Kilimanjaro Success Rate – How Many People Reach the Summit
nThe general success rate on Kilimanjaro is 65-70%. But this enormously differs depending on the climbing route. See our breakdown below to select the route with the maximum success rate.nnFor numerous, climbing Kilimanjaro is the experience of a lifetime.nnIt’s also a honestly big investment and you, therefore, need to understand your chances of essentially getting the summit and which routes give you the best chance at doing that.nnAlmost all operators will tell you their ‘official’ summit success rate; however, this information can frequently be very confusing. The sad fact is that Kilimanjaro tour operators face an ethical dilemma. Do they push their guides to take needless dangers to get clients to the top? Or do they keep their high safety standards and suffer a lower summit success rate figure?nnFor any good operator, the answer is of course the latter.nnHowever, as we say, this does bring down summit success rate figures. Worse than this, some operators will simply make up their statistics.nnOne of the main problems is that, except for the old and out-of-date Kilimanjaro National Park Authority data, there are no official statistics surrounding Kilimanjaro climbs and summit achievement rates.nnThe statistics published by Kilimanjaro National Park Authority date from the early 2000s and are seriously tilted towards the short 5-day treks which have in recent years become much less popular as tourists have become better informed on the risks of altitude sickness on these short routes.nnAt the same time as we cannot say for certain which operator has the highest summit success rates, we can say for sure what gives climbers the best chance at success – and that is a slow gradual ascent.nnStatistics for summit success greatly improve when you spend longer on the mountain. The longer you give your body on the mountain, the more time it has to adapt and acclimatize to the altitude. Essentially, the longer you spend trekking, the higher chance of success you have.nnRoute profile is also very significant and all good operators will recommend routes that have a climb high, sleep low profile. This means trekking to the higher sections during the day and sleeping on the lower sections to give your body the opportunity it needs to acclimatize. Low quality operators will simply rush you up the mountain on the shortest route possible.nnBelow we have providing the summit success rate figures provided by the Kilimanjaro National Park.nnThe overall success rate on Kilimanjaro is 65%nnOn 5-day routes, the success rate is just 27% (Marangu, Umbwe)nnOn 6-day routes, the success rate is 44% (Machame, Marangu, Rongai)nnOn 7-day routes, the success rate is 64% (Machame, Lemosho, Rongai)nnOn 8-day routes, the success rate is 85% (Lemosho, Northern Circuit)n
Kilimanjaro Success Rate by Route
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Machame Route Success Rate
nThe Machame route is probably the most popular route up Kilimanjaro with roughly 50% of all trekkers using it. The route can be completed on a 6 or 7 day itinerary and the route provides a fantastic landscape and scenery.nnBoth the 6 day and 7 day routes have a great climb high, sleep low profile and summit success rate is high because of this, especially for climbers spending that extra day to acclimatize.nnBased upon our interviews with several leading operators, the 7 day Machame has an average summit success rate in excess of 85% whilst the 6 day option has a 73% success rate on average.n
Rongai Route Success Rate
nThe Rongai route is the only route that starts from the Northern side of the mountain. Like the Machame, it is offered on both a 6 day and 7 day itinerary.nnHowever, unlike the Machame, the Rongai route does not offer a good climb high, sleep low profile which arguably makes this route more difficult. Therefore, spending an extra day on the mountain becomes even more valuable as the 6 day option is tough.nnOur recommended operators state that the 7 day itinerary has an 80% summit success rate whilst the 6 day route has a 65% success rate.n
Lemosho Route Success Rate
nProbably our personal favourite, the Lemosho Route is fast becoming one of the most popular routes on Kilimanjaro.nnThe Lemosho route is a beautiful and remote trek that approaches the mountain from the south-west and joins the busier Machame route on day 4.nnIt is generally completed on a 7 or 8 day itinerary, however, some operators in an attempt to save money will offer it as a 6 day route.nnEven though the route starts at a higher altitude than other routes, it offers great acclimatization and a really good climb high, sleep low profile.nnSuccess rates are high for this route – the 8 day option is usually around 90% and the 7 day around 85%. For the less popular 6 day option summit success rate is roughly 65%.n
Northern Circuit Success Rate
nThis is the newest route on the mountain and traverses all of the Northern Slopes on a circumnavigation of the mountain. The Northern Circuit is also the longest route, taking 9 days.nnSince its length, it’s the safest and most positive route up Kilimanjaro with an average summit success rate of over 95%! If you have the time and want to get off the standard busier routes, this is probably the best option for you.n
Marangu Route Success Rate
nThe Marangu route is the oldest and most documented route up Kilimanjaro. Its admiration stems from the fact that it is both the shortest route and also provides hut accommodation all the way up.nnIt is frequently measured to be the ‘easiest’ trekking route to the summit; however, almost every summit success rate statistic contradicts this as the rates are by far the lowest of any other route – often below 50%!nnThe reason of course is that the route is mainly taken on the short 5 day itinerary, which does not give hikers the chance they need to acclimatize properly.nnThe Marangu Route is a preferred among local operators as it’s a quick turnaround, with no camping equipment needed.nnWe recommend taking the 6-day itinerary if you decide to use the Marangu route, as it has much improved summit success rates than the 5-day option.
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