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Born Free Safaris and Tours
Safaris, Tours and Travel to Africa for 35 Years
Location:Tanzania
Length:6 to 9 Days
Accommodation Comfort:Expedition Class
Priced From:$1900.00





 
 
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Machame Route:
Machame Huts
Shira Camp
Barranco Camp
Karanga Camp
Barafu Camp
Millennium Camp or
Mweka Camp

Marangu Route:
Mandara Huts
Horombo Huts
Kibo Huts

Lemosho Route:
Big Tree Camp
Shira 1 Camp
Shira Huts
Barranco Huts
Karanga Camp
Barafu Camp
Millennium Camp or
Mweka Camp

Shira Route:
River Camp
Shira Huts
Barranco Camp
Karanga Camp
Barafu Camp
Milennium Camp or
Mweka Camp

Rongai Route:
1st Caves Camp
2nd Caves Camp
Kikelewa Caves
Mawenzi Tarn Hut
Kibo Huts
Horombo Huts


AREAS VISITED:
TANZANIA
Mount Kilimanjaro:
Machame Route
Marangu Route
Lemosho Route
Shira Route
Rongai Route





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CONQUERING KILIMANJARO

Climb to the 'Roof of Africa'

Overview
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb
MT. KILIMAJARO   

While climbing Kilimanjaro, support teams will do everything for you. Porters carry your baggage, tents and supplies; set up and break down camps; and the professional guides nurture and inform you at every step, to maximize your chances of reaching the summit. You may feel uncomfortable about relying on the local people, but they are essential to your success, as you are to theirs. Born Free ensures that the staff is paid a proper wage; however, they rely heavily on tips and we strongly recommend that all travelers follow our tipping guidelines for these essential members of your team.

We offer two styles of climbing – the standard Born Free professional climb, and the upgraded climb. All standard routes but Marangu include fully serviced mountain camping. The food is nutritious, water and beverages are carried, and toilets are primitive. Upgraded climbs include mountain tents, private toilet tents, and the food is bit more substantial.

Why Climb with Born Free & Our Professional Mt. Kilimanjaro Connection?
Born Free is associated with a top Mt. Kilimanjaro climbing company located in Tanzania. Mountain climbing is their expertise, and our expertise is informing you of your choices, preparing you for your trip, facilitating your travel plans and giving you the comfort of booking through a United States-insured company. Born Free works with porters and guides who have a responsible approach to the environment and dedication to those attempting to climb the mountain.

When comparing the costs of trips, the cheapest option might not always be the best; and on the flip side, the most expensive might not be the best, either. Do not expect to climb the mountain on the cheap – park fees are high, and you will not be allowed through the park gates without a licensed guide.

By the way, if you are thinking of going to Tanzania only to climb Kili, think again! Don’t miss a safari, even a short one.

ACCLIMATIZATION
No climb is arranged without time to acclimatize. We also suggest going to Tanzania a bit early and climbing Mt. Meru (a 3 day climb) before climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately, the majority of climbers want to get off the plane and start their climb right away because they are excited, but this is not a good idea.



Climb the world’s highest free standing mountain

Choose from the top routes

Experienced Licensed Professional Guides

Your safety & summiting is our concern

Porters are respected & protected.



See “Full Itinerary” Tab
for Details on Each Route
Full Itinerary


 
 
UNDERSTANDING THE ROUTES
There are numerous routes that are known by various names. This can be quite confusing. The four most popular approaches are the Marangu, Machame, Lemosho and Rongai. Routes can over lap, criss-cross and become one. It is better to think of them in pairs: Lemosho joins Machame on the Shira Plateau, and after that they are identical; and Rongai joins Marangu at Kibo Hut and then they follow the same path.

Ratings scored accordingly on scenery, difficulty, success rate and/or traffic
Ratings scored accordingly on scenery, difficulty, success rate and/or traffic
****  Highly recommended on all considerations
***    Good route, scenery, medium success rate
**      Not highly recommended

ROUTE MINIMUM DAYS RECOMMENDED DAYS DIFFICULTY SCENERY TRAFFIC
Marangu ** 5 6 Medium-High Good High
Machame ***+ 6 7 Medium-High Excellent High
Lemosho **** 6 8 Medium-High Excellent Medium
Shira *** 6 7 High Excellent Medium
Rongai *** 6 7 Medium Good Low

SEASON TEMPERATURES PERCIPITATION TRAFFIC
January, February, March Warm Moderate High
June and July Cold Moderate Moderate
August, September, October Cold / Moderate Low High / Moderate
November, December Moderate Moderate Moderate
April and May are not recommended due to heavy rains.


