Climbing Kilimanjaro on the Northern Circuit Route

The Northern Circuit Route is the newest route on Kilimanjaro. (The Marangu Route is the oldest.)

New does not mean brand new, however. There is no exact documentation and no confirmed specific year for the introduction of the Northern Circuit. It appears that some operators started using the Northern Circuit some 20+ years ago.

The Northern Circuit is longer than all other Kilimanjaro routes and the more gradual ascent offers much better acclimatization and leads to higher success rates.
(Always keep in mind, it's not lack of fitness that prevents people from reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, it's altitude sickness.)

The route is still not as well known as the older routes and the longer duration means it's also much more expensive. Because of that the Northern Circuit Route is much less frequented. Other routes on Kilimanjaro (esp. Marangu and Machame) can become very crowded during the main climbing seasons. On the Northern Circuit however you can still experience solitude on Kilimanjaro, at least on part of the route.

On top of that it is the most varied of all Kilimanjaro routes, allowing you to see all sides of the mountain (western, northern and eastern, before descending on the southern side) and many different landscapes and vegetation patterns.

All of the above has led to an ever increasing demand and popularity, and today many Kilimanjaro focused operators feature the Northern Circuit as a standard or premium option.

This page tells you all about climbing Kilimanjaro on the Northern Circuit route.

Despite Kilimanjaro's Northern Circuit being called the "newest route" it is not really new. Rather, it is an excellent combination of existing routes, incorporating their best sections into one extended hike.

You begin your trek on the western side of Kilimanjaro, following the same initial path as the Lemosho Route through the rainforest and across the Shira Plateau.
After reaching the Lava Tower, instead of heading south like the Lemosho or Machame routes, the Northern Circuit turns towards the rarely visited northern slopes. This is where you'll be alone, away from all the other climbers.
The trail then joins the Rongai Route on the eastern side for the summit approach, and finally descends on the southern side via the Mweka Route.

(The Mweka Route is a dedicated descent route, also used by several southern routes: Machame, Lemosho and Shira.)

There are possible variations to the Northern Circuit route, so don't be surprised if you see an intinerary that mentions different camps and slightly different heights than what I describe below.

Northern Circuit Route Itinerary

(Note: altitudes and distances are approximations. Different sources will give you different numbers and there are rounding errors.)

Starting Point: Londorossi Gate (2360 m/7740 ft)

Duration: 9 days

Day 1 – Londorossi Gate (2360 m/7740 ft) – Mti Mkubwa Camp (2820 m/9250 ft)
Walking distance: 6 km/3.7 miles
Walking time: 3-4 hours
Altitude gain: 460 m/1510 ft

Day 2 – Mti Mkubwa – Shira 1 Camp (3610 m/11,840 ft)
Walking distance: 8 km/5 miles
Walking time: 5-6 hours
Altitude gain: 790 m/2590 ft

Day 3 – Shira 1 – Shira 2 Camp (3850 m/12,630 ft)
Walking distance: 7 km/4.3 miles
Walking time: 3-4 hours
Altitude gain: 240 m/790 ft

Day 4 – Shira 2 – Moir Hut (4200 m/13,780 ft)
Walking distance: 9 km/5.6 miles
Walking time: 4-6 hours
Altitude gain: 350 m/1150 ft

Day 5 – Moir Hut – Buffalo Camp (4020 m/13,200 ft)
Walking distance: 12 km/7.5 miles
Walking time: 5-7 hours
Altitude loss: 180 m/580 ft (with some ups and downs)
Note: Optional acclimatization hike to 4375m in the morning.

Day 6 – Buffalo Camp – Third Cave Camp (3800 m/12,470 ft)
Walking distance: 8 km/5 miles
Walking time: 4-5 hours
Altitude loss: 220 m/730 ft

Day 7 – Third Cave – School Hut (4750 m/15,580 ft)
Walking distance: 5 km/3.1 miles
Walking time: 4-5 hours
Altitude gain: 950 m/3110 ft

Day 8 – Summit attempt via Gilman's Point (5700 m/18,700 ft) to Uhuru Peak (5895 m/19,340 ft) and descent to Mweka Camp (3100 m/10,170 ft)
Walking distance: 6 km/3.7 miles ascent + 13 km/8 miles descent
Walking time: 6-8 hours up, 5-7 hours down (overall 11–16 hours)
Altitude gain: 1145 m/3760 ft
Descent: 2795 m/9170 ft

Day 9 – Mweka Camp – Mweka Gate (1640 m/5380 ft)
Walking distance: 10 km/6.2 miles
Walking time: 3-4 hours
Descent: 1460 m/4790 ft

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 1

Note: The first three days of the Northern Circuit Route follow the same path as the Lemosho Route, so the descriptions are the exact same as on the Lemosho Route page.

The starting point for the Northern Circuit Route is the Londorossi Gate. It is a two to three hour drive to get there and on this first day you may well spend more time driving and waiting around at the gate than you will be walking.

Londorossi (name for the village and the park gate) looks like something pulled out of a cheap Western. The place is entirely made out of wood. The high timber fences you see are supposed to keep the wildlife out.

That already indicates the advantage of taking this less trafficked route. You do indeed have a better chance to see some wildlife on the first days.

In fact, you very well may right then and there: a troop of the beautiful black and white Colobus monkeys have taken up residence in the trees right next to the park ranger quarters. Check them out while you are waiting for the registration and permits to be organised - the usual start of a Kilimanjaro climb!

After the registration at the gate you have to return the way you came, about a ten minute drive through some fields and cypress plantations, to get to the trail head. Some call it Londorossi, some Lemosho Glades, some Simba.

Another gate, another fee—paid to the forest authority for maintainig the road.

You follow the muddy road for another 20 minutes until you finally get to the real trail head.

Your trek begins in dense, misty rainforest. The forest is beautiful, like out of a fairy tale. It is full of smaller wildlife, colobus and blue monkeys being the most conspicuous. In the early days, shortly after the route was established, you had to be accompanied by an armed ranger here because of the water buffaloes. The much larger number of climbers these days means bigger animals are rarely seen.

This very first day on the Lemosho Route has several steep sections to get the pump pumping, but it only takes two to three hours to reach your fist campsite, the Big Tree Camp or Mti Mkubwa. (The official name is Forest Camp but nobody calls it that.)

It's a lovely camp, located, as the name says, under a big tree and with plenty of monkeys and birds around. Even if you don't see them, you should hear them in the evenings and mornings.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 2

The second day may be "only" four to five hours worth of walking, but it won't be a short day. The trail is very steep today and you will take many breaks.

Once you reach the first major ridge, you leave the forest behind and enter the moorland with its giant heathers as you work your way up towards the Shira Plateau.

There are a couple more steep ridges, offering great views, a well deserved break, and a descent in the valley on the other side.

Eventually, some time after lunch, the path flattens out. (Did I mention the path is steep?) Before you know it you are standing on the edge of the Shira Plateau at 3612 m (11840 ft): Kibo is straight ahead of you, the Shira Ridge to your right and you are overlooking the plateau below.

Yes, below. It's all downhill from here. Your next camp, Shira I, is at 3480 m (11420 ft).

If all this sounds strenuous don't be put off. You have all the time in the world. Many climbers name this as their favourite day of the walk.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 3

Day 3 is the last day the Northern Circuit Route fully shares with the Lemosho Route.

Today's hike takes you directly across the plateau. The easy and comparatively short walk leads steadily uphill but is nowhere near as steep as yesterday. This is a day designed for acclimatization.

The moorland landscape of the flat Shira Plateau remains the same all day (or rather, for the three hours that you'll spend walking across it), the distinct cone of Kibo providing a backdrop. Weather permitting you'll also have panoramic views of the Shira Plateau, Shira Cathedral, and distant peaks like Mt. Meru.

After one to one and a half hours you reach the junction of the Lemosho Route and the four wheel drive track that is the beginning of the Shira Route. This is the location of the Simba Cave Campsite (3590 m/11780 ft) on the side of the Simba River.

Another hour to hour and a half, and you reach your final destination for today, the Shira Huts (or Shira 2) camp.

