The Rongai-Route is so far the only Kilimanjaro-route that approaches the summit from the northern direction, just adjacent to the border with Kenya. Despite the fact that it is gaining recognition among hikers, the Rongai-Route has very few people that travel it. It is the perfect alternative for those searching for a route that is not so crowded with traffic. Â People interested in having a hike in the more remote regions as well as those fascinated by hiking in the wet months, this is the best choice for them because the northern side receives lighter rains. The minimum number of days required for this route is six days, and seven days are recommended.
Even though the scenery offered by this route is not much varied as compared to that offered by the routes that approach from the western side, the Rongai passes through the pristine wilderness region for some days before merging at Kibo camp to join the Marangu-Route, thus making the trail more enjoyable. Rongai-Route is somewhat a challenging route, and it is much recommended to take particularly for those who are not experienced with mountaineering.
If you choose to
climb Mount Kilimanjaro
using the Rongai-Route through the peak season which starts from August to the middle of October, and your hike begins on the normal departure day of a group, you will actually discover that there are more people too joining in on this life time adventure. This is evidence enough that the route is slowly picking popularity among hikers.
majority of the groups leave on Sunday, so that hikers can finish their official duties by Friday, arrive in the area on Saturday and then begin the hiking on Sunday and then return to their work-places the following Monday.
Today the Rongai-Route remains quieter than other prominent routes like the Machame Route and athe Marangu- Route. In addition it has a number of advantages that give you reason to opt for it other than other routes and among them are a few highlighted below.
a)Â Â Â Â Â Â Rongai is so far the only existing route which approaches the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro from the northern direction. You must descend along the Marangu-Route on the southern-part, so that you can observe the two sides of the mountain.
b)Â Â Â Â Â Â The northern part of Mount Kilimanjaro is
way drier than the other parts.
Therefore you are not likely to have to trek through mud or drizzle especially on the very first 2 days which is very uncommon along the other mountain-routes.
However the challenge is getting to the other part of the Kilimanjaro as it will necessitate you to drive for some hours and this will be done at additional cost. Therefore the Rongai-Route is more costly than an adventure hiking trail done using the trail on Machame-Route or the Marangu-Route for six day.
An additional disadvantage is that this
Rongai route
is renowned for possessing less scenery as compared to other Kilimanjaro-routes.  reputation as being less scenic than other routes.
However, this specifically refers to the first day of the hike as you will be walking through the somewhat open terrain rather than the thick rainforests. Nonetheless you will be able to observe the rainforest as you descend at the finish of this adventure. This does not in any way man that you are actually not missing-out on the mountains greatness.
From the northern direction, it is only the Rongai Route that gets to the top of the mountain Kilimanjaro. Just next to the border with Kenya. Leaving alone that the Rongai route has become very popular amongst the trekkers, it still has very few people that travel it. For those looking for a less trafficked route, then Rongai is the best choice. The northern side also often receives lighter rains and hence giving the best opportunity for those that fancy hiking during the wet months especially in outlying regions.7 Days are recommended but 6days is the lowest number of days that are sufficient for this route.
Sunday usually marks the beginning of the hiking and Friday as the last day of the week to give people the opportunity to finish up with their official duties. Thus most of them arrive in on Saturday so as to begin the climbing on a Sunday. Most people wish to get back to their places of work the following Monday.
Advantages of Using the Rongai Route
Unlike the other outstanding routes of Machame and Marangu route, the Rongai route often remains so quite these days. There are so many benefits that you will realize from using this route, namely:
- To observe the two sides of the mountain, you must go down using the Marangu rote on the souther part. That makes the Rongai route as the only route you can use to exit the side that moves towards the mountain summit of Kilimanjaro from the northern direction.
- The northern part of the mountain is drier making it possible to climb without mud, or drizzles particularly on the first 2 days, unlike while you use the other routes of the mountain.
It is also important to note that the Rongai route is also the most expensive than any other like Machame route or the Marangu route for 6 days. Getting to the other part of the Kilimanjaro would be the challenge as it requires you to drive for some hours and making an extra payment.
Another prejudice is that the scenery on this route as compared to other routes is much more limited thus making the other routes more used for their beautiful scenery reputation.
This however mainly applies to the first day of the climbing as somewhere you will walk through open lands other than the expected thick rain forests .However you will still be able to view the rainforests as you come down to finish off your trek.Although,you still miss out on the mountain’s beautiful wonders.