2019.10.06-13 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit (8 days)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 52.18 mi
- Elevation gain
- 15,958 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 18,396 ft
- Max elevation
- 19,330 ft
- TrailRank
- 64
- Min elevation
- 5,449 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 6 days 15 hours 26 minutes
- Coordinates
- 23162
- Uploaded
- October 16, 2019
- Recorded
- October 2019
near Ol Molog, Arusha (Tanzania)
Viewed 727 times, downloaded 15 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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ASCENSE TO KILIMANJARO, NORTH CIRCUIT, TANZANIA (8 days)
Departure: Lemosho Gate, from Moshi (2,370 m)
Arrival: Mweka gate (1,160 m)
Highlight: Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)
Distances and cumulative slope: 84 km, +4,900 m / -5,600 m
1st stage: 2019.10.06 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D1: Lemosho gate - Mti Mkubwa
2nd stage: 2019.10.07 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D2: Mti Mkubwa - Shira II
3rd stage: 2019.10.08 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D3: Shira II - Moir Hut
4th stage: 2019.10.09 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D4: Moir Hut - Pofu
5th stage: 2019.10.10 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D5: Pofu - Third Cave
6th stage: 2019.10.11 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D6: Third Cave - Kibo Hut
7th stage: 2019.10.12 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D7: Kibo Hut - Uhuru Peak - Millenium camp
8th stage: 2019.10.13 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D8: Millenium camp - Mweka gate
Located in the northeast of the United Republic of Tanzania, very close to the border with Kenya, Mount Kilimanjaro is a mountain formed by three main volcanoes: the Shira in the west, 3,962 m high, the Mawenzi to the east, 5,149 m, and the Kibo between them, whose peak, the Uhuru, rises to 5,891.8 m and constitutes the highest point in Africa. As a whole, it is a bulky stratovolcano, whose sides are dotted with hundreds of adventitious cones. The mountain is part of the Kilimanjaro National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
From the geological point of view, two of the mountain peaks, the Shira and the Mawensi, are considered extinct. However, the Kibo, which is also the widest of the three peaks, is considered as inactive. The last major eruption would date back more than 300,000 years ago, but a volcanic activity was recorded only a few hundred years ago. The Kilimanjaro still emits fumaroles, small steam columns at the Kibo level, and occasionally experiences earthquakes of weak to medium intensity.
On a historical level, Kilimanjaro was always very important in relation to the symbology of the country. The current United Republic of Tanzania was born on December 9, 1961 with the independence of Tangany from the United Kingdom and its subsequent union with the Republic of Zanzibar. In tribute to this event, the same day, in response to the similar act of Hans Meyer in 1889 who signed the start of the German occupation in that territory, the flag of the new state was planted with a torch on the highest summit of Kilimanjaro and this summit, then known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze, was renamed Uhuru peak: "peak of freedom", in Swahili language.
The most common routes to access the Uhuro peak are the Marangu, Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho / Shira and Rongai, in order decreasing in frequency. All of them, although they differ in characteristics and duration, allow you to reach the top by walking without using climbing techniques, the main difficulty being the accumulated distance and acclimatization to the height. A sixth route, in addition to these five routes, is the variant called the Western Breach on the Machame, Umbwe and Lemosho routes, which consists in winning the Uhuru Peak through the Arrow Glacier from the homonymous camp or from the Lava camp Tower In any case, this variant is currently closed due to the danger of landslides.
For the descent, the Kilimanjaro National Park strictly regulates the roads so that, with a rare exception, carriers and hikers do not cross in the injured parts of the route. Therefore, many mountaineers choose to use the Mweka descent route, staying at the camp of the same name. This alternative is particularly used on the Machame, Umbwe and Lemosho routes, while Marangu and Rongai usually descend along the Marangu route.
The Northern Circuit, or Northern Circuit in English, is one of the best ascent routes to the roof of Africa and preferred by agencies, guides and walkers for the beauty and diversity of its landscapes and because most of those They begin to complete it. This route has an extension of 90 kilometers and is the longest route of all, 34 kilometers longer than the second most extensive route, the Lemosho route.
