Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, Africa. It is unique not only for being the highest in Africa and one of the 7 summits, but for having one of the highest stand-alone vertical gains of any mountain on earth. It stands seemingly alone in the Tanzanian savannah.

Most climbers fly into Kilimanjaro airport and take a cab or bus to Moshi, Tanzania to meet up with their team or guide service.

Being near the equator, it can be climbed most anytime of the year however the biggest consideration is the rainy season in the winter so summer is most popular with September being the prime month.

Mount Kilimanjaro routes and their variations take between five and nine days to complete. Although Mount Kilimanjaro is known as a "walk-up" mountain, you should not underestimate it and its risks. The overall statistics show that less than half of all climbers reach the summit.

If you are in great aerobic shape, it can be "easy" on a perfect weather day and on the normal routes. But as with most of the extreme altitude climbs, Kilimanjaro can have brutal summit weather with temperatures at 0F and if the winds are blowing, the wind chills can be very dangerous. Climbers die on KIlimanjaro.

Also, remember this is almost 6,000 meters, 20,000 feet so AMS is always a risk as is HAPE or HACE.

Kilimanjaro is a relatively safe climb by the standard routes. However, there are always deaths on these big mountains. Kilimanjaro is no different.

The most common cause of death is probably altitude related, and that is from going too fast and not taking the time to acclimatize. This is why selecting the proper guide service is critical.

It is estimated that 25,000 climb Kilimanjaro using the various routes each year. The summit rate is around 66% with cold summit days and altitude issues being the major reasons for not summiting.

I understand there is about 1 death each year, thus it is relatively safe, however one climber was killed by lightning in early 2013.

We suggest the usual training regime of running, light weight and aerobic conditioning.

Yes! Anytime you are above 8,000' you can experience problems. Kilimanjaro is a serious high altitude mountain. Even though the normal routes are not technically difficult, the altitude takes it toll on climbers each year, thus the 66% success rate.

There are five main routes that meander from the jungle through five microclimates to join the three final ascent routes to Kibo.

Both the Machame and Lemosho routes offer a more leisurely paced scenic climb. The Lemosho route is less crowded while the Machame route has a more difficult beginning but joins into the same route as the Lemosho. The Marangu climb is crowded since it follows a road part way.

There is a technical route, the Western Breach, but is is prone to rock fall and is considered extremely dangerous and not offered by most companies unless you are willing to take the risks.

Yes you must have a permit and all climbers, regardless of route or guides, must use a guide and porters, no exceptions.