Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain on Earth. From the town of Moshi at its foot, the mountain rises through cultivated farmland, montane rainforest, heather and moorland, alpine desert and finally the arctic summit zone — five complete ecosystems stacked on a single climb.

There is no technical climbing involved. The challenge is altitude and endurance: routes take between five and nine days, and a longer itinerary dramatically improves both the summit success rate and the experience along the way.

The Machame, Lemosho and Northern Circuit routes offer the best acclimatisation profiles and the most scenic approaches. Rongai comes in from the drier northern side and is the quietest option; Marangu is the shortest but has the lowest summit success rate.