In the early morning (around 00:00am) you begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru peak through the arctic zone. The trek is a steep hike over loose volcanic scree through the dark and cold night and takes a slow pace in a zig-zag pattern towards Stella point (5685m or 18650ft) which is your first stop on the Kibo crater rim. From here a short (but difficult) hike remains to take you to Uhuru Peak (5895m or 19341ft), the highest point in Africa. You usually don’t spend that long at the peak due to the extreme altitude and will descend back down to the base camp for your breakfast / brunch. After your gear is packed up you continue the descent through the alpine desert, heather and moorland and eventually stopping at Mweka camp in the rain forest zone for a well-deserved rest.
Approx. driving distance: None
Approx. trekking time: 14-18 hours
Approx. trekking distance: 19km / 12mi
Start altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
End altitude: 3080m or 10105ft
Highest Altitude reached: 5895m or 19341ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +1255m or +4116ft / -2815m or -9236ft
Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner