Below are full moon dates for climbing kilimanjaro:
| Month | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19 | 9 | 27 |
| February | 18 | 7 | 25 |
| March | 19 | 8 | 27 |
| April | 18 | 6 | 25 |
| May | 17 | 6 | 25 |
| June | 15 | 4 | 23 |
| July | 15 | 3 | 22 |
| August | 13 | 2, 31 | 21 |
| September | 12 | 30 | 19 |
| October | 12 | 29 | 18 |
| November | 10 | 28 | 17 |
| December | 10 | 28 | 17 |
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.
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.
You can go anytime, but do it sooner rather than later.
What makes Mount Kilimanjaro unique is that despite its close proximity to the equator, it is crowned with ice. The glaciers have existed here for more than 11,000 years. They used to be more than 300 feet (100 m) deep and extended 6,500 feet (2,000 m) from the mountain top. However, due global warming and long term climactic cycles, the ice has been vaporizing at an alarming rate. Scientist estimate that Mount Kilimanjaro's ice cap will be completely gone by 2020. So if you are contemplating the climb, do yourself a favor and do it sooner rather than later. The glaciers are something you do not