To climb Kilimanjaro is literally reaching the roof of Africa. Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano, with 3 peaks, the highest being Kibo (Uhuru) Peak, which reaches to 5,895m above sea level. This makes Kilimanjaro Africa’s highest mountain and the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. Kilimanjaro climbs can vary between 5 to 8 days on the mountain depending on the route chosen and if extras days are required for acclimatization.
Kilimanjaro is not an easy holiday and we recommend training beforehand to improve your chances of reaching the summit.
Kilimanjaro is a hike, so the best preparation you can do, is to hike, preferably under simulated conditions. While running helps to some degree, it does not fully prepare your muscles for a strenuous 6-day hike. We suggest that you spend some of your training time by simply walking. Try to do a one or two day local hiking trial in your area, which will not only be an excellent way of preparation, but also most enjoyable.
The first recorded summit of Kilimanjaro occurred in 1889, when local guide Yohana Lauwo led German explorer Hans Meyer to the peak. Everyone was shocked that Kilimanjaro was snow peaked; and it has in fact been crowned by glaciers for over 10,000 years, but global warming means they’re disappearing little by little.
Scientists think they could be gone as soon as 2060. There are five distinct climatic zones on the mountain meaning temperatures on the mountain can vary by as much as 100 degrees between the summit and the hot and humid rainforests below. Many of the species that call Kilimanjaro home can’t be found anywhere else. Especially in the rainforest regions, species are often either still poorly known, or have yet to be classified.
Officially there are seven Kilimanjaro Routes. The following table shows the advantages and disadvantages of the routes. Climbing days can be customized according to the group or request.
Of all the routes, Machame is by far the most scenic albeit steeper route up the mountain. The Rongai is the easiest camping route and the Marangu is also easy, but accommodation is in huts. As a result, this route tends to be very busy and ascent and descent routes are the same. Although the Rongai route is a flatter walk, it offers less opportunities for acclimatisation. The Machame and Lemosho routes both allow better opportunities to “walk high and sleep low”, which is critical to avoiding altitude sickness.
Although the official lower age limit set by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority for trekking to Uhuru Peak is 10 years old, we usually recommend a minimum age of 13 years. We request that you let us know at the time of making an enquiry if any member of your group will be under 16 at the time of the ascent.
Route | Days (average) | Difficulty | Accomodation | Sight | Popularity |
Marangu | 5 | medium | hut | good | high |
Machame | 5 | hard | camping | excellent | high |
Lemosho | 5 | medium | camping | excellent | medium |
Shira | 6 | hard | camping | excellent | medium |
Rongai | 6 | medium | camping | very good | low |
Umbwe | 5 | very hard | camping | very good | very low |
Mweka | 5 | hard | camping | very good | very low |
Climb the highest mountain in Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro - and enjoy the exciting 5-day mountain climbing experience with Paradies Safaris.
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