Best Route To Climb Kilimanjaro
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Here Are The Best Route To Climb Kilimanjaro
Choosing the best route to climb Kilimanjaro is an important decision on your trip. Surprisingly, there is more than one way to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. While the mountain day is undoubtedly the highlight, the whole climb is full of amazing experiences. So it’s important to choose the best way to climb. Wondering the best way to conquer Kilimanjaro? Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania reigns supreme as the highest mountain in Africa, rising to 19,341 feet. Known as the highest free-standing volcano in the world, it is a symbol for adventure enthusiasts around the world.
Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes – Which is the Best for You?
Selecting the best route to climb Kilimanjaro is a critical decision that hinges on various factors tailored to your unique preferences and abilities. Among the seven well-trodden Kilimanjaro climbing routes, choosing the one that aligns perfectly with your requirements is paramount.
The seven common trails are Machame Route, Marangu Route, Lemosho Route, Rongai Route, Northern Circuit Route, Umbwe Route, and Shira Route.
Every year, over 40,000 adventurers, spanning from novices to seasoned climbers, aspire to conquer the summit. With a success rate averaging 75%, understanding the intricacies of route selection is crucial. Factors contributing to unsuccessful attempts include the hiker’s physical condition, route suitability, mental readiness, chronic health conditions, desired comfort levels, and various other considerations.
Things to Consider when Choosing a Kilimanjaro Routes
For the Best Route to Climb Kilimanjaro, you should emphasize on the factors like, fitness, chronic diseases, time, reason for hiking, obstacles for hikers, budget, interested routes specification, activities, and comfort level.
Who is/are climbing?
You should consider on the age of group members such as younger, elder, those having medical diagnosis, experience in hiking, and health condition and fitness level of your trekking group to choose Easiest Route to Climb Kilimanjaro.
What are the obstacles?
The obstacles for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro can be financial. To climb in a moderate price, you can book flight booking in special offer or earlier time, choosing shortest routes, trekking in low seasons, trekking in a group, using public transportation, and trekking gear on rental.
How do you want to experience the trekking?
Choose the route as per your interested activities like photography, enjoying scenic views, having fun with friends, etc. It also depends upon how much challenge does you want and desired comfort level.
From where do you want to begin for trekking?
As the routes offer scenic views, the starting place of route affects the budget. Western routes are more scenic than southern route like Lemosho route.
Why are you climbing?
Choose accordingly the desires behind your trekking. The desires may besuccess rates, scenic views, or facing less crowds.
When you are going to climb?
Climbing in dry seasons or high reason, you will face more traffic, whereas, in low season or wet season you will face less traffic.
Kilimanjaro Routes Overview & Success Rates
We are giving some information that can be very helpful to choose the Best Route to Climb Kilimanjaro.
Here’s an overview of the different Kilimanjaro climbing routes:
- Marangu Route:
- Approach: Southeast
- Cost: Low
- Difficulty: Low
- Success Rate: 65%
- Distance: 72 km
- Duration: 5 to 6 days
- Machame Route:
- Approach: South
- Cost: Medium
- Difficulty: Medium
- Success Rate: 85%
- Distance: 62 km
- Duration: 6 to 7 days
- Rongai Route:
- Approach: North
- Cost: Medium
- Difficulty: Low
- Success Rate: 85%
- Distance: 73 km
- Duration: 6 to 7 days
- Lemosho Route:
- Approach: West
- Cost: High
- Difficulty: Medium
- Success Rate: 80%
- Distance: 70 km
- Duration: 7 to 8 days
- Northern Circuit Route:
- Approach: West
- Cost: High
- Difficulty: Very high
- Success Rate: 90%
- Distance: 98 km
- Duration: 9 days
- Umbwe Route:
- Approach: South
- Cost: Medium
- Difficulty: Very high
- Success Rate: 75%
- Distance: 53 km
- Duration: 5 to 6 days
- Shira Route:
- Approach: South
- Cost: High
- Difficulty: High
- Success Rate: Very low
- Distance: 56 km
- Duration: 7 to 8 days
Here’s a comparison of Kilimanjaro routes based on various factors:
- Machame Route:
- Around 50% of hikers choose this route due to its “climb high and sleep low” principle and scenic views.
- Offers high acclimatization with many ups and downs on the path.
- Marangu Route:
- Famous for hut accommodations, attracting around 45% of annual visitors.
- Acclimatization profile is very low.
- Rongai Route:
- Ideal for climbing Kilimanjaro in the wet season as it is the driest route.
- Approaches from the north.
- Northern Circuit Route:
- Offers the most spectacular scenic views of Kilimanjaro compared to Lemosho and Rongai routes.
- Known for its incredible scenery and high success rate.
| Northern Circuit | Lemosho | Machame | Rongai | Marangu | |
| Days | 9 | 6-8 | 6-7 | 6-7 | 5-6 |
| Distance (miles) | 60 | 42 | 38 | 45 | 43 |
| Difficulty/steepness | moderate | moderate | moderate | easier | easier |
| Lodging | camping | camping | camping | camping | dorm/hut |
| Crowds | very low | medium | high | low | high |
| Scenery | excellent | excellent | excellent | very good | good |
| Acclimitization | best | excellent | very good | fair | poor |
| Cost | high | medium – high | medium | medium | low |
| Success Rate | highest | high | medium – high | medium | lowest |
.
Our Recommendations for Kilimanjaro Routes
The answer is the Northern circuit route followed by the Lemosho route for the question “What Is the Best Route to Climb Kilimanjaro? If you can’t understand what we want to suggest for the Best Way to Climb Kilimanjaro, let us give you some tips about choosing the routes.
- Choose long routes for better acclimatization. E.g. Northern Circuit and Lemosho Route.
- Choose dry seasons for the hiking. You can choose in between from January to mid March and July to October.
- Find the best Climb Kilimanjaro Guide.
- Take ‘fitness’ thing seriously. Practice some aerobic exercises, breathing, stretching, and resistance training exercises.
- Bring the right gears and best quality gears. The gears include clothing gears, camping gears and hiking gears.
For more information about Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, visit our Preparing To Climb Mount Kilimanjaro Page.
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