Kilimanjaro - lemosho route

On your arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, you meet one of our company staff and transferred to the hotel in Arusha or Moshi. In the same evening, you will meet our mountain guide for the briefing. Overnight at Arusha Outpost Lodge or Moshi Leopard Hotel or any similar lodge, bed and breakfast included.

After completing the necessary registration formalities at Londorossi National Park Gate, we drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho roadhead. We often have our lunch in the glades before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through beautiful and lush forest. This area has a variety of game, including buffalo. We camp at Lemosho Forest Camp (8,700 ft).

Hiking time: 2-3 hours

We soon leave the forest behind and enter the moorland zone of giant heather. The trail climbs steadily with wide views to reach the rim of the Shira Plateau. There is a tangible sense of wilderness, especially if afternoon mists come in! We camp in the center of the plateau at Shira One (11,000 ft).

Hiking time: 6-7 hours

A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, leaving the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower (14,900 ft), we descend to the bottom of the Barranco Valley to camp at Barranco Camp (12,790 ft), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below.

Hiking time: 7-9 hours

A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Icefields. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and there is only a short distance to Karanga Camp (13,100 ft), the last water point on the way to the summit.

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

We follow an easy path on compacted scree with wide views that gains altitude unrelentingly to reach the Barafu Hut (14,800 ft) for lunch. There is a short acclimatization walk to the plateau at the bottom of the southeast valley. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the early morning final ascent.

Hiking time: 3-5 hours

We start our ascent by torchlight about 1 a.m so that we can be up on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (18,800 ft), in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the two-hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (19,345 ft), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshments, we continue to descend to reach our final campsite, Millenium Camp (12,500 ft).

Hiking time: 11-15 hours

A sustained descent on a well constructed path takes us through a lovely tropical forest alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with considerable botanical interest. Our route winds down to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate at Mweka (5,400 ft). After signing and certificates awarding at the Mweka Gate, our driver will meet you there for the transfer to Moshi Leopard hotel or Arusha Outpost lodge, or any similar hotel, bed and breakfast included.

After breakfast in the hotel, transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) on time as indicated of your flight tickets.