that it once was. Nonetheless it constitutes an exceptional, fully rounded expedition and has a higher success rate in part due to the extra day spent on the mountain.
Rongai Route
Of the more unusual ascent routes, the Rongai Route is the easiest. This minimum-five-day climb, which has grown substantially in popularity over the last decade to become the third most popular ascent, is an excellent alternative to the Marangu Route for those who don’t feel capable of undertaking one of the more strenuous climbs. This is the only path that approaches the summit from the north. The path coils across the lower slopes and detours via Mawenzi, allowing you to explore this extraordinary second summit area more fully than on any other route. It then makes the final summit bid via the Normal/Marangu Route. Descent from the mountain is along the Marangu Route. Less heavily used and exceptionally scenic, the Rongai Route is a very fine outing on Kilimanjaro.
View of Kibo above tents at First Camp (Rongai Route, Naremoru to First Camp)
Umbwe Route
The Umbwe Route is the most direct, strenuous ascent route. As little as one percent of climbers on the mountain tackle this ascent, making it far and away the least popular. Climbing stiffly through the thick forest on the southern slopes of the mountain, it rapidly gains height and affords you little time to acclimatise properly. The summit bid is often made via the Western Breach, but is sometimes conducted via the Barafu Route. Regardless, descent is via the Mweka Route. For those who are fit and fully acclimatised, this is probably the most dramatic way to climb Kilimanjaro and experience many of its finest vistas. However, it must not be underestimated, since it poses a very real challenge.
Shira and Lemosho routes
Both the Shira and Lemosho routes approach the mountain from the west. They are variations on the same trail and merge above the forest on the Shira Plateau. The more attractive and enjoyable Lemosho Route is fractionally longer and allows you to ascend to the plateau on foot, whereas the Shira Route begins much higher on the mountain and accesses the plateau by 4WD vehicle. Both paths then either climb to the summit via the Western Breach or, more frequently, traverse the mountain beneath the Southern Icefields to ascend via the Barafu Route. Descent is once more along the Mweka Route. The Lemosho Route is longer than any other route on the mountain, and while being more expensive offers the best opportunity to acclimatise properly ahead of the summit bid and so has grown in popularity over recent years. The isolation and space enjoyed as a result of the remoteness of both trailheads, especially the Lemosho, means that these are still very good ways of escaping the crowds, at least on the early stages of the climb. For those climbers looking to avoid crowds for as long as possible, a variation of the Lemosho Route on the Shira Plateau that joins and detours around the Northern Circuit Path that circumnavigates Kibo at around 4000m, instead of the traditional Southern Circuit Path, allows you to keep well off the most travelled trails and allows a couple more nights of isolation and wild camping before you climb to the summit on a variation of the Normal/Marangu Route.
Porters on path between Horombo Huts and Kibo Huts, Marangu Route (photo: Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock.com)
Circuit paths
While the Northern Circuit Path is very remote and rarely used, other than in conjunction with the Lemosho Route and an ascent to the summit via School Hut, allowing you to enjoy the mountain in peace, the Southern Circuit Path, which connects a number of the ascent routes with the final climbs to the summit, is a busier traverse that provides you with fine panoramas of the Southern Icefields. For those less concerned about claiming the summit’s scalp, a complete loop of the Circuit Path is an outstanding way to enjoy the mountain and explore some of its least visited features. However, you will need special permission to trek the full circuit and it isn’t tackled as a standard outing on the mountain or regularly offered by outfitters.
Costs and budgeting
Climbing Kilimanjaro is an expensive business. The Tanzanian government has understandably cashed in on the mountain’s popularity and has introduced a series of mandatory fees that must be paid before you can even enter the Kilimanjaro National Park. The charges to climb Kilimanjaro have increased exponentially over the last few years and the combination of park gate fees, camping and hut fees levied by the authorities have now reached well over US$100 per day.
There is no cheap way to climb the mountain. The fees are compulsory. In addition to these, you must also hire and pay for a guide and a team of porters through a licensed outfitter. All food and transport costs need to be factored in as well. On top of all of the unavoidable costs, you must also include the amount of money that you will need to tip the guide and his porters once the climb is completed (see Guides and porters).
Fresh produce at the start of the trek
The mandatory costs include a conservation fee (formerly the national park daily gate fee), which costs US$70 per day. You must also pay either camping fees of US$50 per night or, on the Marangu Route, hut fees of US$60 per night. There is also a compulsory rescue fee of US$20 per trip. You must also pay US$2 per person per trip as wages for each guide and porter that accompanies you during your ascent. Thus, the basic cost of a five-day Marangu Route ascent using a guide, assistant guide and two porters rapidly escalates to over US$600. By the time that your outfitter includes each member of your team’s wages, approximately a further US$150 for a team of four, and the costs for food and transport, you will appreciate how the cost of the expedition very quickly increases. On top of this, you will inevitably be charged another fee by, and for, your outfitter in order to make the business profitable.
When all of these considerations are taken into account, expect to pay an outfitter somewhere in the region of US$1350–1550 for a basic five-day Marangu trek. The Umbwe and Rongai routes will cost somewhere between US$1700–1900, while the Machame Route costs around US$1600–1800. The Shira and Lemosho routes are both slightly more expensive and will set you back at least US$2000. A trek with a top tour operator can cost far more than this and the sky’s the limit if you keep adding in extras or expanding your team.
It pays to shop around and compare prices offered by each outfitter. Prices are often lower if you walk as part of a group rather than on your own. In most cases it is true that you get what you pay for, and the extra money spent on signing with a more expensive outfitter may pay dividends during your climb. Bear in mind that if you book your climb in the UK the costs will be much higher for each of the routes up the mountain.
Western Breach and summit viewed from the top of the Lava Tower on the Southern Circuit Path
Kilimanjaro is fairly unique in that you pay per day spent on the mountain. There is no option to make a one-off payment that would then enable you to make a slow ascent and several attempts on the summit. Every additional day spent on the mountain is an extra cost. This can prove particularly expensive on the longer routes, and consequently groups may be tempted to race up Kilimanjaro in a bid to save money. By charging a daily fee the Tanzanian authorities have created a system that encourages people to climb too quickly, which increases the risks to individuals’ health. However, the additional cost is relatively inexpensive when compared to the frustration of having to descend without having made it to the highest point.
Don’t let the cost discourage you. The ascent of Kilimanjaro is an exceptional and priceless experience. Nevertheless, do consider spending extra on an additional acclimatisation day to
