Climbing Routes on Kilimanjaro
<<< Choosing which route to climb
Notice: Please note that the Western Breach assault route is indeed open and that
the authorities have heeded most of TK’s recommendations regarding its reopening
and so have not routed the climb around the east side of the Stone Train (as they
planned to do and as we cautioned them strongly against doing - see first video here).
However they have not closed off the western edge of the old trail, meaning that
there remains a risk of exposure to the same source of rockfall as killed three climbers
in January 2006. We are willing to accept bookings on the Western Breach but ask
climbers to first read the official accident report and confirm to us that they are
happy to accept the stated risks. The Western Breach assault can be combined with
a TK climb on Lemosho, Shira, Machame and Umbwe.
Approaching the mountain from the perspective of mountaineers, rather than tourism
agents, Team Kilimanjaro have an understandably unique way of looking at the mountain
and are frankly critical of some of the methods that were employed in the original
route selection of the six KINAPA-sanctioned trails.
We summarise the principal current weaknesses of the traditional routes in the following
synopses:
Rongai Route - the traditional route and all variations on this route (used by all
other operations except Team Kilimanjaro) either effectively straight-lines the navigation
from the start point all the way to the summit, (via 3rd Caves) or simply dog-legs
from second caves to Kibo Huts via Mawenzi Tarn. Neither of these options make anything
like adequate use of the topography to exploit the essential climb, high sleep low
principle of safe and thorough acclimatisation. Reputable operations that use the
traditional route regularly report summit success rates of only around 50% on the
Rongai Route. Conversely, Team Kilimanjaro led some 13 expeditions along our own
TK Rongai Route (ie the route’s 11th variation) before our first climber failed to
reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, making our unique route by far the safest and most
successful on the mountain. We are unable to publish details of our route online
or will risk a surge of across-the-board interest that we feel will compromise its
status as the quietest route on Kilimanjaro.
Lemosho Route / (sometimes called ‘Shira Plateau Route’) - the normal route (used
by some 99% of operations) has been designed to intersect with Machame from east
of the Shira Plateau onwards. This causes crowding at Barranco, a camp which serves
4 of the 6 routes, and places a severe ecological burden on the immediate region
during the high season, with as many as 300 climbers and 900 support staff abluting
themselves within a few hundred square metres. The climber’s sense of wilderness
experience is also compromised during the route’s bottlenecking on the Breach Wall,
where more than a thousand people can be required to pass along a trail that is less
than a metre wide in places, within some two hours.
During the low season, we have no significant criticisms of the route, except perhaps
that - as is common with Machame - all the route’s climb high, sleep low differential
is attained within a single push and often causes quite severe headaches and nausea
at Barranco, a delayed reaction to exposure to 4,642m elevation on day 3. This can
only be avoided by either moving round the north side of Kibo (which is possible
on TK Lemosho) or by approaching high camp from the east (which is possible on TK
Rongai).
Marangu Route - there is an obvious absence of exploitable topography en route to
high camp and inadequate use of the climb high, sleep low principle is afforded.
This results in a low success rate, with some 40% of all route users failing to pass
beyond Gilman’s Point, and some 20% failing to reach even Gilman’s point.
Use of huts on the Marangu Route necessitates crowded living quarters at camps with
a) queuing and delays being necessary in the morning due to limited eating space
in the crowded mess halls, b) compromised sanitation caused by crowding, and c) several
instances of theft caused by climbers having to share accommodation with those they
do not know from other climbing companies, being unable to close their rooms, and
being watched and targeted by rogue workers sharing the camp. Since Marangu Route
camps enforce a policy of distanced segregation between climbers and support staff,
porters cannot be tasked with guarding climber’s rooms. Conversely, at camps on other
routes, we are able to distance ourselves from others we do not know and during the
assault guides are able to post members of the support team as rostered sentries
and are therefore able to themselves be responsible for equipment security.
Umbwe Route - in our experience Umbwe has always attracted an unusual calibre of
climber with the attraction of this route seeming to be the very fact of it being
the hardest route by which to summit, and having some of the poorest acclimatisation
facility and the highest rates of AMS. The route is so steep that it uses only two
days to reach the same point that is reached in three days on Machame. Now that the
Western Breach has been opened for more than a year the type of climber who opts
for Umbwe is likely the sort of person who is going to want to assault via the (still
very dangerous) Western Breach. While this combination is probably the most dangerous
option available on Kilimanjaro, we understand the appeal and are willing to lead
such climbs where the climber making the booking is able to make very clear to us
that all those he or she is representing clearly understand the physiological and
objective risks of the route.
Machame Route - if only 6 days are available to climb, and climbers understand that
there is a likelihood of discomfort at Barranco with the headaches and nausea associated
with mild AMS, and that they will not arrive at Barafu with much time to sleep and
rest before the assault begins, we have no criticisms of the route and recommend
it as the most cost-effective use of 6 days, and with the greatest likelihood of
summit success after TK 6 Rongai.
We are however, critical of the standard 7 day route as a poor and wasteful use of
the additional day and have found over the past few years there is little advantage
in spending three consecutive nights at around 4,000m - as occurs on the standard
7 day route - and that a more intelligent use of the additional day is to work harder
on day 4 by pushing onto Barafu, and thereby affording a decent night’s sleep at
Barafu with the option of a less crowded daytime assault (particularly appreciated
by otherwise sleepy children and by those wanting to photograph the assault), or
else a pre-assault excursion and rest day prior to summitting. To date, and to our
knowledge, we are the only company that uses this methodology and are pleased to
report that the advantages afforded by it are most successful.
We are able to incorporate both the Western Breach assault into the Machame Route
and can also arrange a crater night and excursion - even if the assault is led via
Barafu.
Shira Route: another variation on the Machame Route running parallel and to the north
of the Lemosho Route, and intersecting Machame at Shira Camp. This route is essentially
the vehicle evacuation route for sick and wounded climbers who have to give up before
crossing the Breach Wall east of Barranco Camp. It is possible to drive a vehicle
to 3,760m to within 30 minutes of the day two camp. Not recommended as walking along
a road for two days detracts from the wilderness experience.
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