The Roof of Africa

Marangu (Coca-Cola) Route | January | 6 days | 2 Pax
Contents
1 Hints you may want to heed........................................................................................................ 1 - 2
2 Travel Preparations .......................................................................................................................... 3
3 Packing List........................................................................................................................................... 3 - 5
4 FAQ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 - 9
5 Swahili Pocket Dictionary ............................................................................................................. 10
6 Journals .................................................................................................................................................. 11 - 14

1
1 Hints you may want to heed:
 New hiking boots? Or socks? They need some thorough wearing in!
 Tread carefully and avoid taking steps that are too steep – better go the long way round
a huge stone than straining your leg muscles climbing it. That goes for ascend and
descend!
 Do not underestimate the descent. You run a much higher risk of getting blisters on your
toes when sliding forward in your shoes while walking steep downhill passages.
Bring Hiking poles (there are foldable ones, so they fit into your suitcase or backpack)!
They take the weight from your knees (considerably, you will be in agony without them)
and serve as anti-slides on boulder and rubble. Hiking poles will really make a difference,
believe me – even your guides use them!
 It is pretty humid and cold in the camp „community huts“ (that’s where you will eat and
meet people of other groups). I had freezing cold feet and put on my merino long johns,
my skiing pants and several layers on my upper body every evening.
 Donate equipment: The evening before we started down to the gate, our guide asked us
if we had any clothes or equipment we would not be using again, and if so, to think about
leaving some of our stuff behind for the guys in our group.
Please do keep your eyes open on your way up and watch closely, what clothes and shoes
your porters are wearing carrying your backpacks 4.720 metres up Kilimanjaro and what
your clothes and equipment look in comparison. If you are not a habitual hiker, ask
yourself if you are really going to use all your stuff again. If not, think about donating.
 Do not waste food: The meals are huge – we couldn’t possibly eat everything dished out
to us and always had a large deal of left-overs. To be honest, we suspected that the cook
prepared all the food at once and the group got our left-overs to eat once we were
finished.
So, better tell your cook what you like and don’t like. Thus, your group will eat some of
their breakfast and dinner while it’s still warm. Tell your guide if you have not eaten all
your lunch – he will take the left-overs (even if you have already nibbled at them or have

2
eaten half of it) and give it to the porters. Think twice: These guys are thankful for any
food we would spurn or throw away (in our case a Snickers we bought on our way to
Marangu Gate melting away in our daypacks and smelling somewhat rancid).
 Stop smoking: On your first day! Wish I had done that. My headaches started at
Horombo.
 Drink water, avoid tea: Drink at least 3-4 litres a day, but don’t make the mistake of
drinking black tea or tea with dinner – having to pee several times a night and each time
getting all your clothes on and off is no fun. Your body needs sleep!

3
2 Travel preparations:
 Insurance against injury / illness
 Travel insurance
 Vaccination (the usual, Moshi is too high for mosquitos)
 Visa
 Exchange money (USD and some Shillings for purchases at local shops)
3 Packing List:
Basic Equipment:
 Backpack min. 50-60 litres
 Daypack max. 30 litres
 Hiking poles (a must!)
 Self-inflating matt
 Sleeping bag (a good one!)
 Fleece inlet for sleeping bag
 Self-inflating cushion
 Plastic water bottles 3 x 1 litre
 Headlight
 Storage bags (stuff sacks) to organize and find your stuff more quickly in your backpack
 Plastic bags (zipper) large and small (protection against rain, dirty laundry, wet clothes)
 Purse / money clip
 Camera, objective lens, waterproof and padded travel bag (so you can fasten it to your
daypack or your trousers and have it within reach)
 Hand warmer (not absolutely necessary, I didn’t need them)
 Dextrose
 Tea (we got only black tea)
 Some kind of flavour for your water (if you are sensitive, tastes strongly of iron)

