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Join Mountain Madness on this once in a lifetime guided climb up Mount Kilimanjaro- the roof of Africa! On this trekking ascent of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and one of the Seven Summits, you will enjoy first class style the entire way! Our seldom-traveled route requires no technical experience. Participants need to only be in great physical shape and have the desire to stand on the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Africa is a diverse continent that will enchant and delight the adventurer in everyone. Our success rate is high: more than 90% of all Mountain Madness clients summit Kilimanjaro! Our route takes us up the Western Breach via the Shira Plateau, a route pioneered by Mountain Madness founders Scott Fischer and Wesley Krause. Krause eventually moved to Tanzania and since the early 1980’s has been overseeing Mountain Madness operations on Kilimanjaro. He has played a key role in the certification and training of our guides and providing seamless services for our groups.
The Shira Plateau Western Breach is the best non-technical route on the mountain. Our summit day is only a 1-2 hour hike from our last camp. Along the way you will enjoy fine mountain dining and comfortable camps throughout the climb. Porters carry your equipment, set up your tent and assure your comfort. All these factors combine to maintain our high success rate. After the climb, we stay at the comfortable Moivaro Lodge where you can relax, swim in the pool, and enjoy a celebratory dinner surrounded by the beautiful Tanzanian landscape.
The safari portion of the trip will allow us to experience the beautiful landscape and wildlife of Tanzania with our highly knowledgeable Tanzanian guides. Our driver guides’ expertise on safari will make your journey not only enjoyable, but educational as well. We travel in Land Cruisers equipped with many windows to ensure that everyone has a great view of the spectacular landscape and animals of Africa. We stay in private deluxe camps and enjoy exquisite food throughout the journey. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area always proves to be a wonderful location for viewing rhinoceros, zebra, elephants, lions, and wildebeests. Mountain Madness is proud to offer wildlife viewing in Serengeti throughout the entire year.
Elevation: 6,500 feet / 1981 meters
Mountain Madness Land Cruisers transport you from Kilimanjaro International Airport to an exclusive Private Tented Camp nestled in beautiful Arusha National Park. Here you will rest and prepare for your climb and enjoy some game viewing that may include elephant, colobus monkeys, buffalo, and fantastic bird watching. This region is incredibly scenic with views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru dominating a panorama of grasslands and high tropical landscapes. You will enjoy a night game drive on your way to camp.
Today is spent relaxing and recovering from your travels. You will have an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the guides and fellow members of your group. Today your guide will have a trip briefing and review your equipment. There may be time for a walk or game drive, which will be taken out into the grasslands for views of African game and Mount Kilimanjaro, as giraffe, buffalo and antelope are usually seen in the area.
Elevation: 7,000-9,500 feet / 2134-2895 meters; Hiking Time: 3-6 hours (3.2 miles)
After a short drive through the beautiful grasslands and scattered Maasai villages we will arrive at the forest edge of the National Park. From here we will walk a few hours through the undisturbed lush jungle to our camp for the night. Our Tanzanian guides will share their knowledge of the local ecology as you walk through the fantastic plants and trees, hear birds, and see other exotic wildlife. With luck you will be able to see Colombus monkeys and signs of elephants on your walk to camp. Upon arriving at camp, you will find your tent set up as well as hot tea and snacks waiting for you in the dining tent. You may relax or go on a short hike before dinner.
Elevation: 11,500 feet / 3505 meters ; Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
Upon waking, your Tanzanian guides will greet you at your tent with tea and hot water to wash with before enjoying breakfast. We will take our time walking through the forest, which enables us to acclimatize comfortably and spot the plentiful game and bird life while enjoying the views down canyon through breaks in the jungle. Today's hike will take us through the Montane Forest and the Hagenia Zone. We will point out the unique environmental differences that characterize these separate equatorial zones.
Elevation: 13,500 feet / 4115 meters; Hiking Time: 3-6 hours (4 miles)
It will take us roughly three hours to hike across the Shira Plateau and then one hour up the western slope of the Kibo Massif. Our Camp will be in the upper Heath Zone. We pass the Fischer Camp, which has a plaque dedicated to Scott Fischer, friend and founder of Mountain Madness. In the 1980's, Wes Krause and Scott Fischer pioneered the Shira Plateau route on Kilimanjaro which we travel. The views of the mountain at sunset and sunrise are truly spectacular.
Elevation: 14,850 feet / 4526 meters; Hiking Time: 5-7 hours (3.6 miles)
After breakfast, the group slowly hikes to 14,850 feet, just under the "Lava Tower." This will be our first introduction to the Alpine Zone where the only plant life is the hardiest of grasses and lichens. We will have a spectacular view of the final route of ascent up the Western Breach. There is an exciting optional rock scramble (non-technical) to the top of this unusual lava tower. The views from the lava tower summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru and the surrounding valleys are quite impressive.
Elevation: 15,700 feet / 4785 meters; Hiking Time: 2-3 hours (1 mile)
The Western Breach ascent route is now in full view. We spend a few hours climbing to the base of the route and make camp near the Arrow Glacier at 15,300 feet. To further our acclimatization, we take an afternoon hike up a spectacular ridge further up the route before relaxing in camp. This camp is famous for the absolutely magnificent sunsets, which illuminate the African sky.
Elevation: 18,500 feet / 5639 meters; Hiking Time: 7-10 hours (1.6 miles)
Today we climb up the Western Breach for about seven hours to the top of the crater rim. There will be time to explore the inner crater before moving to our high camp on the crater floor. It is common to find snow along this section of the route. Our high camp will be situated adjacent to a spectacular glacier and the summit merely a short hike away! The rest of the day will be spent drinking lots of liquids and enjoying another fabulous sunset dinner.
Elevation: 19,340 feet / 5895 meters; Hiking Time: 1-2 hours to summit
After breakfast, we will leave camp and hike to the top of the crater rim. From there it is just a ten-minute hike to Uhuru Summit, the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet! We arrive at the summit and are rewarded with clear views before the midmorning clouds roll in. We will bask in the glory of our accomplishment, grab a bite to eat, enjoy the views and take lots of photographs.
Descend to Mweka Camp
Elevation: 10,500 feet / 3200 meters ; Hiking Time: 8-10 hours to camp (6.8 miles)
After summit celebrations we will begin our descent past Barafu Hut and down to our camp near Mweka Hut, where our porters will have prepared a special celebratory feast! We will have descended almost 9,000 feet today and you will feel intoxicated by the oxygen rich air.
Hiking Time: 4-7 hours (5.2 miles)
Hiking time will vary depending on the trail conditions while traveling through the lush vegetation at this elevation. Rain can occur any time of year at this location and can make the trail muddy requiring a slower pace. Once we have descended the 4,500 feet to the road head we will have our lunch and say good-bye to our mountain staff before heading off to the hotel. At the Moivaro Hotel you can relax, swim in the pool and enjoy the serene setting overlooking the Tanzanian Coffee Plantation. A celebratory dinner at the Moivaro will follow! Climb only members transfer to the airport for a night flight home.
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