Hiking and Camping Kilimanjaro

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Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. There are so many different trails that you can take to see this famous mountain or you can try for a long excursion that allows you to take in this entire location in about 10 days. For the most part, these trails may take anywhere between 4 and 5 days to travel through but it is very much worth the journey. If you do not have that much time, you can take mini-treks that may only take a day to get through.

Lemosho Route

The Lemosho route is one of the newest trails on this mountain and is an easier option that some of the other trails here. There is a lot of wildlife that you can see in this area of the trail, which can take anywhere between 6 and 8 days depending on the tour company you have decided to go with. A lot of the campsites in this area will put you right in the thick of things, even requiring you to watch out for wildlife when settling in for the night. Mosquitoes are particularly bad, be sure you bring a backpacking tent that has mosquito netting. You can see the rainforest and the desert areas during this hike.

Machame Route

Around half of the travelers to this mountain take this specific trail. It is another very difficult trail, taking somewhere between 6 and 7 days to complete. There are some very steep inclines that you will experience here but you will not actually have to do any real rock climbing here. Walking poles can be of great assistance here. Starting off in the rainforest, you will cross through the stunning grasslands that this area has to offer and find yourself back in the rainforest.

Northern Circuit

This route can take at least 8 days though some guided tours may take an extra day. There are several campsites that you can find on this trail. Here, you will run into some of the incredible natural wildlife that lives in this area. You will see breathtaking valleys and walk through the rainforest when you are hiking through this area.

Marangu Route

Known for being one of the most popular and oldest trails on this mountain, it is typically a 5 day hike. One of the notable features here is the fact that there are huts that hikers can sleep in along the trail. It can also be a very crowded trek, so do keep that in mind. It is a preferred trail for those novice hikers that want a great experience on this mountain. You will experience a lot of rainforest and alpine zones on this trail.

Umbwe Route

You can expect to spend anywhere between 5 and 7 days on this trail. This path was once among the steepest though the trail has changed due to safety risks by going the original route. It is still an incredibly difficult hike that is only recommended for more experienced hikers. You will take in a lot of the desert area when you take this path which means that you will come across some difficult weather here. You can find several campsites here.

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