KILIMANJARO | RONGAI |MBAHE VILLAGE
Kilimanjaro Marathon
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Kilimanjaro Climb
March 1 – March 12, 2013
Run in the Shadow of 19,340’ Mount Kilimanjaro
for an UNFORGETTABLE MARATHON EXPERIENCE!

Join world class East African runners and others from around the globe in this 9th annual road race held at the foot of majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Enter the full marathon, half marathon, or 5K fun run for the race of a lifetime. Course is on paved roads past rural villages, through bucolic Moshi town and market, and up into a mountainside coffee plantation, all with inspiring views of Kilimanjaro. Along the route are boisterous crowds providing enthusiastic support.



Followed by a 7 Day Climb to the ROOF OF AFRICA

After running the foothills, hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Our first class trekking team will guide you on a 7-day non-technical climb using the less-traveled Rongai Route starting from the drier north side of Kilimanjaro near the Kenyan border. This fully-supported climb allows you to more completely enjoy the beauty of the mountain and the climb experience as you carry only a small day pack.


Exclusive Package by SUMMIT EXPEDITIONS & NOMADIC EXPERIENCE

SENE is a high quality, safe, and comfortable Kilimanjaro trekking and wildlife safari company founded and owned by Tanzanian Simon Mtuy, expert mountain guide and world class ultra-marathoner and double world record holder for the fastest ascent-descent of Mount Kilimanjaro. Trip includes two days of relaxation and acclimatization prior to the race at 6,000 fee t (higher than race elevation) with Simon at SENE’s private guest cottages in Mbahe Village in the foothills of Kilimanjaro.

TOUR PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Race Details:

• Fully sponsored race with prize money 10 deep in the marathon and 5 deep in the half. Proceeds help support community development and education projects in the Kilimanjaro Region.

• Race logistics overseen by the Kilimanjaro Marathon Club, the Tanzania Amateur Athletics Association (TAAA), and the Kilimanjaro Amateur Athletics Association (KAAA): Traffic and crowd control; Medical assistance; Communications; Official timekeeping; Prizes: and Awards ceremony.

• Start and finish at 3,000 feet at the Moshi Cooperative College sports stadium; course elevation change of 1,500 feet and a fast downhill finish for the last 6 miles. Runner support includes twelve fluid stations with bottled water and multiple sponge stations, all manned by local organizations.

• Ideal race conditions in late February with cool mornings and daytime highs in the 70s.

Marathon Portion:

• Two days prior to the race in the foothills of Kilimanjaro at SENE’s private guest cottages on the Mtuy family farm in Mbahe Village, offering an extraordinary cultural experience with village hikes, swimming below the Moonjo River waterfall, and home-cooked meals prepared with produce fresh from the farm’s organic garden.

• Training, stretching, and race preparation led by SENE owner and senior guide Simon Mtuy, Tanzanian world class ultra-marathoner and holder of the fastest ascent-descent to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

• Race registration and full use of SENE hospitality tent and services before and after race; exclusive post-race massage, food and beverages. Driving tour of the marathon route and Moshi Town and market.

Climb Portion:

• The Rongai route climb passes through lush farmland and pine and cypress forests, then into the rainforest and moorland zones with magnificent views of the Kenyan plains below. Final ascent passes the Hans Meyer Cave and reaches the crater rim at Gillman’s Point before following the rim path to the summit at Uhuru Peak. Less traveled trail offers great vistas that most climbers never get to see and the possibility of observing wildlife at a safe distance.

• Supported with SENE’s professional mountain guides and expert crew, greeting you with singing and dancing each evening at camp. Variety of nutritious and delicious meals and fresh soups prepared by our high altitude chefs; fresh re-supply of perishables; quality Mountain Hardware sleeping tents.

• Monitoring of climbers’ health on the mountain by taking vital signs (heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiration) every morning and evening. All climbs equipped with bottled oxygen and a hyperbaric (Gamow) bag should they be needed.

• SENE is a member of Leave No Trace, the Colorado-based center for outdoor ethics and strictly follows their guidelines on the mountain, including the use of portable toilets with a bio-degradable waste system. As a member of the Partnership for Responsible Travel and Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project SENE meets or exceeds all KPAP recommendations for the fair treatment of porters.

