Itinerary Overview
The Lemosho Route offers an incredible opportunity for adventurers to approach Mount Kilimanjaro from the picturesque west. This route not only showcases the breathtaking Shira Plateau, highlighted by Cathedral Peak and the stunning Shira Caldera, but it also presents climbers with a wonderful ascent that connects the Shira Ridge to Shira 2 Camp. Throughout this journey, hikers will encounter relatively low foot traffic until merging with the Machame path, making for a more serene experience. Once along the Machame Route, the trek continues through remarkable landmarks such as Lava Tower, Barranco, and Barafu, famously recognized as part of the southern circuit. While the minimum duration for this route is seven days, it is highly advisable to opt for an eight-day itinerary, as this allows for more time to acclimatize and ultimately increases your chances of reaching the summit successfully. Like the Machame, the Lemosho Route is not only scenically breathtaking but also offers a rich and engaging climbing experience.
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Itinerary Details
Day 1: Moshi to Londorosi Gate to Big Tree Campsite
Elevation: 1,200 m to 1,950 m to 2,850 m
Distance: 9 km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest
After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel your hotel and transport you to Londorosi Gate for registration. After this formality, you board the vehicle and drive again to Lemosho Glade. From this point you will start the trek across undisturbed montane forest decorated with black and white colobus monkeys to the camp where dinner and overnight will take place.
Day 2: Big Tree Campsite to Shira One Campsite
Elevation(m): 2850m to 3500m
Distance: 13km
Hiking time: 8 hours
Habitat: Moorland and heather land
This is an acclimatization trek because you will gain over 650m by starting walking across a beautiful valley outside Shira’s caldera rim (3600m). After few hours you will reach into Shira Caldera. A high altitude desert, Shira is the one among the three peaks which erupted in Kilimanjaro ecosystem. The peak later collapsed and formed a crater which eventually became filled with the lava flow from Kibo Peak. Its rim is eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Camp and overnight at 3500m elevation at the Shira One Cmpsite.
Day 3: Shira One Campsite to Shira Two Campsite
Elevation: 3500m to 3800m
Distance: 7km
Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Moorland and rocky
This day you will trek to east across Shira Plateau visiting Cathedral Peak (3850m) for acclimatization. Arriving at this peak you will find spectacular views of Mt. Meru and Kibo Peak. We then continue trekking to Shira Two Camp where we will stay for dinner and overnight place.
Day 4: Shira Two Campsite to Barranco Campsite
Elevation: 3800m to 3950m
Distance: 13km
Hiking time: 7-8 hours
Habitat: Moorland
This is long acclimatization day. You will have an early breakfast then trek east to a junction leading to Lava Tower Rock 4600m for acclimatization. Afterwards, you will descend down to Barranco Campsite for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Barranco Campsite to Barafu Campsite
Elevation: 3950m to 3900m
Distance: 6 km
Hiking time: 4-5 hours.
Habitat: Moorland
Today is long day walk. In the morning you will start climbing Barranco Wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga Campsite for hot lunch. After lunch you will proceed to Barafu Campsite for dinner and overnight before the midnight ascent to the summit.
Day 6: Barafu Hut Campsite to Uhuru Peak to Crater Campsite
Elevation: 4620m to 5895m to 3650m
Distance: 10km
Hiking time: 7-8 hours
Habitat: Desert and ice
After breakfast you will departure for the summit switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim (5,861 m/18,640 ft) At this point you will be having the views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo’s crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some minutes for taking photos. After your summit activities, you will descend down to Crater Camp for your dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Crater Campsite to Ash Pit to Mweka Hut Campsite
Elevation: 5650m to 5750m to 3100m
Distance: 12km
Hiking time: 7 -8 hours
Habitat: Desert, ice, moorland, and forest.
After breakfast you will firstlascend 100m to the rim of Ash Pit then descend back to the Barafu Huts Campsite, for lunch, and continue down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka Huts Campsite. Dinner and overnight at Mweka Hut Campsite.
Day 8: Mweka Hut Campsite to Mweka Gate
Elevation: 3100m to 1700m
Distance: 9k
Descending time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Montane forest
Today is your last day on the mountain. After breakfast, you will descend down to Mweka Gate walking across montane forest. This descent will take 3-4 hours. At the gate you will sign out and board the vehicle, ready for the transfer back to your hotel for your certificate presentation and celebration.
Trekking Pricing Terms
Please check what included and excluded in the price
Price Includes the following:
- Airport transfers from Kilimanjaro Airport,
- Hotel in Moshi on B/B if applicable
- Transport to and from Hotel to Kilimanjaro route entry gate,
- All park fees,
- Salaries of guides/porters/cook
- All meals on the mountain,
- Clean safe drinking water,
- Accommodation equipment
- Government tax,
- Certificate of climbing,
- First aid,
- Oxygen bottle,
- Park rescues fees
Price Excludes the following:
- International Flight to Tanzania,
- Entry VISA,
- Climbing gears (available for rent),
- Tips to guides, porters, and
- Items of a personal nature.
For your preparations, we also attach a list of personal hiking gears to prepare, and also you may rent on arrival.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: We have emergency helicopter rescue operated by a private company, and We advise climbers/visitors to buy insurance which includes High mountains. (world nomads, IMG, passport card- examples of insurance)
