Mount Kilimanjaro climbing routes

Mount Kilimanjaro (/ˌkɪlɪmənˈdʒɑːroʊ/) is a dormant volcano in the United Republic of Tanzania, 5,895 meters (19,341 ft) above sea level.

There are several routes by which to reach Kibo, or Uhuru Peak, the highest summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, namely: Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe, and Machame.

Being one of the most popular mountains in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro is visited yearly by roughly 50,000 trekkers who aspire to reach its summit. According to research published by the Climb Kilimanjaro Guide, the average summit success rate across all climbers and routes is 65%. However, summit success rate heavily depends upon what route is climbed, as routes vary considerably in terms of acclimatization profile and duration of the climb.

Trekking routes


Kilimanjaro has a number of official climbing routes. These are: Northern Circuit, Machame, Marangu, Rongai, Londorossi Lemosho, Umbwe, Shira, and Mweka (descent only).

Marangu Route


The Marangu Route (also known as the "Coca-Cola" route) is the easiest ascent of Kilimanjaro. Climbs can be done over 6 days. It crosses The Saddle, a 5 km wide, high-altitude, semi-desert that separates craggy Mawenzi from the main summit Kibo. From the summit, glaciers, screes, cliffs, afro-alpine moorland, and forests lead down to the cultivated foothills.

The Marangu route is popular for beginners as it is one of the shortest routes and requires no camping gear to be carried. For this reason, it is often the cheapest option. Because of its short profile, the Marangu route has the lowest summit success rate out of any route.

Trekkers sometimes spend an extra day to acclimate to the altitude at Horombo Hut. Also, trekkers often start the final ascent to Uhuru Peak early from Kibo Hut because the scree is easier to climb when frozen, and they can get a dawn view from the crater rim.

Route Outline
 * 1) Trekkers drive to Marangu Gate and walk through the rain forest to Mandara hut (2743 m).
 * 2) Thereafter, the forest is left behind and the open moor land to Horombo hut is crossed (3760 m).
 * 3) A rest is then taken for an acclimatisation day at Horombo Hut. They then take a day walk to Zebra Rocks or to Mawenzi Hut, although this day is optional.
 * 4) Trekkers then walk through moorland then alpine desert to "The Saddle" between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. From here they take roughly an hour to reach Kibo hut (4730 m).
 * 5) They will often wake very early for a start for the summit on a steep scree up to Gillman's Point (5681 m), which is on the crater rim. They then continue around the rim (which takes around two hours for able climbers) to Uhuru Peak (5895 m), the highest point in Africa. After having summitted the peak, they descend to Kibo Hut and then down to the thicker air and relative warmth of Horombo hut.
 * 6) Afterwards, they then descend back to the start, to Marangu gate.