Shira 2 is the highest point you reached on Kilimanjaro so far, so I certainly recommend you take the offered acclimatization walk in the afternoon. (Whenever possible, follow the acclimatization rule to "walk high, sleep low.")

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 4

Day 4 is another relatively easy day designed for acclimatization, easing your body into the thin air and preparing you for the more demanding days ahead.

Your day begins with a steady but not steep ascent across the Shira Plateau and after a while you transition from moorland into the alpine desert, a much windier, drier and harsher terrain.

The vegetation thins out and becomes increasingly sparse, leaving a landscape of rock, volcanic dust and scree, shaped by wind and temperature extremes. And while that may sound desolate it is also starkly beautiful: dramatic volcanic features, wide horizons and sweeping views, not to forget a powerful sense of remoteness.
(Personally, I have always been much more drawn to these dramatic desert landscapes than to the lush jungle type of wilderness.)

Views include Kibo's slopes with the imposing Westen Breach above you and the African plains below, the Shira Plateau and Shira Ridge and, weather permitting, Mount Meru in the distance.
Lava ridges, lava tubes, the Shira Caldera (an ancient, collapsed crater)... It is an otherworldly atmosphere.

If you take the most direct route you will be approaching, now slightly steeper, the base of the Lent Hills (low but steep volcanic ridges) after 2-3 hours. This is where the Moir Hut is located, a remote and quiet camp in a valley or, more poetically, a "wide, dusty amphitheater ringed by lava cliffs and old volcanic debris fields."

After a lunch break you should be doing an acclimatization hike into the Lent Hills, ascending another 150m - 300m before spending your first night above 4000m.

I said above, "if you take the most direct route". There is a variation to this route which inludes a detour and a steep ascent of the LavaTower (4,630 m/15,200 ft). This is definitely a more strenuous but also more rewarding way to achieve your aim of "walking high, sleeping low". (Don't underestimate "strenuous". Likely only your summit day will be harder.)

You will have your lunch break atop the Lava Tower and obviously skip the acclimatization walk in the Lent Hills.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 5

Today  you will leave the western slopes (and other trekkers) behind. Heading east in a counterclockwise manner you start traversing the northern slopes of Kilimanjaro, an area that few trekkers get to visit. 

The day begins with the climb out of the Moir Valley. You are above 4000m and the air is thin, you are not fully acclimatized to it, so this may feel hard. As may the possible acclimatization hike to the top of Little Lent Hill (4,375 m).  You may even get your first symptoms of altitude sickness, like a slight headache. Don't worry, it's normal and will disappear.

(You won't get a chance to climb above your camp this afternoon, hence this acclimatization hike first thing in the morning.)

After coming down from Little Lent Hill the path continues with gentle ups and downs, across ridges and through shallow valleys, all in all easy going.

The landscape remains barren and the views now stretch far into Kenya, across the African savannah of the Amboseli Plains, on clear days even the Serengeti. Behind you is the vast Shira Plateau. And, of course, always in view, the main cone of Kibo, but now you can also get a closer view of Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro's jagged secondary peak.

After 5-7 hours you should reach your final destination for today, Buffalo Camp, perched on a barren ridge line with great views. You are well and truly away from everything and everyone now and with a bit of luck your group will have this camp entirely to yourselves.

You did not gain altitude today. In fact, Buffalo Camp is slightly lower than Moir Hut. This gives your body extra time to get used to the altitude which is the reason why this route has such high success rates.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 6

Day 6 offers, uh, more of the same. :)

It's another easy day, traversing the remote northern slopes in a gentle up and down, through the same landscape, enjoying the same views, and ending up lower than you started. It's another excellent day for rest, recuperation and altitude acclimatization, preparing you for what's to come:
A hard day tomorrow, and after tomorrow the potentially hardest day of your life.

There isn't much else to say. Take it easy, breathe, and simply enjoy the stark landscape, the sweeping views and the powerful sense of isolation.

