Best Route to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
Best Route to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro : This article details cons and pros of each Kilimanjaro route which will help you when making a choice.
Some of the routes on Mount Kilimanjaro offer great scenery, some are not so great for acclimatization, some offer high summit success rates and others are quiet busy at certain times of the year.
This article takes a deeper insight in to the various Kilimanjaro routes to the summit.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Routes
Six routes are used to climb Mount Kilimanjaro leading the summit of the highest mountain in Africa, kindly note that the 7th route of Mount Kilimanjaro is used for decent only.
Climbing routes on Mount Kilimanjaro include Lemosho Route, Machame Route, Marangu Route, Mweka Route (descent only), Rongai Route, Shira Route and Umbwe Route. Additional routes are the Northern Circuit and the Western Breach
Summary about Mount Kilimanjaro Routes
Best Kilimanjaro Routes
- The best Mount Kilimanjaro routes are on the southern circuits that is the Machame or Lemosho route.
Easiest route up Kilimanjaro
- There is no easy route up Mount Kilimanjaro, however the Marangu Route also known as Coca – Coal Route has a reputation for being the easiest Kilimanjaro Route.
Brief overview of each Mount Kilimanjaro Route
Machame Route
The Machame route is a highly recommended route on Mount Kilimanjaro for scenic value, the route has a high success rate most especially if you choose the 7-day itinerary.
The 6- day options is not recommended for first time trekkers.
The Machame Route is a great Kilimanjaro route for acclimatization as it has a climb high, sleep low opportunity for trekkers on day 3. Here the trekkers climb from Shira Camp 2 to Lava Tower at 4,600 meters where they have lunch and then hike back down to Barranco Camp (3,900 meters) to sleep.
Like all Kilimanjaro routes, the Machame route is a challenging trek with stunning scenery through four diverse climatic zones. There is a good opportunity to split pre-summit day climb by adding an extra rest day at Karanga Camp (only available to 7 day- trekkers) to leave hikers well rested before summiting.
The Machame route has however got very popular over the past few years which means it can get busy most especially at Barranco where climbers join up with trekkers from the Lemosho, Shira and Umbwe routes.
The Machame route only offers fully catered camping.
Lemosho Route
The Lemosho route is a beautiful route that departs from the West side of Mount Kilimanjaro, this route can be completed on a 7 day or 8 day itinerary and offers lots of opportunities for proper acclimatize. This route has a versatile profile that is why it is one of the best Kilimanjaro routes and has high summit success rates.
Lemosho route is recommended as the starting point as it is relatively remote and hence provides trekkers with a rather untouched and wild start to their Kilimanjaro adventure. It is unusual to spot large wildlife like antelope, buffalo and elephants but not impossible.
Lemosho route also provides unparalleled and spectacular views of the dramatic gorges that characterize the western side of Mount Kilimanjaro, trekkers also experience a hiking across the Shira Plateau – one of the largest high altitude plateaus in the world.
Trekkers on the Lemosho route typically converge with Machame Route on day 3 at Barranco camp and use the Barafu camp route to the summit, however it is now quite common for Lemosho trekkers to veer north before Lava Tower to join the Northern Circuit which circles the north side of Mount Kilimanjaro and follows the summit passage via Gilaman’s Point.
The Lemosho route can also be used by trekkers planning to climb the Western Breach to the summit, like the Machame Route, the Lemosho is finally catered camping only.
Northern Circuit
The Northern Circuit is the longest climbing route on Mount Kilimanjaro and has one of the highest summit success rates, the route offers lots of climb high, sleep low opportunities and time to acclimatize. The route departs from same starting point as Lemosho but then joins the Northern Circuit near Lava Tower, before traversing the north slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The summit’s passage is via Gilman’s point.
The Northern Circuit can be completed on a 8 day – 9- day itinerary, this route is perfect for individuals looking for a quiet and wild Kilimanjaro experience.
Rongai Route
The Rongai Route is the only northern start point to Mount Kilimanjaro beginning on the North East side of Mount Kilimanjaro national park, the route offers a true wilderness experience on the early stages of climb and like the Lemosho route, it is possible to see large wildlife like buffaloes, antelopes and elephants.
The Northern slopes tend to be dryer than the southern slopes which makes it a great route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro most especially during the wet season.
However, because the northern slopes are dryer, they can also be considered less scenic. A northern approach is often characterized by clear views of Kilimanjaro, something which is not that common from the Southern side.
