Transfer from Arusha town to Marangu Gate – Mandara hut 2700m hiking time: 5 hours. Distance: About 12 km’s. Habitat: Montane forest. Elevation change: + 720 m after breakfast you will be getting a briefing of your hiking from Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro guides before been transfer to Marangu gate. You now leave the park office and ascend on a cleared ridge route through the rain forest. This trail follows the edge of a stream through the undergrowth and offers you the option to re-join the main trail either, after one and half hours hiking, you will reach Mandara hut. The weather at Mandara hut isn’t much cold and normal dressing and a jacket is enough. With an exception of Kibo hut the other huts have a group of wooden A-framed huts in a forest clearing. Each hut features 6-8 sleeping bunks with solar generated lighting. The total capacity of the camp is 60 climbers. Water is piped into the camp from springs above and there are flush toilets behind the main hut.