Weather and Climate:
The climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro is an incredible experience for many reasons—in this case, there are at least five! The overall climb passes through five different, distinct climate zones from the base to the summit. The trek up and down the mountain has an unbelievable amount of climate diversity. Some altitudes will be hot and dry, some will be warm and humid, while others can be rainy, windy, cold, and even snowy in some spots.
Climbers will pass through all five on the way to the top:
The Cultivation Zone, occurring from the base of the mountain (2,600 ft / 800 m) to about 6,000 ft or 1800m is a primarily agricultural climate. This area receives the highest amount of annual rainfall, and it’s characterized by vast farmland, flowing rivers, and small villages. You may drive through some of these villages before beginning your actual climb. The agricultural region within the Cultivation Zone produces mostly coffee, though a variety of tropical fruits are also grown here.
The Rainforest Zone occurs at about 6,000 ft/1800m to 9,000 ft./ 2800m. The forest at this climate can be considered a jungle, and the climate is usually warm and humid. Rain mostly falls on the south and east sides of the mountain, producing a thicker forest here than on the Kenyan sides. This climate zone has a massive variety of plants, and there are also many species of wild animals. Blue and colobus monkeys are often seen on this portion of the route. Other species, such as leopards, olive baboons, elephants, mongooses, black rhinoceros, bushbabies, and giraffes, tend to visit this climate of the mountain but typically keep their distance from the popular climbing trails. Have your camera ready, though, in case you see one!
The Heather/Moorland Zone, between about 9,000ft/2800m and 13,000ft/4000m, is the next major climate zone. The forest and jungle drop away as the trail becomes more rocky and less muddy. Here the landscape becomes dusty to grassy and can be full of wildflowers. This zone has higher winds and less rainfall. Temperatures here can vary wildly throughout the day, and can be upwards of 100°F/38°C and as low as freezing at night. This zone is characterized by the enormous heathers growing alongside many of the trails. This climate zone has less cloud and tree coverage to block the sun, so you must remember to pack sunscreen especially for this section. With the clearer air, though, come better views of the night sky up here.
The Highland Desert Zone occurs at about 13,000ft/4000m to 16,000ft/5000m. This zone is exactly as it sounds: it’s very deserted and there is extremely little rainfall at this altitude. This zone in particular can be an alien and desolate landscape where you will deal with unblocked sunshine all day, then freezing temperatures at night. You’ll see massive fields of volcanic rock from many of Kilimanjaro’s previous eruptions. You’ll also come close enough to witness many of the glaciers on the volcanic cone of Kibo at this altitude. This climate will truly be unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
Lastly, the Arctic Zone, starting at about 16,000ft/5000m and extending all the way to the summit at Uhuru Peak at 19,340ft/5895m, is a frigid, bare landscape that preserves the ice cap of Kilimanjaro. Nothing grows at this altitude, so you will only find dirt, rock, and ice up here. At this altitude you will find the fabled sign that congratulates your success at reaching the top of the continent. This zone is also characterized by scree, which is loose gravel and dirt making up the path to the summit. Scree is very difficult to climb, and your feet may slide back with each step forward. This section of the climb might be best tackled with ski poles.