The Rongai Route is also a flatter route for the first few days which makes the trekking easy, the route is usually completed on a 7 day itinerary but has limited climb high, sleep low opportunities which means that acclimatization opportunities are not as good as on other Mount Kilimanjaro routes.
Typically the Rongai Route uses the passage from School Hut up past Hans Meyer Cave and Gilman’s Point to Uhuru Peak.
The route descend via the Marangu route, thus the route has fully catered camping until the last night on the mountain – beers at Horombo Hut.
Marangu Route
The Marangu Route nicknamed the “Coca – Cola” route as Coke used to be bought along the way in tea huts, this route is often selected by unprepared, inexperienced climbers a s a result of the reputation for being the “easiest” Kilimanjaro route attributing to the lower success rate.
Marangu route is also the shortest Kilimanjaro route with a relatively poor acclimatization profile which is a major contributor to the low success rates on the Marangu.
This route can be completed on 6 day itinerary which gives trekkers an opportunity to climb high, sleep low, however the elevation is moderate and not as effective as other climb high, sleep low opportunities that are present on other Kilimanjaro routes.
The Marangu route offers beautiful views from the Saddle but can be considered less scenic in comparison to other Kilimanjaro routes due to ascent and descent.
Of all the Kilimanjaro climbing routes, the Marangu route is the only route with dormitory style accommodation in huts for the whole duration of the climb, the huts come with mattresses and basic amenities making them a popular choice for budget trekkers and tour operators who do not have the right equipment to tackle the other climbing routes of Kilimanjaro.
Less recommended routes to use when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
Shira Route
Shira route is similar to Lemosho route except it offers high start point, therefore poorer acclimatization. This route is usally not recommended because of its high start point.
Umbwe Route
This route is short and steeping up to Barranco Camp where trekkers join climbers from the Lemosho Shira and Machame Route, some of the trekkers on Umbwe route do not join the Southern Circuit at Barranco but instead continue north, up to Lava Tower and then onto the Western Breach.
The Umbwe route has poor acclimatization due to its rapid ascent and therefore success rates can be low on this route, the route has only fully catered camping.
Western Breach
The Western Breach is the most technically difficult approach to Mount Kilimanjaro, however it is the most rewarding. The approach to this route is usually starts on the Umbwe Route and then continues north and up from Lava Tower.
The western Breach was closed in 2006 due to the fatal rock fall, but reopened in 2007 with a new and safer route configuration. Some tour operators do not offer this route.
This route is only advised for experienced trekkers and these use helmets and it is not uncommon to need point crampons during the wet season and sub-surface ice can be an issue.
Success rate are typically moderate to high as the route is usually only tackled by experienced high altitude trekkers.
Kilimanjaro Summit Routes (Passages)
Mount Kilimanjaro has 3 summit passages and these include
- The first passage is via the southern slopes of Kibo up to Stella Point and then west around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, this approach is used by trekkers on Lemosho, Shira, Machame and Umbwe routes. It is the easiest summit passage as it only take one hour from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak.
- The Second Passage approaches from the Eastern side of Kibo up to Gilman;s Point and then west around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak. Trekkers on the Rongai and Marangu Route and Northern Circuit use this passage to the summit. It takes around 2 hours from Gilam’s Point to the Summit proper making this a harder passage.
- Thirdly, trekkers can use the more technicaly challenging approach to the summit via the Western Breach, trekkers who use the western Breach usually approach from the Umbwe Route up to Lava Tower, before taking a steep ascent past Arrow’s Glacier and up the Western Breach to Crater Camp and Uhuru Peak. The Western Breach can also be approached using the Machame, Shira and Lemosho Route.
Kilimanjaro Trail Routes FAQ
What is the best Kilimanjaro route?
The best Kilimanjaro route is the Lemosho route of 8 – day itinerary or Machame route of 7 – day. Both routes offer good acclimatization opportunities and therefore have low incidence of altitude sickness. Summit success rates on these routes are high and both are very scenic.
What is the easiest Kilimanjaro route?
The easiest route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is Marangu route, this route is often said to be the easiest route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and this is because it is the shortest in length and is the only route with hut accommodation. But the shorter time on the mountain does mean that many people who climb Kilimanjaro via the Marangu route experience altitude sickness and don’t reach the summit. If you choose the Marangu route make sure to go for the 6- day option not the 5- day trek.
Which Kilimanjaro route has the highest summit success rates?
The Northern Circuit has the highest summit success rates, this is because it is the longest route and offers lots of time to acclimatize. The 8 day Lemosho and 7- day Machame also have high summit success rates.
