There are six established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai, and Umbwe. The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all approach from the south of the mountain. The Lemosho, and Shira routes approach from the west. The Rongai route approaches from the north near Kenya. All routes except Marangu and Rongai descend via Mweka.
The Marangu Route, commonly known as the Coca Cola route, is more popular because it can be done in fewer days and has permanent sleep huts at the campsites.
Summit night from Kibo Hut is steep and passes Gilman’s Point to Uhuru Peak. It is a shorter route with a steeper incline and less time for acclimatization, which tends to result in a lower summit success rate. This is the only route where the ascent and descent route is shared, thus creating more traffic.
