What was it like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on the Marangu Route? How did it feel to climb to the highest peak in Africa feel? How challenging was summit night? Would you recommend the Marangu Route? Read on for answers to all this and more in this Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Route Day by Day guide.
We’ve already shared some of the life lessons we learned along the way to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, so now it’s time to go into all the details on the Marangu Route: our day by day itinerary, daily hiking distance, elevation gain, and also observations on how the landscapes and trail change along the way.
We also share lots of details on what to expect on summit night to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5,895 meters / 19,340 feet. We won’t lie: this still remains the most challenging climb of our hiking careers. But, also the most fulfilling.
Let me share my guiding experience on “Marangu Route” : Day by Day Itinerary…
The five-day Marangu Route catches hell for not being very interesting in terms of landscape and for forcing a rapid ascent. This was what we had read beforehand.
This was the team members experience and overall, the journey was great.
Aside from an especially challenging final ascent (aka, summit night), the progression is fine. Regarding views, we were pleasantly surprised by the variety and beauty of the landscape. Hopefully our photos underscore this.
To give you a sense of the pace of our climb, we’ve included the distance we covered and the elevation we gained each day. Quite frankly, every time we look at these numbers and consider how rapidly we moved, we whip the calculator out just to verify.
Take a deep breath. Let’s get moving.
Day 1 : Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut
Begin: Marangu gate 1,840m/6,036 ft; End: Mandara Hut 2,720m/8,923ft
Elevation gain: 880m/2,887ft; Distance: 8km/5mi
The climb begins much like a walk in the park. Gauzy moss hangs from trees, waterfalls whisper in the distance. Red clay and forest: this is one of nature’s finest complimentary color combinations. Our pace is absurdly slow, like shuffled footsteps. We feel like dancing to get our hearts beating once again.
As we make our way up, groups of porters and trekkers were coming down fresh from their summit experience and many of them were in high spirit and at a quick pace, eager to reach the exit point and get some good rest.
We stayed at Mandara Huts. The boys prepared some nice food starting with soups and later dinner and finishing with fruits. As a guide, we will brief the team on the performance and what to expect the next day. Keep preparing them to drink enough water and tea and also eat as much as possible in order to avoid AMS (Acute Mountain Sicknesses).
Day 2: Moving Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
Begin: Mandara Hut 2,720m/8,923ft; End: Horombo Hut 3,720m/12,204ft
Elevation gain: 1,000m/3,280ft; Distance: 12 km/7.5mi
The landscape changes from willowed rainforest to shrub-strewn heath and moorland. The land becomes textured, perfect for mid-mountain light. It was a beautiful journey especially in the morning.
Peaks begin to appear. First Mawenzi Peak and then the snow-capped Uhuru Peak in the distance. Our final goal is in sight. Doesn’t look too far, right?
