Mountains Climbing

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Marangu

The Marangu or main route is by far the most popular way up Kilimanjaro. The forest is very beautiful and Maundi Crater is worth a visit just for the flowers and scenery. There are wonderful views of Kibo and Mawenzi. It generally takes five days for the round trip:
Day 1: Marangu to Mandara HutDay 2: Mandara to Horombo HutDay 3: Horombo Hut to Kibo HutDay 4: Kibo Hut to Summit to Horombo HutDay 5: Horombo Hut to Marangu
The schedule, trails and accommodation are designed to allow visitors to acclimate. An extra day at Horombo, Mawenzi or Kibo Huts is recommended to allow even more time to get used to the altitude.

Mandara Hut - 2700 m. This is a group of comfortable, wooden A-frame huts. The largest cabin has a downstairs dining area and an upstairs dormitory with bunk beds and mattresses; smaller huts sleep 8 each. The total capacity is 60. Water is piped into site from springs above and flush toilets are behind the main cabin.
Horombo Hut - 3720 m. The buildings are similar to Mandara, but total capacity is 120. Water is piped from the stream behind the huts. Do not use this stream or its valley as a waste disposal area. There are platform toilets south-east of main hut, about 80 m down the slope and new flush toilets have been built within the complex of small huts.
Kibo Hut - 4700 m. This stone built block house with a small dining-room and a number of 1dormitory rooms leading off a main corridor has bunk beds and mattresses for 60 people. Water: None, so bring an adequate supply from the 'Last Water' stream above Horombo Hut. Platform toilets are behind the hut (to the southwest).

1 Comments:

At 2:11 AM, Blogger sojournsafaris said...

To choose the right Kilimanjaro Climb route for you, there are plenty of variables to be mindful of.
Who: Who is climbing? The whole group's abilities must be factored into choosing a route. The rest of the party is relying on your decision. Pick a route that best fits everyone.
What: What limitations surround your climb? Are you bound by a budget? Or the number of days on your trip? There are cheap/expensive routes, and short/long itineraries.
How: How do you see your trek? Do you want the most challenging route or a less strenuous one? These answers will affect which route is for you.
Where: Where do you want to begin your climb? The routes start from all sides of the mountain. Where you begin affects cost, scenery and scenic variety.
Why: Why are you climbing? Is it very important to summit? Then choose a route with a high success rate. Do you want to take the best photos? Then pick the most scenic route.
When: If you are climbing during the dry season, great. But if you are climbing during the rainy season or the shoulder seasons, then the route you select can play into the climb's difficulty.
So Which is the best route to use to climb up kilimanjaro? Lemosho Route and Rongai Route are the most scenic routes up kilimanjaro. Mt Kilimanjaro Machame route is also a scenic and very popular route with many climbers.
The Marangu Route Climb is however the most used route since it has the advantage of sleeping in huts with bunker beds, hot showers, beverages and beers in the evenings are also available. Marangu is also the shorter route and can be done in 5 days although an extra day for acclimatisation is recommended.

 

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