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Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Ruten is the original Kilimanjaro route. It’s the only route where you don’t camp, but instead stay in communal A-frame huts. It’s not a tough route, but it has a low success rate because you’re not given much time to acclimatise.
The Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Ruten is one of the oldest and most popular easiest Kilimanjaro route. It’s sometimes called the Coca-Cola route because you stay in huts and can buy a Coke en route.
The Marangu route approaches the summit from the southeast of the mountain. Overall it’s a relatively easy route, having very few steep climbs.
Marangu route Kilimanjaro is one of the most popular routes to Climb Kilimanjaro. It is also the quickest route up Kilimanjaro. This means that Marangu route is busy and if you are traveling alone you can easily join in with another group for company. It is a more moderate ascent making it less difficult to climb than the others. Porters carry all of your equipment and supplies, and a cook prepares all your meals. It is also known as the Coca Colaroute.
Unlike all other routes on Kilimanjaro, you sleep overnight in dormitory style huts at camps on Kilimanjaro along Marangu route. For climbers who do not wish to camp, then Marangu is the only route that offers dormitory-style hut accommodation. There are 60 bunk beds at Mandara and also at Kibo Huts, and 120 bunk beds at Horombo Hut. Although you have a bed and mattress, you will need to bring a sleeping bag. The huts have communal dining rooms and basic bathroom facilities, ranging from flushing toilets and running water at the lower huts to long drop toilets and bucket water at Kibo Hut. The route approaches Kilimanjaro from the eastern side through the thick Marangu Forest after a quick 30 minute drive from. Because the climb involves the same ascent and descent paths, scenic variations are restricted. It is also a more direct approach and for this reason an extra day acclimatisation is advised.
Marangu climb can be done in as little as five days but this yields lower success rates. Descent is made via the same route.
The Marangu route is a good six day hike for those who have not trekked much at high altitudes. Adding the extra day’s acclimatisation will give a better success rate.
Day | Start | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | Finish | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | TIme | Distance | Distance |
1 | Marang Gate | 1,843 | 1,843 | Marang Gate | 1,843 | 1,843 | 1-2 | 4 | 4 |
2 | Mandara Hut | 2,700 | 2,700 | Mandara Hut | 2,700 | 2,700 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
3 | Horombo Hut | 3,720 | 3,720 | Horombo Hut | 3,720 | 3,720 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
4 | Mawenzi Hut | 4,315 | 4,315 | Mawenzi Hut | 4,315 | 4,315 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
5 | Kibo Hut | 3,720 | 3,720 | Kibo Hut | 3,720 | 3,720 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
Uhuru Hut | 4,703 | 4,703 | Uhuru Hut | 4,703 | 4,703 | 1 | 7 | 7 | |
Horomo Hut | 5,895 | 5,895 | Horomo Hut | 5,895 | 5,895 | 4 | 8 | 8 | |
3,720 | 3,720 | Mweka Camp | 3,720 | 3,720 | 5 | 9 | 9 |
During your research you may have heard that the Marangu route is the cheapest, easiest and most popular route up Kilimanjaro. This is, in fact, an outdated view, and we feel quite the opposite. The Marangu route is probably one of our least favourite Kilimanjaro climb routes. Whilst offering rewarding views from the Saddle (a high-altitude desert), it’s less scenic than other Kilimanjaro routes because you ascend and descend via the same trail.
The Marangu route is the only Kilimanjaro route to offer hut accommodation. On all other routes you must camp. On the Marangu route you sleep in dormitory-like huts that provide mattresses and other basic amenities. This makes the Marangu route a popular choice for budget operators that don’t have camping equipment. We only recommend choosing this Marangu route if you really don’t want to camp.
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