Lemosho Route

8 Days Lemosho Route | Mt. Kilimanjaro Trek

$1930-2640 USD

Get quote

Safari summary

The Lemosho Route avoids the crowds on the early part of the Machame route and over 8 days, you have a fantastic journey and a great chance of summiting successfully.

The climb begins at Londorossi Gate, at an altitude of 2360 meters, with an approach far to the west of the mountain. It passes througthe h majestic rainforest where some of the region’s most unique wildlife can often be seen. The route continues up to the mountain’s third summit at Shira Ridge. From there you will cross the famed Shira plateau and see tawe-inspiringing Shira Cathedral before reaching Shira camp on the main Machame route on day three. This allows a few days of quiet climbing overlooking some amazing terrain before taking the more heavitraveledled route to the summit. After reaching the summit, you will descend by the Mweka trail, rather than retracing your steps along the ascent route.

The Lemosho Route is a good eight-day hike for those who have not trekked much at high altitudes, with an effective extra day’s acclimatization, giving a better success rate. Experienced and already acclimatized mountaineers may opt for the more difficult 7-day ascent along the Lemosho route.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Hiking \| trekking
	Activity level	Strenuous activity
	Best months	January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
	Countries	Tanzania
	Parks	Kilimanjaro

Fine details

Safari highlights

Hiking | trekking

What’s included?

Accommodation
Airport transfers
Meals
Park fees
Private vehicle and driver

What’s not included?

Alcoholic beverages
All drinks
Internal flights
International flights
Laundry
Tips and gratuities
Visas

Itinerary

Londorossi Gate - Forest Camp

We depart Moshi for Londorossi Gate, which takes about 3 to 4 hours, where you will complete entry formalities. Then drive to the Lemosho trailhead (another hour to reach the trail head). Upon arrival at trail head, we eat lunch, then commence through undisturbed forest which winds to the first camp site.

Forest Camp - Shira 1 Camp

Our journey continues eastwards across the Shira Plateau with spectacular views of Shira Cathedral. We cross moorland meadow to reach Shira 1 Camp for dinner and overnight camping at 3500m. By now we will be able to see the stunning glaciers of the Western Breach. It will be colder tonight than the previous night with temperatures possibly falling below freezing.

Shira 1 Camp - Moir Hut

We leave the forest behind now and the trail gets steeper as it enters the moorland zone. A gentle grade walk takes you across the high altitude Shira Caldera to Moir Hut with fabulous views of Arrow glacier. We will camp here for the night at 4200m.

Moir Hut - Barranco Camp

We begin the day climbing up a ridge and then head southeast towards the Lava Tower up to 4600m – a 300 ft. tall volcanic rock formation for lunch and acclimatization. This will be our toughest day so far and you may, for the first time, feel the altitude. After lunch we will descend again by almost 650m to Barranco Camp, following the “walk high, sleep low” golden rule of acclimatization.

Barranco Camp - Karanga Camp

A short, but fun, day starting with a scramble to the top of the Great Barranco Wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley (3930m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at Karanga campsite. This is a shorter day meant for acclimatization.

Karanga Camp - Barafu Camp

We leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the rocky section to Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest and enjoy an early dinner to prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are viewable from this position.

Barafu Camp - Uhuru Peak

Very early in the morning (around midnight), we begin our push to the summit. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. Near Stella Point (18,900 ft.), you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see coming over Mawenzi Peak. Finally, we arrive at Uhuru Peak- the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, we make our descent to the Mweka Hut, stopping at Barafu for lunch.

Mweka Camp - Mweka Gate

On our last day, we continue the descent to Mweka Gate and collect the summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. From the gate, we continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet us at Mweka Village to drive us back to the hotel in Moshi

Here are the latest tours by ZAFS Tours.