Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes
Kilimanjaro Routes | Routes to the Roof of Africa
There are six established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro - Marangu,
Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai and Umbwe. The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe
routes all approach from the south of the mountain (Mweka is used only for
descent). The Lemosho and Shira routes approach from the west. The Rongai route
approaches from the north.
Marangu ("Coca Cola") Route
Known as the "Coca-Cola" route, the Marangu route is a classic
trek on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the oldest, most well established route. Many
favor the Marangu route because it is considered to be the easiest path on the
mountain, given its gradual slope. It is also the only route which offers
sleeping huts in dormitory style accommodations.
The minimum days required for this route is five, although the probability
of successfully reaching the top in that time period is quite low. Spending an
extra acclimatization day on the mountain is highly recommended when climbing
Klimanjaro using the Marangu route.
However, despite its immense popularity, we avoid leading climbs on the
Marangu route. The route has the least scenic variety of all the routes because
the ascent and descent are done on the same path and it is the most crowded
route for that reason. Marangu is favored only during the rainy season, where
the hut accommodations are preferred over wet ground, or for those who only
have five days to climb Kilimanjaro (which we do not recommend anyhow).
Otherwise, the Marangu route is a poor choice.
Machame ("Whiskey") Route
Known as the "Whiskey" route, the Machame route is now the most
popular route on the mountain. Compared with Marangu, the days on Machame are
longer and the walks are steeper. The Machame route is considered a difficult
route, and is better suited for more adventurous folks and those with some
hiking or backpacking experience.
The minimum number of days required for this route is six days, although
seven days is recommended.
The Machame route is scenically beautiful and varied. However, due to the
heavy crowds, it loses some of its spendor.
Lemosho Route
The Lemosho route is one of the newer routes on Mount Kilimanjaro. The
route begins in the west and rather than simply intersecting Shira Plateau
(like Machame), Lemosho crosses it from Shira Ridge to Shira Camp. Climbers
encounter low traffic until the route joins the Machame route. Afterwards,
Lemosho follows the same route through Lava Tower, Barranco and Barafu, known
as the southern circuit.
The minimum number of days required for this route is six days, although
eight days is ideal.
Lemosho is considered the most beautiful route on Kilimanjaro and grants
panoramic vistas on various sides of the mountain. It is our favorite route
because it offers a great balance of low traffic, scenic views and a high
summit success rate. Thus, Lemosho comes highly recommended.
Shira Route
The Shira route is another path that 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.
On the first day on the mountain, climbers begin their hike from 11,800
feet (3,600 m) and spend their first night at the same elevation at Simba Camp.
Then, the route merges with Lemosho and follows the southern circuit route.
Although Shira is a varied and beautiful route, 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.
Rongai Route
The Rongai route is the only route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the
north, close to the Kenyan border. Though gaining popularity amongst climbers,
Rongai has low traffic. It is the preferred route for those looking for an
alternative to the crowded Marangu route, for those who would like a more
remote hike, and for those who are climbing during the rainy season (the north
side receives less precipitation).
The minimum number of days required for this route is six days, and seven
days are recommended.
Although the scenery is not as varied as the western routes, Rongai makes
up for this by passing through true wilderness areas for days before joining
the Marangu route at Kibo camp. This route descends down the Marangu route.
Rongai is a moderately difficult route, and is highly recommended, especially
for those with less backpacking experience.
Umbwe Route
The Umbwe Route is widely regarded as the hardest trail, a tough vertical
slog through the jungle, in places using the tree roots as makeshift rungs on a
ladder. Having reached the Southern Circular Route, trekkers can continue
north-west to tackle Kibo from the west and the difficult Arrow Glacier Route;
or you can follow the Southern Circular Route east round to Barafu and approach
the summit from there. The entire walk up and down takes a minimum of five days
if going via the Barafu Campsite (though this is entirely too rapid; take six
minimum, with a day at Karanga Valley); or five minimum (six is again better)
if going via the Western Breach/Arrow Glacier, with more days if sleeping in
the crater.
Mweka Route
This, the shortest route from a roadhead to the summit is now only used in
descent. The upper section to the summit is called the Barafu (Swahili - ice)
Route. It is normally descended having approached the mountain by the Lemosho,
Machame, Umbwe or Shira Routes. These routes are linked to the Barafu-Mweka
Route by the high-level traverse beneath the Southern Icefields, the Kibo South
Circuit. This traverse is one of the more scenic walks on Kilimanjaro.
K A R I B U (welcome)
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