The Northern Circuit is the longest route on Kilimanjaro, circumnavigating almost the entire mountain before the final summit push from the north and delivering the most comprehensive and immersive experience of the mountain’s full geographical and ecological range available on any standard itinerary. At eight to nine days, it is also the route with the highest summit success rate — the extended duration providing an acclimatisation profile that is unmatched by any other route and giving the body the maximum possible time to adjust to altitude before the final push. For climbers who have unlimited time, the highest possible summit success rate as their primary objective, and a desire to see every face of the mountain rather than a single approach corridor, the Northern Circuit is the definitive Kilimanjaro experience.
The Route
The Northern Circuit shares its initial approach with the Lemosho Route, beginning at Londorossi Gate and ascending through the western forest to Big Tree Camp and Shira 1 before reaching the Shira Plateau. From Shira 2, however, rather than turning southeast toward the Barranco Valley as Lemosho does, the Northern Circuit turns northeast and traverses the remote northern flank of the mountain — passing through landscapes that are visited by very few climbers, crossing the vast, windswept moorlands of the northern circuit with views into Kenya on one side and across the summit icecap above on the other. The route passes through Moir Hut, Buffalo Camp, and Third Cave before reaching School Hut at 4,750 metres for the summit push, descending via the Marangu Route after reaching Uhuru Peak.
The Experience
The Northern Circuit’s most distinctive feature is the traverse of the remote northern flank — a section of the mountain that has a genuinely wild, expedition-like character very different from the busier southern routes. The landscape is open, austere, and largely devoid of other climbers, with the summit ice fields visible above and the plains of Kenya stretching away below on clear days. The combination of the western forest approach, the Shira Plateau, the northern traverse, and the summit push via the northern ice fields means that a Northern Circuit climber experiences a greater variety of landscape and a more complete portrait of the mountain than any other route delivers. The eight or nine days on the mountain also allows a relaxed pace that the shorter routes cannot — rest afternoons, longer lunch stops, the luxury of moving slowly enough to actually absorb the landscape rather than simply ascend through it.
Considerations
The Northern Circuit’s length and remoteness make it the most expensive route on the mountain, and nine days away from work and other commitments is a significant investment for most travellers. The route is also the most physically demanding simply by virtue of its duration — eight or nine consecutive days of trekking at altitude requires a solid base of physical fitness and the mental stamina to sustain effort over a longer period than the shorter routes demand. For the right climber — physically prepared, time-rich, and motivated by the desire for the fullest possible mountain experience — these are not considerations but simply the terms of an exceptional adventure
