Home Crater camp 5700m

Crater camp 5700m

It is possible to camp inside the volcano crater of Mount Kilimanjaro at 5700m. The camp is mostly covered by ash sand and lumps of volcanic rock. During the raining season snow accumulates quickly to a height of approximately 50cm.

The Crater camp is not a friendly environment. Sleeping at this high altitude is difficult because the amount of oxygen in the air is only half of the sea level. In this camp there can be a lot of wind during the night. The camp is dry, but water can be obtained by melting snow. A special permit from the national park administration is required to camp inside the crater. There are no toilets in the crater, so a mobile toilet is required. (No, you can’t poop behind a rock. National park regulations say so.)

Staying at the Crater camp makes it easier to be at the summit during sunrise. You have a great view of the glacier and mount Meru, and you can visit a volcanic ash pit 350 meters deep.

The camp can be reached from Barafu Camp, so it can be used from Lemosho, Londrosi, Umbwe and Machame routes can use it. An extra day is required to stay inside this camp. Also approaches through the Western Breach will use this location.

Please contact us well in advance if you are interested in this option, as we have to obtain the required permits. The extra day and need for a mobile toilet result in a significantly higher price than the normal hikes.