CLIMB KILIMANJARO

Climbing Kilimanjaro to Uhuru peak is one of those incredible experiences that will live with you for a long time. Mt Kilimanjaro stands on the East African plateau in Tanzanian Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest of an East west belt of about 20 volcanoes near the southern end of the East African Rift Valley.

Mt Kilimanjaro is a triple volcano with the youngest and central peak of Kibo being about 14km long. Mt Kilimanjaro volcano is deemed to be a dormant volcano. It is situated within Kilimanjaro National Park, which comprises all of the mountain mass of Kilimanjaro, above the tree line.

The name 'Kilimanjaro' has varying interpretations, from "Mountain of Greatness", Mountain of Whiteness", "Mountain of Caravans", and "Small Mountain of Caravans" . In Swahili, 'kilima' means top of the hill.

The First recorded successful ascent of Kilimanjaro was in 1889.

Kilimanjaro to Uhuru is one of the easier mountains to climb as its summit can be reached without the use of ropes and climbing equipment. It takes on average, 6 days to complete the climb and return to the base, but extra days can be added for acclimatisation. Kilimanjaro can be ascended via 6 different routes ; Machame, Marangu, Lemosho, Umbwe, Shira or Rongai, each one offering their own unique scenery and sights en-route, and each varying in difficulty. The easiest and fastest ascent is via Marangu, but the most scenic, is Machame. To further aid with acclimatisation, many people do a pre-climb of Mt Meru, Kilimanjaro sister volcano.

The Kilimanjaro Machame Route is  one of the most scenic of the routes up to Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak. It also affords one the chance of acclimatisation due to the concept of climb high, sleep low. The ascent is from the western side of Kilimanjaro, with the descent down the southern face along the Mweka route. One passes through changing vegetation from a tropical forest, to scrubland, to alpine desert and onwards to the summit .You will start your trek at Kilimanjaro Machame Forest and head through the lush forest, hanging with moss and lichen with its enormous forest canopy, gradually up the Machame Camp for the first night. Next day, the route heads into a scrubland with giant Lobelia and daisy bushes up toward Shira Camp before heading into the alpine desert towards Lava Tower and back down to Barranco. From here on in the terrain remains like an alpine desert, with the glaciers reaching down the mountain like long fingers, to about 4800m. You will hit the snow line at about 5700m, maybe higher.

The Kilimanjaro Marangu Route is a popular route up Kilimanjaro as it is not only the quickest route but also the most direct and often deemed, easier route. Instead of sleeping in tents, one stays in huts. The ascent is via the eastern face of the mountain and covers about 80km. The descent is via the same route as the ascent.

The Kilimanjaro Rongai Route up Kilimanjaro is also seldom travelled, beginning on the Kenyan side of the mountain. The drive to the starting point is long, albeit scenic. Park rules require that the descent route is via the Marangu route.

Umbwe Route on Kilimanjaro is one of the shortest and less used of all the routes. Although it is not a technical climb, it is a lot steeper and recommended for very fit hikers.

Lemosho Route is often considered one of the more scenic in terms of game viewing. This is not as much the case as it was several years back when game was more abundant, although there is still the chance to see game on the first 2 days. These two days are also a lot quieter on the route, until it joins in with the standard trail from Machame and Shira routes.

The Shira route, approaches Kilimanjaro’s summit from the west and crosses the caldera of Shira Volcano before heading beneath the southern ice fields of Kibo. The route is seldom used by other trekkers and so your initial two days on the mountain are less crowded than on most other routes. The remainder of the route joins in with the routes from Lemosho and Machame. Your starting altitude is higher than your end point altitude.

FOR A MAP OF THE DIFFERENT ROUTES GO HERE: KILIMANJARO ROUTE MAP

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