Overview

Basic info:

Where: Moshi | Kilema Gate | Horombo Hut | Kibo Peak | Uhuru Peak – Gilmans Point
Terrain: Off road, mostly narrow single tracks with lots of roots and rocks. Ascent of 5,895m – the mother of all ascents.
Activity level: Tough (not suitable for children)
Existing pre-planned dates for 2020: Departing on 3/1, 13/1, 2/2, 10/2, 3/3, 1/6, 20/6, 1/7, 10/7, 18/7, 1/8, 12/8, 24/8, 3/9, 12/9, 22/9, 1/10, 10/10, 25/10, 4/11, 15/11, 1/12 and 12/12.

Tour highlights:

The mother of all ascents adventure will be brutal and is not for the faint-hearted. But, the sense of achievement at the finish line is likely to be one of the biggest you’ll ever experience on a bike.

Day 1:
Arrive in Moshi, Tanzania – Jambo! And welcome to Tanzania!
Riding Distance: 0-36km – it’s up to you!
Accommodation: Chanya Lodge
Included meals: Dinner

Today is about preparing for the adventure ahead. Following your transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), there will be time for a bit of bike set up, followed by a meet and greet at 6pm. After that, you can take a stroll to acquaint yourself with the capital of the north eastern region of the country, which enjoys good weather all year-round. Or alternatively, why not take the chance to get a feel for the terrain and go for a spin with our very own cycling club, Tanzanian Velo Adventures Cycling Club.

Notes: If you can’t arrange a flight that will arrive in time for the meet and greet, you may wish to arrive a day early so you’re able to attend. As well as setting you up for the journey ahead, we’ll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. We’d be happy to book additional accommodation for you. If, due to any unforeseen circumstances, you’re going to be late, then please let us know.

Day 2:
Kilema Gate (1,950m) – Horombo Hut (3,720m) – Kilema Camp (2,950m)
Riding Distance: 8 miles
Altitude gain: +1,000m (distance and altitude can be increased by starting before Kilema Gate)
Accommodation: Kilema Camp – a small, basic camp with showers and portable toilets.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, the adventure begins with a transfer to Kilema Gate (approx. 1 hour), which will be our cycling start point. As part of the acclimatisation which will increase your chances of reaching the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, we will ride up to Horombo Hut and then descend back to Kilema Camp where we will stay for the night. The path is narrow with many rocks and tree roots; riders with good fitness and moderate technical skills should be able to ride nearly all of the track, but for others we’ll need to get off and push the bikes in some places. As we head up to Kilema Camp, our excellent local guide will inform us of the history and stories of the villages we pass through and people we meet.

Foodwise, we’ll have the first of our daily packed lunches, which are freshly prepared by our cook, and distributed at the start of each day. Today’s dinner will be at Kilema Camp.

One thing to note: It will be quite warm at this point so a short sleeve bike jersey is recommended for this stage, however, it will get cold quickly as we go higher up the climb so keep your long trousers/bib tights.

Day 3:
Kilema Camp (2,950m) – Horombo Hut (3,720m)
Riding Distance: 4 miles
Altitude gain: +770m
Accommodation: Horombo Hut
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today will be significantly cooler than the previous day, so we advise everyone to pack a light jacket. The trail goes through the low alpine or the heath and moorland zone, and the temperature starts to drop below 0°C. Immediately, you will notice the forest disappearing from view and grasses start to dominate the mountain slopes, with also some fantastic wild flowers including the yellow-flowered Protea Kilimandscharica and Kniphofia Thomsonii – better known to most as the red-hot poker.

Again, to allow our riders to acclimatise properly, we allow plenty of time for this stage, by splitting the day into two parts. Firstly, we will ride back up to Horombo Hut just in time for lunch, and then after a short rest at camp, we will don our hiking boots and stretch our legs on our way to Mawenzi Peak (4,010m).

