Depart for Umbwe Gate at 1800m, from where a forestry track leads through natural rainforest to a narrow and steep forested ridge, reaching the first campsite by some rock overhangs at 2940m (5-6 hours).
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The Rongai route ascends Kilimanjaro from the northeastern side of the mountain, tracing the border between Tanzania and Kenya. This path retains an aura of pristine wilderness and offers a unique perspective of Kilimanjaro from the north. Due to the topography of the route, the climb high and sleep low principle cannot be effectively applied, leading hikers to typically experience more altitude sickness compared to other routes (thus, an additional acclimatization day is highly recommended on this route). The Rongai route utilizes the scree summiting path from Kibo Hut to Gilman’s Point and descends via the Marangu route. The primary difference in itinerary between the Rongai 6-day and 7-day routes is the inclusion of an extra acclimatization day at Mwenzi Tarn.
Depart for Umbwe Gate at 1800m, from where a forestry track leads through natural rainforest to a narrow and steep forested ridge, reaching the first campsite by some rock overhangs at 2940m (5-6 hours).
Continue until the forest ends and the path continues along a spectacular ridge with superb views of the icy Breach Wall above and the Great Barranco Gorge below. The campsite is not far from the Barranco Hut (5-6 hours, 3950m).
Scramble easily to the top of the Great Barranco and then traverse over screes and ridges to the Karanga Valley campsite (3 hours, 3937m), beneath the icefalls of the Southern Glaciers.
The trail ascends a ridge to a campsite by the Barafu Hut, an airy location with little vegetation (3 hours, 4600m).
Start just after midnight for the ascent of the screes leading to Stella Point (6 hours, 5732m). From here, a further 40 minutes lead to Uhuru Peak. Descend to the Barafu Hut for a rest and brunch before continuing down to camp at Mweka Hut at 3100m (11-13 hours total walking time). Those with energy at the summit may wish to descend to the Reutsh Crater and visit the dramatic ice pinnacles of the Eastern Icefields.
A 3-4 hour descent through beautiful forest brings you to the park gate, concluding the trekking..
