itineraries

• 6 Days Kilimanjaro Climb via Machame Route
• 5 Days Kilimanjaro Climb via Marangu Route
• 6 Days Kilimanjaro Climb via Rongai Route
• 5 Days Kilimanjaro Climb via Umbwe Route
• 8 Days Kilimanjaro Climb via Shira Route
• 10 DAYS KILIMANJARO CLIMB VIA LEMOSHO ROUTE
• Kilimanjaro and Safari Prices
• Charity Climbing
• Importance of full moon dates
• GEAR LIST AND TRAVEL GUIDE

Kilimanjaro is a giant strato volcano reaching an elevation of 19,335.6 ft. (5,895 m). Other names for this volcano are: Kilima Dscharo Oldonyo Oibor (white mountain in Masai), and Kilima Njaro meaning shining mountain in Swahili. This volcano's highest and youngest cone is named Kibo. Shira to the west and Mawenzi in the east are older cones that make up Kilimanjaro. Kibo has not been active in recent times, but steam and sulfur are still emitted. At the top of Kibo's summit is a 1 1/2 mile (2 1/4 Km) wide crater.

The Best time to Climb Kilimanjaro
Due to Mount Kilimanjaro's proximity to the equator, this region does not experience the extremes of winter and summer weather, but rather dry and wet seasons. Therefore, the best time to climb Kilimanjaro tends to be the warmest and driest months. The primary issue is safety, as the risks associated with climbing increase significantly when the weather is foul. The effects of rain, mud, snow, ice and cold can be very strenuous on the body. Correspondingly, your chances of a successful summit also increase significantly with nice weather. Of course, the mountain gets more traffic during these periods as well.

The table below lists the relative temperature, precipitation, cloudiness and mountain traffic (crowds) during the calendar months.

Month	Temperature	Precipitation	Cloudiness	Traffic
January	Warm	Medium	Low	High
February	Warm	Medium	Low	High
March	Moderate	High	Medium	Low
April	Moderate	High	High	Low
May	Moderate	High	High	Low
June	Cold	Medium	Medium	Medium
July	Cold	Medium	Low	High
August	Cold	Low	Low	High
September	Moderate	Low	Low	High
October	Moderate	Low	Medium	Medium
November	Moderate	High	Medium	Low
December	Moderate	Medium	Medium	Medium

It is possible to climb Kilimanjaro year round. January, February, and September are considered to be the best months in terms of weather, and correspondingly are the busiest months. From January through mid-March are the warmest months, with clear skies in the mornings and evenings. During the day, clouds may appear along with brief showers. From the end of March to early June is the long rainy season. Visibility may be low due to heavy clouds, but the crowds are gone. June, July, and August are good months, but it is colder. Following September and October, the short rainy season lasts from November through the beginning of December, where afternoon rains are common, but skies are clear in mornings and evenings.

What makes Mount Kilimanjaro unique is that despite its close proximity to the equator, it is crowned with ice. The glaciers have existed here for more than 11,000 years. They used to be more than 300 feet (100 m) deep and extended 6,500 feet (2,000 m) from the mountain top. However, due global warming and long term climactic cycles, the ice has been vaporizing at an alarming rate. Scientists estimate that Mount Kilimanjaro's ice cap will be completely gone by 2020. So if you are contemplating the climb, do yourself a favor and do it sooner rather than later. The glaciers are something you do not want to miss.