GUNUNG · Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro

Information

Elevation: 5.895 m
Country: Tanzania (TZ)
Location / Range: Free-standing mountain, Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania
Mountain type: Dormant stratovolcano (the highest free-standing mountain in the world; the Roof of Africa)
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: -3.0667, 37.3592
Difficulty: Moderate (non-technical; the challenge is extreme altitude)
Best Season: January–March and June–October (dry seasons)
Permits & Rules: Mandatory through a licensed operator with guide and porters; Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) ticket; independent climbing is not allowed
Hazards: Altitude sickness (AMS/HAPE/HACE), freezing temperatures and wind at the summit, rapidly changing weather, dehydration

Description

Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, a dormant stratovolcano in Kilimanjaro National Park in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border. Its massif has three volcanic cones—Kibo (Uhuru Peak, the high point), Mawenzi, and Shira. The standard routes are non-technical (no ropes or crampons), so trekkers without mountaineering experience can attempt it, but the main challenge is extreme altitude: altitude sickness is the leading cause of failed summits. Climbs must use a licensed operator with guides and porters and take 5–9 days depending on the route, passing through five climate zones from tropical rainforest to an arctic, snow-capped summit.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Jalur Lemosho

Sedang

7–8 hari

Pendekatan dari barat menembus area terpencil & indah, kenaikan ketinggian bertahap dan aklimatisasi sangat baik—tingkat keberhasilan summit tinggi. Bergabung dengan Machame di bagian atas.

Jalur Machame ('Whiskey Route')

Sedang

6–7 hari

Jalur terpopuler dari barat daya; medan lebih curam tapi profil aklimatisasi baik (naik tinggi-tidur rendah). Naik dan turun lewat jalur berbeda; pemandangan beragam.

Jalur Marangu ('Coca-Cola Route')

Mudah–sedang

5–6 hari

Satu-satunya jalur dengan akomodasi pondok (hut), naik-turun lewat jalur sama. Lereng landai tapi profil aklimatisasi kurang sehingga tingkat keberhasilan lebih rendah.

Safety Statistics

Aggregated for prevention and awareness — not a casualty list. Read alongside the safety tips below.

Indicative — small sample size.

21 Recorded deaths

Period 2016–2017 · 21 climber deaths recorded in the autopsy registry of the KCMC referral hospital (Moshi) between January 2016 and December 2017; 17 of them died while still on the mountain. The park authority does not publish official climber numbers, so there is NO usable denominator — this is an absolute count, not a ratio, and it may not capture every case. For morbidity comparison: a 2019–2020 prospective cohort recorded severe altitude-illness symptoms in 8.6% of 1,237 recreational hikers (1.1% needed hospital admission).

Causes of death

Altitude illness (AMS/HACE/HAPE) 76.00%

💡 HAPE is the leading cause of death on Kilimanjaro — not falls or weather. Symptoms appear on average around 4,600 m: breathlessness at rest, cough, and abnormal fatigue. Choose a 7–8 day itinerary for adequate acclimatisation, and DESCEND immediately once symptoms appear; losing a few hundred metres of altitude is often life-saving.
Source
Altitude illness (AMS/HACE/HAPE) 14.00%

💡 The combined form appears even higher (around 5,000 m on average) and progresses fast: confused speech, unsteady gait, or reduced consciousness. Never push on toward Uhuru Peak with neurological symptoms — descent is the only definitive treatment.
Source
Cardiac 5.00%

💡 Altitude adds to cardiac workload. If you have a history of heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, or lung disease, consult a travel/altitude medicine doctor before booking the trek.
Source
Other 5.00%

💡 Trauma is uncommon on Kilimanjaro but does happen, especially on loose rock and during fast scree descents. Use trekking poles and grippy boots, and avoid rushing down in the dark.
Source
Rockfall

💡 The Western Breach/Arrow Glacier route passes a rock funnel destabilised by ongoing glacial retreat, which frees blocks once locked in ice. If you take it, wear a helmet, clear the lower funnel before the sun softens the ice, and consider the standard Machame/Lemosho routes if in doubt.
Source

Notable incidents

2006 Western Breach rockfall — three climbers killed, route closed

In January 2006 a rockfall swept through the Arrow Glacier camp on the Western Breach route and killed three climbers; several other climbers and porters were badly injured. The park authority temporarily closed the route. Investigators linked the rockfall to glacial retreat freeing blocks previously locked in the ice — a reminder that a route's hazard profile can change with the climate rather than staying as older guidebooks describe.
Source

Statistics source: Source Source

Climbing Experiences

Climbing Kilimanjaro takes 5–9 days via routes such as Machame, Lemosho, or Marangu, passing five climate zones from rainforest to arctic desert at Uhuru Peak (5,895 m). Trip reports stress acclimatisation as the key factor, the cold dark summit-night push, the hard work of the porter/guide teams, and the glacier and sunrise panoramas atop Africa.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.