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Arusha Town, Arusha National Park, Climbing Kilimanjaro, Climbing Routes, Coffee, Kilimanjaro National Park, Moshi Town, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, Seasons, Terrain Zones, When to Climb

Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro (also called "Kili") is Africa's highest mountain, reaching an altitude of 19 354 feet (5 899 meters) and casting a distinctive silhouette that is one of the continent's most iconic images. It is classified as a dormant, strato-volcano.

There are well over 100 peaks worldwide that reach over 20 000 feet (~6 000 meters), but Kili is unique in several respects. Kilimanjaro is the world's largest and highest free-standing (not part of a mountain range) entity. Its base covers 245 square miles (635 sq kms). It is ranked #4 amongst the world's most topographically prominent peaks (after Everest, Aconcagua, and Denali).

Kili is also unique in that, unlike other significant peaks, it is climbable by just about anyone with good fitness and some walking sticks - no technical mountaineering gear or experience is required.

Kili straddles the international border between Tanzania and Kenya, but its three peaks are all located in Tanzania and they can only be climbed from the Tanzania side. The three peaks are actually volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim and the peak most climbers ascend.

The mountain was formed by volcanic activity with its first eruption occurring about one million years ago. The oldest peak furthest to the west is Shira, which collapsed around 500 000 years ago. The other two cones to the east, Kibo and Mawenzi, continued to grow and erupt. Lava flows from eruptions on Kibo filled the Shira caldera, creating the present-day Shira Plateau. Kibo is now long dormant.

Climbing Kilimanjaro

Each year over 10 000 people from around the world make the attempt to climb Kili. Numerous operators offer guided multi-day excursions to climb Kili's various routes to the Uhuru summit. There are multiple routes which take from five to eight days round trip.

No technical skills are required to climb Kili, but don't be fooled into thinking it's an easy trek. The high altitude means that there is less and less oxygen as one ascends higher and the days include plenty of walking. Only about two-thirds of climbers make it to the top of Uhuru in a given year and success rates are highly dependent on matching your stamina with the appropriate route.

All trekkers are required to climb with a registered climbing company and be accompanied by a licensed guide (ratio is one guide for every two trekkers). You will be provided with guides and porters to help you on your journey. There will typically be 2-3 porters per climber, as the amount each can carry is strictly regulated.

Physical preparation in advance of the trip is strongly recommended. More days on the mountain will mean a better chance for proper acclimatization to the altitude and will increase your chances for a successful journey.

The most popular routes are Marangu, Machame, and Lemosho. The routes are strictly regulated and all climbers must be accompanied by an officially accredited guide team from a licensed trekking operator. Following is information on the routes.

Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes

Marangu Route: Kili's oldest and most well established route is Marangu. This very popular trail is considered the easiest and offers the shortest possible round-trip route on the mountain at just five days. Because of its popularity, Marangu, which is also called the "Coca Cola Route", can be crowded and is quite eroded in many places. Depending on the season, the path can also be muddy on the lower slopes.

Marangu is the only route offering sleeping huts, which are basic, dormitory-style structures, in lieu of tent camping. The path ascends from the southeast on a gradual and direct route, but on a 5-day trip, altitude acclimatization is difficult. Many operators offer a 6 or 7-day trip on Machangu to allow for acclimatization time. The ascent and descent are along the same path.

Machame Route: Kili's other very popular trail, Machame is also known as the "Whiskey Route", as it is more upscale than Marangu.  The route is long and the daily walks are steeper than Marangu, making it a more challenging trek. The minimum time for a Machame climb is six days, but seven or eight are more often used. Although longer and more difficult than Marangu, acclimatization is easier on Machame and success rates are higher.

The route starts from the south and proceeds through the rain forest leading to the Shira Plateau before heading east and beneath Kili's southern ice field before reaching the summit. Machame allows you to see a lot of the mountain, winding through distinct zones, including forest, moorland, alpine desert, and snow fields. The route is beautiful, but like Marangu, it can be crowded. The descent follows the Mweka route. Nights are spent camping in tents.

Lemosho Route: The very scenic Lemosho route starts from the western side and leads trekkers across the Shira Ridge, where it meets the Machame Route on day four at the foot of the Kibo cone. Lemosho is considered the most beautiful route, with spectacular panoramic views along the way.

The first two days are spent walking thru the rain forest to Shira Ridge and are relatively easy. Lemosho has low climber traffic until it joins the Machame route, after which it follows the same route along the southern base of Kibo, known as the "Southern Circuit". Lemosho can be completed in six days, although a seven- or eight-day trip is more common. The descent is made using the Mweka route. Nights are spent camping in tents.

