To you dream of climbing legendary Mt. Kilimanjaro

Reach the top of Africa’s highest mountain

Tanzania’s snow capped mountain, Kilimanjaro, encircled by savannah and its plentiful game, is a destination new the top of the to-do list of many travellers. To reach its summit, Uhuru (Freedom)  Peak, you must first select one of several different routes available and take into account a number of practical details. The different routes up the mountain present different levels of difficulty and challenges, so it is definitely worth spending time on researching which route suits your physical fitness, needs and interests best. You don’t have to scale any nearly vertical mountain faces to reach Uhuru Peak, it is simply a challenging walk, over terrain that can be steep in places.

Which Route Should I Choose

Askari Tours offers 4 different routes, each with their own advantages and difficulties. It is important to find out which of these routes will be the one most likely to lead you to success, which of course can be done in consultation with us. On all routes we naturally use guides and professional bearers who will take care of all the practical details. You team will also include a cook, who will prepare your meals en route, no matter if you are travelling alone or in a larger group. Here at Askari Tours all our Kilimanjaro climbs are organised on an individual basis, so you don’t shave to share your experience with other travellers you don’t know. An important piece of advice, regardless of which route you choose to take, is make sure you take your time and take the recommended number of days to reach the summit. Acclimatisation is an extremely  important factor if you are to successfully reach the summit. Acclimatisation means getting used to the increasingly thin air and lower oxygen levels you will encounter as you climb higher, and is important if you are to avoid altitude sickness. Some trekkers choose to try and hurry up the mountain to save time and money, but doing this can result in failing to reach the summit, or even in being taken ill.

• The Marangu Route offers a little more comfort than the other routes, as you can stay in simple huts rather than tents en-route. This can be quite an advantage, especially during the rainy season. The route is very beautiful, but not so varied as you take the same paths both up and down the mountain. We recommend that you allocate 6 days to do the climb via the Marangu Route, which will give you enough time to acclimatise.

• The Lemosho Route show a more unspoilt and remote side of Kilimanjaro and is considered by many as the most beautiful route of all. This route has a high rate of success, and the climb offers a good acclimatisation profile. We recommend you allocate 7 days to trek the Lemosho route successfully.
• The Machame Route is currently the most popular route up Kilimanjaro. The route takes you over rather steep terrain and requires a good deal of stamina. If you are fit enough for it, the route will certainly reward your hard work, and there are several really beautiful highlights along the way. Much of this routes popularity is due to the fact that you can take one route to the top and then take a different route down, so you experience a greater variation of landscapes and views. We recommend that you allocate 6 days to climb via the Machame Route.
• The Rongai Route (also know as the Loitokitok route) is the only route up the north side of the Kilimanjaro. This means the route is more shelters from rainfall, which makes climbing the mountain via the Rongai Route a good choice during the rainy season. However it also means the vegetation along the way is not as lush, and you don’t experience trekking through the rainforest. The route can be climbed in 5 days, but in order to acclimatise optimally we recommend using 6 days for this route.

What Does Climbing Kilimanjaro Require

It is a unique and quite wonderful experience to climb Kilimanjaro in the incredible country of Tanzania, but it is also physically challenging. However if you are reasonably fit and in good health it is certainly an achievable goal. With sensible physics and mental preparation, and by spending a realistic number of days on trek, there is a very good chance that you will reach the summit. Every tear between 20-25,000 people attempt to reach the summit at Uhuru Peak, and around two thirds of them succeed.