kilimanjaro-which route

Hi
Marangu is the most used route because it has huts to sleep in and is considered the easy route.
Machame is scenic and takes a more direct route so is steeper than Marangu.
Another very scenic route is Rongai, which also has the advantage of being on the dry side of Kili, it has a fairley gradual slope until the last part when all routes are steep.
Rongai is also lesser used than the other route so you wont feel crowded :-)
Good Luck to Uhuru peak !!

Hey,

I recommend you take the Machame trail to the Summit via the Western Breach. It is a little harder (I'm an average weekend warrior type who had little problems), but the extra days on the mountain will help you acclimatize immensely. Also, your last day and night is spent on the crater rim (about 300 ft. below the summit). You'll spend your last day walking amongst the glaciers and into the crater itself (you can not actually see the crater from the summit because the crater walls are too high). It would be a shame to go all that way and not experience it all. Oh yeah, you are also only an hours trek to the summit. So while everyone else on the 6 day tours has to get up at midnight to summit (6-7 hours of hiking in the freezing cold night), your snug in your sleeping bag until 6 in the morning. You'll be up in plenty of time to see the sunrise as you reach the summit. Enjoy and safe travels....

I recommend the Rongai route, which is not as hard as Machame. The benefit on this route is that (as said above) most likely, you'll be the only one on that route. So if crowding is an issue for you, then this is the route to do. Second, if you opt to go the the Mawenzi Tarn, you'll be glad that you did for the wonderful site.

Hi

I'm not sure that I agree with "achnab" when he says "Machame is scenic and takes a more direct route so is steeper than Marangu". Yes, they claim that it is more scenic that Marangu but I wouldn't say that it takes a direct route. After all you start on the western slopes, go up to Shira, then you turn east and go on the southern slopes of the mountain before you come over to the eastern slopes and go for Kibo.

I just came back from my trekking on Kilimanjaro and I didn't think it was that crowded when we were there. We went in a slow pace and we walked alone most of the day (apart from the porters that ran past us :-) At the camps I think there were maybe 15-20 other trekkers beside our group. I would recommend the Machame route with an extra day on the mountain.

Regards
Gard
Homepage with trip reports/pictures

Here's the thing: as you can see from the above responses, each route has its pros and cons, and it depends on what you want.

Marangu - used to be the most popular route, now has been usurped by Machame. Shortest route, and therefore cheapest. Low success rate for making it all the way to Urhuru peak (the true summit). Sleeping in huts. Can be very muddy (too muddy to hike) after heavy rains. 5 days, minimum. 6 is better.

Machame - considered more scenic than Marangu. Has become very popular, so if you go during high season, it is likely to be quite crowded. Higher success rate than Marangu, especially with an extra day added. 6 days minimum, 7 is better.

Lodorossi gate, or lemosho glade, aka Shira Route - There are different possible starting places for this route, hence the different names. after 3 or 4 days, it meets up with the Machame route. A nice route, but long (more expensive, and you might get tired of camping by the end). The first half there will be no one else on the route, the second half is crowded during high season. High success rate. 7 days minimum, 8 is better.

Rongai - I don't know much about this route, but it seems to be a very good choice. sort of combines the best aspects of machame and Marangu. Might be less scenic than machame/Shira.

Western Breach - a variation of the Machame route, described above. I've heard it's dangerous, and not a good choice for the average hiker, but udda, above would disagree.

Basically, you need to decide what you can afford and what's more important to you, and take into account the time of year you're going. If you can only afford 5 days (at at least $100/day) then take marangu. If you've flown all the way there to make it all the way to the top, it's probably worth it for you to spend the extra $200+ to do the 7 day Machame route. If you're going during peak season and want fewer crowds, consider Shira or Rongai.

thanks all for advice,its been very helpfull & if anybody is interested we are going to do the rongai route with an extra day at mawenzi tarns & the marangu route down get to see a different side too, (although good tip of doing the western breach & getting a full nights kip was tempting) but mainly because we want to enjoy the views & prefer not to be distracted by other hikers<BR>..i dont know if anybody else has this but i find it hard to be overtaken ..or caught up... & if i am gaining on people i find it hard not to keep looking at them..& really i should be concentrating at enjoying my surroundings..& who cares how long it takes..thats not important, but its like getting behind a wheel,
the demons come out...help..i need help i think..anyway thanks all

So, how was the Rongai route? I'm thinking of it myself. Also, does anyone have any current experiences with Africa Travel Resource? I'm thinking of using them for the tour. Thanks.