Mount Kilimanjaro, sits 200 miles (322 km) south of the equator in Tanzania, a country located approximately halfway up the eastern seaboard of Africa.

The mountain lies close to the Kenyan border, in Kilimanjaro National Park, which was established in 1973 and officially opened in 1977. It encompasses 756 square miles (1957 sq km) of terrain above the 9000-foot (2700 m) contour line. The lands below this delineation are inhabited by local Chagga tribespeople. Many of our porters (who will help you trek with just a daypack and save energy for your summit) are extremely hard-working Chagga tribespeople residing on the flanks of Kilimanjaro itself.

Tanzanians in general are uniquely cheerful and hospitable and make great hosts for your climb and will joyfully share their culture with you.

We have chosen the Machame Route on Kilimanjaro for the best summit chances and a chance to experience standing on top of the “Roof of Africa.”

Every expedition originates in Arusha, Tanzania, the gateway to Kilimanjaro, where the team will meet the day before for gear checks, a guide briefing, and to address any last-minute logistics.

On day 3, you will head to the Machame Gate as a team, where you will begin your climb and enter Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. The route will wind itself through a verdant rainforest filled with chattering birds and blue monkeys before making your way to Machame Camp for the evening.

As we leave Machame Camp behind, we also leave behind the rainforest. We will continue ascending into the heather moorlands,  where the vegetation becomes less dense, and views of Mount Meru come into sight on a clear day. We rest for the evening at Shira Camp.

Today, day five is a walk-high and sleep-low day, which is ideal for acclimatization. We will make our way into the alpine desert, with the looming form of the Kibo Massif ahead. Kibo, along with Mawenzi and Shira, are the three peaks of Kilimanjaro. We will pass through a strange yet beautiful Garden of the Senecios, where giant groundsels and lobelias dominate the landscape. This is one of our favorite areas on the entire trail. We rest for the evening at Barranco Camp.

A relatively short day is up next, but you will be taking on the famed Barranco Wall. Be prepared to use all four limbs to traverse the wall to the top of the Karanga Valley. From here, you will follow an undulating trail on your way to Karanga Camp for the evening. The evening views from Karanga Camp are particularly spectacular as the sun sets over glacial valleys and ice fields that tower 3,000 feet above you.

Today, we get ourselves into position to summit Kilimanjaro the following day. We ascend steeply through scree fields and vast stretches of desolate alpine desert landscapes. With an alpine start looming, an early dinner and rest are on deck for the team.

An alpine start (usually 1:00 am) kicks off our summit attempt to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa! Patience and persistence are the name of the game today to reach the summit, with this being the coldest, windiest leg of your climb. The trail is tougher, with a sustained switchback climb through steep scree. Slowly and with regular stops is the best way to do it. By dawn, as the first rays of light start to appear across the Tanzanian landscape, you arrive near the rim at Stella Point, at an altitude of 18,652ft. Here, you are rewarded with the most glorious sunrise you are ever likely to see, appearing over Mawenzi Peak. After Stella Point on the Crater Rim, it is just over an hour’s walk to the summit, but it will most certainly feel longer. After a short celebration at the summit, we will start our sustained descent to Mweka Camp.

On our last day on the trail, we will wind ourselves once again through the tropical rainforest that is alive with birdsongs and a lush understory of vegetation. Our route winds down to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate at Mweka. After a short walk through coffee and banana farms, we arrive at Mweka Village, where our vehicle awaits and transfers us to the lodge in Arusha for a well-deserved shower, celebration dinner, and overnight stay.