Mweka Route

The Mweka Route is an important route used when going down the mountain for descending Mount Kilimanjaro by all routes on the mountain except the Marangu Route, and the Rongai Route, which uses the Marangu Route to descend, and the new Kilema Route, specific for mountain bike treks.

This route is a direct trail leading to the bottom of the mountain that exits Mount Kilimanjaro, making a stopover at Mweka camp for resting halfway down the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The Mweka Route is usually used as the preferred descent route for the Machame, Lemosho, Umbwe, and Northern Circuit routes.

This route itself is the shortest route from a roadhead to Uhuru Peak, which is intended for descending the mountain.

The upper section of the Mweka Route to the summit is called the Barafu Route, which means ice in the local language, Swahili. This means that the Mweka Route begins at Barafu Camp to the Mweka gate dropping a staggering 4,255 metres of elevation as you traverse from the alpine desert zone, the moorland zone, before finally descending into the rainforest zone of the mountain to Mweka Gate, where your hike ends.

You can only use the Mweka Route, which measures 15-20 km after having summited the mountain by the Lemosho, Machame, Umbwe, Northern Circui,t or Shira Routes.

These four Mount Kilimanjaro routes are linked to the Barafu-Mweka Route by the high-level crossing underneath the Southern Ice fields of the Kibo South Circuit, rewarding you with spectacular scenery.

How long does it take to descend Kilimanjaro via Mweka Route

Since descending takes the Mweka Route, which is more direct, it will take you about 6-9 hours, but since you have to make a stop at Mweka Camp (3,100 m), it takes 1-2 days to descend Mount Kilimanjaro via the Mweka Route, reaching the exit gate called Mweka Gate (1,640m).

Marangu Route for Mount Kilimanjaro Descent

Marangu route is another route that is used to come down the mountain. It is only used by climbers that have chosen to climb using the Marangu Route. Climbers use the same route to descend after reaching the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mweka Route vs Marangu Route for Descending

If you are looking for a descending route from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro that will be easier on your knees, then the Mweka Route would be the best option. This is because, between the two, the Marangu Route has a steeper altitude profile, and the Mweka route is less steep and better for your knees. When you choose the Marangu route, you do not have a choice, as you will use the same route for both climbing and descending, meaning that the Marangu route is more boring and monotonous.

Which Routes use the Mweka Route for descending Mount Kilimanjaro?

Machame Route, Lemosho Route, Northern Circuit, and all the other routes, except the Marangu Route, use the Mweka Route for Mount Kilimanjaro descent. Below is a table showing the routes used for descent.