PRICE and INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS
(per person, double occupancy)


2013 Kilimanjaro Marathon and Rongai Climb: U S.$3,625
Single Supplement: U.S.$425

Includes:
• All accommodations and meals.
• All transfers in Tanzania.
• Kilimanjaro Marathon (or Half Marathon or 5K) entry, goodie bag, t-shirt and medal (dependent upon race distance).
• SENE hospitality tent on race day, including fluids, snacks, and post-race massage.
• All activities as indicated.
• On climb, services of trip leader, climbing guides, and mountain crew; Kilimanjaro National Park entrance, camping, and rescue fees; all dining and camping equipment (excluding sleeping bag and pad); Gamow bag (portable hyperbaric chamber) and supplemental oxygen.

Does not include:
Tips and gratuities to leaders, guides, crew, or other staff; additional accommodations and meals made necessary by airline schedule changes, inability to complete the climb, or other factors; pre-trip expenses such as immunizations, travel insurance, passports, and visas; international airfare; airport departure taxes; and any expenses of a personal nature such as souvenirs and laundry.


SEE DETAILED ITINERARY

 

OPTIONAL WILDLIFE SAFARI BEFORE OR AFTER MARATHON




KILIMANJARO MARATHON PLUS WILDLIFE SAFARI   NATIONAL PARK AND ACCOMMODATION DESCRIPTIONS

Mbahe Farm House

Simon Mtuy’s Mbahe Farm House sits at 6,200 feet on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro about 25 kilometers from Moshi Town. It is located in the village of Marangu Mbahe, nestled among the lush tropical forests near the border of Kilimanjaro National Park. The farm consists of 15 acres of land on which Simon’s ancestors raised cattle and today is used as a small ecologically sustainable farm. A climate which allows for a year-round growing season, rich volcanic soil, and irrigation directly from the mountain streams makes it an ideal environment for farming. The completely organic farm produces coffee (processed and roasted on-site) and contains gardens of organic vegetables, bananas, and honey, which provide most of the ingredients in the fresh home-cooked meals. The farm maintains the atmosphere and welcoming feel of a Chagga family’s private home. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the farm, warm up next to the fireplace in the living room, or sit and enjoy sweeping views of the valley on the verandah of your cottage. Accommodations include six cottages with electricity and hot water and decorated in Simon’s own touch with hand-made furniture from local materials. While staying at the Mbahe Farm House you can go for a refreshing swim below the Moonjo River waterfall that sits on the property, visit the local primary school, take walks through the village, learn about the area flora, or just sit on your veranda with a cup of freshly roasted coffee. Simon’s Mbahe Farm House is the perfect spot to relax before and after your adventure in Tanzania.
Activities in Mbahe can include guided walks through the village, including a visit to Mbahe Primary School; longer hikes on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and into the national park; tours of the farm and discussion of Chagga coffee farming techniques and the sophisticated irrigation system used on the mountain for over 100 years; bicycle rides on paths and dirt roads; visit to local waterfalls; swimming; tour of traditional Chagga homestead; presentation and tour of the work of Hope Through Opportunity – Tanzania, a local NGO community development organization founded by Simon Mtuy.

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park is a small and beautiful park situated at 3,150 feet elevation that abuts the 1,000 foot western wall of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. It is 330 square kilometers in area, much of which is taken up by the soda lake tinted pink by huge flocks of flamingoes. The park also boasts a lush jungle-like groundwater forest with wild fig, palm, and tamarind trees, an acacia woodland, and a grassy flatland near the lake. Baobab trees abound. Manyara is particularly famous for its dense elephant population and tree-climbing lions. The behavior of lions climbing trees was first observed in this park, but lions do climb trees in Tarangire and the Serengeti as well. You will also see many hippopotamus floating in the lake or grazing on its edge, giraffes, buffalo, large troops of baboons, zebra, and monkeys. With its profusion of birds (more than 380 species), Manyara is also one of the best parks for bird watching.

Kirurumu Tented Lodge

Kirurumu Tented Lodge sits on top of the Rift Valley wall, providing fabulous views to the east over Lake Manyara, the valley floor, and the Maasai plains below. Accommodations consist of 22 tented rooms with private baths, a large dining room, full bar, and incredible scenery.