Here we’ll be able to see the beautiful and strange zebra rock formation, and as we head over the ridge line, we’ll see our first views of Kibo Peak in the distance. When we’re finished taking in the breath-taking views, we’ll head back to camp for the night.

Day 4:
Horombo Hut (3,720m) – Kibo Hut (4,730m)
Riding Distance: 6 miles
Altitude gain: +1,010m
Accommodation: Kibo Hut
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

As we ride through this high-alpine zone, the climate and vegetation cover are a stark contrast to the forestry and greenery at our start point of Kilema Gate. We’ll see the only plants that can survive the extremely harsh weather of inordinate cold and intense sun on the same day – tussock grass, Asteraceae, Helichrysum newii and some forms of Lichen.

It’s a tough environment to be around and, historically, a few riders have failed to continue to climb the 6 miles up to the Kibo Hut which stands at 4,730m above sea level. On a clear day, we’ll be able to see the steep route up the mountain face leading to Uhuru Peak – our main target and what lies ahead for tomorrow.

Day 5:
Kibo hut (4,730m – Uhuru Peak (5,895m) – Horombo Hut (3,720m)
Riding Distance: 14 miles (4 uphill and 10 downhill)
Altitude gain: +1,165m / -2,175m descent
Accommodation: Horombo Hut
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Our big day has arrived! But brace yourself, as today’s ride begins with a few very difficult hours. We start the mother of all ascents and our bid for the summit at midnight, aiming to reach the crater’s edge at Gilman’s Point between dawn and sunrise, to witness a truly magnificent view of Africa lying at our feet. But be warned, this stretch of our climb is totally un-rideable, due to its steepness and rocky path, so be prepared to carry your bike with very minimal assistance from our guides/porters.

From Gilman’s /Stella point we will have our first opportunity ride on the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak. We have reached the highest point of Africa and cycling at this altitude is the ultimate challenge and should not be taken lightly. We encourage riders to pace themselves and ride well within their ability and the extreme conditions.

Reaching Uhuru Peak is an amazing achievement and therefore we allow time to soak it all in while absorbing the magnificent view. We aim to spend at least an hour at the summit, but the weather conditions determine this for us.

For the descent, the path is stable and we’ll be able to ride all the way to Kibo Hut without great difficulty. When we arrive there, we will have lunch and an hour’s rest before continuing with the descent to the Horombo Hut.

Day 6:
Horombo Hut (3,720m) – Kilema Gate (1,950m)
Riding Distance: 16 miles
Altitude gain: -1,770m
Accommodation: Chanya Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today, as we say goodbye to the majestic Kilimanjaro, we continue with our descent through the cultivated and rainforest zones to Kilema Gate, and back on to a somewhat welcoming gravel path back into civilisation!

Our jeep will be waiting for us to take us to the hotel, for an invigorating shower before our celebratory meal, where we’ll have a chance to reflect on our achievements on two wheels and certificates will be handed out.

Day 7:
Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport and journey home
Riding Distance: 0 miles
Accommodation: None
Included meals: Breakfast

Depending on the time of your flight home, you may have time for one final souvenir-hunting trip before your transfer. Or you may decide you want to extend your holiday by adding on a safari in nearby Lake Manyara or Ngorongoro Crater. Or even a relaxing break in the nearby island of Zanzibar – you’ll have earned it!

With an elevation gain of 3,945m from base to summit, your body will need to acclimatise to the extreme altitude, and therefore our guides will move you at a pace that will maximise your chances of completing the climb.

Fact check: 35,000 people attempt to climb the mountain each year, with only 45% being successful and a handful of them using a bike.

Bike hire:

We have standard hard tail mountain bikes for hire for this trip @ $90 each. However, we recommend that you bring your own bike with you, if you can, as we cannot guarantee our bikes will be a perfect fit for you.

Alternatively, you might like to just bring your own saddle and pedals. Please note that all bike transit costs will be at your own expense.

If you have a spare bike that you’d like to use for your adventure and then donate to TVA Cycling Club, we will pay your shipping costs as a thankyou for your gift.