The big day has finally arrived. Everyone will feel a mixture of nerves and excitement as they meet up for the long-awaited flight to Tanzania. Embrace the nerves and get ready for the experience of a lifetime.
Your local Charity Challenge representative will transfer you to your hotel for a welcome lunch. The evening will include a team dinner, briefing and kit check before getting a long sleep in preparation for the start of the challenge.
It’s the long awaited challenge day!
The day starts at the main gate of the national park for registration, before driving on to Lemosho Glades at 1,981m. The trek begins on a little-used path through the rainforest wilderness called Chamber’s Route, where at points, the terrain becomes quite tough. The first night of camping will be spent in or near the surrounding rainforest.
Enjoy a morning climb of over 600m in altitude to an incredible valley just outside the Shira Crater at 3,050m. After stopping here for lunch, the route crosses into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau. The evening’s camp is at Shira One (3,500m), one of Kilimanjaro’s three volcanic cones. From here it is possible to catch a first close look of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s dramatic summit.
After an early start, head east across the Shira Plateau. passing the Shira Cathedral (3,880m) before reaching your final destination: Shira Two (3,800m). The views from the ridge are spectacular, though you will need a good head for heights! Enjoy a wonderful nights’ sleep above the clouds of Africa.
Today you tackle the Southern Flank, heading up to 4,500m over the Lava Tower, before passing through the Barranco Valley, which is dotted with remarkable plant life including giant Dendrosenecios. Continue on to one of the mountain’s most spectacular beauty spots: the Barranco Wall, with views over Mount Meru and the expansive plains below, this point at 3,900m will be your campsite.
Summon up all your energy for this morning’s climb up the Barranco Wall, continuing over valleys and ridges before arriving at Karanga camp for lunch. There is an optional but recommended afternoon trek to the scree slopes towards the southern ice fields, which helps with acclimatisation.
After a large, energy-filled breakfast, the trek to Barafu Ridge Camp (4,600m) begins – a tough walk made all the more difficult by the altitude. Take the afternoon to either rest or join a short acclimatisation walk to a higher point. Dinner will be followed by a very early night, ahead of the midnight summit departure.
Beginning the summit walk at midnight, the climb passes through the tough and unforgiving scree slopes to Stella Point (5,750m). Be prepared for the mental challenge as temperatures plummet due to the wind chill. You will aim to reach Stella Point just after dawn, buoyed by the natural energy and warmth of the rising sun.
After a short rest, it’s one final push Uhuru Point, and the roof of Africa, at 5,895m. Celebrate your accomplishment with your fellow challenge participants, and take the time to admire the surrounds, before descending via Barafu Ridge Camp towards Millennium camp at 3,750m, where celebratory drinks await!
It’s an early start for your final day trekking to Mweka Gate. It’s a long, tiresome walk on a pretty, sloping track into the rainforest and down to the plantations near Kidia. The path continues for up to seven hours until the gate where you stop for lunch and team photos.
After lunch and a two-hour drive back to your hotel, enjoy a hot shower, rest and celebratory dinner.
It’s time to wave goodbye to Tanzania, having completed an incredible challenge and forged some lasting friendships along the way. Feeling elated, the flight home is a great time to reflect on the achievement and swap details with your inspiring teammates.
Saying goodbye will not be easy, but the memories you’ve made will stay with you forever.
BELIEVE >> ACHIEVE >> INSPIRE
We hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 6546. Many of the flight-inclusive challenges on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. This ATOL protection only covers challenges that include flights booked by Charity Challenge and that originate in the UK. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate
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