Kilimanjaro 2025

Kilimanjaro News, Tanzania. Summit Climb Day. The day began quite early, as internet access was nonexistent due to the country's elections. Everyone went to bed early and woke up early. We had breakfast at 7 a.m., and by 8 a.m., our group had already set out for Kibo Camp.

It's truly amazing how well the national park has managed to provide all the amenities along the route, right down to comfortable restrooms and tables. You instantly lose the feeling that you're far from civilization.

 After about four hours of gradual ascent, crossing desert terrain that sometimes feels like a walk on Mars, you reach Kibo Camp at 4,700 meters. There, cozy cabins and the thoughtful faces of climbers await you, anticipating the night of the summit. And also the carefree faces of the local guys, for whom this has long been a routine and part of their lives.

We set off for lunch, dinner, and rest at 10:00 PM. Soon, it's time to get up and make final preparations. Breakfast, which often requires forcing yourself to eat. The realization that you literally have to force yourself to eat. A final check of gear and clothing, and then "off you go!" The hardest day of our tour lies ahead. Just eight hours of climbing up a switchback road in the night over dusty, loose earth. After six hours, you reach the first point, called Gilmans Point. This is the first long rest stop, and dawn is already breaking.

 Nighttime shots of Kilimanjaro's crater in the light of the full moon, tea, and your favorite songs to help you fight off the drowsiness that rolls in like waves. And then, off you go again. Two more hours of work lie ahead, now at altitude. An hour and a half later, as soon as you pass Stella Point, the magic of sunrise begins. And you see with your own eyes how the valleys of golden Africa are bathed in the rays of the sun. This is something that can't be described in words, videos, or photos; you have to see it with your own eyes!

After the shock therapy, another half-hour of walking in the sun's rays, and there in the distance is the coveted sign for Uhuru Peak 5895.

And you say, "Hakuna Matata poli poli tutafika" (No problem! Quietly, quietly, we'll get there soon).

Guides: Alexander Dorojukov, Leuan Atabiyev.

Days 3 and 4. Greetings from sunny Tanzania! Yes, the weather was great, and the sun shone above us, even though early November is the transitional season and the sky is usually covered by clouds at this time! We moved on to the next camp, Horombo, at 3,800 meters, gaining another kilometer of vertical climb. We left the forest and were greeted by views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mawenzi. The weather was fine. The sunsets and views of the savannah at night were stunning. This alone is worth the trip to Kilimanjaro.

The group is in good condition. We are working according to plan. After spending the night in Horombo, we hiked to the Zebra Rocks to acclimatize, and the next day we are preparing to move on to the Kibo summit camp at 4,600 meters. Guides: Alexander Dorozhukov and Leuan Atabiev.

Greetings from Tanzania! We continue publishing our Kilimanjaro expedition diary.
Day 2. We arrived at the gate, completed all the paperwork, ate, and set out on a trek through the beautiful jungle. Today was one of the most beautiful treks on the entire route, although each day was unique, beautiful in its own way.
The trail ran through equatorial forest with giant trees, vines, lichens, and tree ferns for almost the entire day. Closer to camp, the forest gave way to thickets of giant heather. Along the way, we were accompanied by monkeys, bridges, and waterfalls.
We rose above the clouds. We arrived at Mandara Camp at 2800 meters, at the upper tree line. We settled in, discussed our plans for the next day, and settled in for a well-deserved rest.
7 Summits Club guides Alexander Dorojukov and Leuan Atabiyev.

 Greetings from the slopes of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania! Everything is on schedule; our group is descending to the gates of the national park and should be back at the hotel today for a celebratory dinner and party celebrating the end of the program.

While we wait for details and photos from the group, we are publishing the travel diary of Sergey Sedov, who reached the summit of Kilimanjaro in three days.

 Sergey Sedov:

Arriving a day late, I decided to catch up with the group immediately. The expedition organizers were understanding and provided me with a local guide, porter, and transportation, for which I am eternally grateful. My physical condition allows me to undertake long treks upward, and in the end, Francis and I ran from the entrance to the national park to Horombo Hut in one day—or more precisely, six hours—covering 19 km and gaining 2,300 meters in altitude (from 1,450 to 3,750 meters).

 Having met the group there, the guides and expedition organizers and I discussed the option of continuing the climb separately at our own pace. Francis supported my idea of going to Base Camp the next day and immediately attempting the summit. This was his first attempt, but he was confident in both himself and me. I had arrived on Kilimanjaro after the Nepalese mountains and was well acclimatized with plenty of altitude to spare.

 The next day, when the group set out on an acclimatization radial hike, we continued our trek and reached Kibo Base Camp in three and a half hours. There we had lunch, held a briefing, and headed off to prepare for the summit push.

