ROUTES TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO

The Machame Route is one of the most scenic of the routes up to Uhuru Peak. It also affords one the chance of acclimatisation due to the concept of climb high, sleep low. The ascent is from the western side of Kilimanjaro, with the descent down the southern face along the Mweka route.  One passes through changing vegetation from a tropical forest, to scrubland, to alpine desert and onwards to the summit with it incredible ice fields. You will  start your trek at Machame Forest and heads through the lush forest, hanging with moss and lichen with its enormous forest canopy, gradually up the Machame Camp for the first night. Next day, the route heads into a scrubland with giant Lobelia and daisy bushes up toward Shira Camp before heading next day into the alpine desert towards Lava Tower and back down to Barranco. From here on in the terrain remains like an alpine desert, with the glaciers reaching down the mountain like long fingers, to about 4800m. You will hit the snow line at about 5700m, maybe higher.

The Umbwe Route is one of the shortest and less used of all the routes. Although it is not a technical climb, it is a lot steeper and recommend for very fit hikers.