You will reach Third Cave Camp by late morning or lunchtime. It's  another isolated, quiet campsite, this time in a shallow valley, which your group may have to yourselves. You can spend the whole afternoon relaxing or exploring.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 7

Today is when things start to get serious. To get from Third Cave Camp to School Hut Camp you have cover an altitude difference of 950 m, from 3800 m/12,470 ft to 4750 m/15,580 ft, your biggest day so far.
(For absolute height comparison: Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, is 4,805.59 m/15,766 ft.)

The day begins with a steady, moderate climb out of the valley of Third Cave Camp. Beyond that the trail leads you towards and across the "Saddle", a vast, barren plain of alpine desert between the two main peaks of Kilimanjaro: Mawenzi and Kibo. The only living things left are some hardy grasses and the occasional everlasting flower. (How DO they do it? Blooming in this environment.)

While the trail is not steep, the gradient is consistent, you are walking uphill all the time while the thin air gets ever thinner. Hopefully the last two days will have allowed your body to acclimatise enough for you not to find the going too hard. But don't be suprised if you start to feel the symptoms of altitude again, especially towards the end of your day: headaches, a loss of appetite, even slight nausea.

Your guides should make sure to keep a very slow pace, "pole pole", take many short breaks and encourage you to drink plenty to ward off symptoms of altitude sickness as much as possible.

The landscape can be quite dramatic, open and windswept, with big clouds rolling across it and Mawenzi's jagged spires to your left. You will be looking at Kibo the whole time, and you will be having a good view of the challenge that lies ahead for you tonight.

You should be arriving at School Hut by early afternoon. This is a rather exposed, dusty and often windy camp, but the views are spectacular.

After preparing your gear for summit night, rest as much as you can. Lie down, stay warm, hydrate. Dinner will be early and light, and then it's off to bed to try and get a few hours of sleep.

Because around midnight, your guides will wake you again...

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 8

This is it. The big day!

Your day pack should be ready with everything you will need tonight: rain gear if you aren't wearing it anyway, enough water, hand warmers, balaclava... You should have fresh batteries in your head torch and camera and you should already be wearing the right clothes. Make sure everything you are wearing is bone dry!

This day will likely go down in your memory as the most physically challenging day in your whole life. Likely it will also be one of the earliest starts you ever made...

There will be some hot drinks and maybe some food, but mostly it's a matter of crawling out of your sleeping bag, putting on a few more layers of clothes, your boots and your head torch. Grab your day pack and off you go... Around midnight or not long after.

Consider yourself lucky to be on the Northen Circuit rather than on Rongai or Marangu, the routes you will be joining in a couple of hours. Where those climbers face a direct and steep path with a lot of loose scree, your path leads diagonally across the slope, not as steep, and much firmer underfoot.

That does not mean it will feel easy. Nothing's easy without oxygen and the air is incredibly thin, getting thinner all the time.

You may feel horrible and the fact that this is supposedly the easier path will offer little consolation.

Take all the time you need and for goodness sake don't let anyone pressure you into moving faster than you feel comfortable to. Steady, steady, one tiny little step after the other.

Other groups overtaking you? Let them go!

It doesn't matter if you reach Uhuru Peak or even the rim in time for sunrise. It only matters that you reach it and that you will be able to get back down safely! You can not move too slowly on Kilimanjaro.

The people who do not feel the effects of the altitude are few and far between. Hopefully the worst you have to deal with is a headache and the occasional wave of nausea. Throwing up is not as uncommon as you might hope and is no reason for concern. It's only awful.

There are several landmarks that you may use as resting points and that break up the slog.

The Hans Meyer Cave (named after the first European to summit Kilimanjaro in 1889)  lies at 5150 m/16900 ft, about two and a half hours from School Hut. This is where you join the Rongai/Marangu Routes. You will see the little strings of lights from all the other climbers ascending from Kibo Huts long before that. (Or maybe you won't because you are too preoccupied with breathing.)

It's impossible to have long breaks in these temperatures. The cold starts creeping into your hands and feet first, then into your whole body. On and on you go, one step at a time, gasping for air in between.

From here on it's loose scree and countless switchbacks for you, too. (But because of the easier start you should have more reserves than the climbers starting from Kibo Huts.)