 We set out for the summit push at precisely midnight. We walked at a steady, confident, and steady pace, taking our time. We took our first short break at 3:00 AM, rested at 4:00 AM at Gilmansa Point, and then leisurely trudged to the summit, reaching it precisely at 6:00 AM. A blistering gust of wind awaited us there, so after quickly snapping a couple of photos, we descended at 6:15 AM. We had plenty of energy, the sun was warm, and our legs ran naturally down. In the end, the descent took only 1:40.

 At Base Camp, we changed clothes, packed our things, and set about executing another daring plan: to descend to the very entrance of the national park not just in one day, but before 5:00 PM.

 On the way back, we met our guys and wished them a successful summit push. In Horombo, we took a quick lunch break, in Mandara we treated ourselves to another half-hour rest, and by 4:40 PM, Francis and I were hugging at the entrance to the national park.

 I won't lie, the last few kilometers were incredibly difficult. By this point, everything was aching, but we persevered, kept up the pace, and continued down. It's no joke, we covered 40 km that day, including the summit push.

 In total, the entire program took us just three days. In short:

44 hours from start to summit.

4,450 m – elevation gain during this time.

34 km – ascent.

40 km covered on summit push day.

Total time: 54 hours 40 minutes.

Total distance: 68 km.

 Also on the descent, halfway between Horombo and Mandara, we met a legend of our mountaineering, Uncle Vitya, whom we had recently seen in Namche Bazaar and Kathmandu.

 In conclusion, I want to say that I didn't initially plan to set any records or chase time. It just happened that way. Appetite comes with eating. I want to thank the 7 Summits Club team for their flexibility and prompt problem-solving. I especially appreciate the exceptional level of organization—I had access to exactly the same facilities as the rest of the group the entire time.

And Francis and I became very close during this time. It even felt like we spent much more time with him than just three days.

 To be continued!

Photos and videos by the author - Sergey Sedov

Hello everyone! Recently, there were reports online of unrest in Tanzania related to the presidential elections and the usual disgruntled opposition and unrest related to it.

To quell the unrest, the internet was shut down throughout the country, and our guides sent short updates on the expedition's progress only via text messages. The situation is now improving, and communication is being restored.

 Our group is fine, everything is according to plan. The team is currently summiting and descending.

 But first things first.

 Expedition Diary

 Day 1. Our guides arrived in Tanzania and are fully prepared to welcome the group. Our team was unable to depart as scheduled the following day due to flight cancellations and delays due to the situation in Tanzania. But we managed to overcome the situation, and the entire group assembled in Moshi, the meeting point before heading into the mountains.

 Only one member arrived a day later than the group and was catching up individually. Looking ahead, I'll say that, due to his excellent physical condition and acclimatization in the Himalayas, our Sergey caught up with the group in one day instead of the planned two. He gained such momentum and got into the swing of things that he couldn't stop, overtook the group, and climbed Kilimanjaro in three days instead of the planned six. Sergey is now back at the hotel with a new summit on his list of accomplishments and is waiting for the rest of the guys at the hotel tomorrow.

You can't imagine how much joy it was to see and meet everyone at Kilimanjaro Airport. After all, difficulties bring a team together and unite.

 All the formalities have been completed, the equipment has been selected and checked, the introduction stage has been completed, the first batch of photos for Instagram and Stories have been taken. Note: Friendship won the high jump competition with the Maasai. The Maasai have a tradition that the strongest man is the one who can jump the highest.

Guides: Alexander Dorojukov and Leuan Atabiev.

Guide Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

September 21. Hello everyone! Jambo Ma-Rafiki! The 7 Summits Club "Fura on the left" group successfully lost two kilometers of vertical drop and returned to civilization! Beer and champagne at the gate – the best way to restore the salt-alkaline balance!!! Everyone was happy. In the evening, diplomas and medals were awarded, and new plans for the mountains were discussed.

Take care! See you in the mountains! Best of luck and good weather to everyone!

Guide Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

September 20. Hello everyone! Jambo Ma-Rafiki! Hooray, the summit! Today, the 7 Summits Club group "Fura on the Left" successfully summited Uhuru Peak, the main peak of the Kilimanjaro massif at 5,895 meters! As with all the days of the climb, it was sunny, but quite cold at altitude. It's winter in Tanzania, after all. We're now warming up in our camp on the edge of the jungle.

Tomorrow, we descend to civilization.

Guide ща the 7 Summits Club Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

 September 19. Hello everyone! Jambo Ma-Rafiki! Today, the 7 Summits Club group "Fura sleva" reached Kosovo Camp at 4800m. The weather is great again. We're getting ready for the push! We leave just after midnight. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

The Guide Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

September 18. Hello everyone! Jambo Ma-Rafiki! The 7 Summits Club group "Fura on the Left," after a delicious hearty breakfast, set out to assault the Barranco Wall, which at first glance seems like an impenetrable fortress... But anything goes, and we conquered it in two hours!

At the top, there was a pit stop for tea and then a trek through two lunar valleys with lava fields. We arrived at Karanga Camp, at 4,030 meters, by lunchtime. And for lunch, we had borscht—wasn't it borscht?

