Mweka Route
This Is The Steepest And Most Direct Route To Uhuru Peak. It Starts At Mweka Village Near The College Of Wildlife Manage¬ment (4593 Ft./1400 M.) And Runs Along An Old Logging Road Through Banana And Coffee Plantations For About Three Miles, Then Along A Seldom-Used Path For Another Three And One-Half Miles To Mweka Hut At 9515 Feet (2900 M). This Hike Takes Six To Eight Hours. There Is Water Nearby.
After A Five-To-Six-Hour Climb The Following Day Through Heathlands And Alpine Desert, You Reach Barafu Hut (14,435 Ft./ 4400 M.). The Third Day Is A Steep Climb Between Ratzel And Rebmann Glaciers To Kibo Rim (Six To Seven Hours) And Uhuru Peak (One More Hour).
Related Information
Umbwe Route
Umbwe Route The Umbwe Route Is Very Steep And Strenuous. The Route Begins At Umbwe (About 4600 Ft./1400 M.), A Village Ten Miles From Moshi. Walk Two Miles To Kifuni Village And Into The Forest. Follow The Path For Another Three And One-Half Miles And Then Branch Left Into A Mist-Covered Forest Until You Reach The Forest Cave (Bivouac #1) At 9515 Feet (2900 M), Six To Seven Hours From Umbwe. Overhanging Ledges Extending About Five Feet From The Cliff Provide Reasonable Protection For About Six People; How¬ever, It Is Recommended You Use Your Own Tents. The Wood Is Usually Very
Huts
Huts Mandara, Horombo And Kibo Huts Are Described Under The Marangu Route Above. The Other Huts Are Prefab Metal Huts, Either 10 Or 15 Feet (3 Or 4.5 M) In Diameter In Varying States Of Disrepair; Some Are Basically Uninhabitable. Many Of The Wooden Floors Have Been Ripped Up And Used For Firewood. It Is Best To Bring Your Own Tents And Let The Guides And Porters Use The Huts. Drinking Water Should Be Filtered, Treated And/Or Boiled As Some Sources On The Mountain Are Polluted. Mawenzi Hut (15,092 Ft./4600 M.): From "The Saddle" On The Marangu Route Just After Passing East
Machame Route
Machame Route This Is Possibly The Most Beautiful Route Up The Mountain. The Park Gate Is Located A Few Miles Above Machame Village. Hike Four To Six Hours Through Rain Forest To Machame Huts (9843 Ft./3000 M.). The Following Day Hike Five To Seven Hours To The Defunct Shira Hut (12,467 Ft./3800 M.) On The Shira Plateau (See Shira Plateau Route For Description Of The Area). Continue Hiking About Four Hours To Lava Tower Hut. From Lava Tower Hut Follow The Directions From The Umbwe Route To The Summit.
Shira Plateau Route
Shira Plateau Route This Is A Very Scenic And Yet Seldom-Used Route, Providing Great Views Of Kilimanjaro And The Rift Valley And Probably The Best Wildlife Viewing On The Mountain. A Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Is Needed, And The Roads May Be Impassable In The Rainy Seasons. The Route Is Hard To Find. Be Sure To Have A Guide Who Knows The Way. Drive North From The Moshi-Arusha Road At Boma La Ng'ombe To Londorossi Gate, Located On The Western Side Of Kilimanjaro. Continue On To A Campsite. The Track Ends Shortly Thereafter, At 12,200 Feet (3720 M). The Defunct Shira Hut (12,467 Ft./3800
Chogoria Route
Chogoria Route This Is The Most Scenic Route On The Mountain. From The Chogoria Forest Station On The Eastern Side Of Mt. Kenya, Hike Or Drive Ten Miles (16 Km) To Bairunyi Clearing (8858 Ft./2700 M.) And Camp, Or Continue For Another Four Miles/Six Kilometers (Four-Wheel-Drive Required) To Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge (9898 Ft./ 3017 M.) And Stay In Their Self-Catering Bandas. Hike Through Hagenia Forest To Urumandi Hut (10,050 Ft./ 3063 M.), Owned By The Mountain Club Of Kenya. Room For Camping Is Available Nearby. Minto's Hut (14,075 Ft./4290 M.) Is About A Six-Hour Hike From Meru Mt. Kenya Lodge. Space
Routes
Routes Climbing Kibo Peak Via The Routes Described Below Re¬quires No Mountaineering Skills. A Guide For Each Climbing Party Is Required. Porters Are Highly Recommended. The Marangu, Machame, And Shira Plateau Routes Are The Most Popular. It Is More Interesting (And More Expensive) To Take Other Routes Up And Return Via The Marangu Route, Offering Additional Variety To The Climb. Little Firewood Is Available. Do Bring Fuel (Kerosene) For Cooking And Heating; This Will Help Minimize Deforestation. The National Park Guides Are Not Qualified To Lead Glacier Or Ice Climbing Routes. The Services Of A Professional Guide Must Be Arranged In Advance. The
North of Goma
North of Goma On the drive from Goma northward one passes over the dramatic Kabasha Escarpment to Butembo. The route from the Kabasha Escarpment to Beni is one of the most beautiful in Africa and is properly named the "Beauty Route." The road passes through many picturesque villages, coffee, tea and banana planta¬tions — the Africa that many of us have pictured in our minds.
The Mountain Road
The Mountain Road This route cuts through the center of Lesotho from west to east through spectacular mountain scenery to "The Roof of Africa." From Maseru the road ascends over Bushmen Pass (Lekhalongla Baroa) to Molimo Nthuse ("God Help Me Pass"). Between December and March colorful scarlet and yellow red-hot pokers (flowers) may be seen in this area. Continue to Thaba Tseka where the good road ends and four-wheel drive is necessary to negotiate the tracks that pass small villages and isolated herd-boys. After Sehonghong the route descends into the Orange (Senqu) River Canyon dotted with unusual rock formations, then climbs over
Butembo
Butembo This Busy Village With A Population Of Over 100,000 Is Situated In The Highlands Along The "Beauty Route" Just North Of The Equator, About Halfway Between Goma And Bunia. Many Banana, Coffee And Tea Plantations Are In The Area. Travelers Driving From Rwindi Often Spend The Night Here Before Continu¬ing On T° Mt. Hoyo Or The Ruwenzori Mountains.
Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island National Park Located In The Southwestern Part Of Lake Victoria, The Main Attraction Of This 93-Square-Mile (240 Km2) Island Is Sitatunga, Which Is Indigenous To Rubondo. In Addition, Walk¬ing Is Allowed And The Wildlife May Be Approached Very Closely. Also Indigenous To The Park Are Hippo, Bushbuck, Croco¬dile, Marsh Mongoose And Python. Chimpanzee, Black And White Colobus Monkey, Black Rhino, Giraffe And Roan Antelope Have Been Introduced. There Are No Large Predators. Bird Watching, Especially For Waterfowl, Is Very Good Here. In Addition To The Main Island, There Are About A Dozen Small Islands That Make Up The Park. Habitats Include