Best Time to Climb
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Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru lie extremely close to the equator. This region experiences wet and dry seasons as opposed to four seasons. The primary issue is safety, as the rain, mud, snow, ice, and cold can be very strenuous and dangerous. The chances of summiting also increases with better weather conditions. For these reasons, it is ideal to climb during the warmest and driest months. However, there are also more people during these times.
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Rainy Season
It is possible to climb throughout the whole year, however it is highly recommended to attempt the climb during the dry seasons. The dry seasons are from the beginning of December through the beginning of March, and then from late June through the end of October.
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The warmest months are January through March. This time frame typically offers clear skies in the morning and clear skies in the evenings. However, during the day, there may be clouds and brief showers. The mountain is also the busiest because of these ideal conditions. From mid June to the end of October, the mountain is also drier, but is usually a bit colder.
The long rainy season is from the end of March to early June. It is not recommend to climb during the long rainy season as it is often very wet with low viability. Consider avoiding this time unless you have climbed in similar conditions and consider yourself an experienced backpacker. The short rainy season is from the beginning of November to the beginning of December.
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Obviously, we are talking about Mother Nature here so it goes with out being said, but we will say it anyway...the weather is unpredictable. Rains may come earlier than expected or extend into typically dry seasons. It is also possible to experience dry conditions during the rainy season, or heavy rain during the dry season.
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Full Moon Dates
An additional, and more practical reason to coincide your trip on a full moon, is the increased visibility during the summit attempt. To take advantage of the increased moonlight, it is not necessary to summit on the exact full moon date. Summiting the day before or day after is also spectacular.
Summiting Kilimanjaro, climbing Mount Meru, soaking in the Hot Springs, or viewing wildlife under the light of a full moon is extraordinary. Some of our clientele choose to schedule their trips specifically during these times in order to witness the stunning views illuminated by the monthly celestial event.
Eclipse Dates
If you want to climb Kilimanjaro during a rare lunar event, consider summiting during a lunar eclipse.
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A penumbral lunar eclipse takes place when the Moon moves through the faint, outer part of the Earth's shadow. This type of eclipse is often mistaken for a normal full Moon.
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon but the 3 celestial bodies do not form a perfectly straight line in space. When that happens, a small part of the Moon's surface is covered by the darkest, central part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra.
Total solar eclipses occur when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth and
2018
Jan 31 - Total Eclipse
July 27-28 -Total Eclipse
2017
Feb 11 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Aug 7 - Partial Lunar Eclipse
Eclipse Dates
casts the darkest part of its shadow (the umbra) on Earth. The darkest point of the eclipse is almost as dark as night.
Glaciers
Climbing Kilimanjaro is an incredible, once in a lifetime experience, but it may be even more spectacular if you do it sooner rather than later.
Mount Kilimanjaro is unique because, despite being near the equator it is capped with ice. These glaciers have existed for more than 11,000 years but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Due to global warming and long term climactic cycles, the ice has been vaporizing. This relates to the Glaciers retreating by about a foot and a half (a half meter) each year, starting in 2000. The glaciers now measure about 0.8 square miles
(2 square kilometers), down from 4.6 square miles (12 square kilometers) in 1912. Some scientists estimate that Mount Kilimanjaro's ice cap will be completely melted by 2050. When we asked the guides and the locals their opinions on the subject, the unanimous response was that they could easily see the changes in the glaciers and all remembered when there was more ice on the mountain.
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If you want to climb to the glacier covered Roof of Africa, do it as soon as possible if you can. The glaciers, the famous snows of Kilimanjaro, are something you will want to see and share with future generations and your loved ones that won't have this precious opportunity.
The Great Migration
The dry season, late June to October, offers the best wildlife viewing in general, and the best chance of witnessing the astounding Great Migration and Wildebeest River Crossing.
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Every year approximately 2 million wildebeests, zebras, and gazelle migrate from Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains north to Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and back again, in a giant annual circle. This makes the spectacular Great Migration the single largest movement of land mammals on the planet.
The most dramatic events are the river crossings. This epic spectacle consists of thousands of herd animals galloping through the plains and into raging rivers. The arrival of the herd creates a feeding frenzy unparalleled in nature (aka the meat migration). The great predators, famous Serengeti lions – about 3,000 at the last count – leopards and cheetahs, hungry hyena clans and monster crocodiles, arrive at dawn to the river resulting in what is often referred to as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’.
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Calving Season
During the dry season the Serengeti is dusty and bare, but in the first few months of the year the annual rains fall on the Serengeti permitting the female wildebeest herd to start giving birth. When the calves are born there is nowhere on Earth so vibrantly alive, quite literally speaking. If you wish to see the wildebeest calving, the best time to go on a Safari is January through March. This is the optimal time to view the animals give birth and to experience the baby animals' first steps. During this time the animals are grazing, and can be viewed in their spectacular numbers, and the predator activity is at its peak.
