Mt. Kilimanjaro, which rises magnificently above the African plains, has attracted climbers since its first reported ascent in 1889. It is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing mountain, with three volcanic cones named Mawenzi, Shira, and Kibo. Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, but the tallest mountain, Kibo, is dormant and could erupt again. The mountain has six routes to select from, each of which is suitable for a specific type of climbing. Every year, about 50,000 climbers attempt to reach the summit, but only about 65% make it. Machame and Lemosho are the most popular routes, with a high success rate.
There are six established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai and Umbwe. The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all approach from the south of the mountain. The Lemosho and Shira routes approach from the west. The Rongai route approaches from the north near Kenya. All routes except Marangu descend via Mweka.
