Kilimanjaro Cycling Challenge Kilema Route 5 Days

Meet your guide and embark on your transfer to the Marangu gate, which takes about 45 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Marangu, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. Once you reach the park gate, all hikers are required to register at the Park office. After signing-in and registering at the Marangu gate, we drove to the Kilema gate. Upon arrival you will ensure that you have all your daypack items (containing at least drinking water, your lunch pack and extra clothing) and do a final check on your mountain bike. You will then start the first route section of 7km, (with your guide also on a mountain bike) from the Kilema gate (1 950m) to the kilema camp (2950m) on a 4×4 path. Bikers with good fitness levels, mountain biking skills and subject to road conditions, will be able to cycle all the way to Horombo hut.

• Kilema Gate (1950m) – kilema camp (2950m)
• Cycling time: Approximately 3 hours
• Distance: Approximately 7 km
• Habitat: Montane forest
• Cyclingꓽ 100%

After breakfast, make sure your duffel bags are packed and we cycle from the Kilema camp to Horombo hut. The trail is steep and has a lot of loose rocks in certain areas. Horombo hut is a village of huts perched on a small plateau, with a total capacity of 120 climbers! Normally bustling with hikers, guides, porters and with an atmosphere of adventure and excitement. You will meet both ascending and descending hikers here. We arrived in time for a late lunch at Horombo hut. After lunch, collect our bikes and go for a 1,5 hour acclimatization cycle up to Zebra rocks (4 040m) and back. Enjoy dinner and overnight at Horombo hut.

• Kilema camp (2950m) – Horombo hut (3705)
• Cycling time: 2 to 3 hours
• Distance: Approximately 7 km
• Habitat: Moorland
• Horombo hut (3705m) – Zebra Rocks (4 040m) – Horombo hut
• Cycling time: 1 hour up and 20 minutes down
• Distance: Approximately 2 km up and 2 km down
• Habitat: Moorland

This day is going to be used for acclimatization, which is very important part to climb Kilimanjaro Mountain with bike. After breakfast, we will ride through the Alpine desert up to zebra rocks via Mawenzi ridge and saddle. Enjoy dinner and overnight at Horombo camp.

• Horombo hut (3705m) – Mawenzi hut (4330m)
• Cycling time: 6 ─ 7 hours
• Distance: 10 km
• Habitatꓽ Alpine desert
• Cyclingꓽ 90%

Early wake and make sure your duffel bags are packed and ready to go. After breakfast, meet your guide and we head up to Kibo hut. The first 3km would require you pushing and carrying your bike a lot, with the final 7 km to Kibo hut offering a good biking trail. We will enjoy lunch and then aim to rest. At around 16:00 depending on how you feel it is possible to hike partially up the summit path to orient yourself for the summit attempt later that night. Situated in the barren Alpine desert is Kibo hut, a stone built block house which has bunk beds for 60 people. There are platform toilets behind the hut. The summit (Uhuru Peak) is now a further 1195m up and you will make your final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, thermal clothing etc. for your summit bid. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed at roundabout 19:00 and try to get as much rest and sleep as possible, until Midnight.

• Horombo hut (3705m) – Kibo hut (4730m)
• Cycling time: 5 to 7 hours
• Distance: Approximately 9.6 km
• Habitat: Alpine desert
• Cyclingꓽ 90%

You will rise around Midnight and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into the night, and this is where the going really gets tough. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5150m), also a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s point (5 681m), which is located on the crater rim. The section just before Gillman’s point known as “Jamaica rocks' ' is very steep with a lot of stone screen, boulders requiring a great physical and mental effort.
From Kibo hut up to Gillmans point the trail cannot be cycled and you will have to push your bike up to the Jamaica rocks, however from Jamaica rocks to Gillmans point, you will have to carry your bike (or if you are not up to it – arrange for a porter to carry your bike). With oxygen levels close to 9.5%, this is probably the most demanding section of the entire route. You will be doing the Kilimanjaro shuffle and move very slowly.
From Gillman’s Point the trail can be cycled again and you will normally encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa. Depending on snowfall, mountain bikers with high fitness levels and expert technical mountain biking skills, will be able to cycle most of the trail from Gillman’s Point to Uhuru peak.
Total exhilaration and satisfaction – you made it. Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend, taking photographs, before the 3 hour descent back to Kibo hut. Again, mountain bikers with expert technical cycling skills, should be able to cycle from Uhuru peak to Gillmans’ point. It is impossible to ride the first section from Gillman’s point down to Kibo hut. Cycling will only be possible for the final 1 to 2 km before reaching Kibo hut.

• Kibo hut (4730m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – kibo hut (4730m)
• Kibo hut (4730m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Kibo hut (4730m)
• Cycling time: 7 to 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 3 to 4 hours to descend to Kibo hut
• Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

After summit you will cycle to kibo camp for a rest and then later you will embarked on the world’s ultimate downhill mountain bike rollercoaster ride: Starting at Kibo hut at 4730m you will descend down to the Kilema gate 1 950m – distance approximately 31 km, descend approximately 3000m in only 3 hours!.
Cyclingꓽ 100%
The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Moshi town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport. End of Our Cycling On Mount Kilimanjaro Tour.