Duration: 9 Days/8 Nights
Destination: Mount Kilimanjaro
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Description: Discover Africa’s tallest tower as you become one of the privileged travelers to experience Mount Kilimanjaro through the Lemosho Route.
Arrive at your base hotel in Moshi followed by Pre-climb briefing.
Overnight stay at Weru Weru River Lodge: Dinner
After breakfast, transfer by road to Londorossi Gate in west Kilimanjaro. The starting point is a three to four hour drive from Moshi, and you may well spend more time driving and waiting around at the gate than walking today. After registration at the gate, transfer to the starting point for your trek. Your climb today begins in the dense rainforest. The forest is beautiful and full of smaller wildlife; look out for Colobus and blue monkeys hiding among the branches. A short walk until the first campsite with a few steep sections. The day’s trekking will take around 3-4 hours. Picnic lunch will be en route. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight stay at Big Tree camp on full board basis: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3 – Shira One Camp
Breakfast followed by a 4-5 hour walk and once you reach the first major ridge, you’ll leave the forest behind and enter the heather and moorland zone as you work your way up towards the Shira Plateau. Through a few more steep ridges, offering great views, a well-deserved break, then descend into the valley on the other side. You will have your picnic lunch and sometime after lunch the path will flatten out. Before you know it, you are standing on the edge of the Shira Plateau (3612m) with Kibo straight ahead of you, the Shira Ridge to the right and the plateau below.
From the ridge you will descend to your camp for the night. The day may sound difficult, but you have all the time in the world and many climbers say this is their favorite day of the walk.
Overnight stay at Shira One camp on Full Board Basis: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 – Shira Two Camp
Breakfast followed by an easy paced day for acclimatization with about 2-4 hours of hiking. You will hike east across the Shira Plateau, past the Shira Cathedral towards Shira Two camp at 3935m. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular. Hot lunch at Shira Camp. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight stay at your camp on Full Board Basis: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 – Barranco Camp
After breakfast, depart east and heads directly towards Kibo and its Western Breach. You’ll enter the alpine zone on this day, which receives limited water, has cold night-time temperatures and intense daytime sun, climbing steadily to a high point of 4530m, close to the distinctive Lava Tower with spectacular views of the surrounding cliffs and rock formations throughout the day’s hike. You will have your picnic lunch along your route and then spend the final few hours of the day descending steeply to the great Barranco (valley) ending at an altitude of 3950m, only 150m higher than your starting point; nonetheless, you will have climbed and descended 680m, increasing your body’s ability to adjust to the decreasing air oxygen levels. You should be ready for a hard-earned sleep. The day’s trekking usually takes 5-7 hours. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight stay at Barranco camp on Full Board Basis: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Karanga Camp
Start of your summit attempt after breakfast (which will be at midnight tonight). A steep climb up the Great Barranco Wall leads you through a trail on the south-eastern side of Kibo, with super views of the southern ice fields down and up again until Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga Camp, wet at 3963m. There is also an optional mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200 m before descending back to cam for the night if you feel strong
Overnight stay at Karanga camp on Full Board Basis: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 – Barafu
Leave Karanga Camp after breakfast and depart for Barafu Camp (4640m). This climb will take you across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation and it will be abit more difficult because of the altitude. Arrive at you camp in afternoon for lunch and relaxation. Dinner will also be served very early on this day since you’ll be waking up at midnight (00:00am) to start your climb to the summit
Overnight stay at Barafu Camp on Full Board Basis: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 – Barafu Camp to Uhuru and down to Millennium Camp
At midnight (00:00am) you will be woken by your guides for the summit attempt, this allows you to reach the summit for around sunrise, and still gives you time to descend in the daylight. You will walk in single file, ascending in a zigzag pattern (because of the steepness) through the scree and entering the arctic zone of the mountain. The climb to Stella Point is probably the most daunting section of the Lemosho route, mainly because of the altitude, darkness, and many hours of walking prior to this, however, there are no technical difficulties. Keep pushing forward and consult the guides regarding any altitude sickness, they are trained to notice symptoms of mild, medium and high altitude sickness and will be able to advise you if you can continue ascending, or if you should stop and descend.
Determination will take you to Stella Point at 5730m. Here you will take a short rest, and those who are still feeling strong can continue to Uhuru Peak at 5895m, passing spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that are the only residents in the zone. At Uhuru peak (once you take the pictures with the sign board) you will not stay for long, our guides’ advice on a maximum of 10-15 minutes, and then you should begin your descent to Mweka. The screen feels very lose underneath you and you may find it is harder to descend than to ascend and walking poles come in useful here and the guides can show you a trick to almost ‘ski’ down. You follow the same path you used to ascend until Barafu campsite for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.
Overnight stay at Millennium Camp on Full Board Basis: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 – Millennium Camp to Mweke Gate
Leave Millennium Camp after breakfast and trek through the Mountain forest until Mweka gate, where you’ll complete park formalities and receive certificates before transferring to your hotel in Moshi.
Overnight stay Weru Weru River Lodge on full board basis: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10 – Depature
Depart for your onward travel arrangement after breakfast.
Meals: Breakfast
All transfers
Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
All park entrance fees
International Flights & Airport Taxes
Souvenirs and other items of personal nature
Tips & Gratuities
Optional activities
Laundry Services
Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent.