10-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing: Lemosho Route

Mt. Kilimanjaro Trek Lemosho Route | Full Documentary

Upon arrival in Tanzania, you will be greeted by our driver, who will accompany you to the waiting vehicle to load your luggage. From there, you will be driven to the hotel in Moshi town. After checking in, you will receive a briefing about the next day’s trek and your mountain guide will inspect your gear. The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing by the pool or exploring the town of Moshi.

• Meal Plan: Dinner
• Accommodation: Keys Hotel

Following an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from Moshi and transported to the Londorossi gate. Upon arrival, the porters will organize and pack your belongings for the hike, while you complete the registration process with the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA). From there, you will commence your ascent into the rainforest. During this part of the hike, anticipate encountering rain, mud, and fog. Keep an eye out for wildlife, including Colobus monkeys. Approximately halfway up the trail, there will be a lunch break, and you will reach the Forest Camp in the late afternoon or early evening. The porters and chefs, who move swiftly up the mountain, will arrive at the camp before you to set up your tents, boil drinking water, and prepare snacks for your arrival. After freshening up, a hot dinner will be served, followed by an overnight stay.

• Meal Plan: Full Board
• Accommodation: Forest Camp

The trek continues on the trail leading out of the forest and into a savannah of tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock adorned with lichen beards. As you ascend through the lush rolling hills and cross several streams, you will reach the Shira Ridge before gently descending to the Shira 1 camp. The view of Kibo from across the plateau is breathtaking.

• Meal Plan: Full Board
• Accommodation: Shara 1 Camp

Today, we will be heading to an amazing camp located beneath the Northern Ice Fields of Kilimanjaro. We will take a gentle walk east toward Kibo’s glaciered peak, across the plateau leading to Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream. Then, we will continue to Moir Hut, a little-used site at the base of Lent Hills. This area offers various walking opportunities on Lent Hills, making it an excellent acclimatization opportunity. Shira is known as one of the highest plateaus on earth.

From Moir hut, we will continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. Then, our direction changes to the southeast towards the Lava Tower, also known as the “Shark’s Tooth.” Shortly after the tower, we will reach the second junction, which leads up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000ft. Afterwards, we will continue down to Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft. Here, we will rest, enjoy dinner, and spend the night. Although we end the day at the same elevation as when we started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will prepare our bodies for summit day.

This will be a short hiking day intended for acclimatization. After an early morning breakfast, it’s time to conquer the Great Barranco Wall! Despite its initial intimidating appearance, hikers often find this Class 2 hike much easier than anticipated. At the top of the Wall, we’ll have a view of Heim Glacier and will be above the clouds. The trail will then wind up and down in the Karanga Valley. We will spend the night at Karanga Camp (3950m) and enjoy dinner and washing at the site. We will continue on the Lemosho Route for 8 Days and 7 nights, with full board meals and accommodation at Karanga Camp.

Following breakfast, you will commence your ascent. The path intersects with the Mweka Route, the trail used for the final two days’ descent. After hiking for an hour, you will arrive at Barafu Hut. This marks the final water point for the porters as there is no accessible water at Barafu Camp (4550m). The term “barafu” in Swahili translates to “ice,” and this camp is situated on a rocky, exposed ridge. Tents will be exposed to wind and rocks, so hikers need to familiarize themselves with the campsite before nightfall. An early dinner will be provided so hikers can rest before attempting the summit later that night. Your guide will provide detailed instructions on how to prepare for the summit night. It’s important to aim to be asleep by 19:00!

• Meal Plan: Full Board
• Accommodation: Barafu Camp

Your guide will wake you up at around 23:30 for tea and biscuits. Your summit attempt will then begin. The route heads northwest, and you will ascend over stone scree. Many hikers find this part of the climb to be the most mentally and physically challenging. In approximately 6 hours, you will reach Stella Point (5685m), situated on the crater rim. After witnessing the breathtaking sunrise, you will continue ascending for about 2 hours on a snow-covered trail to Uhuru Peak (5895m). Reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is a monumental achievement! You will have a brief amount of time to take photographs and enjoy some tea at the summit before starting the descent to Barafu. The descent to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours.

At camp, you will rest and savour a hot lunch in the sunshine. Following the meal, you will continue descending to Mweka Hut (3100m). The Mweka Trail will guide you through the scree and rocks to the moorland, and finally into the rainforest. Mweka Camp (3100m) is situated in the upper rainforest, so anticipate fog and rain. You will have dinner, freshen up, and rest comfortably at camp.

• Meal Plan: Full Board
• Accommodation: Mweka Camp

After enjoying a well-deserved breakfast, your team will host a lively celebration complete with dancing and singing. It is here on the mountain that you will offer tips to the guide, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters. Following the festivities, you will descend for three hours back to Mweka Gate. The National Park mandates that all hikers sign their names to receive certificates of completion. Hikers who made it to Stella Point (5685m) receive green certificates, while those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) obtain gold certificates. After receiving the certificates, hikers descend to the Mweka village for 1 hour (3 kilometers). You will be served a hot lunch, after which you will be driven back to Moshi for well-deserved showers and additional celebrations.

• Meal Plan: Full Board
• Accommodation: Keys Hotel

Following breakfast, you will be transported to your departure point for your flight back home.

You can extend your stay by embarking on a Tanzania safari or unwinding on Zanzibar beach.

• Meal Plan: Breakfast

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