10 DAYS KILIMANJARO NORTHERN CIRCUIT ROUTE DOUBLE BIKE TREK

Upon arrival at Arusha /Kilimanjaro Airport you will meet your Burigi Chato Safaris guide who will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi Tanzania (for budget hotels we recommend KILIMANJARO WHITE HOUSE HOTEL). Settle into your accommodation, relax and get used to the African atmosphere. Ready to start your 10 DAYS KILIMANJARO HIKING CLIMB UP VIA NORTHEN CIRCUIT ROUTE AND RIDE DOWN VIA MARANGU ROUTE the next day.

After breakfast you will be picked up at the lodge and taken to the Londorossi Gate at the height of 2,250 m. After the necessary registration has been completed, a bumpy drive will take you into the dense rainforest, from where your adventure commences. The moderately steep track makes its way through an unspoilt natural forest to the Big Tree Camp (2,780 m). You will be accompanied by an armed ranger for the first 2 days of your trek as wild game can be found in the area. You will spend the night in tents at Big Tree Camp.

•Elevation (ft): 7,800ft to 9,500ft
•Distance: 6 km
•Hiking Time:3-4 hours
•Habitat: Rain Forest
•Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
•Accommodation: Mti mkubwa Camp

We continue on the trail leading out of the rain forest and into a savannah of tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. As we ascend through the lush rolling hills and cross several streams, we reach the Shira Ridge before dropping gently down to Shira 1 Camp. Here we catch our first glimpse of Kibo across the plateau.

Elevation (ft): 9,498ft to 11,500ft

• Distance: 8 km/ 5miles
• Hiking Time 5-6 hours
• Habitat: Health
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Shira 1 Camp

Compared to yesterday, your climbing today is less (240 meters of ascent) and takes you up to an altitude of 3,850 meters. The distance you cover will be similar, at approximately 7 km. It is a steady, uphill climb and you should expect about 3.5 to 4 hours of walk time in total.

Your breakfast today is at the civilized hour of 08.00 and your departure one hour later. You set off in a south-eastern direction across the moor and heathland of the Shira Plateau. Buffalo, dik-dik and klipspringer graze here and can occasionally be seen. You intend to reach Shira 2 Camp – which is also known as Shira Huts – by 13.00, in time to be served a hot lunch. Dinner tonight will be at 18.00.

• Elevation: 11,500 ft to 12,500 ft
• Distance: 7 km/4 miles
• Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
• Habitat: Heath
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Shira 2 Camp

Today you are back to your early, 07.00 breakfast time, ready for 08.30 departure. You would expect to spend about 6.5 to 7 hours walking today, covering a distance of 14 km. You will finish your day 350 meters higher than you started it, in between you have to climb to the base of the famous Lava Tower at 4,600 meters. This part of the route is rife with ups and downs and may bring some discomfort. You will spend one or two hours at higher altitude in order to properly acclimatize yourself, so the lunch break will take place at Lava Tower itself. The afternoon part of the route climbs slightly before descending to Moir Hut Camp. Your guide may decide to bypass Lava Tower altogether, taking the porter trail instead, if any of the members of the group do not appear to have acclimatized properly. In this case the highest altitude reached will be 4,400, rather than 4,600 meters.

• Shira 2 Camp to Lava Tower to Moir Hut
• Elevation: 12,500 ft to 15,190 ft to 13,580 ft
• Distance: 14 km/8 miles
• Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Moir hut Camp

You climb out of the Moir Valley and take a short detour to reach the summit of Lent Hills (4,375 m). After admiring the views, you return to the trail and head eastwards around the northern circuit trail. Here the trail passes through a field of rock slabs that clink as they are walked on. The final section of today’s walk undulates until reaching the location of Buffalo Camp (4,020 m). At the camp, there is a huge feeling of space as the Kenyan plains stretch out far below to the north.

• Elevation: 13,580 ft to 13,200 ft
• Distance: 12 km/7 miles
• Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Buffalo Camp

From Buffalo Camp, you climb to the top of ‘Buffalo Ridge’ and cross numerous ridges and gullies. The trail continues eastwards through a landscape that has increasingly sparse vegetation to eventually reach Third Cave Camp (3,800 m).

• Buffalo Camp to Third Cave
• Elevation: 13,200 ft to 12,700 ft
• Distance: 8 km/5 miles
• Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
• Habitat: Heath
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Third Cave Camp

On a relatively easy path, today’s leg takes you over the so called “saddle”. This piece of rock is actually a lava-flow formed when Kili was still young. It has now solidified and connects two of Mount Kilimanjaro’s three peaks, Mawenzi and Kibo. You will arrive at the School Hut in about 4.5 to 5 hours and go to bed straight after dinner as the summit calls for an early start, at approximately 11 p.m.

• Third Cave to School Hut
• Elevation: 12,700 ft to 15,600 ft
• Distance: 5 km/3 miles
• Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: School Hut

We have a long and steep ascent with many switchbacks up to Gillman’s Point, from which we traverse the crater rim, then at Stella Point descend slightly into the crater. Across the floor of the crater is Crater Camp, with its great views of the surrounding glaciers.

• Elevation: 15,600 ft to 18,865 ft
• Distance: 2.8 km
• Hiking Time: 1-2 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Crater Camp

The final ascent begins in the early morning hours with the first signs of the sunrise. Though this leg is just two hours long, the high altitude ensures that it is particularly slow and arduous. After ascending 170 meters or so you will reach the summit of Uhuru Peak (5895 m).

Now standing on the “Roof of Africa” you will be able to see the surrounding summits and landscapes in all their glory – a truly special experience.

Arriving at Uhuru peak you will find your bike at the peak spends some few minutes and take photos, then ride down to Stella Point then Kibo hut for Lunch. After lunch ride down to Horombo Hut.

Today cycling from Uhuru to Kibo 30% to 40% Icecap vegetation and 15% to 20% is alpine desert and from Kibo to Horombo 100% “Alpine desert vegetation.

•Crater Camp to Uhuru Peak
•Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut
•Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341 ft
•Altitude: 5895 ft to 3700 ft (Riding Down)
•Distance: 1 km
•Distance: 14 km down
Altitude: 5730 m to 5,895 m

•Habitat: Arctic | Alpine desert
•Hiking Time: 1 hours
•Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
•Habitat: Arctic

>Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner >Accommodation: Horombo hut

After breakfast, make your final riding down to Kilema gate across the alpine and the rainforest to Kilema gate, then you will be transferred to Marangu gate for check out.

A vehicle will meet you at Marangu gate to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi. Don’t forget to tip your guides and porters. It is time for celebration!

• Altitude: 3,700 m to 1,700 m
• Distance Covered: 18km km down to kilema Gate
• Time to be used: 3 hrs
• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

_THE END OF TREK_