Trails to Kilimanjaro peak

Routes
.

Characteristic
.

Days needed

Accommodation

Starting gate

Base camp

Machame (Whiskey)

Most enjoyable
.

6-7

Tent

Machame Gate

Barafu Camp

Marangu (Coca-Cola)

The oldest
.

5-6

Huts

Marangu Gate

Kibo Hut

Lemosho
.

The beautiful
.

7-8

Tent

Londorosi Gate

Barafu camp

Rongai
.

The easy one
.

6

Tent

Nalemuru Gate

Kibo Hut

Umbwe
.

The hardest but most fascinating

6

Tent

Umbwe Gate

Barafu camp

Northern Circuit

The longest
.

9

Tent

Londorosi Gate

Kibo or school Hut

Here at first a few general information concerning Kilimanjaro climbing. How you already know, there are many different routes, with different length, difficulty and prices.

There is only one route with accommodation in huts instead of tents (Marangu). The price depends from the length of the trip (national park fees are calculated for each day) on the mountain and from starting point. You are only allowed to do the trekking with professional guide who has a guide license. For the trip you need to hire a cook and porters who will carry your luggage and camping equipment.

Here short information about the routes:

Rongai route:

  • Camping route
  • Higher cost than Marangu due to long drive to starting gate
  • Alpine desert section
  • Fair acclimatization profile
  • Descent on Marangu route
  • Easy but very hard summit day (very steep)
  • Climb up to the summit via Gillman’s Point

Lemosho (also know as Londorosi):

  • Camping route
  • Very beautiful landscape
  • Good view to Shira plateau
  • Very good success rate due to very good acclimatization profile
  • Quickly to reach to the high elevation
  • Both of these routes run from west to east across the centre of the Shira Plateau
  • Both these routes you can ascend the summit either by the Western Breach or by Barafu base camp
  • Descend via Mweka camp

Machame (Whiskey):

  • Camping route
  • Very beautiful landscape
  • More difficult than Marangu or Rongai but the summit day is more easy
  • Good success rate due to very good acclimatization profile
  • Quickly to reach to the high elevetion
  • Climb up to the summit via Stella Point
  • Descend via Mweka camp

Umbwe route:

  • Camping route
  • The hardest route but most  fascinating one
  • Quickly to reach to the high elevation
  • Shorter than Machame and Londorossi and Lemosho routes
  • This route you can ascend the summit either by Western Breach or Barafu  base camp
  • Descend via Mweka  camp

Marangu route (Coca-Cola):

  • Huts accommodation
  • Poor acclimatization profile
  • Descent on the same trail
  • Rain forest and moorland landscape
  • Easy but with hard summit day (very steep)
  • Not very good success rate
  • Climb up to the summit via Gillman’s Point

 

Northern circuit:

  • (will be updated soon.)