Hiking Kilimanjaro Via Lemosho

8 days—Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro Via Lemosho Route

$2451-2851 USD

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Safari summary

The Lemosho Route is often considered the most beautiful of all the trekking trails up Mount Kilimanjaro. It crosses the entire Shira Plateau from west to east in a pleasant, relatively flat hike. Crowds are low until the route joins the Machame route near Lava Tower.

We offer a seven-day and an eight-day climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro using the Lemosho route. Both offer good acclimatization and wonderful views en route. This route has a beautiful approach through the forest on the first day through the Lemosho Glades from the west before joining the Machame trail at the Shira Plateau and contouring around the dramatic southern flank of the mountain via Barranco Camp, Karanga Camp, and then on to Barafu Camp for the summit push. The descent is via Millennium Camp and through Mweka Gate.

The Lemosho Route is a camping trip for an average group size of 4 using top-quality mountain tents, comfortable mattresses, qualified guides, porters who carry the bags and equipment, and cooks who provide fresh, tasty food every day. The ratio of the guide to the climber is 1:2. Our local guides have been with us for many years and are all trained, qualified, experienced, and have great fun.

The 8-day option has a particularly good summit success rate; the extra day makes a difference to how you feel, and there are three nights sleeping at the same altitude. The 7-day option has about a 95% summit success rate, and we don’t offer anything less because it is too dangerous to consider climbing Kilimanjaro in 6 days.

We provide an experienced personal service throughout, and you can chat with us in the office about the climb. Gavin has been guiding the mountain since 1994 and makes several ascents a year, and we have been using the same team of guides and cooks since 2001.

Lemosho was introduced by the park to handle increasing numbers of visitors, and it is true to say that Lemosho has a slightly easier gradient through the forest and onto the Shira plateau. However, the gate at Londorossi is further away than Machame Gate, so on the first morning, you have to drive for about three hours to register at the Londorossi Gate and then drive a little further on to the start of the trek.

This means normally beginning to trek after lunch, although the first hike to Big Tree Camp is quite short at just a few hours.

About this tour

	Tour type	Set-date, set-itinerary, group
	Main focus	None
	Activity level	Strenuous activity
	Best months	All months
	Countries	Tanzania
	Parks	Kilimanjaro

Fine details

Safari highlights

Hiking | trekking

What’s included?

Accommodation
Airport transfers
All drinks
Meals
Park fees

What’s not included?

Internal flights
International flights
Laundry
Spa treatments
Tips and gratuities
Visas

Itinerary

ARRIVAL DAY

Kilimanjaro

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, meet our representative & drive to the Planet Lodge in Arusha. Later, our Kilimanjaro manager and your guide will meet you at the lodge for a detailed briefing & gear checking before leaving you to enjoy the lodge’s facilities & the nice weather of Arusha city.

Planet Lodge or similar in Arusha.

Arusha – Londorosi Gate

Kilimanjaro

Walking distance: approx. 7 km in a duration of 3 to 4 hours. vegetation zone is a rainforest After breakfast at your lodge/hotel in Arusha, we pick up and drive all the way to the town of Boma N’gombe and across the village of Sanya Juu, You will have 15-minute break at Boma Ng’ombe for the crew to have breakfast If you wish, you can do some grocery shopping here. Then you will drive along the bumpy road up to the Londorossi gate.

Big Tree Camp (Mti Mkubwa Camp)

Big Tree Camp – Shira Camp

Kilimanjaro

After breakfast, leave Mti Mkubwa Camp. After trekking for 30 minutes, nature will transform into heather and moorland. You will cross many streams and trek over a plateau that leads to Shira 2 Camp, standing at 3,840 m. The camp is next to a stream, and it offers a stunning view of the Western Breach and its glaciers in the east. Arriving at the camp, similar procedures will follow as on the first day. Be prepared for a cold night as temperatures drop below freezing point at this exposed camp.

Shira 2 Camp

Shira – Lava Tower - Barranco Camp

Kilimanjaro

After breakfast, your third stage of Kilimanjaro trekking will start. First, you will trek south of the Shira/Lemosho route. The route tracks over a black lava desert through millions of heavy rocks that sometimes remind of cairns; all in all, the route is passable. During the ascent and descent past Lava Tower, the climb is about 1,4700 meters, but you will be sleeping at about 100 meters higher than the last day.Your goal today will be to reach an altitude of 4,630 meters at Lava Tower.

Barranco Camp

Barranco Camp – Karanga Camp

Kilimanjaro

The day for acclimatization After breakfast, there is a big challenge waiting for you: “climbing the Great Barranco Wall.” Therefore, it is nice that you start a bit early to avoid a traffic jam at the wall. It takes 1 to 1.5 hours to climb the Great Barranco Wall. As you gaze behind the wall, you will see a barren wall and a rocky plateau. The view of Kibo and the three southern glaciers is awesome. The route then continues on sand and gravel through the rocky moors.

Karanga Camp

Karanga Camp – Barafu Camp

Kilimanjaro

After breakfast, you will start ascending the most difficult part of this mountain for the entire crew, “The Barafu Camp.”. The first still-existing moorland gradually vanishes, and the landscape becomes rocky. Stones and boulders are ruling this landscape. This is the last water stop for porters because they can’t access water at Barafu Camp (4,600 m). Barafu means ice in Swahili; this camp is situated on a rocky, exposed ridge.

Barafu Camp

Summit Day: Barafu-Uhuru-Mweka Camp

Kilimanjaro

Night ascends to the summit and then descends to Mweka Camp. Spend a short night at this camp, & before midnight, at around 23:00 or 23:30, your guide will wake you up, and you will have tea & biscuits. After Kilimanjaro trekking, the final push to the summit will begin. The night is silent and freezing cold when you and your guide set out for the summit. The route to the summit is in the northwest, & the scent is over the stone scree.

Mweka Camp

Descent: Mweka C–Mweka Gate-Arusha

Kilimanjaro

Walking distance: approx. 10 km in 3 to 4 hours; vegetation zone: moorland and rain forest. Start with a good breakfast on this last day of your Kilimanjaro trek. Take the last team photos for a souvenir before starting your way down to Mweka Gate. The trial is well-developed, a forest road, and in the second half, it is mostly characterized by rain forest. You will reach Mweka Gate after 10 kilometers.

Planet Lodge or similar in Arusha.

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