This morning we will drive to the village of Nale Moru for the starting point of the Rongai route. The first stage of the trek is through farmland and pine forests. You may have chance to see the beautiful Colobus monkeys or if you’re lucky enough, elephants or buffalos en route. About halfway up the trail you will have a lunch break and you will reach the First Caves Camp in the late afternoon or early evening. The porters and chef who move very fast up the mountain will reach camp before you and set up your tents, boil drinking water, and prepare snacks for your arrival. After washing up, a hot dinner will be served followed by overnight.Our first camp will be the Simba Camp located at the edge of the moorland zone at 2625m.

The morning hike is a steady ascent up to the Second Cave Camp located in the moorland zone with superb views of Kibo and the Eastern ice fields on the crater rim.Proceed with the hiking very slowly acclimatize your body until you reach Second cave (3450M) for hot lunch.

After breakfast then continues up towards Kibo, reaching Kikelwa Cave at about 3600 metres. The views start to open up and you begin to feel you’re on a really big mountain! Water is in the obvious stream below the cave, although you might have to wander downhill a way to find some. Overnight at 3rd Cave camp (Kikelewa Caves).

Day 4 :Barranco Hut To Karanga CampDay 4 :Barranco Hut To Karanga CampToday, first thing in the morning, you will tackle the Barranco Wall. It is strenuous to climb because the air is already so thin and it is very steep. You’ll have a short break to enjoy the stunning views, and then it’s down again on a much gentler slope. From here it’s another couple of hours over volcanic scree and through several small, sheltered valleys until you reach the Karanga Valley Camp. The narrow and steep Karanga Valley is a green oasis, albeit a cold, windy one. The camp is on the other side of the valley and you can spend the afternoon resting, exploring, or chasing that perfect picture of one of the iridescent, malachite sunbirds that live here.

The walk today is short. You leave the Karanga Valley on an easy but steep path, through an increasingly inhospitable landscape, with the Southern Glaciers looming to your left. You have plenty of time to eat, rest and recover, prepare everything for the summit attempt, maybe even go on a short acclimatisation walk, eat some more, and then have an early night. Tonight is the night. Barafu Camp has an otherworldy feel to it, perched on an exposed ridge in a bleak and barren landscape. Do familiarize yourself with the area before the sun goes down! It is quite possible to simply step of the edge if you have to stumble around in the dark to find the toilet.

Your day pack should be ready with everything you will need tonight, make sure everything you are wearing is bone dry! This day will likely go down in your memory as the most physically challenging day in your whole life. Likely it will also be one of the earliest starts you ever made. Successfully you will reach the UHURU PEAK! What you just accomplished is truly impressive and no matter what you expected, the reality of it will be totally different. There is no way to describe or imagine the experience of climbing to nearly 6000 m altitude. You now have to drag yourself back to Stella Point. From there it’s nearly 1100 m down, down, down… Until you get back to Barafu. The descent is cruel on the knees and you will appreciate the walking poles!Lunch should be waiting for you at Barafu. You just want to collapse and sleep; you cannot imagine getting up from that chair again. But after what you have done to your body today it is not safe to remain at this altitude. You have no choice but to pack up your gear and keep going, the sooner the better. Down and down you go, for several more hours, to Millenium Camp.

After breakfast, you will set off through some really pretty forest with lots of birdlife. Try to muster some interest. It may distract from the pain. Once you get to the gate you’ll have to endure some more formalities, but eventually, you will climb into the vehicle waiting for you, say goodbye to your guides, and be whisked away to your hotel for hot showers and decent sleep.