Mount Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route is the best ascent route, but this offers the complete Kilimanjaro experience, more acclimatization time, more culture, more spectacular scenery and even a night in Kibo caldera. Note: this itinerary ascends via Stella Point and NOT the Western Breach and is for that reason considered to be a safer route.
Highlights: THE MOST SCENIC KILIMANJARO ROUTE! Lemosho ascent of Kilimanjaro, afromontane forest, Shira plateau, glacial valleys and alpine desert, views of Mawenzi, ascent of Kibo and possible views of Kibo caldera and ash pit. Glaciers and the roof of Africa!
Itinerary
Welcome to Tanzania! Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) you will be met by your driver/guide and transferred to Arusha for overnight. The rest of the day is free, enjoy the accommodations tranquil natural setting as you settle in for your first night in Tanzania. Take a stroll, enjoy the sights and sounds. Get plenty of rest tomorrow will be huge!
Dinner and overnight at Maura Apartment.
Drive to Londorossi Gate, approximately two hours. After completing the necessary registration formalities at Londorossi Gate, we drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho trail head. Here we will meet our local Tanzanian staff, most of whom are Chagga tribe from the area around Kilimanjaro. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through beautiful and lush forest.
Start: Lemosho trailhead 2,100 m/6,750 ft.
End: Big Tree Camp 2,850 m/9,200 ft.
Elevation gain: 750 m/2,440 ft.
Time: 4 hours on average
Distance: About 5 km/3 miles
Dinner and overnight at Big Tree Camp/Mti Mkumbwa Camp.
Big Tree/Mti Mkubwa Camp to Shira I Camp. We soon leave the forest behind and enter the moorland zone of giant heather. This is perhaps the most unique of the different ecological zones on Kilimanjaro.
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 large Shira Volcanic Plateau at Shira I.
Start: Big Tree Camp 2,850 m/9,200 ft.
End: Shira I Camp 3,505 m/11,500 ft.
Elevation gain: 700 m/2,300 ft.
Time: 7 hours average
Distance: About 9 km/5.6 miles
Dinner and overnight at Shira 1 Camp.
Shira 1 Camp to Moir Camp, 13,500 ft. (4,114 m). Moir Camp is tucked away at the end of a large gorge, below a giant lava flow. We travel through the upper range of the moorlands zone, crossing the large Shira Plateau, and ascend gradually on easy terrain.
Here we are on the northwest side of the mountain, above Kenya. This spectacular camp is located beneath the northern ice fields of Kilimanjaro.
Start: Shira I Camp 3,505 m/11,500 ft.
End: Moir Camp 4,114 m/13,500 ft.
Elevation gain: 600 m/2,000 ft.
Time: 6 hours average
Distance: About 10 km/6 miles
Dinner and overnight at Moir Camp.
We ascend through the upper moorland zone into the alpine desert zone arriving at Lava Tower Camp (15,090 ft.). As noted, this day takes us out of the heath zone and into alpine desert. This is a shorter day, where we are very close to the dramatic western face of the mountain.
We sleep at just over 15,000 ft., critical for acclimatizing to the elevation of our High Camp, which we will reach on climb Day 6. There is time for short acclimatization walks for those that are interested. Very scenic mountain views.
Start: Moir Camp 4,114 m/13,500 ft.
End: Lava Tower Camp 4,600 m/15,090 ft.
Elevation gain: 490 m/1,500 ft.
Time: 3.5 hours average
Distance: About 5 km/3.1 miles
Dinner and overnight at Lava Camp.
We descend 2,000 ft. through dramatic scenery to the Barranco Valley before ascending the famous Barranco wall to Karanga Valley Camp. This is one of our longer days, but excellent for acclimatization.
From camp we can see some wonderful sunsets and have views of the glacier valley and ice fields above.
Start: Lava Tower Camp 4,600 m/15,090 ft.
End: Karanga Camp 4,053 m/13,300 ft.
Elevation gain: 442 m/1,450 ft.
Elevation loss: 762 m/2,500 ft.
Time: 7 hours average
Distance: About 11 km/7 miles
Dinner and overnight at Karanga Camp.
From the Karanga River we climb about five to six hours to our camp at Kosovo (15,600 ft.). As we wind through beautiful and rarely traveled regions, we enter a high desert plateau, littered with volcanic boulders. Looking south we view the desert plains as the pinnacles of Mawenzi Peak tower before us. Another night above 15,000 ft. prepares us for sleeping in the crater. At Kosovo we prepare for the summit attempt.
We spend our time resting and preparing for our departure the next morning. There will be a detailed summit briefing covering the climb and the crater camp with options to sleep lower than the crater if needed.
Start: Karanga Valley 4,055 m/13,300 ft.
End: Kosovo Camp 4,760 m/15,600 ft.
Elevation gain: 700 m/2,300 ft.
Time: 5-6 hours
Distance: About 5 km/3 miles
Dinner and overnight at Kosovo Camp.
Summit day and Crater Camp. Awake early in the morning and prepare for the ascent, leaving at approximately 6 a.m. Following a distinct ridge, we approach the crater’s rim, then traverse northwest along the rim to the main summit, Uhuru Peak (19,344 ft.). From here we view the Bismarck Towers, rock pinnacles along the rim, and the hanging Rebman Glaciers.
After enjoying the view from the top, we descend down to the crater to camp for the day and night. There are options to visit the tiny Furtwangler Glacier in the crater floor, as well as climb up to the ash pit rim to look down into the blow hole of the volcano.
High Camp to Summit Start: Kosovo Camp 4,760 m
Summit: Uhuru Peak 5,896 m/19,344 ft.
Elevation gain: 1,136 m/3,726 ft.
Time: 7-9 hours average
Distance: About 7 km/3.4 miles
Descent Start: Uhuru Peak 5,896 m/19,344 ft.
End: Crater Camp 5,600 m/18,700 ft.
OR
Kosovo Camp 4,760 m/15,600 ft.
Elevation loss: 200 m/1,100 ft.
Time: 1-3 hours
Dinner and overnight at Crater Camp.
The sunrises are exquisite as we awaken in the crater. After breakfast, we descend down from the crater all the way to Mweka Camp at 10,000 ft. on the edge of the forest zone. We enjoy views of the towering mountain above us as we descend through the heather to our last night on the mountain.
Start: Crater Camp 5,600 m/18,700 ft.
End: Mweka Camp 3,000 m/10,000 ft.
Elevation loss: 3,000 m/9,344 ft.
Time: 7-8 hours descent
Distance: About 14.2 km/9 miles
Dinner and overnight at Mweka Camp.
We descend the lush green landscape of the Mweka route into the thickest jungle we have yet encountered. The environment becomes primordial, with 40-ft. fern trees creating a prehistoric atmosphere. After reaching the Mweka Gate, we have a celebration lunch and drive to Arusha, clean up at the hotel, and enjoy a celebratory dinner.
Start: Mweka Camp 3,100 m/10,200 ft.
End: Mweka Gate 1,800 m/5,580 ft.
Elevation loss: 1,300 m/5,900 ft.
Time: 4 hours average
Distance: About 7 km/4 miles
Dinner and overnight at Maura Apartment.
It’s the final day in mainland Tanzania, depending with the time of your flight departure, be sure to grab any last minute souvenirs you may want and say one last goodbye to the the new friends you made in Tanzania before. Our drive will come to the hotel to pick you up for trip to the Airport to catch a flight back home.
Or else a trip to the beaches at Zanzibar is a good way to recuperate. We can also arrange many reasonably priced safaris before Mount Kilimanjaro trek to help with acclimatization.
Kwa heri ya kuonana – (Good bye and see you again).
