Mount Kilimanjaro Hiking Tours Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain as well as the highest in Tanzania at an altitude of 5895 meters above sea level. This is the tallest free-standing mountain in Africa. It is at times referred to as the rooftop of Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is part of Kilimanjaro National Park which is the top destination for hiking tours in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is made up of three summits which are Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kibo is the highest peak, a dormant volcano that could erupt again with its last eruption over 300,000 years ago. An ascent to Mount Kilimanjaro offers a trek through six different ecological systems and these are cultivated land, hearth, moorland, rain forest, alpine desert, and an arctic peak. Mount Kilimanjaro Hiking is challenging but millions of people have accepted to take the challenge of hiking to the summit. Frenchman Valtee Daniel is the oldest man to hike the mountain at a time when he made 87 years. Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro takes about five to nine days depending on how many hours the trekker takes each day. For hikers who are disabled, there is a possibility of one being able to hike the mountain using a modified wheelchair.
Mount Kilimanjaro Hiking Routes
There are several routes set to hike to Kilimanjaro’s peak. These are; the Machame route, Lemosho route, Marangu route, Rongai route, Shira route, Northern circuit, and Umbwe route. Of these routes, Machame and Lemosho routes are the most scenic. Marangu route is the easiest to follow to the Kilimanjaro route. Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe route all approach Kilimanjaro peak from the south of the mountain, and the Mweka route is used only for the descent. Lemoshso, Shira, and Northern circuit approach the mountain from the west. In the north, there is only the Rongai route. All of these routes can lead the hiker to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. However, making a choice on which route to take may be difficult. To make a great choice one has to consider factors like the route’s scenery, hiking difficulty, foot traffic, and altitude acclimatization characteristics. Here is a highlight of each route according to the above characteristics; The northern circuit route takes a minimum of 9 days with high difficulty but excellent scenery. There is also very low foot traffic on this route. The Northern circuit traverses the mountain around the quiet, rarely visited slopes. Lemosho route offers a minimum of 8 days to hike and descend. Hiking this route is difficult but has excellent scenery. Foot traffic is moderate along the route. This route is considered the most beautiful and grants panoramic vistas on various sides of the mountain. Rongai route has a 6-day minimum with difficulty in hiking rated medium and very good scenery. The traffic on the route is low. This route is close to the Kenyan border. Rongai route is preferable for trekkers who need an alternative less crowded route, more remote, and for those climbing during the rainy season as the north side receives less precipitation.