Now it's time to rest, tomorrow is the final ascent to the summit camp, and tonight, the ascent!

Take care! See you in the mountains! Best of luck to everyone!

The Guide Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

September 17. Hello everyone! Jambo Ma-Rafiki! The 7 Summits Club group "Fura on the Left" completed the most challenging day of the trek today – the ascent to Lava Tower (4,640m) and the descent to Barranco Camp (3,900m) at the foot of the famous Barranco Wall. The group accomplished the task brilliantly. The weather was favorable, once again without precipitation. The service, as always, was excellent!

Tomorrow we'll sleep an extra hour!

Take care! See you in the mountains! Best of luck to everyone!

The Guide Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

September 16. Hello everyone! Jambo Ma-Rafiki! The 7 Summits Club group "Fura on the Left" traversed the heather on the west side of Mount Kilimanjaro today and ascended the Shira Plateau. Camp 2 (Shira Camp) is at 3,800 meters. We continue acclimatizing in the open air!

Everything is fine, our appetites are normal. Good luck to everyone!

September 15. Jambo Ma-Rafiki! The 7 Summits Club group "Fura on the Left" set out on the Machame route today and began trekking toward the summit of mount Kilimanjaro! We calmly and leisurely reached Machame Camp (2900 m), admiring the equatorial jungle along the way!

Everyone is feeling great; it's dinner now and a planning meeting for tomorrow.

Guide Evgeny Fedyunin.

Jambo Ma-Rafiki! The new group of the 7 Summits Club called "Fura on the Left" gathered yesterday at the native Aishe hotel at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro! Today, according to tradition, we took part in the Maasai show, a meeting with the folklore of the local population.

And we began to prepare for the route - we checked the equipment. After which we could relax by the pool. Tomorrow we start on our favorite Machame route!

Guide Evgeny Fedyunin.

Greetings from such a hot Africa! Today our supergroup "My Girlfriend's Words" in full force climbed the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro -  5895m.

Group guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Dmitry Semenov.

Greetings from Africa! Today our supergroup "My Girlfriend's Words" moved from the Karanga camp to our Kosovo assault camp, altitude - 4800 meters. We got to the camp at a very good pace, now rest and recovery before the assault. We leave tonight.

And we congratulated our participant Andrey on his birthday! It is very symbolic to celebrate your personal New Year at such an altitude!

Guides of the group Evgeny Fedyunin and Dmitry Semenov.

Greetings from such a hot Africa! Today our supergroup "My Girlfriend's Words" moved to the next camp, Karanga, at an altitude of 4000 meters. Today was a very busy and interesting day. In the morning we overcame the legendary Barranco wall, and then passed through two more valleys. The scale is amazing, what a huge Mount Kilimanjaro it is! Tomorrow we leave for our assault camp.

Group guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Dmitry Semenov.

Greetings from not very hot Africa, but still from its central part, from the slopes of Kilimanjaro, from the supergroup "Words of my girlfriend"! Today we made the transition from the Shira camp (3800 m) to the next camp Barranco (3900 m). During our journey, we climbed to a height of 4631 meters, to a camp called Lava Tower, where a carefully prepared lunch was waiting for us. The descent took an hour and a half, and we again found ourselves in the caring hands of our support group. Tomorrow we go to the Karanga camp at 4000m, along the legendary Barranco wall.

The group's guides are Evgeny Fedyunin and Dmitry Semenov.

Greetings from such a diverse Africa, from the slopes of Kilimanjaro! Today our supergroup "Words of my girlfriend" made its next part of trek. From Camp 1 we climbed to our next camp Shira Plateau, located at an altitude of 3800 meters. After a hearty lunch, the group still found the strength to go out for an acclimatization walk, gaining another hundred meters. Closer to the evening, a traditional event for this camp took place - acquaintance, fraternization with the local staff. Tanzanian young guys introduced us to examples of local Kilimanjaro folklore, songs and dances.

Group guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Dmitry Semenov.

 Greetings from hot, yellow Africa, from its central part! Today, our supergroup "Words of my girlfriend" went to the Machame route to the summit of the great mountain Kilimanjaro. Today we walked along a wide, comfortable path through the jungle in the tropical forest zone. At the end of our journey, in Camp 1, we had a view of the magical peak of Kilimanjaro, the real roof of Africa. Group guides Fedyunin Evgeny and Semenov Dmitry.

Kilimanjaro/Tanzania. This evening, over a cozy dinner in a restaurant, we celebrated an important event together - the successful ascent of the 7 Summits Club group to Kilimanjaro. Everyone went through a difficult path - a night climb, cold wind, altitude and fatigue. That evening, warm words of support, gratitude and ... tears of joy were heard. The medals on the neck became a symbol of a great victory and common work.

This moment is a time of pride, happiness and real team unity. We are very happy to share it with each of you. Our group, you are the real heroes of your path!

Guides Sergey Larin and Alexander Spirin.