Rongai Route: The moderately difficult Rongai route (also called Loitokitok) is the only trail that approaches from the north, starting close to the Kenya border. It is also one of the quietest routes, owing to the time it takes to drive from Moshi to the start point. Rongai is a good choice during the rainy periods (Nov to early Dec / April to early May), as the northern side of Kili generally gets lower precipitation.

Rongai is less scenic than the western routes, but it spends days in virtual wilderness before joining the Marangu route. Rongai's ascent is via a gradual slope and can be completed in six days, but a seven-day trek is recommended. The descent is made using the Marangu route. Nights are spent camping in tents.

Shira Route: Shira was the original route approaching from the west, while Lemosho is the newer route. Shira is very similar to Lemosho, but climbers are transported by vehicle past the rainforest and begin hiking on the Shira Ridge at 11 800 feet (3 600 meters). Climbers then cross the entire Shira plateau and then join up with the Lemosho route, which traverses the Southern Circuit.

Starting the trek at a high elevation on day one increases the chance that climbers will experience altitude related symptoms, making this route less favorable than the newer Lemosho Route. The route is offered as a seven- or eight-day trek. The descent is made using the Mweka route. Nights are spent camping in tents.

Umbwe Route: Umbwe is a short and direct, but steep route approaching from the south. It is by far the most challenging of the routes to the summit. The route has constant altitude increase and does not leave time for acclimatization, thus increasing the chance for altitude-related issues. The route should only be attempted by very strong trekkers who are confident in their ability to acclimatize quickly.

Umbwe is never crowded, but due to its difficulty, the success rate is low. After the initial direct climb, the trail heads east along the Southern Circuit. The route is offered as a six- or seven-day climb. The descent is made using the Mweka route. Nights are spent camping in tents.

Seasons / When to Climb

Climbing Kilimanjaro is best when the weather is good, as rain, mud, and cold weather will adversely affect climbing conditions and make the climb less safe. Lying very close to the equator, Kili does not experience extreme temperature swings, although the air is cooler as you ascend to higher elevations. The most important consideration for climbing is dry versus wet conditions.

Kili can be climbed at any time during the year, but climbing when the chances for rain are lowest is recommended. The highest probability for rain occurs from late March to early May and from early November to early December. The southeast slopes of the mountain receive the most rainfall, so Lemosho, Shira and Rongai are the safest routes to use if climbing in the rain months. Snow near the summit is possible all year, but chances are highest during and just after the rainy seasons.

The best months to climb in terms of weather are mid-December thru early March and late June thru October. There is a slight chance for rain in June and September/October can be very hot. These are also the busiest times on the mountain.

Many climbers wish to summit on full moon nights, which occur every 29.5 days throughout the year. Treks scheduled for full moon summits are always very busy on summit night, so avoid these if you want to avoid crowds.

Terrain Zones, Flora & Fauna

Kilimanjaro is home to five types of biome, and most climbs will pass through each of them.

Cultivation Zone: At the ground level, the areas around the base of the mountain are occupied by banana and corn farms, with small villages scattered about.

Forest Zone: Starting at around 6 000 feet (1 800 meters), cultivation gives way to humid cloud-forest, which are home to lush and very diverse vegetation, abundant birds and some wildlife. Animals you may see include blue monkey, black-and-white colobus monkeys, galago (bushbaby), mountain reedbuck, and Abbot's duiker. Leopard live in the forests but are unlikely to be seen.

Moorland Zone: Above the forest zone, starting at around 9 200 feet (2 800 meters), the vegetation changes to afro-montane moorland and upland grassland. The shrub/heath vegetation in this zone is often called "the land of giants", with giant lobelias, giant heather, and giant groundsels, which survive amongst the much drier conditions up to about 12 500 feet (3 800 meters). Mammals passing through the moorland zone include grey duiker, eland, bushbuck, and red duiker. Bird's are not diverse at this altitude, but white-necked raven are often seen.

Alpine Desert Zone: Above the heath zone is the mostly barren alpine desert one, which is characterized by extremely dry and cold conditions. Only a few plants like hardy mosses and lichens are able to survive here. The terrain is characterized by volcanic lava rock fields. The desert zone continues to around 16 000 feet (4 900 meters), where it becomes glacier, and more lava.

