Firstly, you’ll need to decide which route you wish to climb Kilimanjaro by. We use the three southern-approach routes:

The Machame Route: also known as the Whiskey Route, this is a very beautiful trail that avoids the congestion that is often found on the Marangu, or ‘Tourist’, Route. The Machame Route is ideal for those who will not have the opportunity to climb nearby Meru (4,584m) by way of acclimatisation, as there are integral pro-acclimatisation features built into the route that exploit the ‘climb high sleep low’ principle. The Machame Route is our standard itinerary option and most who join us will climb Kilimanjaro by this route. Click here to watch our Machame Slide Show for an informative taste of this route.

The Umbwe Route: this is a raw and very natural route that has seen little development by the Parks Authorities and is all the better for it. The trail is very steep and direct and includes many natural interesting obstacles. We recommend that where the route emerges at Barranco, at the southern flanks of Kibo, the adventurer should opt to summit via the Western Breach assault. The logistical requirements of the high camp on this route mean that this option has a slightly higher cost than our standard route price. Steep and quite exposed the experienced mountaineer will relish this rare opportunity.

The Marangu Route: the ‘Tourist’ or ‘Coca-Cola’ Route has suffered much bad press ranging from litter and human waste profusion to overcrowding. Much work has however been done on this trail and we are now happy to recommend it as a very beautiful and rewarding climb - provided one avoids the busier months of July / August and December / January. The trail surface is immaculate and well tended all the way to the final camp. The Route attracts the most inexperienced trekkers and while being the most straightforward ascent nonetheless has a success rate of only forty-two percent. 38% will however reach Gilman’s Point, while 40% will fail to reach the top of Kibo’s slopes altogether. We do not schedule our group ascents via this route so the Marangu Route remains a private party option only - minimum two subscribers.