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Cosmetics:
 Sun protection (face + lips)
 Women’s sanitary articles
 Toothbrush, toothpaste
 Toilet paper, wet wipes, tissues
 Ointment for sunburn (e.g. Bepanthen)
 Towel (microfiber quick-dry)
 Nail scissors (come in handy for anything else that needs cutting), (blister) plasters,
earplugs
 You will not need any shampoo or shower gel (no showers)
Drugs:
 Pain reliever (e.g. Nurofen - lozenges)
 Anti-diarrheal (e.g. Immodium akut - lozenges)
 Diamox (against altitude sickness, only on prescription and in case of emergency)
 Broad-spectrum antibiotics
 Magnesium for your muscles (start taking it a week prior to your trip)
Clothes:
 2 x hiking socks (medium)
 2 x hiking socks (heavy)
 1 x skiing socks (medium to heavy)
 Underwear, sports bras
 1 x long sleeve (light, e.g. Nike drifit, running wear)
 1 x tank top (light, e.g. Nike drifit, running wear)
 1 x long sleeve (merino, light, e.g. Icebreaker)
 1 x long sleeve (merino, medium-heavy, e.g. Icebreaker)
 1 x fleece jacket (light)
 1 x fleece jacket (medium-heavy, large enough to wear over light one)
 1 x ski jacket (heavy, waterproof))

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 1 x rain coat
 1 x long johns (merino, medium-heavy, e.g. Icebreaker)
 1 x long johns (merino, light, e.g. Icebreaker)
 1 x hiking pants (zip-off legs are a plus, breathable, waterproof, e.g. G-1000 Fjällraven)
 1 x rain pants (large enough to wear over hiking pants, easy to put on, with straps to
tighten ankle cuffs)
 Light, waterproof, ankle-high hiking boots (e.g. Meindl or Lowa - you will be fine until
Kibo).
 Warm, waterproof, ankle-high hiking boots for your climb from Kibo to the peak
 Gaiters (to keep dirt out of pants and boots – it gets dusty up there)
 Hat (merino wool, try Buff) for warmth and cap for protection from sun
 Scarf or bandana (try Buff – part light cotton, part fleece)
 Ski gloves
 Light gloves (e.g. silk for warmth under your ski gloves or protection when walking with
poles)
 Sun glasses (high alpine)

6
4 Frequently Asked Questions:
 Where can I look up temperatures and weather?
www.mountain-forecast.com Make sure to have your fleece jacket, raingear and hat with
you always. What’s wet will not easily dry.
 How many people are in my company?
There were just the two of us plus our guide and his assistant guide, so a company of four.
The rest of the company walks much faster and sets up camp before you arrive: 1 cook, 1
custodian (serves meals and brings washing water), 2 porters carrying your backpacks, 3
or more porters (depending on how many you are) carrying all the other stuff (cooking
utensils, etc.). So, if there are two of you, the company counts 9 people in total.
 Where will I sleep (tent or hut)?
You will sleep in (and possibly share) a hut. The Marangu Route is the only route that
spares you sleeping in a tent.
 What do the huts look like? How are they furnished?
Mandara und Horombo:
You will find a small „hut village“ (about 10 huts, might be more). Every hut is divided into
two sections with an entrance on each side. Each section is about 5 m² in size with a
pointed roof (you can stand up straight only in the middle). There are 4 bunks in each
section (1 on the right on floor level, 1 on the left on floor level and 2 at the wall
separating the hut (one on floor level and one above it). Each group sharing a hut (or a
section of a hut) receives a key (padlock), so you need to trust your roommates or keep
your valuables with you.
Beds are made of wooden slats (not comfortable), a thin mattress and a cushion (would
recommend self-inflating mat and cushion). There are nails that serve as clothes hanger
and small shelves. You have solar light (light switch at the door, would recommend to
have head light within reach at night).

