Marangu

Overview

The oldest route on the mountain and the only one with dormitory huts instead of tents. Marangu has a gentle, steady gradient and ascends and descends by the same path. We always recommend the six-day version, with an acclimatisation day at Horombo.

Best for: Climbers who prefer a bed and a roof, and rainy-season climbs.

Altitude profile

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Marangu Gate → Mandara Hut

   1,860 m → 2,720 m ~8 km 3–4 h

   A pleasant walk through rainforest to the A-frame huts of Mandara. Short afternoon walk to Maundi Crater.

2. 2

   Mandara Hut → Horombo Hut

   2,720 m → 3,720 m ~12 km 5–6 h

   Leave the forest for open moorland with the first views of Kibo and Mawenzi, arriving at the busy Horombo hut village.

3. 3

   Horombo Hut

   3,720 m → 3,720 m (max 4,000 m) ~6 km 3–4 h

   Acclimatisation day. Hike up to Zebra Rocks or towards Mawenzi Hut and return to Horombo to sleep.

4. 4

   Horombo Hut → Kibo Hut

   3,720 m → 4,703 m ~10 km 6–7 h

   Cross the lunar landscape of "the Saddle" between Mawenzi and Kibo to Kibo Hut at the foot of the summit cone.

5. 5

   Kibo Hut → Horombo Hut

   4,703 m → 3,720 m (max 5,895 m) ~22 km 12–15 h

   Leave at midnight, climb the scree to Gilman's Point on the crater rim and continue along the rim to Uhuru Peak. Descend all the way to Horombo.

6. 6

   Horombo Hut → Marangu Gate

   3,720 m → 1,860 m ~20 km 5–6 h

   A long, easy descent back through the moorland and forest to the gate and your certificate.

Distances and times are approximate.