overview

There are nine different routes on the mountain of which seven are ascent routes and two are used for descent. Not all are recommended, one is now shut and quite a few merge with each other, but they do have their own particular pros and cons . Here is a breakdown of each of the routes for climbing Kilimanjaro:

Machame Route (“Whiskey” Route)
Lemosho Route
Shira Route
Rongai Route
Northern Circuit Route
Marangu Route
Western Breach/Arrow Glacier Route
And there are two routes used for descent. They are:

Mweka Route
Umbwe Route
Kilimanjaro route options.png

MACHAME ROUTE – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Kilimanjaro Machame Route map

Also known as the Whisky Route, the Machame Route offers excellent acclimatisation because three of the campsites are at the same altitude which is a big benefit to the body as you ‘climb high, sleep low’ which is good mountaineering practise. The route is approximately 62 km/ 37 miles from gate to gate, and the starting altitude at Machame Gate is 1640 metres.

Machame is also the route that provides the most distinctive view of the five ecosystems on the mountain – cultivated farmland, cloudforest (montane), alpine heath, high desert and the glaciated summit. This is a big reason for the popularity of the route. Each campsite is really quite different from the other, and each day is like entering a different world, from the lush jungle to dense forest, then low brush on the vast lava plateau to the surreal world of huge volcanic boulders, followed by the rock and scree on the massif and finally the glaciers on the crater itself.

Machame gives climbers the thrill of a mountain challenge and currently accounts for about 50% of all visitors. It is a camping route and suited to people with plenty of hiking and camping experience, The seven day version is what we recommend and has a very high success rate of about 85%; the most common reasons for descending are tiredness, stomach upset from local food bought in Moshi, and altitude sickness.

This route is physically tough, requiring good fitness and determination especially on the summit night which begins at midnight with a summit at about 8am. It’s entirely possible for beginners to complete the challenge with fitness training and the help of qualified guides.

DAYS:
The recommended time is seven days, with five of those days ascending from the Machame Gate on the southwest side of the mountain. The number of days directly relates to altitude acclimatisation, so we would not consider less than seven days which is the minimum number recommended by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA).

DIFFICULTY:
This route is mostly strenuous, initially with ups and downs and navigating a succession of valleys and ridges and plateaux and then the unrelenting scree slopes up the central massif to the crater which is quite steep and challenging. However there is nothing technical in the challenge and you are not required to use ropes. Summit morning in the dark can be very cold, icy and windy as it follows a number of zigzags up the rocky slope which is often covered in snow and ice. At the altitude of nearly 6000 metres it will require mental power and good physical health and fitness.

SCENERY:
The Machame Route is a favourite mainly because of the variety of habitats you pass through and the attraction of the flora and fauna, much of which is endemic to the mountain.

What other mountain in the world starts with farms of giant banana trees and coffee plantations into steaming jungle and then cloud forest, and then out of the forest into alpine heath and moorland to the strange volcanic rubble on a bleak plateau, arid alpine desert and finally a glaciated summit which is actually an arctic region at just under 6000 metres right on the equator?

There’s so much variety in the terrain and landscape, with the vastness of the Shira Plateau, the imposing Lava Tower, and the sheer cliffs of the Barranco Wall. Giant groundsel and lobelia loom out of the mist, waterfalls and streams have carved the mountainside into deep ravines and narrow ridges that radiate from the central massif like spokes on a giant wheel. The glaciers glint in the distance, evidence that only 20 years ago the whole massif was snow covered.

PROS AND CONS:
Breathtaking scenery and steady acclimatisation with three nights sleeping at the same altitude are the main benefits of choosing the Machame Route. The paths are well maintained, the campsites have good toilet facilities and the success rate is high.

However with 50% of climbers on this route it is probably the busiest nowadays, depending slightly on time of year. Summit morning can be very busy, especially on a full moon night, and the campsites can be extremely busy with several hundred people spread out.

The distance from Moshi to Machame park gate is about one and a half hours so not too far, and descending the Mweka route means a quick 30 minute journey back into town at the end.