Which is the best route to Climb mountain Kilimanjaro?
There are 6 main routes to ascend on mountain Kilimanjaro which lead to the summit Uhuru peak. There’s only route which start from the Northern side of the mountain Kilimanjaro which Rongai route. and the rest on the routes start from the Southern side. And there’s only one route for descending. Which is in the southern part of the mountain mweka route. When you decide to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, you’ll need to choose your route.
1.Northern Circuit Route, this it can be lemosho, Umbwe route, or Machame route.
2. Shira Route, which is Londossi route.
3. Machame Route (“Whiskey” Route)
4. Rongai Route. On this route you will descend via Marangu route.
5. Marangu Route (“Coca-Cola” Route)
6. Umbwe Route
7. Lemosho route.
8. western breach route, which can be, Machame route, umbwe route, shira route, and lemosho route.
The question you might ask often than any other is which is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro. And the answer depends on what you really want on the Mount Kilimanjaro as we have people who are just interested in seen the landscape on the mountain but don’t really care about the summit. If you are the one then you can choose any of this route.
The highest success rate and overall best route to climb Kilimanjaro
Highest chance of summiting the best route to climb Kilimanjaro is the Lemosho route and Machame route over 7- or 8-9 days excellent acclimatization and an easier summit night. And as reaching the top is the most important thing for most of the climbers, although our company what is the most important is the safety for our clients. That’s why we offer more days on the mountain. But we have routes like Rongai, and Marangu, it can be climbed for 5,6 days.
The mostly nice and great landscape is route to climb Kilimanjaro
The Lemosho route approaching from the West win’s hands down for the best views with spectacular vistas in all directions
Quietest route to climb Kilimanjaro
If keeping away from the crowds is your top priority the Rongai route has to be your choice as the best route for your Kilimanjaro climb. But be warned the success rate is lower because of the wind from the Indian ocean which blow from the Northern.
What is the challenging route to climb Kilimanjaro If you are looking for an adventure and a really unique wilderness experience the crater camp option is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro for you- less than 1 % of climbers get to do this and all our climbers, who do it rave about it.
Our summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each route is below.
Machame route. Prices from 2,350$
• Highly recommended, best success rate.
• Allows “walk high, sleep low” for better acclimatization.
• Stunning scenery climbing through five diverse climatic zones.
• Ascent and descent in different routes.
• Fully catered camping.
Lemosho route. prices from 2,570$
• An excellent route to climb Kilimanjaro by with a high success rate.
• Allows climbers to “walk high, sleep low” enabling better acclimatization.
• Remote and spectacular approach. and a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it.
• Shira route offers higher start point therefore is less good for acclimatization. As you can go close with the jeep. Up to the camp.
• Fully catered camping.
Marangu route. Prices start from. 2,000$
• Shortest route to the summit which means less time to acclimatize. In case you will climber for 6 days. As you will have 1 days for acclimatize.
• Much lower success rates. But depends on the clients and the company, it can be great success rates.
• Dormitory style accommodation which can be nice for you. As there’s people who are not interested in sleeping in tents.
• Less scenic due to ascent and descent on same route.
Rongai route. Prices 2,500$
• Only northern approach route to Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit.
• Offers a true wilderness experience on the early stages of the climb.
• Very tough final summit night.
• natural acclimatization with opportunities to “walk high, sleep low”. When you are approaching the kibo mountain.
• Fully catered camping
Umbwe route prices 2500$
• Steep, short route with very low success rate.
• It can be poor acclimatization due to rapid ascent. But this depends on the person and how
• Very remote and quiet for the first two days.
• Fully catered camping.
Which route is best to climb Kilimanjaro?
When you are planning your Kilimanjaro climb there are 6 factors that you need to take into consideration in deciding which is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro for you.
• Acclimatization
• Difficulty of the summit night
• If the route is busy or not
• What are the accommodation options
• Safety
• What is the success rate
Acclimatization on Kilimanjaro
climbing to the high altitude the golden rule is walk high and sleep low plus drinking a lot of water. Following this rule minimizes the risk of altitude sickness and improves your chance of reaching to the summit. The best routes to trekking Kilimanjaro for acclimatization are the Machame and Lemosho, Marangu for 6 days as these naturally allow you to walk high and sleep low.
What is the hardest day of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? The summit day is the hardest day on the trekking.
The toughest summit nights are on the Rongai route and the Marangu route: they reach the crater rim of Kilimanjaro on the North, opposite Uhuru Peak and more than 2 hours from the summit itself. The best routes to climb Kilimanjaro to avoid this are the Machame and Lemosho routes as they reach the crater at Stellar point less than an hour’s walk from the summit. An extra hour on the Mount Kilimanjaro is a lot.
How busy the route is?
The number of climbers on the mountain varies a lot depending on the season and on the day of the week but even taking this into account if you want to have the mountain more to yourself the best route to climb Kilimanjaro is the Rongai route. This route starts in the North and is used by a lot less climbers than the very popular southern routes.
Which route has the highest Summit Success rate
As a result of the better acclimatization offered and the easier summit night the best route to climb Kilimanjaro in terms of summit success rate is the 9 Day western breach route, Lemosho route over 8 days followed by the Machame route over 7 days.
The Western Breach
Kilimanjaro’s Western Breach is a path that leads up the western slopes of the mountain’s snowy summit, Kibo. Trekkers on the Lemosho, Shira, Machame and Umbwe Routes can all choose to approach the summit via the Western Breach, rather than the normal route via Barafu Huts
On the map above you can see the Western Breach label. The trail begins at Lava Tower, at the eastern end of the Shira Plateau. From there it heads towards the snowy Kibo summit. (Though we haven’t marked the actual Western Breach trail on the map above, the Lava Tower Campsite and Arrow Glacier are marked on it. Both of these are on the Western Breach.) Having reached the Crater rim at the top of Kibo, it’s just a couple of hours to the actual summit itself, Uhuru Peak.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF TAKING THIS TRAIL RATHER THAN THE REGULAR ROUTE?
There are three main reasons why you may want to take the Western Breach rather than the regular route.
The first reason is that the path leads directly to the crater of Kibo. So, it is the most convenient path if you want to explore the crater and see some of its features – the Reusch Crater, Ash Pit, Furtwangler Glacier etc – for yourself.
The path is also mercifully quiet when compare to the crowds that swarm around the southern slopes of Kibo. This is the busiest part of the entire mountain and at times can be unbearable. But you won’t get those crowds on the Western Breach.
Finally, the trail provides more of a challenge than the regular route. There are places where you need to scramble and haul yourself up to the top using your arms as well as your legs. It’s not quite climbing – but it is more challenging than the normal trail, and more of a rush