The beginning is similar to the Lemosho in the west of the mountain but then it surrounds the top by the north and once in the Third Cave camp, it returns to the south slope to conquer the Uhuru peak by the east. As a result, views from almost every angle of Mount Kilimanjaro and more days for acclimatization. Therefore, the North Circuit has a high completion rate when the Machame route, colloquially called "Coca-Cola route" for its high frequency, barely ends 45% of the time.
Climate : This route was made at the beginning of the month of October, that is, one month before the end of the dry season between June and October.
The nearby location of Mount Kilimanjaro to the equator determines to a large extent the climate of the area, characterized by mild and constant temperatures throughout the year and dry and rainy seasons.
Moshi is the closest town to the mountain, located in its South skirt, at 900 m altitude. Its average temperature ranges between 20 and 25ºC, with maximums not higher than 33ºC nor minimums lower than 15ºC.
As for the rainfall regime, the average annual rainfall is around 955 mm, which, unlike temperatures, is distributed very irregularly in the different months. There are two rainy seasons, the first and most numerous between April and May, and the second in November.
January and February are the warmest months.
June and July, the coldest months.
April and May, the rainiest months.
August and September, the driest months. This is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro, with an ideal temperature (about 20ºC) and less risk of poor visibility (clouds and fog), although due to drought we may find a lot of dust along the way. Paradoxically, due to the few vacations at this time of the year, it is not the season of most frequent.
In summary, the best months to climb Kilimanjaro are the months of January and February, in the dry season, but also the high season, between June and September.
CRUISE DIARY :
Saturday, October 5, 2019.
Arrival to Moshi.
After a few hours of flight, we finally stepped on the land of Tanzania. From Barcelona, it will have been taking a first plane to Doha at 22:25 on Friday and from the capital of Qatar, another flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Upon arrival, we carry out the usual customs procedures while the Immigration Services take our fingerprints and memorize the usual features of facial recognition. We left the airport facilities and made contact with Andrew and Kelvin who, respectively, will guide us and guide assistant. From there, we climb an all-terrain that takes us to Moshi, where we enter our hotel for the night.
Before a short breefing, during which he will detail the different aspects of the crossing, Andrew asks us for permission to inspect our material starting with the type of footwear we wear and clothing for the different conditions of heat, rain and cold to which we will face in the ascending days of Kilimanjaro.
The two guides answer some questions we ask them and at 5:30 p.m. local time (one hour more than in Europe), we say goodbye until the next day at nine in the morning.
We take advantage of the time we have left before dinner to change money and thus prepare the tip for the last day of the expedition. To that effect, each of us changes € 190 to be distributed between the guide (92,000 Tanzanian shillings for 8 days; € 36), the assistant guide (61,000 TZS; € 24), the cook (49,000 TZS; € 19) and the carriers (276,000 TZS; € 109 for three carriers). The change of day is 2,500 shillings for 1 euro, which between the three involves changing for 1,425,000 shillings ... As if to play Monopoli!
A peaceful dinner based on chicken with spicy curry and rice, a call home and at 10pm, we are all in bed. Outside, from late afternoon, it's raining ... Let's see what happens tomorrow!
Hotel Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro Ltd
98 Rindi Lane, Moshi, Tanzania
Tel: +255 (0) 27 275 5083
Official Kilimanjaro Mountain Guide (direct hiring)
Andrew Daudi
Usoiver, Arusha, Tanzania
Contact: +255685901735 (Whatsapp & call)
Facebook-andrew young
Instagram-andrewyoung_tz
Email: youngad69@gmail.com
Tarannà trips
Marco Centomo
C / Vallespir 174, 08014 Barcelona
Contact: +34/608753032
Email: trekking2@taranna.com
https://www.taranna.com
.
