Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit Route

Arrive into Kilimanjaro airport. Transfer to Moshi hotel. Afternoon / evening free

Rest and relax by the pool, visit Moshi town / market. Meet guides, chef and mountain briefing / kit check

We leave the Hotel and drive to the Londorossi Gate (2385m), which can take 3.5 hrs but if there’s been a lot of rain the last section is on foot due to poor roads. We then meet the team of porters, guides and head upwards through the pristine forest to Mti Mkubwa Camp at 2780m

We make our way further through the forest then out on to open heathland which is a savannah of tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock. The land in undulates gently and after crossing several streams, we reach the Shira Ridge and descend gently to Shira 1 Camp at 3500m.

This is a relatively short day from Shira 1 to Shira 2 but an important day in terms of rest and acclimatisation. We’ll explore the vast Shira Plateau as we enjoy the gentle walk across the heathland meadows of wildflowers and Senecio trees whilst looking up at the mass of Kibo seemingly only a stone’s throw away and the clouds which will be below u

This is an important day in terms of acclimatisation as we continue across the Shira plateau to the Lava Tower, which is a 100m volcanic rock skyscraper of a formation and our high point at 4600m not just for the day but also up until our summit attempt. We then divert from the main trail and drop in altitude to Moir Hut at 4200 which is a seldom used camp at the base of the Lent Hills.

We trek out of camp and the Moir Valley starting with a bit of a steep climb and then we have a detour option to the summit of Little Lent Hill at 4700m, which is great for acclimatisation before returning to the main circuit trail. The path crosses a rock field and undulates up and down before reaching Buffalo Camp at 4000m. The views this day are simply stunning across the plains to the north of Kilimanjaro to the border and Kenya’s famous Amboseli national park.

We leave camp and head up the Buffalo Ridge in the morning and usually have some lunch at Porfu Camp before we start our trek around the northern slopes heading towards the eastern side of the mountain. The terrain becomes increasingly sparse and dry with little shrubs. This route is rarely travelled and feels remote, wild and free as we then reach our camp at what’s known as Rongai’s Third Cave at 3800m.

We climb steadily up and over the Saddle, which sits between Kilimanjaro’s two peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi through an environment akin to the moon or a high-altitude desert. We then continue to our high camp at School Hut. We then have plenty of time to rest in the afternoon and to prepare for early start and summit day.

Around midnight, we begin our push to the summit. This is a night-time ascent on rock, scree and occasionally snow to the crater rim and beyond to the summit. We wake about 11.30pm and have tea, biscuits and some snacks before starting our trek up to the summit. It’s not a steep climb from beginning to end but undulates and changes throughout. We stop for rests along the way and the pace is slow. The final slope to the crater rim is steep and has loose scree and you can expect cold temperatures and wind chill throughout, however as you approach the crater rim you will start to see the sun rising over the African plains thousands of feet below. The rising sun brings warmth and delivers scenery that will remain with you forever more. The heat and light also brings motivation and encourages you to make the final 45-minute climb up from the crater rim to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

After some time on the summit we then descend to Barafu for a rest and early lunch and then walk down along a gentle path to Millennium Camp, dropping out of altitude, normally arriving mid-afternoon.

Descending through the lush forest to Mweka Gate where we sign out of the national park and pick up our summit certificate. This is a walk surrounded by monkeys, lush ancient forests and can be slippy underfoot especially with tired legs! After a rest at the gate we’ll say thank you and farewell to our team of porters before transport back to the Moshi hotel, arriving back mid-afternoon for a hot shower, cold drink and an overnight in the hotel.