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The main rule is as follows: those ascending Kilimanjaro from the south or west (Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho or Shira routes) must take as their descent route the Mweka trail; whereas if you have climbed the mountain from the east or north (Marangu or Rongai/Loitokitok trails) you must descend by the Marangu Route.

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The Lemosho Route is a new trail that improves on the Shira Plateau Route by starting below the Shira Ridge, thus providing trekkers with both a walk in the forest at the start of the trek and more time to acclimatize. As with the Shira Plateau Route, you can ascend Kibo either by the Arrow Glacier Route or by the Barafu Route; allow four to five nights for the former, up to seven nights for the latter if stops at Shira 1 Camp, Shira Huts and in the Karanga Valley are taken

The Shira Plateau Route is the original plateau trail, though it is seldom used these days, for walkers embarking on this trail actually begin their walk above the forest in the moorland zone. After traversing the plateau the trekker has a choice of climbing Kibo via the Arrow Glacier Route, or the longer and easier Barafu Route. If opting for the former, expect the trek to last a total of five nights and six days. By the latter trail the walk could last as many as eight days if extra overnight stops on the plateau and in the Karanga Valley are taken - if not, six days is more likely.

The Shira Plateau and Lemosho routes (5-8 days each)

Both run from west to east across the centre of the Shira Plateau, and are perhaps the least popular trails on the mountain, mainly because of the difficulty involved in getting to the start of them.

The Umbwe Route (5-6 days) is the hardest trail, a tough vertical slog through the jungle, in places using the tree roots as makeshift rungs on a ladder. Having reached the Southern Circular Route, trekkers then traditionally continue north to tackle Kibo from the west and the difficult Arrow Glacier Route, though you can also follow the Southern Circular Route east round to Barafu and approach the summit from there.

The entire walk up and down takes about six days (with a day’s acclimatizing at Karanga Valley) if going via the Barafu Campsite, or five if going via the Western Breach. see map

The Rongai Route (5-6 days) is the only trail to approach Kibo from the north. Indeed, the original trail began right against the Kenyan border, though recently the trail shifted eastwards and now starts at the Tanzanian town of Loitokitok, after which the new trail has been named (though everybody still refers to it as the Rongai Route).

For the final push to the summit trekkers on this trail take the Kibo Hut Route, joining it at the 5000m mark just below Hans Meyer Cave. Again the trek can be completed in five days and four nights, though trekkers usually take a detour to the campsite beneath Mawenzi peak, adding an extra day

The Machame Route (6-7 days) or ‘Whiskey Route’ is the next most popular trail, and the one many guides consider the most enjoyable. Though widely regarded as more difficult than the Marangu trail, the success rate on this trail is higher, possibly because it is a day longer at six days and five nights (assuming you take the Barafu Route to the summit) which gives trekkers more time to acclimatize. An extra acclimatization day can also be taken in the Karanga Valley.

You can also take the Arrow Glacier Route (Western Breach). It’s much harder, steeper and it shortens the trek by a day, therefore gives trekkers less time to acclimatize, but you have more time than other paths to explore the summit. Also on reaching the crater, you are close to the path that leads to the inner Reusch Crater, thereby allowing you to explore the summit in greater detail.

The Marangu Route (5-6 days) or ‘Coca Cola Route’ is the oldest and most popular trail, and the one that comes closest (though not very) to the trail Hans Meyer took in making the first successful assault on the summit.

It is the only trail where camping is not necessary, with trekkers sleeping in dormitory huts along the way. From the Kibo Huts, trekkers climb up to the summit via Gillman’s Point.

The average trekker will take five days and four nights to complete the trail though an extra night is often taken after the second day to allow trekkers to acclimatize