Kilimanjaro Climbing Lemosho
The Lemosho Route is considered the most scenic trail in Kilimanjaro, granting panoramic vistas on various side of the mountain. As one of the newer routes, Lemosho is superb choice of your climb. It is our preferred route due to its ideal balance of low crowds, beautiful scenery, and a high summit success rate. Thus, Lemosho is highly recommended.
The route approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the west, beginning with a long drive from Arusha town to Londorosi gate. From there the first two days are spent trekking through the rainforest to Shira ridge.
The Lemosho route 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. This route traverse underneath Kilimanjaro’s Southern Ice Field on a path known as the Southern Circuit, before summiting from Barafu. Descent is made via the Mweka route.
Day 1: Start to Big Tree Camp
Breakfast at your hotel is served from 7am. Please ensure that you have packed your bags before breakfast, have signed over your extra luggage that will not be required on the mountain to reception, and have deposited your valuables into the hotel’s safe.
Transfer and Registration:
You will be collected at 7:30 or 8:00am from your hotel. Your driver will transfer you 111km and some 2 hour and 10 minutes to Londorosi gate where we complete registration formalities. Climbers should have their passport numbers for their registry entries (unless under 16 years of East African citizens, in which case you need to bring your passport with you) and are advised to have kept their passports and valuables in the hotel safe. Following registration, we continue a further 12km by vehicle to the route's start point. The final drive can take anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour 30, depending on road conditions.
Trek:
The whole of the first day’s trek is spent in some of the most pristine and beautiful to be found anywhere on the mountain. Given the rather isolated nature of the route, which sees relatively few tourists, encounters with wildlife on this trail are slightly greater than on most other routes. We will also see some of Kilimanjaro’s more unusual flora, including the beautiful red Impatiens Kilimanjarii, one of the great emblems of the mountain.
Our first day ends at Mti Mkubwa, the Big Tree camp, whereas with every night on the trek, you will arrive to find your tent already erected and snack awaiting. A full dinner follows before we settle down to sleep to the sounds of the forest, with monkeys calling and the noisy turaco bird in this blissful of locations, underneath the spreading branches of a beautiful old Podocarpus tree.
Elevation: Starting point 7,742 ft to 9,498ft Big tree camp
Distance: 6km/ 4miles
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest
Day 2: Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 Camp:
This second day, the most varied on the trek, start off with a continuation of yesterday’s march through the forest. Before long, however, we leave the trees behind to enter the grasses and wildflowers of the Heath and moorland zone, note how already your guide has started to set a deliberately slow pace, in order, to help you acclimatize to lack of the air pressure at this attitude.
Still climbing, we eventually round the northern slopes of Shira Ridge - Kilimanjaro's little known third summit - pause to admire a glimpse of our destination, the magnificent snow – covered Kibo summit. Descending a short distance, we arrive at our second campsite Shira 1. On the western edge of Shira Plateau, with views across the plateau to Kibo.
It is normal to experience mild headaches on this day, which should be alleviated with Paracetamol. Those choosing to take Diamox prophylactically should begin their course this morning with half a tablet (125mg) in the morning and the other half with supper in the evening.
Elevation: Big Tree Camp 9,498ft to Shira 1 Camp 11,500ft
Distance: 8km/5 miles
Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Heath
Day 3: Shira 1 Camp to Moir Hut across Shira Plateau
Leaving the campsite, it’s less than an hour before you meet Simba Camp and junction with the 4WD emergency track running from Shira 2 camp back down the mountain. From the junction with the main trail, a 135-minute path picks its way between boulders, around or over petrified lava flows, and through grassy swards.
The main ‘Landmark' is the disused Fischer Campsite, named after Scott Fischer, who did much to pioneer this route with his company Mountain Madness and who perished on the slopes of Everest. Hunt around for (or get your guide to show you) the small plaque that commemorates his life and admire the resplendent giant Groundsels that thrive in this chilly location.
Just over an hour’s schlep afterwards, the path curves in the shadow of some low cliffs past an impressive dripping cave just before the Moir Hut camp (13,800ft). After lunch time you can walk some more, too, before dinner, with a sunset acclimatization climb. This hike distance will be 1.9km.
Elevation: Shira 1 Camp 11,500ft to Moir Hut 13,800ft
Distance: 10km/ 7miles
Hiking time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Heath
Day 4: Moir Hut to Baranco Camp via Lava Tower
We start our hiking early in the morning after breakfast, ascending gradually some ridge to Lava Tower for the acclimatization purpose due to this tower having the same elevation with our base camp Barafu (15,331ft).
Elevation: Moir Hut 13,800ft to Lava Tower 15,190ft
Distance: 7km/4 miles
Hiking time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Desert
We serve hot lunch up there, then we descend to Baranco Camp through the strange but beautiful Senecio Forest to an altitude of 13,000ft.
Elevation: Lava Tower 15,190ft to Baranco Camp13044ft
Distance: 3km/2 miles
Hiking time: 2-3 hours
Habitat: Alpine desert
Although you begin and end at the same elevation, the time spent at higher altitude (Lava Tower) is very beneficial for acclimatization
Day 5: Baranco Camp to Karanga Camp
After breakfast we start our hiking by descending into the base of the Great Baranco Wall. Then we climb the non-technical but steep wall, nearly 900ft cliff. From the top we will spend time with beautiful views on Mount Meru and our summit peak Kibo. We cross a series of hills and valleys until descending into Karanga Valley. One steep climb up leads us to Karanga Camp. It is a really short day.
Elevation: Barranco Camp 13044ft to Karanga Camp 13106ft
Distance: 5km/3 miles
Hiking time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine desert
Day 6: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Done with breakfast, we leave the camp slowly, it gets gradually steeper, and we hit the junction which connects with Mweka Trail. We continue up the rocky section to Barafu Hut (Base Camp). At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are viewable from this position. Here we rest and enjoy an early dinner to prepare for the summit attempt.
Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft
Distance: 4 km/2 miles
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 7: Barafu to Uhuru Peak and to Mweka Hut
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. The wind and cold at the elevation and time of the day can be extreme. We ascend in darkness for several hours while taking frequent, but short, breaks. Near Stella Point (18,900ft), you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see coming over Mawenzi Peak. Finally, we push slowly to Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.
Elevation: Barafu camp 15,331ft Uhuru Peak 19,341ft
Distance: 5km/3 miles
Hiking time: 7 -8 hours
Habitat: Arctic
From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch and short rest before the final push down. The trail is very rocky and can be quite hard on the knees, trekking poles are helpful. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest, and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a good sleep.
Elevation: Uhuru Peak 19,341ft Mweka hut 10,065ft
Distance: 12km/ 7 miles
Hiking time: 4-6 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest
Day 8: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
On our last day, we continue the descent to Mweka Gate for a couple of hours, and then collect the summit certificates for those who reached Uhuru and Stella Point. A car will be waiting to take you back to your hotel, and the land of warm showers and cold beer. Your trek is at an end. Before we back to our hotel we will have a hot lunch on the way.
Elevation: Mweka Camp 10,065ft to Mweka gate 5,380ft
Distance: 9.1 km/6 miles
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest
END OF OUR TREKKING.
UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES.