error when authenticating{"id":27348,"date":"2025-02-14T16:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T16:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorerspassage.com\/?p=27348"},"modified":"2025-02-14T19:51:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T19:51:34","slug":"climbing-mount-kilimanjaro-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorerspassage.com\/chronicles\/climbing-mount-kilimanjaro-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mount Kilimanjaro is the fabled Roof of Africa. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro demands determination, dedication, and energy. But it’s also a summit that rewards with visions of African ice caps, wanderings through moss-caked cloud forests, encounters with elephants, and \u2013 of course \u2013 a chance to stand at the highest point on the continent. Soaring 19,341 feet (5,895 meters) above sea level in the midst of northern Tanzania, it crashes through the clouds to a trio of volcanic cones that were formed millions of years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve stumbled across this post because you\u2019re interested in Africa\u2019s highest mountain. Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most popular destinations for trekkers around the world. In this ultimate travel guide, you\u2019ll discover expert information to help prepare you for one of the best climbing adventures of your life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s in this Guide?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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  1. My experience on Mount Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. About Mount Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. History of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Getting to Mount Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. An overview of Moshi, Tanzania<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. When is the best time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Mount Kilimanjaro climbing routes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Sample itinerary of Kilimanjaro\u2019s most popular route<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Key sites while climbing Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Preparation and training<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Other adventures near Mount Kilimanjaro<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. My experience on Mount Kilimanjaro<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Mount Kilimanjaro is a trek that asks a lot but gives a huge payoff. Seven days of climbing this sleeping giant from the farms around Moshi, Tanzania to the scree-rimmed summit took me through some of the most incredible landscapes I’ve ever encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"View<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    From my perspective, things looked bare from afar, but then I was greeted by groves of spider-like ferns and mkulo trees on the lower slopes that gave way to gnarled junipers and heathlands higher up. As I approached the trailhead, I saw elephants, Cape buffalo, and even leopards. From the saddle to the summit itself, where I spent (and you will too) the bulk of the trek, it’s like being on the Moon. Petrified volcanic stone speckles the plains there, and only hardy tufts of grass poke through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I opted for the common and wildly popular Machame Route. It’s got the highest success rate of all the seven routes up Kilimanjaro and peppers the journey with welcome acclimatization camps. My summit push happened on day six of seven. It was the true highlight of the Mount Kilimanjaro hike, opening vistas that sweep north into the elephant-stalked savannahs of Kenya and across to mystical Mount Meru deeper into Tanzania. I’ll never forget that view and you must see it for yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. About Mount Kilimanjaro<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, located in Tanzania. It clocks up an altitude of 19,341 feet (5,895 meters) and anchors the amazing Kilimanjaro National Park in the far north of Tanzania. It’s actually a dormant volcano that’s formed of three main cones. They sit almost equidistant apart, running from Shira (the lowest) in the east to Mawenzi in the west. Hikers are usually aiming for Kibo, the middle cone. That’s where Uhuru Peak, the pinnacle of Kilimanjaro and the final goal of most treks, shoulders above the crater on a bluff.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Path<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Kilimanjaro is a mountain of two sides. The northern slopes are softer and host way less vegetation. They drop away towards the Tanzania-Kenya border in sinews of lava chutes and dusty scree. The south is encircled by a lush ring of montane forest and cloud forest, and the main peaks of Uhuru and Mawenzi loom steeper overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the defining features of Kilimanjaro is what’s known as the Saddle Plateau. It’s where the mountain sort of flattens out at around 14,400 feet (4,400 meters), forming a tabletop region between the smaller craters with Kibo right in the middle. Good news for trekkers, it gives ample space for multiple acclimatization camps \u2013 the whole Saddle measures close to 14.9 miles (24 kilometers) from end to end! Still interested in learning more? Check out these 10 Fast Facts About Mount Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. History of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The volcanic activity that formed the cloud-shattering tops