Summit Mount Kilimanjaro During Full Moon
When the peak of Kilimanjaro and magnificent glaciers are lit up by the full moon, the view is absolutely stunning. For this reason alone, some climbers schedule their trek to coincide with this celestial event, occuring once a month. However, a practical reason for climbing at these times is that a bright moon along with a clear sky will improve your visibility throughout your climb, and most importantly, during the summit attempt.
Below are full moon dates:
Month
|
2018
|
2019
|
January | 2, 31 | 21 |
February | — | 19 |
March | 2, 31 | 21 |
April | 30 | 19 |
May | 29 | 19 |
June | 28 | 17 |
July | 27 | 17 |
August | 26 | 15 |
September | 25 | 14 |
October | 24 | 14 |
November | 23 | 12 |
December | 22 | 12 |
To summit during a full moon, a 7 day climb should start 5 days prior to the full moon date. It is not necessary to summit on the exact full moon date to take advantage of moonlight. A summit on the day before or day after is also beneficial. We offer several group climbs with full moon summits every month during the dry season. These dates tend to be the first to book completely full well in advance.
For those who favor a less crowded climb, avoid the full moon completely as these dates attract many climbers. Another method of dodging crowds is to choose an “off” day of departure. Most climbers will begin their climbs on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, with routes lasting 6 to 7 days.