TANZANIA
Mt. Kilimanjaro is a bucket list destination for everyone, and because it’s not a technical hike it’s probably one of the most common mountains to summit. As an avid hiker with very little mountaineering experience, I didn’t know what would be the best route to take or what I would need since there are so many options out there.
DO YOU NEED A GUIDE FOR MT. KILIMANJARO?
The short answer is, yes, you need to be accompanied on the mountain at all times due to national park regulations and permits. Plus, for safety reasons, it’s always best going with someone who knows the route. Your guide and team are also important in a successful summit.
There are so many companies online that offer this tour, so as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer I referred to a Peace Corps travel facebook group to see what Tanzania Peace Corps Volunteers recommended. PCVs always know how to find the best deals from local companies so that’s always my go-to. Nearly everyone recommended Barafu Tours, so I reached out. Sure enough, they were probably the most economically feasible out of everything I found online.
how did you pick which route for mt. kilimanjaro?
There are seven different routes you can take for Mt. Kilimanjaro:
RONGAI: Rongai is the true wilderness experience, but has a low success rate.
SHIRA: Shira is nearly identical to Lemosho, but Lemosho is usually recommended over Shira.
LEMOSHO: Lemosho is known to have the best views and is one of the longer routes, but it does have a high success rate due to having more time to acclimatize.
MACHAME: One of the more popular routes, Machame also has a high success rate.
UMBWE: Umbwe is a short, steep route with a low success rate. It’s also known to be the most difficult.
MWEKA: Mweka is only used for descents.
MARANGU: Marangu is another short route with a low success rate, but there is accommodation available.
I ended up doing the Marangu route because it offered 5-day treks (even though six days is recommended for acclimatization) since I couldn’t be away for that long. I felt that since I had a good amount of hiking experience along with a little bit of mountaineering sprinkled in, that I’d be able to handle it. Plus, I didn’t want to have to carry a lot of gear like a tent etc. It’s nice being able to pull up to little huts and have a toilet, even though it is pretty basic.