(Click links below to expand/collapse)

MACHAME ROUTE – 7 DAYS
This is considered by many climbers to be the most beautiful route, and it is almost as popular as the Marangu route. It is a 6 night climb, with an extra day at Karanga Valley for acclimatization. Day walks are along steep paths that take the climber through magnificent forests to a ridge leading through moorland to the Shira Plateau. It then traverses glacial precipices of the southern ice fields to join the Barafu route to the summit. You must be confident in your ability to hike difficult terrain for several days in a row.
DAY START CAMP ALTITUDE END CAMP ALTITUDE HOURS MILES
1 Machame Gate:
6,000 ft		 Machame Huts:
10,200 ft		 5-7 3.5
2 Machame Huts:
10,200 ft		 Shira Camp:
12,630 ft		 4-6 3.5
3 Shira Camp:
12,630 ft		 Barranco Camp:
12,700 ft		 5-7 6.2
4 Barranco Camp:
12,700 ft		 Karanga Camp:
13,800 ft		 4-5 3.5
5 Karanga Camp:
13,800 ft		 Barafu Camp:
15,100 ft		 4-5 2.2
6 Barafu Camp:
15,091 ft		 Summit Ascent:
Gillman’s Point: 18,700 ft (3,280 ft gain)
Uhuru Peak: 19,340 ft (3,920 ft gain)		 6-8 3.1
  Descend to:
Millennium Camp:
12,467 ft (6233-6873 ft descent) or
Mweka Camp:10,170 ft (8530-9170 ft descent)		 5-6 9.3
7 Millennium Camp:
12,467 ft or
Mweka Camp:
10,170 ft		 To Macheme Gate:
6,000 ft		 4-5  

MARANGU ROUTE – 6 DAYS
This is the most popular route, most likely because it is the least expensive. Costs are less because nights are spent in communal huts and it can be done in 5 days; however, Born Free will not book any climb without the acclimatization day. We do try to avoid leading climbs on the Marangu Route, as it is the least scenic and most crowded. This is not necessarily the easiest route; in fact it has the lowest success rate, as generally less serious climbers try their hand at this route. Camping is not allowed, and it is the same route going up as going down.
DAY START CAMP ALTITUDE END CAMP ALTITUDE HOURS MILES
1 Marangu Gate:
6,100 ft		 Mandara Huts:
8,860 ft		 3-4 5.0
2 Mandara Huts:
8,860 ft		 Horombo Huts:
12,200 ft		 5-7 7.2
3 Horombo Huts:
12,200 ft		 Acclimitization Day:
Hiking/Zebra Rocks-Mawenzi (13,000 ft)
Horombo Huts:
12,200 ft		 n/a n/a
4 Horombo Huts:
12,200 ft		 Kibo Huts:
15,420 ft		 5-7 5.7
5 Kibo Huts:
15,420 ft		 Summit Ascent:
Gillman’s Point: 18,700 ft (3,280 ft gain)
Uhuru Peak: 19,340 ft (3,920 ft gain)		 6-8 5.1
  Descend to:
Horombo Huts:
12,200 ft		 5-6 9.3
6 Horombo Huts:
12,200 ft		 To Marangu Gate:
6,100 ft		 5-6 12.5

LEMOSHO ROUTE – 8 DAYS
One of the more beautiful routes, it is a favorite because of low traffic and high summit rates. It is the considered the ultimate ascent route. The start of the climb is from the west, and then meets up with the Machame Route. The first two days climbers are accompanied by an armed ranger as the track goes into forests that are rich in game. Follow thick forests and moorlands, and cross the spectacular Shira Plateau. It is one of the more expensive options, but does have an excellent success rate and is becoming more popular with experienced climbers. The Lemosho and Shira Routes are most similar, with Lemosho being a longer route.
DAY START CAMP ALTITUDE END CAMP ALTITUDE HOURS MILES
1 Londorossi Gate:
6,900 ft		 Big Tree Camp:
8,695 ft		 2-3 3.7
2 Big Tree Camp:
8,695 ft		 Shira 1 Camp:
11,420 ft		 4-5 5.0
3 Shira 1 Camp:
11,420 ft		 Shira Huts:
12,630 ft		 6-8 6.8
4 Shira Huts:
12,630 ft		 Acclimitization Day:
Hiking into Crater
Barranco Camp:
12,700 ft		 6-8 5.6
5 Barranco Camp:
12,700 ft		 Karanga Camp:
13,800 ft		 4-5 3.5
6 Karanga Camp:
13,800 ft		 Barafu Camp:
15,360 ft		 4-5 2.2
7 Barafu Camp:
15,360 ft		 Summit Ascent:
Stella Point: 18,871 ft (3,511 ft gain)
Uhuru Peak: 19,340 ft (3,980 ft gain)		 6-8 3.0
  Descend to:
Millennium Camp:
12,467 ft (6233-6873 ft descent) or
Mweka Camp:10,170 ft (8530-9170 ft descent)		 5-7 6.2
8 Millennium Camp:
12,467 ft or
Mweka Camp:
10,170 ft		 To Lemosho Gate:
6,000 ft		 4.5 12-14

