- Kilimanjaro Day 1 – Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut
- Kilimanjaro Day 2 – Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
- Kilimanjaro Day 3 – Horombo Hut to Kibo hut
- Kilimanjaro Day 4 – Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak
- Kilimanjaro Descent – Uhuru Peak to Marangu gate
It is not down in any map; true places never are.Herman Melville
Kilimanjaro Day 3 – Horombo Hut to Kibo hut
- Day number: 3
- Starting Point: Horombo Hut
- Target Point: Kibo Hut
- Altitude: 4703m
- ETA: 5 hours
- Veg Zone: Alpine Desert
Another early rise with cold morning sunshine and absolutely freezing temperatures. We were given a bowl of hot water to wash up and after a good breakfast we were on our way. Today, you could see Kili all the way as it was a clear day and one of the hardest till now. Views of the peak and its glaciers continued to appear, reminding us how far we have come and how far we have left to go.
Prepare well about what you need to take and wear while hiking Kilimanjaro – Read more.
Also, the altitude was the real pain factor along with sleep deprivation. Even tying the shoe laces seemed like a daunting task now. Some hikers took an extra day and night at Horombo for additional acclimatisation but we preferred not to as we wanted to complete the hike in five days.
Moorland makes way for the alpine desert habitat as we march on. The vegetation gradually thins and we passed quite few water streams before arriving at the board – “Last Water Point” at 4200 m/13780 ft. This is the last point for the porters to collect water and also for having a breather at the tables there.
We were struck with another reality check – a hiker being wheeled down rapidly by the guides/porters on a stretcher. This really shook us – Kilimanjaro may not be the Everest but it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s a very daunting hike which challenges you mentally and physically. We later learned that the person wheeled down was suffering from very bad high altitude sickness and needed to get down to lower altitudes immediately.
We marched on and after crossing few ridges we reached the ‘Saddle’ – barren plain of alpine desert between the two main peaks of Kilimanjaro: Mawenzi and Kibo. There is absolutely no living being left here except for some grass. This never ending stretch of barren land is the most unforgiving and the African sun adds to the misery. This simply doesn’t seem to end and walking slowly we keep climbing with Kibo huts visible from a distance but the journey doesn’t seem to end! The path doesn’t look steep except maybe for the very last section but the lack of Oxygen turns this into a major effort.
We had lunch midway and strolled for another 2 hours on boulder strewn path before finally reaching the Kibo huts at 4730m – the 7.5 miles walk was mind-numbingly monotonous. The Kibo hut was a stone build block house with bunks and no water streams anywhere near. Hikers from different routes merge at Kibo.
It’s here we met two South Korean gentleman who shared the block with us who were attempting to summit Kili at the age of 70+. It was really a pleasure to talk to them and was a much needed motivation.
The summit is now a further 1195m up and you will make your final ascent the same night. The first thing we did was get our gear ready for the summit hike. Please read my post for what to pack and get for a Kili Hike – (Click here). We were served an early dinner at 4pm – our appetite was lost by now but we were forced to eat as much as we can to store up energy for what’s ahead and were asked to get some sleep which was next to impossible as the altitude was unbearable and also the nervousness of the summit hike kept us awake.
View our Kilimanjaro Hike Video here –
Read our Day 4 excursion to Kili peak here – Click here
Also read our successful Kilimanjaro Hike journey here – Click here.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.