MT. KILIMANJARO
Above the gently rolling hills and plateau of northern Tanzania rise the snowy peaks of Mt Kilimanjaro, its slopes and glaciers shimmering above the rising clouds. Kilimanjaro is located near the town of Moshi and is a protected area, carefully regulated for climbers to enjoy without leaving a trace of their presence. The mountain’s ecosystems are as strikingly beautiful as they are varied and diverse. On the lowland slopes, much of the mountain is farmland, with coffee, banana, cassava, and maize crops grown for subsistence and cash sale. A few larger coffee farms still exist on the lower slopes, but much of the area outside the national park has been subdivided into small plots. Once inside the park, thick lowland forest cover the lower altitudes and breaks into alpine meadows once the air begins to thin. Near the peak, the landscape is harsh and barren, with rocks and ice being the predominant features above a breathtaking African view.
There is, however, so much more to Kilimanjaro than the summit. A journey up the slopes takes visitors on a climatic world tour, from the tropics to the arctic. Here are details about available routes to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro
MARANGU ROUTE
Distance: 72 kilometers
Optional Days to climb: 5 or 6
This route is the most popular tourist route because it is very easy to climb thus also known as "The Coca-Cola route". This route traces it's way through the southeast side of the mountain starting from the Mandara hut. It has gradual and steady ascension levels, making it ideal for the tender-footed mountain explorers. One of the advantages of this route is that you will get a good view of the rain forest section and moorlands. Unfortunately, it has a poor acclimatization environment and climbers on this route stays only on one part of the mountain both on ascending and descending.
MACHAME ROUTE
Distance to trek: 62 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 or 7
Machame route is one of the adventurous routes on the Mountain because in this route, you will be able to visit stunning places such as the Shira Plateau, Barranco, and Lava Tower while doing camping en-route. It starts in the southwest area of the mountain, and the descent is down via Mweka Route which is found in the southeast and the only route used for descend only. It is a perfect trail for climbers who want to test their skills and wants a little bit of a mountain challenge.
LEMOSHO ROUTE
Distance to trek: 71 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 to 8
The Lemosho route is one of the newer routes on Mount Kilimanjaro it is considered the most beautiful route on Kilimanjaro and grants panoramic vistas on various sides of the mountain. The Lemosho route starts off from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to Londorossi Gate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking through the lush rainforest to Shira Plateau. This route comes highly recommended as it offers a great balance of low traffic, scenic views and a high summit success rate.
RONGAI ROUTE
Distance to trek: 79 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 or 7
Starting from the northeastern side of the mountain near the Kenyan border, the Rongai Route rises above the Amboseli plains and approach the summit of Kilimanjaro west of the Mawenzi peak. It is an unfrequented route and is also the easiest camping approach to Uhuru Peak. The descent normally uses the Marangu Route. There are two variations to this route. Rongai route is best option during the rainy season, due to its location, which receive little rain.
SHIRA ROUTE
Distance to trek: 56 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 or 7
This route approaches Kilimanjaro from the west, and it is nearly identical to the Lemosho route. In fact, Shira was the original route and Lemosho is the improved variation. While Lemosho starts at Londorossi Gate and treks through the rain forest to Shira 1 Camp, the Shira route bypasses this walk by using a vehicle to transport climbers to Shira Gate, located near the Shira Ridge. Lemosho is recommended over Shira due to the high altitude of Shira's starting point. It is possible that climbers will experience altitude related symptoms on the first day due to failed acclimatization. Climbers using Shira should be confident of their ability to acclimatize.
There is, however, so much more to Kilimanjaro than the summit. A journey up the slopes takes visitors on a climatic world tour, from the tropics to the arctic. Here are details about available routes to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro
MARANGU ROUTE
Distance: 72 kilometers
Optional Days to climb: 5 or 6
This route is the most popular tourist route because it is very easy to climb thus also known as "The Coca-Cola route". This route traces it's way through the southeast side of the mountain starting from the Mandara hut. It has gradual and steady ascension levels, making it ideal for the tender-footed mountain explorers. One of the advantages of this route is that you will get a good view of the rain forest section and moorlands. Unfortunately, it has a poor acclimatization environment and climbers on this route stays only on one part of the mountain both on ascending and descending.
MACHAME ROUTE
Distance to trek: 62 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 or 7
Machame route is one of the adventurous routes on the Mountain because in this route, you will be able to visit stunning places such as the Shira Plateau, Barranco, and Lava Tower while doing camping en-route. It starts in the southwest area of the mountain, and the descent is down via Mweka Route which is found in the southeast and the only route used for descend only. It is a perfect trail for climbers who want to test their skills and wants a little bit of a mountain challenge.
LEMOSHO ROUTE
Distance to trek: 71 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 to 8
The Lemosho route is one of the newer routes on Mount Kilimanjaro it is considered the most beautiful route on Kilimanjaro and grants panoramic vistas on various sides of the mountain. The Lemosho route starts off from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to Londorossi Gate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking through the lush rainforest to Shira Plateau. This route comes highly recommended as it offers a great balance of low traffic, scenic views and a high summit success rate.
RONGAI ROUTE
Distance to trek: 79 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 or 7
Starting from the northeastern side of the mountain near the Kenyan border, the Rongai Route rises above the Amboseli plains and approach the summit of Kilimanjaro west of the Mawenzi peak. It is an unfrequented route and is also the easiest camping approach to Uhuru Peak. The descent normally uses the Marangu Route. There are two variations to this route. Rongai route is best option during the rainy season, due to its location, which receive little rain.
SHIRA ROUTE
Distance to trek: 56 kilometers
Optional Days to Climb: 6 or 7
This route approaches Kilimanjaro from the west, and it is nearly identical to the Lemosho route. In fact, Shira was the original route and Lemosho is the improved variation. While Lemosho starts at Londorossi Gate and treks through the rain forest to Shira 1 Camp, the Shira route bypasses this walk by using a vehicle to transport climbers to Shira Gate, located near the Shira Ridge. Lemosho is recommended over Shira due to the high altitude of Shira's starting point. It is possible that climbers will experience altitude related symptoms on the first day due to failed acclimatization. Climbers using Shira should be confident of their ability to acclimatize.