 

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is one of the most famous wildlife areas in the world and Tanzania’s largest national park. Its 5,700 square miles are part of the 9,600 square mile Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, which consists of areas of treeless plains, savannah dotted with acacia and granite outcroppings called kopjes, and riverine bush and forest. Its name is derived from Siringet, a word in the Maasai language which means “endless plains.” Across its boundless expanse animals extend as far as the eye can see in a scene that exists nowhere else in the world and one that is quintessentially African. The Serengeti contains a staggering amount of wildlife – about 4 million animals– and is home to a million and a half wildebeest, a quarter million zebra, twice that many gazelle, and tens of thousands of the their predators (lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackals, crocodiles, etc.). The Serengeti is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world and the site of one of the most breathtaking events in the natural world: the migration of more than a million wildebeest. The Migration is actually a cyclical process that occurs in stages throughout the year. There are a number of different movements that happen at different times of the year and in different locations in the ecosystem. The basic migration pattern follows a clockwise direction, but it is guided by rain and the growth of grass, so at any time the animals may ignore “traditional patterns” and just follow rain clouds in a more haphazard direction. There are three seasons in the Serengeti that direct the migration: the short rains, the long rains and the dry seasons. During the start of the short rains of November and December, the large wildebeest and zebra herds leave the northern part of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and travel east and south around the Gol Mountains and into the short grass plains of the southern and eastern Serengeti. The female wildebeest need to be in this area to begin the calving, as they rely on this particular kind of grass - high in calcium and magnesium - for their milk production. Wildebeest calving can begin anytime during the dry season between January and March. More than 750,000 females may drop their calves within a 3 week period, a time when predator activity is at a peak. However, the short grass plains also offer some of the best protection against predators, as the latter are more visible to the herd animals. The animals will remain in this area as long as there is sufficient rain in the subsequent months of the long rains. April is usually the heaviest month of rain, with fairly constant precipitation. At this time, the herd usually begins to move to the central Serengeti to prepare for the wildebeest rut of May and June. These are some of the most amazing herd sightings as the males and females reunite for breeding. The herd movement continues both west and north between May to the end of July. At this point, the herd disperses a bit and males without females may migrate directly north to the Maasai Mara and some may move to the famous Western Corridor of the Serengeti, where they may remain year round. If rains are normal, we can expect the majority of the herd to leave the Serengeti by the end of July. The dry season of July to October still offers excellent viewing of cats of all kinds. In fact, some of these predators are easier to spot because they must remain more active during the daytime to search for dwindling food supplies. The well-known wildebeest “river crossings,” which many hope to see are hard to predict and can occur in a short number of days. Crossings typically occur in October and November on the Mara River, near the Kenyan border in the north, and July on the Grumeti River in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti.

Ndutu Safari Lodge

The Ndutu Safari Lodge, situated beside a small soda lake set in a beautiful acacia woodland. Ndutu consists of a main lodge with the bar and dining room and modern stone cottages extending to the sides. During this time of year Ndutu is a wonderful place to observe the resident animals of the southern Serengeti as they converge around Ndutu's waterholes and marshes - elephant, giraffe, impala, every kind of cat, and a profusion of birds. The lodge offers a superb base in which to explore the range of habitats that lie within easy reach, including swamps, woodlands, soda lakes, and the world famous Serengeti short grass plains.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of seven World Heritage Sites designated in Tanzania. It is the world’s largest unflooded caldera with the entire rim intact. The crater rim is 7,800 feet above sea level while the crater floor, enclosed by the slopes of the extinct volcano, descends to 5,000 feet elevation. A trip down into the crater is an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. While only 100 square miles in area, it offers seven distinct habitats: acacia forest, swamp, short grass plains, long grass plains, riverine and woodland. Each habitat attracts a unique variety of animals. It is home to almost 30,000 animals, creating a density of wildlife unseen anywhere else in Africa. The only animals you will not find in the crater are the impala and giraffe. It is not known why impala do not inhabit the Crater, but giraffe are unable to descend the steep grade without lowering their heads, which raises their blood pressure to dangerous levels. The crater is the best location for viewing the rare black rhino and the huge old bull elephants. There is not enough vegetation to support the large elephant cow and calf herds, but the old males “retire” to the Crater for the wonderful swamp grass and acacia forest. Huge flocks of flamingoes inhabit the crater’s Lake Magadi, giving it a spectacular pink hue. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the world’s first multi-purpose land use experiment, combining tourism, research, archeology, wildlife management, and traditional livestock grazing for the Maasai herders whose lands surround the area.

Tloma Lodge

The Tloma Lodge is a small, exclusive lodge consisting of 20 cottages situated within the Ngorongoro Highlands Area. Its brilliant positioning on the raised shoulder of a valley offers breathtaking views over a coffee-plantation and onto the eastern wall of the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater. Optional activities at the lodge may include guided walks through the trails of the Conservation Area to local waterfalls, an escorted cultural walk in which you are introduced to the Wairak culture and traditions, or full body massage (additional fees may apply).


 

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