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Kibo:
A large brick building with several large dormitories providing 10-12 beds each (bunk
beds with thin mattress and cushion).
 What about F&B?
Beverages: Water, instant coffee, sugar, powdered milk, black tea, cocoa
Breakfast:
Porridge (very watery, not very tasty), toast, margarine, 2 kinds of jam, honey, omelette
(chef’s choice), small cooked sausages, fresh fruits (banana, mango, melon, papaya,
pineapple).
Lunch Box:
Varies daily (includes leftovers from last night’s dinner) – juice, sausages, potato wedges,
jam sandwich, vegetables (in a little plastic bag without spoon or fork – very interesting
eating technique), chicken, fruits, candy.
Afternoon Tea:
Black tea, popcorn, nuts, shortbread biscuits
Dinner:
Varies daily – soup (e.g. cucumber soup), pasta, potatoes, potato wedges, rice with
chicken or beef, different sauces and vegetables (carrots, mushrooms, corn, sweet pepper,
cabbage), fresh salads (coleslaw, tomato, cucumber), fresh fruits
 Are there showers?
No showers. You are assigned your own personal “custodian”, who serves you your meals
and will place a bowl of warm water on the steps of your hut every morning (you don’t
need to share it with your roommates). There’s soap and a washcloth plus an outdoor sink
with running (ice cold) water to brush your teeth or wash your hair (if you are brave
enough, I wasn’t). It’s no drinking water, though!
 Max. weight my backpack should not exceed: 10-12 kg
 Max. weight my daypack should not exceed: 4-5 kg

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 What do I need to carry in my daypack?
2-3 litres of water, camera, toilet paper / wet wipes, tissues, cigarettes, sun protection,
raingear, fleece jacket, hat / cap, documents, money, drugs, lunch box, any extra clothes
you may need for the day.
 What does the lunch box I am given each morning weigh and how large is it?
Approx. 25x15x15cm, 500g
 How many water bottles do I have to bring?
3 – you will need 2 each day (would recommend 2 x 1 litre to counterbalance the weight
of your daypack, 1 bottle on the left, 1 bottle on the right) and 3 bottles with insulation
jackets to protect them from freezing on your climb to the peak (no water after you start
climbing from Kibo to the peak until you arrive back at Horombo, the rest of your
company starts descending the morning when you are coming down from the peak).
Your guides will probably use camelbacks, but we were told, that they freeze pretty
quickly, so bottles are a better choice.
 Can I refill my water bottles on the way?
No, water is only available in the camps (needs to be boiled).
 Do I have to bring toilet paper?
Yes, there is no toilet paper in the camps.
 Are there toilets? What are they like?
Mandara Huts:
Floor level, made of ceramic (you have to squat), with flushing, circumstances permitting
mostly clean except at night. You will encounter quite some creepy-crawlies.

9
Horombo Huts:
Partly floor level, partly with toilet bowl, with flushing, circumstances permitting mostly
clean except at night. You will encounter quite some creepy-crawlies.
Kibo Hut:
Hole in the floor tiles (you have to squat), no flushing. Way to the loos is pretty far and
cumbersome. No creepy-crawlies. Too high up.
On the way:
You have the choice: behind the bush or in a woodshed with a hole in the ground, no
flushing, dirty, lots of flies and other creepy-crawlies. If I were you, I’d go for the bush.
 Do I have to tip our guides and porters?
Yes! We (2 pax) tipped our group 500 USD. Your travel agent will probably advise you to
tip about 200 USD each. We received some kind of guideline from our on-site agent to
make sure we were aware of how much is common (they listed an exact amount per day
and per person - for your guide, assistant guide, cook, your personal custodian, the
porters, etc.). Each of them apparently receives a different amount depending on their
position in the group. Calculate an average.
We handed our tip over (as did all other groups we saw) before we started back down to
Marangu Gate from Mandara. Your guide will accept the total amount, count it, announce
the sum to the group and then divide it out.

