7 days lemosho route

About This Route

The Lemosho route is one of our preferred routes due to its low traffic, beautiful scenery and a high summit success rate. The Lemosho route starts off from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to Londorossi Gate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking through the lush rainforest to Shira Plateau. We recommend a minimum of 7 days to attempt this route but 8 days is preferable for better acclimatization and summit success. The Lemosho route joins the Machame route at Shira 2 Camp and then follows the same route through the southern circuit and descending at Mweka Gate.

Day 1: Lemosho Glades (2385m) to Big Tree Camp (2780m)

 You will be picked up at your hotel at around 08:00am and transferred to the Lemosho gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. After the registration process you will still start our climb steadily through the forests of the Lemosho glades to reach Big Tree camp where you will be spending the night.                                                                                                              

Distance covered: 7km / 4.3mi

Approx. time taken: 4 hours                                                                                               

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 2: Big Tree Camp (2780m) to Shira 2 Camp (3900m) 

 Today you will cover a lot of ground as you trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. We will trek through Shira 1 Camp from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds as we head towards our destination which is Shira 2... We gain a reasonable amount of altitude as we head towards Shira 1 and parts of the route are fairly steep. As you proceed towards Shira 2 you will get the chance to view the Northern Ice fields from the western side of the mountain with some unusual views of Kibo. Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatization and we enjoy great panoramic views.                                                                                         

Distance covered: 16.5km / 10.3mi

Approx. time taken: 9 - 11 hrs                                                                                                 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 3: Shira 2 Camp (3900m) to Barranco Camp (3960m)  

Your trek starts with an ascent with far-reaching panoramic views, walking in to the climatic zone of the upland desert and on the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. You will reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4640 m), our high point for the day and a great place to enjoy your lunch. In the afternoon we make a steep descent to our camp for the night, located in the base of the Great Barranco Valley (3960 m), sheltered by towering cliffs but with extensive views of the plains below.             

Distance covered: 10km / 6.2mi

Approx. time taken: 7

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 4: Barranco Camp (3960m) to Karanga Camp (3963m)

Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.                              

Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi

Approx. time taken: 5 hours                                                                                                            Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Include

Day 5: Karanga Camp (3963) to Barafu Camp (4640m)

 After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.                                                    

Distance covered: 3km / 1.9mi

Approx. time taken: 3 hours                                                                                                 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner In

Day 6: Barafu Camp (4640m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) & down to Millennium Camp (3790m)

We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.                                                                              

Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3mi

Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours                                                                                        

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day7: Trek Millennium Camp (3790m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)

A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower.

Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5mi

Approx. time taken: 6 hours                                                                                                       

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Included          

Included.

o    Park fees,

o    Camping fees

o     Rescue fees

o    18% VAT on tour fees & services which cost nearly 55% of the total cost charged.

o    Transportation to & from the mountain gate

o    Professional mountain guides, cooks and porters

o    3 meals daily while on the mountain

o    Filtered water throughout the trek

o    Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)

Not Included

• • Both  National and International flights
  • Medical  insurance
  • Visa cost which is $50 except for Canadian and USA passport holders which is 100$
  • Tips to mountain crew
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Laundry Services
  • A doctor for the group
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is extra ($100 per toilet + toilet tent)