My favourite itinerary, which includes a few days to enjoy the Shira Plateau and offers the challenge of the Western Breach and the thrill of visiting and staying in the stunning Crater of Kibo.
Day 1: MONTANE FOREST (9,000') Drive approximately two hours from Arusha to the National Park forest edge. From here you will walk about 3 hours through the undisturbed forest to your camp for the night. With luck you will be able to see Colobus monkeys and at least signs of elephant on the walk to camp.
Day 2: SHIRA PLATEAU WEST SIDE (11,300') Taking your time walking through the forest will help you spot some of the plentiful game and bird life. The day's hike will take you through the Montane Forest and the Hagenia zone. The guides will point out the unique environmental differences that characterize these separate equatorial zones.
Day 3: SHIRA PLATEAU EAST SIDE - FISCHER'S CAMP (12,950') The hike today will be about 4 hours across the Shira Plateau and one hour up the western slope of the Kibo Massif. Camp will be in the upper heath zone.
Day 4: LAVA TOWER (14,300') Today you will hike approximately 6 hours to camp just under Lava Tower. This will be your first introduction to the alpine zone, the only plant life being the hardiest of grasses and lichens. You will have a spectacular view of the final ascent route up the Western Breach.
Day 5: ARROW GLACIER (16,000') With the Western Breach ascent route in full view you will spend 2 hours climbing to the base of the route where you will camp near Arrow Glacier. An afternoon hike further up the route before relaxing in camp will help your acclimatization and improve your performance the following day.
Day 6: SUMMIT CRATER CAMP (18,500') You will wind your way up the Western Breach non-technical climbing route about six hours to the crater rim. You can explore the inner crater and the ash pit before moving to our high camp on the crater floor.
Day 7: MWEKA CAMP (9,600') Summit day. You will start the ascent to the summit (19,340') early enough in the morning to be on the summit by 10:00am. After taking in the view from Uhuru Peak you will begin the long descent to Barafu Hut, ewhere a well-deserved rest and brunch awaits, and then on down to our camp near Mweka Hut.
Day 8: MWEKA PARK GATE. It takes about 2 to 2 and a half hours to make the 3,500 foot descent to the roadhead. Here you will have your lunch and say goodbye to the mountain staff and get into the vehicles for the drive back to Arusha.