Lying in the rain shadow of Kilimanjaro, the Rongai route is one of the best routes to make the attempt on Kilimanjaro during the rainy season, as it sees substantially less rain than the southern routes.
After reaching the summit, the descent is along the more heavily travelled Marangu route, offering you the chance to see Mount Kilimanjaro from both sides.
The route continues up to the mountain’s second summit at Mawenzi, before crossing the Saddle, a barren plain that connects the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo.
The downside is that one of the reasons it is quiet is because the topography of this route doesn't make it easy to acclimatize as you can't easily follow the “walk high, sleep low" principle.
All trekkers need to organize their own flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). From JRO we will arrange a private transfer to your hotel. That night or early the next morning you will meet our local representative and have a full pre-climb briefing.
Transfer from your hotel to Marangu Gate for registration and then a further transfer to the Rongai trailhead (approx. 2½ hours). Our porters prepare and pack our supplies and luggage before we start our ascent through the village of Nale Moru. The small winding path crosses maize fields before climbing gently through a pine forest until we reach First Cave Camp at 2,600m altitude.
The trail continues up towards Kibo, passing Second Cave (3450m) en-route, and reaching Kikelewa Caves at 3600m. From here the views start to open up and you will see for yourself how huge a mountain Kilimanjaro really is. We camp here overnight.
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb all-round views and a tangible sense of wilderness. We leave the vegetation behind shortly before reaching the next camp at Mawenzi Tarn (4330 m), 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 acclimatization.
We will spend a full day at and around Mawenzi Tarn as part of the acclimatization process. There will be plenty to do, with several paths leading up the ridges and towers of Mawenzi, and our crew will help arrange short excursions to explore the area.
We cross the lunar desert of the 'Saddle' between Mawenzi and Kibo to reach Kibo Campsite (4750m) at the bottom of the Kibo crater wall. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent tomorrow.
You will be woken around 23:30 and after some tea and biscuits we will start our ascent. This is where the going really gets tough. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5150m). We then zigzag up to Gilman's Point (5681m) on the crater rim. This section is very steep with much stone scree and is the most demanding section of the route. From Gilman's Point we could encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru Peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa. Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long we can spend taking photographs before we descend back to Kibo Campsite and then Horomobo Hut where we will stay overnight. Later in the evening we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
After breakfast we continue our descent, passing Mandara Hut, down to the Marangu Gate. Transfer to your hotel for a well-earned shower and celebration.
After a much needed nights rest, we will bid you goodbye.
When it comes to trekking and safari, Tanzania really does have it all. It is the kind of place which experienced safari and trekking hands could easily visit for or five times, but it also makes for a fantastic first-time Safari.
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