We concurred Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in March 2008. It was a great adventure.

Kilimanjaro Marangu Route – the beggining

We chose Marangu (“Coca Cola”) Route.
The Marangu route is an oldest trek on Mount Kilimanjaro. Many favor the Marangu route because it is considered to be the easiest path on the mountain, given its gradual slope and making a choice we were uncertain about difficulty. It is also the only route which offers sleeping huts in dormitory style accommodations. The time we did it was a beginning of rainy season and this gave us extra safety in order to succeed. On the other hand we had a benefit that the trail was not crowdy.

Kilimanjaro – above the forest (day 2)

The trek itself is relatively easy however there are 2 things hikers have to bear in mind: altitude and proper cloth for summit

Kilimanjaro the hiking trail

Altitude
The ascend is from 1.800 m to 5.895 so over 4 kilometers up in a short period of time. We did an extra day of acclimatization at the camp Horombo Huts. It appeared later it was a great idea, as both of us had a slight headache later. If we did not do it we would probably had much serious consequences.

Kilimanjaro view

Kilimanjaro Mawenzi view

Proper gear
We had a very experienced guide who helped us to prepare for a final day or rather a night as the summit attempt starts just after midnight in order to get there at dusk. You have to wear cloth which will both keep you warm and not allow to sweat. Otherwise despite of your great physical preparation you can be out of the game. We saw it.
We hope the tips will help you in your trekking adventure.

Kilimanjaro – the view from peak at dusk

Kilimanjaro the peak