Departure: Lemosho Gate, from Moshi (2,370 m)
Arrival: Mweka gate (1,160 m)
Highlight: Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)
Distances and cumulative slope: 84 km, +4,900 m / -5,600 m
1st stage: 2019.10.06 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D1: Lemosho gate - Mti Mkubwa
2nd stage: 2019.10.07 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D2: Mti Mkubwa - Shira II
3rd stage: 2019.10.08 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D3: Shira II - Moir Hut
4th stage: 2019.10.09 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D4: Moir Hut - Pofu
5th stage: 2019.10.10 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D5: Pofu - Third Cave
6th stage: 2019.10.11 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D6: Third Cave - Kibo Hut
7th stage: 2019.10.12 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D7: Kibo Hut - Uhuru Peak - Millenium camp
8th stage: 2019.10.13 - Kilimanjaro, Northern Circuit. D8: Millenium camp - Mweka gate
Located in the northeast of the United Republic of Tanzania, very close to the border with Kenya, Mount Kilimanjaro is a mountain formed by three main volcanoes: the Shira in the west, 3,962 m high, the Mawenzi to the east, 5,149 m, and the Kibo between them, whose peak, the Uhuru, rises to 5,891.8 m and constitutes the highest point in Africa. As a whole, it is a bulky stratovolcano, whose sides are dotted with hundreds of adventitious cones. The mountain is part of the Kilimanjaro National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
From the geological point of view, two of the mountain peaks, the Shira and the Mawensi, are considered extinct. However, the Kibo, which is also the widest of the three peaks, is considered as inactive. The last major eruption would date back more than 300,000 years ago, but a volcanic activity was recorded only a few hundred years ago. The Kilimanjaro still emits fumaroles, small steam columns at the Kibo level, and occasionally experiences earthquakes of weak to medium intensity.
On a historical level, Kilimanjaro was always very important in relation to the symbology of the country. The current United Republic of Tanzania was born on December 9, 1961 with the independence of Tangany from the United Kingdom and its subsequent union with the Republic of Zanzibar. In tribute to this event, the same day, in response to the similar act of Hans Meyer in 1889 who signed the start of the German occupation in that territory, the flag of the new state was planted with a torch on the highest summit of Kilimanjaro and this summit, then known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze, was renamed Uhuru peak: "peak of freedom", in Swahili language.
The most common routes to access the Uhuro peak are the Marangu, Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho / Shira and Rongai, in order decreasing in frequency. All of them, although they differ in characteristics and duration, allow you to reach the top by walking without using climbing techniques, the main difficulty being the accumulated distance and acclimatization to the height. A sixth route, in addition to these five routes, is the variant called the Western Breach on the Machame, Umbwe and Lemosho routes, which consists in winning the Uhuru Peak through the Arrow Glacier from the homonymous camp or from the Lava camp Tower In any case, this variant is currently closed due to the danger of landslides.
For the descent, the Kilimanjaro National Park strictly regulates the roads so that, with a rare exception, carriers and hikers do not cross in the injured parts of the route. Therefore, many mountaineers choose to use the Mweka descent route, staying at the camp of the same name. This alternative is particularly used on the Machame, Umbwe and Lemosho routes, while Marangu and Rongai usually descend along the Marangu route.
The Northern Circuit, or Northern Circuit in English, is one of the best ascent routes to the roof of Africa and preferred by agencies, guides and walkers for the beauty and diversity of its landscapes and because most of those They begin to complete it. This route has an extension of 90 kilometers and is the longest route of all, 34 kilometers longer than the second most extensive route, the Lemosho route.
The beginning is similar to the Lemosho in the west of the mountain but then it surrounds the top by the north and once in the Third Cave camp, it returns to the south slope to conquer the Uhuru peak by the east. As a result, views from almost every angle of Mount Kilimanjaro and more days for acclimatization. Therefore, the North Circuit has a high completion rate when the Machame route, colloquially called "Coca-Cola route" for its high frequency, barely ends 45% of the time.
Climate : This route was made at the beginning of the month of October, that is, one month before the end of the dry season between June and October.
The nearby location of Mount Kilimanjaro to the equator determines to a large extent the climate of the area, characterized by mild and constant temperatures throughout the year and dry and rainy seasons.
Moshi is the closest town to the mountain, located in its South skirt, at 900 m altitude. Its average temperature ranges between 20 and 25ºC, with maximums not higher than 33ºC nor minimums lower than 15ºC.
As for the rainfall regime, the average annual rainfall is around 955 mm, which, unlike temperatures, is distributed very irregularly in the different months. There are two rainy seasons, the first and most numerous between April and May, and the second in November.
January and February are the warmest months.
