On the roof of Africa
I’m part of a hiking group and most of the members are pretty adventurous. We often talk about the trails we want to hike one day. Kilimanjaro has always been at the top of my list. My friend Albert Volschenk and I decided to finally do it in August last year. We wanted to sleep in the highest camp in Africa, and see glaciers on this continent.
Mount Kilimanjaro has three volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo. On the edge of Kibo is Uhuru, Kili’s highest peak at 5 895 m.
Seven routes go up the mountain. On the Marangu, Machame and Umbwe routes, you approach the mountain from the south; there’s also a route going down the mountain on this side called Mweka. The Rongai route starts in the north, and to the west is Lemosho, Shira and the Northern Circuit.
Marangu is the oldest, most established route and the only one on which hikers sleep in huts – you have to camp for the rest. The trail climbs a moderate slope and is popular and busy.
The Lemosho route is considered the most scenic and drew our attention for that reason, but it didn’t look challenging enough. So, we added the Western Breach to our itinerary. While the other routes lead you along the edge of Kibo to Uhuru, the Western Breach carves into the volcano itself.
