ROUTES TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO
Detailed Kilimanjaro itineraries
available on request by sending us an e-mail via the link below
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.
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