SHIRA ROUTE – 7 DAYS
This route is approached from the west, and is nearly identical to the Lemosho route. It follows a four wheel drive route (not very attractive), or you can opt to drive up as far as possible. This means you would skip the first part of the climb and are pushed to 11,500 feet without acclimatization. Lemosho is recommended over Shira for this reason. This route is only recommended for those who are confident in hiking in difficult terrain. The cost is higher than other routes.
DAY START CAMP ALTITUDE END CAMP ALTITUDE HOURS MILES
1 Londorossi Gate:
6,900 ft		 River Camp:
10,000 ft		 4-5 4.4
2 River Camp:
10,000 ft		 Shira Huts:
12,630 ft		 6-8 7.5
3 Shira Huts:
12,630 ft		 Acclimitization Day:
Barranco Camp:
12,700 ft		 6-8 6.8
4 Barranco Camp:
12,700 ft		 Karanga Camp:
13,800 ft		 4-5 3.5
5 Karanga Camp:
13,800 ft		 Barafu Camp:
15,360 ft		 4-5 2.2
6 Barafu Camp:
15,360 ft		 Summit Ascent:
Stella Point: 18,871 ft (3,511 ft gain)
Uhuru Peak: 19,340 ft (3,980 ft gain)		 6-8 3.0
  Descend to:
Millennium Camp:
12,467 ft (6233-6873 ft descent) or
Mweka Camp:10,170 ft (8530-9170 ft descent)		 5-7 6.2
8 Millennium Camp:
12,467 ft or
Mweka Camp:
10,170 ft		 To Shira Gate:
6,000 ft		 4.5 12.5

RONGAI ROUTE – 7 DAYS
Remote and situated on the north side of Kili, this route starts close to the Tanzania/Kenya border. Experienced guides consider this to be the easiest route up Kilimanjaro. The scenery is not as varied as the western routes, but it features the ascent and descent on opposite sides of the mountain, so you get to see both. Rongai passes through true wilderness areas before joining the Marangu route at Kibo camp. Rongai is a moderately difficult route. It is the longest on the mountain and generally the most expensive, due to the transfers from Moshi and additional time. Climbers can incorporate a rest day at the Mawenzi Tarn camp, beneath dramatic rock spires. This is a seldom used route.
DAY START CAMP ALTITUDE END CAMP ALTITUDE HOURS MILES
1 Nalemoru:
6,400 ft		 Cave Campsite 1:
9,450 ft		 3-4 4.0
2 Cave Campsite 1:
9,450 ft		 2nd Cave:
11,340 ft		 3-4 4.2
3 2nd Cave:
11,340 ft		 Kikelewa Caves:
11,810 ft		 4-6 5.6
4 Kikelewa Caves:
11,810 ft		 Mawenzi Tarn Hut:
13,800 ft		 3-4 3.7
5 Mawenzi Tarn Hut:
13,800 ft		 Kibo Huts:
15,420 ft		 4-5 5.6
6 Kibo Huts:
15,420 ft		 Summit Ascent:
Gillman’s Point: 18,700 ft (3,280 ft gain)
Uhuru Peak: 19,340 ft (3,920 ft gain)		 6-8 3.1
  Descend to:
Horombo Huts:
12,000 ft		 5-6 9.3
7 Horombo Huts:
12,000 ft		 To Marangu Gate:
6,100 ft		 3-6 12.5

Rates



PLEASE CONTACT US FOR 2011 RATES


GUARANTEED DEPARTURES:
All departures are guaranteed once a trip has been put on deposit and confirmed back to the traveler.

IS THIS TRIP NOT EXACTLY AS YOU WISH?
Not to worry. Born Free will customize your trip. Custom does not mean more expensive – in some cases, it may even be less. Custom means doing what you want, when you want, in the style you want. A Born Free specialist will listen to your ideas and/or advise you of hidden gems that you may not be aware of. Call 800-372-3274.



(Full Inclusion list sent on request for climb details)
Meeting and transfers from airport to base hotel * Overnight at base hotel * Porters and Guides assigned for your ability, enabling you to climb at your own pace * Mountain crew (Porters/Guides) salaries, food and transfers * 33 pounds mountain bag carry weight * Personal porter in additional to those that carry equipment * National park fees * Hut fees and/or camping fees * All equipment and food * Sleeping bag included but we highly advise bringing your own lining * Three superior quality, protein rich meals per day * Drinking water, Katadyn filtered after first day * Coordination between climbs, safaris and additional services * First Air Responder Kilimanjaro Rescue Fees * Basic First Air kit carried by guide * Small oxygen tank * Explore Mount Kilimanjaro detailed map and guide upon booking * Detailed trip preparation information booklet

Upgraded climbs include: Gamow Warming Bag; Toilet chemical; additional oxygen units.

Fully Insured * U.S. Bank Account * Assistance With Visas * Int’l Air Quoted Separately – Not Included

NOT INCLUDED:
International airfares; visas, alcohol, sodas, items of a personal nature, laundry, gratuities.