Glacier Zone: Kilimanjaro's beautiful glaciers, which have existed on its uppermost elevations for over 11 000 years, are rapidly disappearing due to global temperature increases. Some experts estimate that Kili's ice will disappear by the year 2050, so get there while you can still see the spectacular ice fields.

Kilimanjaro National Park

Kilimanjaro National Park was established in 1973 and at that time it only included the mountain beginning above the tree line from about 9 000 feet (2 750 meters) along with some forest corridors extending down to about 6 500 feet (2 000 meters). In 2005, the national park boundaries were expanded to include the entire montane forest, which had previously been an unprotected buffer zone called Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve.

Visitors the the region who do not wish to climb to the top of Kilimanjaro can opt instead to do any of a variety of half- or full-day hikes into the rain forests to see the lush flora, waterfalls, and hopefully some wildlife and birds. Guided hikes leave from Marangu and Machame villages.

Arusha Town

Arusha town is located very close to the region's main gateway airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and is almost always the first overnight for travelers to Northern Tanzania.

Despite being a growing city with a population of over 420 000 plus 330 000 in the surrounding Arusha District, the town itself has a rather relaxed atmosphere. Tourism is the main focus of the town and Western culture is evident, but with a mixture of Maasai people in their traditional dress.

Arusha offers lots of accommodation, ranging from very basic to high-end guest houses. The leafy, eastern suburbs of Arusha have some of the nicest choices for overnight stays. On clear days, one can view nearby Mount Meru, which stands watch over the town and offers a lovely backdrop.

Higher elevation areas near the town are home to farmers growing coffee, bananas, cabbage, potatoes, and other vegetables. Beans, corn and wheat are also grown in the lower lying outskirts.

Arusha National Park & Mount Meru

Located just north of Arusha Town, Arusha National Park and the adjoining Mount Meru Forest Reserve is a little-visited reserve offering volcanic peaks, lovely rainforest, and plentiful wildlife.

Tanzania's second-highest peak, Mount Meru, which rises to an elevation of 14 977 feet (4 565 feet), is the dominant feature of Arusha National Park. Appearing as a near-perfect cone when viewed from town, the eastern side has been literally ripped open by a cataclysmic eruption some 250 000 years ago. The explosions sent lava boulders flying over 40 miles (64 kms) away to the east.

Prior to this event, Meru was even taller than Kilimanjaro. Today Meru is considered dormant, but tremors still occur and a mini eruption last occurred in 1910.

The national park (established in 1960) and the surrounding forest reserve protects most of the mountain, including the 2-mile wide Meru Crater and Ngurdoto Crater in the eastern foothills. Ngurdoto is a 2-mile wide caldera with diverse wildlife and is sometimes referred to as "Little Ngorongoro". The Momela Lakes are known for their birdlife, in particular flamingos.

Wildlife in the reserve and national park include buffalo, elephant, hippo, warthog, zebra, various antelopes, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus, and others. Giraffe can be seen around the Momela Lakes. Leopard and spotted hyena are here but rarely seen.

Like Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru can be climbed without any technical equipment or experience. Round trip treks are either three or four days; two days for the ascent and one or two days to descend. Although not as high as Kilimanjaro, altitude sickness and acclimatization are still an issue on Meru. The route to the summit starts at Momela Gate (which is at 4 900 feet/1 500 meters). Little Meru Peak is slightly lower than the main summit and is also an option.

Moshi

About one hour east of Arusha along the A23 road, the bustling town of Moshi is located directly south of Mount Kilimanjaro. Views of Kili are spectacular when the mountain is not covered with a blanket of clouds. The town's name 'Moshi' means smoke in Kiswahili, referring to either the frequent cloud cover or perhaps alluding to its last minor eruption in the 1700s. 

Moshi's population is around 200 000, but it has a much more relaxed atmosphere than Arusha. Much of the land surrounding the town is utilized for farming corn and beans. The town is most often used as a base for those climbing Kilimanjaro, although many opt instead to stay in Arusha.

Coffee

The Kilimanjaro Region produces high-quality coffee, with many smallholding farms that sell their beans to the Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union (KNCU), which markets the product. The coffee bushes flower during the short rains (Oct-Nov), giving off a delightful jasmine-like scent. The beans are harvested between July and September. Make sure to sample some local coffee during your visit!

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Arusha Town, Arusha National Park, Climbing Kilimanjaro, Climbing Routes, Coffee, Kilimanjaro National Park, Moshi Town, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, Seasons, Terrain Zones, When to Climb