On this first day of your hike, the Genius Kilimanjaro team will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning after breakfast and drive you for about 2 hours to Lemosho Gate within Kilimanjaro National Park (note that a stop at Londorossi gate is no longer necessary). At the gate, you will complete formal registrations with the Park authorities. You will be served with lunch at the gate before you begin your hike. The hike takes you through a dense rainforest zone where you will have a chance to spot colobus monkeys up on the tree branches. You will arrive at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) Camp in the early evening. This is where you will spend your first night on the mountain. The genius Kilimanjaro team will have arrived at the Camp ahead of you and will have set up the Camp ready to receive you. You will be provided with warm water to freshen up. Dinner will be served. After dinner, you will be briefed about the following day. You will then retire to your tent for the night.

On day 2 Genius Kilimanjaro team will wake you up in the morning and provide you with warm water to freshen up before being served with breakfast. The 2nd day’s destination is Shira Camp 1. The hike from Mti Mkubwa Camp to Shira Camp 1 will take 5-6 hours to complete. The hike will take you through a forest zone which will thin out into a heather and volcanic rock zone. You will hike through Shira Ridge then drop gently to Shira Camp 1 from where you can have a great view of the summit ahead of you. The genius Kilimanjaro team will have set up the camp in readiness for your arrival. You will spend the night at this camp. After dinner, you will be briefed about the following day’s hike.

On day 3 you will leave Shira Camp 1 early in the morning after having breakfast. The hike will take 3-4 hours to the destination Shira Camp 2. On this day you will cross Shira Ridge with its rocky ground, low grasses, and shrubs. You will climb about 400 meters to Shira Camp 2. If you like and the conditions allow, we can make a short detour to Shira Cathedral (3895m). On arrival at the Camp, you will have lunch after which the Genius Kilimanjaro team will brief you about the following day’s hike. You will spend the rest of the day resting before dinner. You will spend the night at this cap. The view of Kibo Peak from this camp is breathtaking.

After breakfast on day 4, you will leave the moorland environment and enter the semi-desert and rocky landscape. For the first time, we reach above 4000m! After 5 hours of hiking, you will reach the Lava Tower at 4640m above sea level. At this point of the hike, it is normal for hikers to experience the effects of the altitude. These include headaches, shortness of breath, and nausea. Near Lava Tower Lemosho route joins Machame route. The genius Kilimanjaro team will serve you lunch at Lava Tower before you start your descent to Barranco Camp which is located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall. The descent will take about 2 hours. The effects of altitude will decrease as you descend allowing your body to adjust to the conditions. This climbing high and sleeping low allows for acclimatization. At Barranco Camp, you will be served dinner after which Genius Kilimanjaro guides will brief you about the following day’s hike before you retire for the night.

On day 5, the hike is a short one. This day is meant for acclimatization. After an early morning breakfast, it is now time to conquer the Great Barranco Wall! At the top of the Wall, you will have a view of Heim Glacier and will be above the clouds. The trail then winds up and down in the Karanga Valley. The destination is Karanga Camp where you will spend the night. On arrival at the Camp, you will enjoy lunch and rest for the remainder of the day. You will be served dinner in the evening and receive a briefing from the Genius Kilimanjaro team before retiring for the night. The view of Kibo is amazing from Karanga Camp. The Peak looks so near that it feels like one can actually touch it!

After breakfast, you will begin your ascent. The trail intersects with the Mweka Route, which is the trail used to descend on the final two days. As you continue hiking for about 1 to 2 hours, you will reach Barafu Camp which is located on a rocky, exposed ridge. Tents will be exposed to wind and rocks. You will familiarize yourself with the campsite before it gets dark. In the early evening, you will have your dinner and rest before attempting the summit the same night. The Genius Kilimanjaro team will brief you in detail on how to prepare for the summit night.

Your summit day! At around midnight Genius Kilimanjaro team will wake you up with a warm cup of tea and biscuits to get you ready for your final ascent. Your headlamps, and moonlight on a lucky day, will be your only source of light as you make your way up to Stella Point at 5730m, reaching the crater rim in about 5 to 7 hours. In another 1 to 2 hours will take you to Uhuru Peak where you can enjoy the sun rising over the roof of Africa. After capturing this incredible view and achievement on film, you will start your descent along the same route back to Barafu Camp. The genius Expedition Safaris team will be waiting for you with some snacks and refreshments. You will rest in your tents before making your way to Mweka Camp for your last night on the highest mountain in Africa. Dinner will be served at Mweka Camp after which you will retire for the night.

Day 8 is your last day of this fantastic adventure with Genius Kilimanjaro. The day begins after breakfast with a traditional farewell ceremony from our team. The descent will take 2 to 3 hours from Mweka Camp at 3080m to Mweka Gate (1830m). At the gate, you will sign out of the park and then have lunch before you are driven back to your hotel in Arusha for rest and an overnight stay.