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Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. It stands an impressive 19,341 feet tall over the Tanzanian plains. Mount Kilimanjaro is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range (such as Mount Everest and the Himalayans).
Many people climb Kilimanjaro every year. The activity is not just for hard core backpackers and experienced mountaineers. Everyday people, including accountants, engineers, food servers and teachers, successfully reach the top. Children as young as 6 years old and seniors as old as 82 years old have done it. Experts agree that anyone who is in average physical shape can climb Kilimanjaro, which is why the mountain is so popular amongst the general adventure seeking population. No technical mountaineering ability is required.
There are six major routes on Mount Kilimanjaro. Each is well maintained, and each route has different pros and cons. Foot traffic on the routes is regulated by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority. It is required to have a guide while trekking on Kilimanjaro, and there is no shortage of guide operators who can take you to the summit.
The weather on the mountain varies widely depending on the elevation and season. It can be extremely cold near the summit, so warm, windbreaking clothing is a necessity. Heavy rain is also possible at any time, so quality waterproof gear is mandatory. All climbers should be well equipped.
The best time to climb Kilimanjaro is during the dry season. January, February, July, August, September, October are the best months to go. The rainy season occurs during the months of March, April, May, June, November and December
The Northern Circuit Route is the longest route on Kilimanjaro, a nine-day trip initially ascending Lemosho route on the western side of the mountain up onto the Shira Plateau before reaching the Lava Tower, then heading north and circumnavigating the main summit massif in a clockwise direction and joining up with the Rongai route. The summit is then climbed from the eastern side of the mountain and the descent is straight down via the southern Mweka route.
Understandably this is also known as the Grand Traverse or the 360 Route and offers the complete Kilimanjaro experience in terms of all the habitats and the views of the mountain from all sides. The longer journey has excellent acclimatization and stunning scenery with views across the southern flanks, western forests, the northern plains to the Kenyan border and the arid eastern slopes. The paths are comparatively quiet and less used.
Also, the altitude gains each day is less than on other routes, with a gentle gradient until reaching Kikelewa or Third Caves camp, therefore over nine days the likelihood of altitude sickness is significantly less. Yet the overall length of the route is 96 kilometres, not much more than the other routes. An alternate route which summits directly up the northern slopes from School Hut is about 79 kilometres.
Being more expensive, the Northern Circuit is the least visited but in many respects it's the best option for climbing Kilimanjaro without the crowds.
Lemosho route is around 70 kms or 42 miles whether you opt for the 7- or 8-day version. It joins up with the Machame Route between Shira and Barranco so the terrain is very similar.
| Day | from | To | Via | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moshi(890mm) | Big Tree Camp(2700m) | Londorosi gate(2360) | 5 km | 3 Hrs |
| 2 | Big Tree Camp 2700m | Lower shira Pleteau (3500m) | Forest | 7 km | 4 Hrs |
| 3 | Lower shira Pleteaus(3840m) | upper Shira plateau(3840m) | Shira plateous | 7 km | 3 Hrs |
| 4 | upper Shira plateau(3840m) | Barranco Camp(3950m) | Lava Tower | 9 km | 7 hrs |
| 5 | Barranco Camp(3950m) | Karanga valley Camp(3995m) | Barranco Wall(4650m) | 4 km | 5 Hrs |
| 6 | Karanga valley Camp(3995m) | Barafu Camp(4550m) | Mweka Junction(4275m) | 4 km | 4 Hrs |
| 7 | Barafu Camp(4550m) | Millenium Camp(2800) | Summit Uhuru Peak(5895) | 4+4 km | 7+4 Hrs |
| 8 | Millenium Camp(2800m) | Moshi(890m) | Mweka Gate(1650m) | 11 km | 5Hrs |
How long is the Northern Circuit Route on Kilimanjaro?
It is a total of 96 kilometres over nine days, hiking from the western side of the mountain and around the northern slopes to the north eastern slopes and descending down the south east side.
Is the Northern Circuit route busy?
No, it's the least crowded of all the routes, mainly because it's a longer trip and therefore costs more. But as an experience of the mountain without any crowds, it's hard to beat.
What is the Maragu Route Summit Success Rate?
As it is one of the shortest routes on the mountain, the Marangu Route has the lowest summit success rates. This is mainly because of the unprofessional local tour guides who take groups up the mountain on the shorter 5-day hike. Because of this, the 5-day average success rate is 50%! We advise our hikers with this in mind, so we only take the 6-day option which increases the success rate to over 90%!
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