Mt Kilimanjaro Day 6

It’s the final day and in around seven hours we rediscover the joys of showers. Despite being at 3,700 metres it is sunny and warm, so we’re in shorts and just one or two layers.

Saying farewell to Horombo.

And also goodbye to my favourite trees.

It is a relatively easy day, going downhill. However we still will be hiking almost 20 kms, which will take a bit over six hours.

Nice to be back under bush for the final three hours.

And near the end some monkeys again.

Finally we’re back to where we started. Over six days we have climbed around 4,600 metres and descended the same.

We get back to the Marangu Hotel around 3 pm.

And have drinks and photos with our team – the four of us, three guides, a chef and assistant, and seven porters.

Overall the toughest physical challenge I’ve done to date, but hugely satisfying. If you’re fit and slightly masochistic, I can recommend giving it a go. But not something to do casually!

This was the end of the African trip – gorillas in Rwanda, safari in Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. All very different experiences. I’m already missing the place, and looking forward to my next trip to the continent – sadly at least a couple of years away.