BEST TIME TO CLIMB KILI

BEST TIME TO CLIMB

Best time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro’s Trekking Seasons

The mountain can be climbed all year round. The main trekking seasons on Kilimanjaro correspond with the mountain’s two ‘dry’ seasons. These are January to mid-March and June to October. Note that it will still probably rain on your trek during these months too – it’s rare to climb without getting rained on at least once.Of course you can climb in the rainy season too (the wet seasons are April-May, which is often called the ‘long rainy season’ or simply the ‘long rains’ and November-mid-December). But of course the weather conditions may not be ideal and there is a much higher chance you’ll encounter rain. The summits of Kibo and Mawenzi are likely to be wreathed in thick cloud too. Indeed, several agencies even suspend their operations in November and December.It’s true that visibility is less at this time though we take issue with those companies that say that your chances of reaching the summit are significantly lower too; that simply isn’t the case. True, once every couple of years or so there may be too much snow, blocking you from reaching the summit. But this is rare. So as long as you are dressed for the conditions then, in our experience, you’ve got just as good a chance of getting to the summit.Curiously, Christmas and New Year, when the weather is far from perfect, are actually amongst the most popular times for climbing Kilimanjaro.The following graph gives you an idea of the average temperature on Kilimanjaro at various times of year.

As to the relative merits of the two Kilimanjaro trekking seasons, the differences are small although significant:

The January-to-March trekking season

The January to March season tends to be (slightly) colder and there is a much greater chance of snow on the path at this time. The days, however, are often clearer, with only the occasional brief shower. It is usually an exceptionally beautiful time to climb and is often a little quieter than the other peak season of June to October, which coincides with the main academic holidays in Europe and the West. In this latter season the clouds tend to hang around the tree-line following the heavy rains of March to May. Once above this altitude, however, the skies are blue and brilliant and the chance of precipitation minimal (though still present).

The June-to-October trekking season

Although the June to October season tends to be busier, this is not necessarily a disadvantage. For example, if you are travelling independently to Tanzania but wish, for the sake of companionship or simply to cut down on costs, to join up with other travellers for your Kilimanjaro trek, then the high visitor numbers in the June-October peak season will give you the best chance of doing this. June/July are fine and actually quite quiet, particularly when compared to the two months that follow. August and September are very busy months – indeed, September is the busiest time when the number of people on the mountain is at its greatest.But even if you do crave solitude when you walk, it can still be found on the mountain during this peak season. After all, the trails are long, so you can always find large gaps between trekkers to allow you to walk in peace. And besides, the mountain is just so huge that its presence will dwarf your fellow trekkers to the point where they become, if you wish them to be, quite unnoticeable.The following graph shows the average snowfall on Kilimanjaro throughout the year.

Our favourite time to climb Kilimanjaro

when is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro? Personally, we like to trek in March and October. There are two main reasons for this:1) The weather is usually good and the skies are often clear during these months.2) Because they both fall just before the rainy seasons, they tend to be quieter than other months. People are probably afraid that the rains will come early, so opt to avoid these months. But in our experience, the rains are more likely to fail than arrive early. Thus the mountain is usually emptier, and quieter. And yet the weather is still lovely.These are the reasons why March and October are our two favourite months and we think the best time of year to climb Kilimanjaro.Note that June and late December, though they also fall outside of the rainy seasons, but only just, are not such good times to be on Kilimanjaro in my experience. The clouds tend to linger after the rainy season, even if the rains have largely finished, so views are restricted.

Full Moon and New Moon Treks

We like to offer Full Moon Kilimanjaro treks as part of our trek schedule. We do this because we realise that the final push up the slopes of Kibo to the summit -a walk that is traditionally done at night – is best done under the light of a full moon.  Visibility is that much greater, of course. There is also those who say that the weather during the full moon period is more settled and calm.

full moon treks are very popular – some would say too popular; and if you want to enjoy the advantages provided by the full moon, but want to avoid the (imaginary) crowds, then you can always choose to climb a day or two later or earlier.If the Full Moon doesn’t appeal, then how about a New Moon Kilimanjaro climb? After all, one of the chief pleasures of a Kilimanjaro climb is to gaze up at the stars. The lack of light pollution and the height that you are sleeping at means the Heavens are just spectacular. By choosing to climb over a New Moon, the light reflected from the Moon to the Earth is at its lowest, allowing you to see the stars at their brilliant best! It’s certainly a great time to climb.