It is the quietest route on the whole mountain, and the one with the very best chance of getting you to the top. In this episode of The Vertical Sky Journal, we walk the Northern Circuit, Kilimanjaro's longest and most remote path to the summit.

In this episode:

• Why the Northern Circuit has the highest success rate of any route
• The remote western start, and the swing around the quiet northern slopes
• The big, empty views towards the plains that most climbers never see
• Why more days on the mountain means better acclimatisation
• The honest trade-off: the finest route on the mountain, if you can spare the time

Remote, peaceful and brilliantly paced for the summit, the Northern Circuit is the thinking climber's choice. Here is what it is really like, and who it suits best.

The Vertical Sky Journal is brought to you by Vertical Sky, an ethical Kilimanjaro climbing company that climbs the mountain the right way, looking after the guides and porters who make every summit possible.

Prefer to read? There is a full written companion to this episode over in our Journal at vertical-sky.com.

Here you go, both pieces for the Machame episode, same shape as the Lemosho ones.

Spotify episode description

It is the most popular route on Kilimanjaro, and the most famous. In this episode of The Vertical Sky Journal, we climb the Machame route, known to many as the Whiskey Route, the spirited, scenic and slightly tougher path to the summit.

In this episode:

• Why Machame became the most travelled route on the mountain
• The rainforest, the moorland and the great Southern Glaciers
• The thrilling Barranco Wall, and the climb to Uhuru Peak
• Where the Whiskey Route nickname really comes from
• Why we always recommend the seven-day version over the six

Dramatic, varied and brilliant value, Machame is the people's champion of Kilimanjaro. Here is what it is really like, and who it suits best.

The Vertical Sky Journal is brought to you by Vertical Sky, an ethical Kilimanjaro climbing company that climbs the mountain the right way, looking after the guides and porters who make every summit possible.

Prefer to read? There is a full written companion to this episode over in our Journal at vertical-sky.com.

It is the route we send more climbers up than any other, and quietly, the one we think is the most beautiful. In this episode of The Vertical Sky Journal, we walk you up the Lemosho route, Kilimanjaro's most scenic path to the summit.

In this episode:

• The quiet, remote western start that most climbers never see
• The dramatic crossing of the Shira Plateau
• The famous Barranco Wall, and the climb to Uhuru Peak
• Why Lemosho has one of the highest summit success rates on the mountain
• Why we always recommend the eight day version over the seven

Beautiful, remote and brilliantly paced for the summit, Lemosho is our flagship for a reason. Here is what it is really like, and who it suits best.

The Vertical Sky Journal is brought to you by Vertical Sky, an ethical Kilimanjaro climbing company that climbs the mountain the right way, looking after the guides and porters who make every summit possible.

Prefer to read? There is a full written companion to this episode over in our Journal at vertical-sky.com.