of Mount Kilimanjaro is thought to have started around a million years ago and lasted something in the region of 500,000 years. It gave rise to a hulking mass of a peak that has itself inspired human legends. The Tanzania region’s Swahili Chagga people<\/strong><\/a> tell of ancient elephant burial grounds on the summit. Others have posited it as the potential source of the life-giving River Nile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Recorded attempts to climb Kilimanjaro didn’t begin in earnest until the Germans came to East Africa in the second half of the 19th century. Hans Meyer and his Austrian climbing partner Ludwig Purtscheller are now hailed as the first Europeans to conquer the top of Kibo crater and complete the Kilimanjaro hike, which they finally managed in 1889 after a former failed attempt. They did it with help from a team of Swahili porters and camp builders. If this rich history excites you, check out our other Five Top Adventure Destinations for History Buffs<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Group<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Since then, the allure of the mythic Roof of Africa and the journey to climb Kilimanjaro has only grown and grown. Today, the mountain sustains a whole industry of climbers and climb assistants in Tanzania \u2013 one estimation is that it supports up to 11,000 jobs in the region. A whopping 35,000 to 50,000 trekkers are thought to attempt the Mount Kilimanjaro climb each year, with just over two-thirds of them making it to the summit and successfully completing the Kilimanjaro hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Getting to Mount Kilimanjaro<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There’s no better way to get right into the base of the great mountain than with a flight to the Kilimanjaro International Airport where your quest to climb Kilimanjaro begins. It’s not only the gateway to the trailheads for Africa’s highest peak, though. It’s also one of the prime access points for the safari meccas of Arusha National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the savannahs of Tarangire National Park. That means there will be high competition for airfare, so don’t hang around when you come to book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thankfully, there’s a good mix of long-haul carriers coming in from Middle Eastern hubs like Istanbul and Doha, along with big European changeover points like Amsterdam Schiphol. There are also plenty of arrivals from African destinations, including Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Entebbe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From the Kilimanjaro International Airport, look to get to Moshi, Tanzania. There’s a good chance that the pickup and transfer will be included in your trekking package. If not, a private taxi from the terminals to any hotel in the town is set at a fixed rate of $50. There are also shared shuttle buses run by Precision Air that cost closer to $5 a head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All prices listed in US Dollars.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. An overview of Moshi, Tanzania<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Moshi is known as the loveable, ramshackle hub of the whole Kilimanjaro region. A cacophony of honking 4X4s and crying goat herds, it’s the launchpad for the vast majority of expeditions to climb Kilimanjaro. During peak climbing season (more on that below), you can hardly move for trekkers \u2013 some fresh-faced and raring to go, others tanned and tired but with one line less on the bucket list\u2013 completing the Kilimanjaro hike to the summit.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"View<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Don’t whiz out of Moshi for the trailheads too quickly. Take some time to delve into the frenetic Chagga Street bazaar or navigate the stalls of the Mbuyuni market down Double Road, taking in all that Tanzania has to offer. They are working trading places where you can buy everything from used hiking gear to unusual healing roots from Maasai medicine men (not recommended!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Moshi also has a fine gastronomic offering to help you fuel up before the Kilimanjaro hike or rejuvenate after returning from the summit. That comes in the form of Indian cookhouses selling spicy curries from across the Arabian Sea, a few Italian kitchens, and plenty of coffee stops \u2013 you’re in one of Tanzania’s top bean-growing regions, remember?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re doing an organized tour and you haven’t already joined your trekking group at the airport, then you’re likely to do it in Moshi. It’s where you’ll leave from on the first day, usually to the starting point of the Machame Route, which is roughly a 30- to 40-minute drive to the northwest of town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. When is the best time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    So you want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro when the time is best. The general rule for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is to dodge the wet seasons. Tanzania has two of those: the short monsoon season and the long monsoon season. The first \u2013 just as the name implies \u2013 is over pretty quick. It lasts from the start of November to the first or second week of December. The second spans about three months, from March until May. That really leaves two windows of opportunity for trekkers who want what I’d consider to be peak conditions for their Mount Kilimanjaro hike:<\/p>\n\n\n

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