June and July, the coldest months.
April and May, the rainiest months.
August and September, the driest months. This is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro, with an ideal temperature (about 20ºC) and less risk of poor visibility (clouds and fog), although due to drought we may find a lot of dust along the way. Paradoxically, due to the few vacations at this time of the year, it is not the season of most frequent.
In summary, the best months to climb Kilimanjaro are the months of January and February, in the dry season, but also the high season, between June and September.
CRUISE DIARY :
Saturday, October 5, 2019.
Arrival to Moshi.
After a few hours of flight, we finally stepped on the land of Tanzania. From Barcelona, it will have been taking a first plane to Doha at 22:25 on Friday and from the capital of Qatar, another flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Upon arrival, we carry out the usual customs procedures while the Immigration Services take our fingerprints and memorize the usual features of facial recognition. We left the airport facilities and made contact with Andrew and Kelvin who, respectively, will guide us and guide assistant. From there, we climb an all-terrain that takes us to Moshi, where we enter our hotel for the night.
Before a short breefing, during which he will detail the different aspects of the crossing, Andrew asks us for permission to inspect our material starting with the type of footwear we wear and clothing for the different conditions of heat, rain and cold to which we will face in the ascending days of Kilimanjaro.
The two guides answer some questions we ask them and at 5:30 p.m. local time (one hour more than in Europe), we say goodbye until the next day at nine in the morning.
We take advantage of the time we have left before dinner to change money and thus prepare the tip for the last day of the expedition. To that effect, each of us changes € 190 to be distributed between the guide (92,000 Tanzanian shillings for 8 days; € 36), the assistant guide (61,000 TZS; € 24), the cook (49,000 TZS; € 19) and the carriers (276,000 TZS; € 109 for three carriers). The change of day is 2,500 shillings for 1 euro, which between the three involves changing for 1,425,000 shillings ... As if to play Monopoli!
A peaceful dinner based on chicken with spicy curry and rice, a call home and at 10pm, we are all in bed. Outside, from late afternoon, it's raining ... Let's see what happens tomorrow!
Hotel Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro Ltd
98 Rindi Lane, Moshi, Tanzania
Tel: +255 (0) 27 275 5083
Official Kilimanjaro Mountain Guide (direct hiring)
Andrew Daudi
Usoiver, Arusha, Tanzania
Contact: +255685901735 (Whatsapp & call)
Facebook-andrew young
Instagram-andrewyoung_tz
Email: youngad69@gmail.com
Tarannà trips
Marco Centomo
C / Vallespir 174, 08014 Barcelona
Contact: +34/608753032
Email: trekking2@taranna.com
https://www.taranna.com
.
Waypoints
Campsite
12,581 ft
High/Millenium camp (3.810 m)
Intersection
14,626 ft
Junction point Shira Machame routes (4.435 m)
Intersection
14,769 ft
Junction point Lava Tower - Barranco route (4.495 m)
Intersection
15,111 ft
Junction with Marango route (4.615 m)
Campsite
15,433 ft
Kibo Hut camp (4.700 m)
Campsite
15,209 ft
Lava Tower camp (4.635 m)
Car park
7,777 ft
Lemosho gate (2.400 m)
Waypoint
9,134 ft
Mti Mkubwa camp (2.780 m)
Waypoint
17,186 ft
Memorial a Samuel Eleki (5.240 m)
Panorama
13,578 ft
Mirador de Third Cave (4.125 m)
Campsite
13,733 ft
Moir Hut camp (4.160 m)
Summit
12,672 ft
Munt Kilimanjaro (3.795 m)
Campsite
10,161 ft
Mweka camp (3.075 m)
Car park
5,449 ft
Mweka gate (1.655 m)
Campsite
13,162 ft
Pofu Camp (4.000 m)
Waypoint
9,906 ft
Salida del bosque tropical (3.010 m)
Campsite
11,517 ft
Shira I camp (3.510 m)
Campsite
12,772 ft
Shira II camp (3.890 m)
Waypoint
18,865 ft
Stella Point (5.740 m)
Campsite
12,993 ft
Third Cave camp (3.960 m)
Summit
19,089 ft
Uhuru Peak (5.895 m)
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