8 days Lemosho Route

8-DAY MT KILIMANJARO TREK VIA LEMOSHO ROUTE.

Arrival day: Kilimanjaro airport – Transfer to Arusha.

Upon arrival you will be picked up and drive to Mt Meru Hotel for overnight and this day you will receive a Kilimanjaro

climb briefing and gear check. (Bed and breakfast)

Day 1: Lemosho Trailhead (2,000m/6,600ft) to Big Tree Camp (2,800m/9,100ft)

Elevation Gain: 800 metres / 2,500 feet

This morning you will drive from Arusha to the Londorossi gate. Here you will complete entry formalities. From

Londorossi your drive continues for around 1 hour to the Lemosho trailhead along 4WD track. Upon arrival at the

trailhead you will eat lunch and then commence trekking through lush undisturbed forest where you may be lucky

enough to see Colobus monkeys. The path undulates, steeply in places, to arrive at the first camp after 3-4 hours of

trekking. Overnight at Big Tree Camp (Mti Mkubwa Camp).

Day 2: Big Tree Camp (2,800m/9,100ft) to Shira 1 Camp (3,500m/11,500ft)

Elevation Gain: 700 metres / 2,400 feet

Today your trek will begin in the forest; however you will soon leave this ecosystem behind taking a steep track into a

zone of giant heather and volcanic rock. This is a full day ascending through the lush rolling hills below the Shira Plateau.

Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones. It is filled with the lava flow from Kibo and its rim has eroded and been

blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Finally the trail begins to ease as you reach the edge of the plateau. You

will camp at Shira One after 5-6 hours of trekking. The view of Kibo from across the plateau is incredible.

Day 3: Shira 1 Camp (3,500m/11,500ft) to Shira 2 Camp (3,800m/12,500ft)

Elevation Gain: 300 metres / 1,000 feet

Your third day on the mountain consists of a trek across the Shira Plateau with an optional climb to Shira Cathedral

(3,880m). Shira is one of the highest plateaus on earth. The day finishes with a gradual climb to Shira 2 Camp. Trekking

time without the optional excursion is approximately 3 hours. Including the optional acclimatisation to the peak of Shira

Cathedral will add approximately 1hour.

Day 4: Shira 2 Camp (3,800m/12,500ft) to Barranco Camp (3,850m/12,650ft) via

Lava Tower (4,550m/14,900ft)

Elevation Gain: 750 metres / 2,400 feet

Elevation Loss: 700 metres / 2,250 feet

Your climb today will take you steadily up and over the expansive ridgelines of high desert to Lava Tower. The trek to the

base of Lava Tower is about 4 hours. This tower is a 300 foot high volcanic plug. If time and energy allow, you can

scramble to the top of Lava Tower for fabulous panoramic views. From Lava Tower we begin our steep descent into the

Barranco Valley, passing large flowering plants which actually look like trees, the scenecios. This is good practice for your

descent from the summit in a few days time and will take 1-2 hours. Although you will end your day at almost the same

elevation as you started, today is very important for acclimatisation and will help your body prepare for summit day.

Barranco Camp is in a beautiful, sheltered valley below the imposing Barranco Wall.

Day 5: Barranco Camp (3,850m/12,600ft) to Karranga Camp (3,950m/13,000ft)

via the Barranco Wall (4,200m/13,800ft)

Elevation Gain: 350 metres / 1,150 feet

Elevation Loss: 250 metres / 820 feet

After breakfast, we leave Barranco Camp and begin our climb up the Barranco Wall. This is an impressive scramble

where you will be rewarded with fantastic views back towards camp. The porters climbing the wall are also an

impressive sight. From the top, at 4,200m, you will follow an undulating path around the mountain side. On a clear day

there are spectacular views of Kibo to your left and Mount Meru to your right. After descending into the Karranga Valley

your climb takes you up a short steep path to Karranga Camp. Walking time approximately 3-4 hours.

Day 6: Karranga Camp (3,950m/13,000ft) to Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft)

Elevation Gain: 650 metres / 2,150 feet

Today you will spend the morning climbing steadily on to Barafu, which is Swahili for ice! This camp is located on the

ridge below the summit cone. You have now completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many

different angles. This walk will take around 3 hours meaning that you will arrive at Barafu in time to spend the afternoon

resting and enjoy an early dinner in preparation for the summit climb. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can be seen

from this position.

Day 7: Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m/19,300ft) then

Descending to Mweka Camp (3,110m/10,200ft)

Elevation Gain: 1,295 metres / 4,200 feet

Elevation Loss: 2,785 metres / 9,100 feet

In the early hours of the morning you will begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru Peak. This part of the climb

takes approximately 6-8 hours. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of

the hiking day and therefore you will want clothing for both extremes. Just when you think you’ve had enough of

climbing in the dark the sun will rise and you will be rewarded with a rich red sky framing Mawenzi. At Stella Point

(5,750m) you join the crater rim. From here, climb less steeply to Uhuru Peak which is the highest point on Mount

Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit the descent will take you straight down to Mweka Hut, with

lunch served on the way. This part of the descent takes about 6 hours. Later in the evening enjoy your last dinner on the

mountain and a well-earned sleep. Beer and soda may be available for purchase at Mweka Hut, the only place it is

available on this route.

Day 8: Mweka Camp (3,110m/10,200ft) to Mweka Gate (1,830m/6,000ft)

Elevation Loss: 1,280 metres / 4,220 feet

Descend straight to the gate through lush forest (2-3 hours), looking for monkeys along the way. Return to Moshi from

Mweka Village and proceed to Arusha for overnight at Mt Meru Hotel

Day 9: Final transfer to kilimanjaro airport in time for your departure flight.

PRICE QUOTE

MT KILIMANJARO TREK: US $2650 per person

Includes for the trek

 Pre & post climb accommodation

 Quality, waterproof, four-season private mountain sleeping tents:

 Professional, experienced, mountain guides:

 All Park fees

 Rescue fees

 All meals while on the Mountain

 Guides, Porters, cook

 Quality Mess tents with table and chairs

 Clean, purified drinking water

 Crisis management and safety procedure

Excludes

 Tanzania Visa

 Personal Expenses (e.g. laundry, telephone, beverages, etc.

 Meals not listed above

 Optional Tours

ADDITIONAL COSTS:

 Hiring of clothing, sleeping bags, walking poles etc. (We have an option of hiring these gears from us but feel

free to bring them with you if you can easily buy them from home)

 Tipping to your guides, cook and porters. The standard recommendation for this is $20 per day to the guides, US

$15 per day for the chief/cook and $10per day for porters. These costs are per group and they will be split

between everyone doing the climb.