Another one and a half hours after leaving the cave you start noticing rocks on the path, breaking your steady rhythm and requiring bigger steps. Some are also a bit slippery and you have to watch your step. The area is called the Jamaican Rocks. (There are several stories as to why.)

This is the most difficult part of the climb, but take heart, Gilman's Point is not far now! It will take about another hour.

All up it takes 5-7 hours to reach the crater rim at Gilman's Point. 

If you are among the slower climbers, don't worry. The break of dawn invariably provides a much needed boost of energy for those last metres, and before you know a sign will be welcoming you to Gilman's Point, at 5681 m/18640 ft. At least that's what the sign says. It is actually a bit higher than that. Anyway...

Congratulations to you, for you have done well!!

The park authorities will reward you with a certificate, even if you decide not to continue along the crater rim past the glaciers to Uhuru Peak.

If you want to continue, it's another hour and a half or so along the crater rim to reach Uhuru Peak. And even though most consider the climb up to Gilman's the hardest part, the walk around the rim can prove challenging, too.

The more time you spend at this extreme altitude, the more you will feel it. Uhuru Peak is another 200 m higher, and believe me, 200 m make a difference at this height.

The first part of the rim walk is the easier part, but once you pass Stella Point the path leads uphill again. (Stella Point is at 5752 m/18171 ft and is the point where the other climb routes reach the rim.) The path may not look steep, but by now every step uphill can be a battle.

To get to Uhuru Peak and back allow another three hours that may turn out tougher than you expected.

(Mind you, for other people it's a breeze, but it's certainly better to be prepared for the worst and find it easier than expected, than the other way around.)

Congratulations again. What you just accomplished is truly impressive and no matter what you expected, the reality of it will be totally different. Some people get very emotional, some are on a big high, some are so dazed, they barely take any notice at all. There is no way to describe or imagine the experience of climbing to nearly 6000 m altitude.

It's time for hugs and photos. There won't be time for much else, because it will be too cold and also too dangerous to remain at this altitude for more than a few minutes.

You probably don't have the tiniest little bit of energy left now. Well, guess what? The day has only begun and it's another long day.

You now have to drag yourself back to Stella Point. From there it's nearly 1000 m down, down, down... Until you get to Barafu Camp. The descent is cruel on the knees and you will appreciate the walking poles!

If you can scree run then this isn't too bad. It's actually quite fun. And fast! But pity those who have to stagger back down, switchback for painful switchback.

Lunch should be waiting for you at Barafu Camp. You just want to collapse and sleep; you can not imagine getting up from that chair again. But after what you have done to your body today it is not safe to remain at this altitude. You have no choice but to pack up your gear and keep going, the sooner the better.

The trail becomes less rocky but is still steep and can be hard on the knees. (The Mweka descent route is the most direct and efficient way down, but of course that also means steep and physically demanding.)

Two to three more hours to the Millenium Camp (at 3820 m/12533 ft, your group may stop here already) and another hour or two to Mweka Camp.

What will happen now is something of a miracle. Because as you descend further there will be air again. Oxygen! Lots of it!

Oxygen is life and that is exactly what will be injected back into you. You may not believe this now, but there is a good chance that after another three hour descent you may feel better and have more energy than you did at lunch time.

Dinner is often a much livelier affair, with everybody's eyes shining as they recount the experiences of the day. And I have no doubt that you will sleep well tonight!

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route - Day 9

It's your last day on the mountain and there isn't much to say about it.

On the way from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate you lose another 1400m, arriving at 1640 m/5380 ft.
Of course the change from the alpine desert to the lush rainforest environment is dramatic and beautiful, but most climbers can muster only a very moderate interest.

You are hiking through dense, montane rainforest for three to four hours. You are tired, the path may be slippery, your knees are complaining loudly, so take it easy and carefully. You should be arriving at the gate by late morning or noon.

Once you get there you'll have to endure some more formalities, but eventually you will say good bye to your guides (a sad and emotional moment), climb into the vehicle waiting for you and be whisked away to your hotel for hot showers and cold beers.

More about All Kilimanjaro routes