10
5 My tiny Swahili pocket dictionary:
After pestering our hotel bartender and his crew on Zanzibar (stayed there for a week to
recover) day after day for translations on how to say “please” and “thank you” and how to
order our drinks in Swahili, they put together some words and phrases for us on a little piece
of paper and gave it to us the next day - very sweet. I kept it as a souvenir and would like to
share this tiny Swahili pocket dictionary with you.
I believe that, wherever you are, learning or remembering a few words in peoples’ native
tongues and using (or at least trying to use) them is such an easy way to show appreciation. It
signals an interest in their culture and helps breaking the ice. So far, doing that did the trick
for me - I was always rewarded with a smile.
English Swahili
Hello / Hello, how are you? Mambo! / Jambo!
Good morning Habari za Asubui
Good evening Habari za jioni
Sleep well Lala salama
Today Leo
Tomorrow Kesho
Yesterday Jana
What is your name? Jina lako nani?
My name is… Jina langu…
See you Tutaonana!
May I have… please? Naomba… tafadhali?
Banana Ndizi
I’m sick Naumwa
Good Mzuri
No Hapana
Yes Ndio
Thank you (very much) Asante (sana)
You are welcome Karibu
You Wewe
I Mimi

11
6 Journals:
You will probably stay in one of Moshi’s hotels, situated at an altitude of 900m. Arriving a day
before the scheduled start of our trip, we have plenty of time for some last minute
preparations and dinner.
Day 1:
Our guide picks us up in the morning, in a common African minibus without air-conditioning,
cramped with luggage, the cook and two porters.  On our way to Marangu Gate we stop
two times to pick up the assistant guide and another guy (minibus is now packed to the roof,
one of the guys squeezes in between the luggage in the trunk). Short stop at a local
supermarket (you will need Shillings here) to buy coke and some chocolate bars. Then on to
Marangu Gate at 1.860m.
We make sure to pull the rain covers over our backpacks and hand them over to our porters,
who pack them – along with a lot of other stuff, e.g. canned foods, into rainproof bags (no
one made any attempt to weigh them). Our guide accompanies us to the registration office,
where we need to write down our names and some personal data. If you need to use the
restrooms, now is the time!
The rest of our company is already on their way and will have set up camp before we arrive at
the first camp - Mandara Huts. We pass a last checkpoint before starting on our path through
the rainforest in single file: Matthew, the assistant guide, leads the way, my boyfriend is next,
then me. Simon, our guide, brings up the rear.
From Marangu Gate (1.860m) to Mandara Huts (2.700m) | 8 km | 6 – 8 hours
 Start time: about 8:30am.
 Weather: Hot, humid, but mostly shady.
 Terrain: Lots of tree roots that make for tripping, steep steps shaped of soil to create a
crude path.
 Clothes: Light hiking shoes, hiking pants (with zip-off legs or with legs rolled up), tank top
drifit, long sleeve drifit, bandana, cap, raingear.
 Arrival time: about 2:30pm
 Surroundings at Mandara: Rainforest, monkeys screaming, birds twittering, crickets
chirping, lots of insects, but very few mosquitos (at this time of year)

