the morning, we'll meet our guides for a climb orientation and equipment check.

At 19,340ft. the "Roof of Africa" sure looks imposing!



June 27th (Machame Camp - 9,750ft.)
Today, we begin our Climb! After breakfast, we'll head out by vehicle, passing banana and coffee plantations on the way to the gate for Kilimanjaro National Park. After taking care of some paperwork, we'll trek for 4 hours through the tropical rainforest to the Machame campsite.



June 28th (Shira Plateau - 12,480ft.)
We'll get an early start and leave the last of the rainforest behind. We might be able to catch a glimpse of Kibo Peak - from 20 miles away! Passing the fields of heather, the mountainside gradually opens up. The effects of the altitude will now become very noticible. We should reach Shira after approximately 5 hours of hard hiking.



June 29th (Barranco Camp - 12,850ft.)
In the morning we'll hike uphill, past the Lava Tower, and slowly trek downhill past our first Lobelias and Giant Senecios, around Kibo's spectacular south-facing glaciers. The view of the towering peaks should be spectacular. After descending through the heather and lobelias we'll arrive at Barranco Camp.



June 30th (Karanga Camp - 13,200ft.)
To help acclimitize, we won't be ascending much. Our first challenge of the day is to breach the Barranco Wall - not too tough, but a challenge nonetheless. Most of the day is spent skirting the base of Kibo peak over our left shoulder. We descend down into the Karanga Valley, and climb up the other side, where we rest up for the night before the tough climb up to Barafu camp.



July 1st (Barafu Camp - 14,950ft.)
The air will start getting quite thin, and we'll be running short of breath. It'll be a tough, uphill climb to the rocky, craggy slopes at the camp. "Barafu" means, "ice" in Swahili, and it is extremely cold at this altitude. We arrive here relatively early in the day so that we can hike up another thousand feet from camp, allowing us to briefly acclimatize at around 16,000 ft. before climbing back down.

We'll go to bed early because so that we can rise at midnight for the final leg to Uhuru Peak.


July 2nd (Uhuru Peak - 19,340ft. to Millennium Camp - 12,500ft.)
We'll need to dress warmly, because climbing will begin at midnight, on the steepest and most demanding part of the mountain. The moon, if out, will provide some light, and after a 7 hour hike, we'll reach the crater rim by sunrise.

Mawenzi Peak will be a thrilling sight, with the Kibo saddle still in darkness beneath us, and the crater's ice-walls looming ahead. We'll now continue to Uhuru Peak(1-2 hours further) - the highest point in Africa, and the world's highest solitary peak (19,340 ft). It's the best view in Africa.

Then we have to come back down! It will be another 4 hours to Barafu Camp and another 4 down to Millennium camp where we will spend our last night on the mountain.

July 3rd (Moshi)

In the morning we'll have another four-hour walk down to the road, where we meet our vehicle, and drive a short way back to our hotel. A hot shower and many cold beers will await us, before we head off for a well deserved rest in a real bed.