Kilimanjaro climb, Rongai route
Optional single supplement from £280 - £310.
Late availability on these dates: 28 Jul, 25 Aug, 08 Sep
Description of Kilimanjaro climb, Rongai route
It’s the world’s highest free-standing mountain and, reaching its 5,895m, Uhuru Peak is one transformative trek, especially taking the world famous Kilimanjaro Rongai route. A ten day small group holiday, trekking with expert guides, this challenging expedition consists of six full days of walking and climbing following the only route up to the summit from the north, close to the Kenyan border.
With full porterage throughout this Kilimanjaro climb, you do need a good fitness level for this tough but extremely rewarding trekking holiday although the Rongai route is, relatively, a more gentle approach than some other routes. The holiday also includes one day for acclimatisation, in the shadow of Mawenzi, one of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones.
The adventure starts in the village of Nale Moru where maize filled farmland quickly merges into the Rongai pine forests through which we climb up to the first camp at 2,600m, known aptly as First Cave. The landscapes keep changing from day to day after that, from the open moorlands that lead up to Mawenzi, the second volcanic peak, the moon like desert landscapes known as the'Saddle' between Mawenzi and Kibo cones, and then the ice fields and cliffs around the summit itself.
The final climb starts in the dark, trekking by torchlight to the rim of the crater at Gillman’s Point ideally to arrive for sunrise. Then it’s a snowy trek along the final path to the world famous Uhuru Peak where you will feel on top of the world. The descent uses the Marangu Route on the south east of the mountain and is at a slow, sustained pace.
Staying in hotels for two nights at the beginning and the end of the holiday, the rest of the trek involves five nights of camping in three man tents, with full service and even private toilet tents provided. Definitely the loos with the best views you will ever find.
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Optional single supplement from £280 - £310.
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Responsible Travel
Planet
Accommodation and Meals:For the most part of the trip we will be camping. Spending these 5 nights in non-permanent accommodation creates a minimal impact on the environment by saving energy. Our chefs are local people and enthusiastic about sourcing ingredients locally, which keeps money in the area. Whilst trekking, the emphasis is on a varied and well balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids. For the remainder of the trip, we will be using small, unique hotels or lodges which otherwise may not benefit from the commerce of tourist groups due to their size.
Activity:
Few holidays have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a trekking trip. It is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem and our trip leaders encourage clients not to stray from paths to minimise this. We work with a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy, meaning we have respect for wildlife and the landscape, separate rubbish and take all burnable waste back to a proper disposal place. We also ask that clients consider using biodegradable toiletries and shower at lodges where electricity or solar power is used for hot water.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
People
A Fair Deal:We are dedicated to providing fair treatment, wages and working conditions for our guides and porters. Despite wages being the biggest expenditure on ground, there is no temptation to pay less than what is deserved and as a result we pay one of the highest wages on Kilimanjaro. Alongside this, we always make sure there is sufficient food, fuel, shelter and medical attention with sick pay if necessary. The care for our local staff is not restricted to the trekking season: In the rainy months when work is restricted, we fund a project to teach English to porters and other staff in order to improve their career prospects. So far, with the support of our clients, the project has reached over 800 people in Arusha, Magangu and Tarekea.
Campaigning for Change:
Our dedication to local community is not just for those working for us. In Tanzania, we have funded a project which has managed to install 180 smokeless stoves in 9 villages across Geita and to teach over 90 young people how to build and use them. The benefits of this project have been incredible as the new stoves eliminate the myriad of health issues caused by prolonged exposure to smoke and take far less cooking time. There are also environemntal benefits as much less firewood is required to run the new stoves.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
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