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Warm washing water to freshen up – bliss! Then afternoon tea and dinner at 6:00pm. Sun sets
at 6:30pm. Our guide passes by to go through the next day’s schedule (time we would like
the washing water to be brought to our hut, time for breakfast and start time). Wiped out.
Bedtime.
Day 2:
From Mandara Huts (2.700m) to Horombo Huts (3.720m) | 11 km | 6 – 8 hours
 Weather: Changes all the time – hot and sunny on the first stretch (get ourselves a nice
sunburn), then cool and damp (walking through mist and clouds), sometimes windy.
 Terrain: Moorlands, changing flora and fauna on the first stretch, then increasingly rocky
and bare, slippery.
 Clothes: Light hiking shoes, long hiking pants, light merino long sleeve, light and medium-
heavy fleece jacket (alternately or both), bandana, cap, merino hat, raingear.
 Surroundings at Horombo: Rocky and bare landscape, a few bushes, no animals, damp
and cold as soon as the sun sets.
Same routine as on day 1.
Day 3:
We stay at Horombo to acclimate and get used to the altitude.
Day trip to the Zebra Rocks (400 meters higher than the camp): “climb high, sleep low”
principle.
Not a must-see, but still worth visiting. If you feel tired or not well, don’t go, though. Better
rest.
Day 4:
From Horombo Huts (3.720m) to Kibo Hut (4.720m) | 9 km | 6 – 8 hours
 Weather: Changes all the time – mostly sunny for us, pleasant temperatures for walking,
even though noticeably cold and windy when you pass through clouds.

13
 Terrain: High-alpine rocky desert, nothing grows here, no wildlife. You’ll find yourself
walking at an altitude you would usually encounter only planes - above the clouds. The
last leg of today’s journey leads you through a high plateau stretching endlessly (you keep
walking and can look as far as it will go, but Kibo just won’t get any closer). The road is not
steep in comparison to what you have been tackling by then, almost no uphill passages
until shortly before you arrive at Kibo. You will meet a lot of people from other groups,
either going up on a different route or coming down wishing you good luck.
 Clothes: Light hiking shoes, long hiking pants, light merino long sleeve, light and medium-
heavy fleece jacket (alternately or both), rain jacket / windbreaker, bandana, merino hat,
raingear.
 Surroundings at Kibo: High-alpine rocky desert, no animals, no insects, damp and
(freezing) cold. 1 large brick building housing dorms (10-12 bunk beds each) and a
common room, 1 building for the ranger , 1 for the guides and porters with a connecting
kitchen, a camping site where the other groups set up their tents.
Basically, same routine as on days 1 and 2. However, you will probably leave Horombo a little
earlier to make sure you arrive at Kibo in time for a wash, afternoon tea and dinner and a
couple of hours sleep.
Day 5:
From Kibo Hut (4.720m) to Uhuru Peak (5.895m) | 6 km | 6 hours
Your guide will wake you at midnight to start the climb to the peak, so you can see the run
rise from Uhuru Peak at 6:00am in the morning.
Unfortunately, nothing I can share with you on this last and probably most challenging part of
your Kilimanjaro experience. I started getting headaches at Horombo and got too sick to go
for the peak as soon as we arrived at Kibo. I am pretty sure, though, it is going to be a once-
in-a-lifetime thing for you!

14
Day 6:
From what I read, I know that you will only have a few minutes on the peak and will start
down again just as soon as everyone has taken their pictures. You will not stop at Kibo, but
walk on to Horombo, stay the night and continue on to Mandara, where you will say an
official goodbye to your entire group and hand over your tip.
There will be a surprise waiting for you before you leave Mandara, but I don’t want to spoil it
– so see for yourself! 
We bought beers for our group when we arrived back down at Marangu Gate, chatted a bit
with everyone and exchanged email or phone numbers.
That’s it!
I am still in touch with our guide and mailed two parcels with second hand clothes and
equipment to him and the guys since. If you decide to do likewise, I would recommend you
to be careful and dole out your trust wisely. Not everyone you meet means well. They are all
poor, some of them devastatingly so, and might try to lure you into sending them money out
of necessity or despair.
Also, if you do mail parcels to Tanzania, keep in mind that corruption is a huge issue in Africa
and the customs officers are likely to charge the guy picking up your boxes an extra fee, so
do not make the mistake of giving the real value on the label your post office sticks on your
parcel. A maximum of 50 Euros should do the trick.
I hope this re-cap will help some of you to cope with and hopefully overcome all the
challenges waiting for you on your way to the Roof of Africa.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions - I will try and be happy to
answer them in the best of my knowledge.
And remember: Pole Pole!

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