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Lemosho Route – 7 days/6 nights

The Lemosho Route is one of the newer routes on Mt. Kilimanjaro starting on the western side of the mountain just beneath the Shira Route. Although it is one of the longer routes, it is also one of the most scenic and highly recommended for good acclimatization. Climbs can take seven to eight days; however, we always advise choosing the longer route for the best chance of acclimatization and reaching the summit.

Itineraries

Day 1

LEMOSHO TRAILHEAD (2,000M/6,600FT) TO MTI MKUBWA CAMP (2,800M/9,100FT)

Elevation Gain: 800 meters/ 2,500 feet Hiking Time: Approximately 3 to 4 hours Habitat:
Rainforest after breakfast, you’ll be picked up from your hostel/hotel and driven to Londrosi Gate (which is approximately 3 hours from Moshi). After registration, you will then drive a further 12km on a forest track that leads to the Lemosho starting point. From here you will enter the beautiful and undisturbed rainforest to begin your ascent up the mountain. This is by no means a difficult trek, but it will give you plenty of time to adjust and witness some of Tanzania’s wildlife. Sightings of Black and White Colobus monkeys and small antelopes are quite common, and you may even be lucky enough to spot buffalos and elephants too. After 3 to 4 hours of trekking, you will arrive at Mti Mkubwa Camp, also known as Big Tree Camp because of the large conifer trees that provide shade over the campsite.

Day 2

MTI MKUBWA CAMP (2,800M/9,100FT) TO SHIRA CAMP (3,800M/12,600FT)

Elevation Gain: 1000 metres / 3,400 feetHiking Time:

Approximately 7 to 8 hours Habitat:
Moorland On the second day, you’ll rise early for breakfast and begin climbing a slightly steeper gradient through the moorland vegetation zone. Here you will start to get fantastic views of Kibo, the summit cone of Mt. Kilimanjaro, while continuing along a rocky ridge to Shira Plateau. Shira is actually a collapsed volcanic crater and was the first of Kilimanjaro’s three volcanic cones to expire. You will then continue to hike across the rocky ridge onto Shira Plateau, where you will be able to see the easterly side and the western breach with its dramatic glaciers. You are now on the west of Kibo Peak and it will take another short walk before reaching the Shira Two Campsite.

Day 3

SHIRA CAMP (3,840M/12,600FT) TO BARRANCO CAMP (3,850M/12,650FT)

Elevation Gain: 710 meters / 2,300 feet Hiking Time: Approximately 6 to 7 hours Habitat:
Alpine desert

The route now takes you into semi-desert and rocky landscapes surrounding Lava Tower, a 300ft high volcanic rock formation. You’ll then ascend the rocky scree path to Lava Tower for great panoramic views, before a steep descent into the Barranco Valley. You may find this trek a little tougher than the previous days as some hikers usually start to experience symptoms of altitude sickness. Although you will finish today’s climb at almost the same elevation as you started, this is a very good practice for acclimatization and will help prepare your body for summit day. Barranco Camp lies below the imposing Barranco Wall in a beautiful, sheltered valley.

Day 4

BARRANCO CAMP (3,850M/12,650FT) TO KARANGA CAMP (3,995M/13,106FT)

Elevation Gain: 605 metres / 1,994 feet Hiking Time: Approximately 3 to 4 hours Habitat:
Alpine desert

After breakfast, you will leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects to the famous Mweka Trail. You will then continue along the rocky ridge for 1 to 2 hours before reaching Barafu Camp, which offers stunning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s summit from various angles. Your tents will be pitched along a narrow and rocky ridge with high winds. It’s therefore worth taking some time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings before it gets dark. Rest for the night at Barafu Camp and prepare for the upcoming hike to the summit.

Day 5

KARANGA CAMP (3,995M/13,106) TO BARAFU CAMP (4,600M/15,100FT)

Elevation Gain: 145 meters / 456 feetHiking Time: Approximately 4 to 5 hours Habitat: Alpine
desert

This will be a shorter day of hiking to allow for acclimatization. After breakfast, you will begin to ascend the Barranco Wall and hike glacial valleys – but don’t worry, it is easier than it looks! From the top of the wall, you will then cross a series of hills and valleys before descending into Karanga Valley. After one steeper climb, you’ll reach Karanga Camp where you will relax for the afternoon before dinner and an overnight rest.

Day 6

BARAFU CAMP (4,600M/15,100FT) TO UHURU PEAK (5,895M/19,300FT) THEN DESCENDING TO MWEKA CAMP (3,110M/10,200FT)

Elevation Gain: 1,295 metres / 4,200 feet,Hiking time: 6 to 7 hours to Uhuru Peak; 7 to 8 hours to Mweka Camp,Habitat: Arctic conditions

This is where the going gets really tough! Just before midnight, you will venture into the night and begin your final ascent to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Head northwest through the heavy stone scree following multiple switchbacks between Ratzel and Rebmann glaciers until you reach Stella Point (5,685m). This section is probably the most challenging Part of the route and will require great physical and mental effort. Continue to move slowly, always listening to your guide after a short rest at Stella Point, you will hike along the crater rim for another hour before reaching your ultimate goal – Uhuru Peak! Congratulations! You have now made it to the “Roof of Africa”.Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend there, but it is important to start your descent within good time to ensure you get enough rest back at Barafu Camp. After your rest, you’ll gather the rest of your belongings and descend to Mweka Hut (3,100m) where you’ll enjoy dinner and a well-earned sleep!

Day 7

MWEKA HUT (3,100M) TO MWEKA GATE (1,980M)

Elevation Loss: 1,280 metres / 4,220 feet Hiking time: Approximately 3 to 4 hours Habitat:

Rainforest After eating breakfast, you will begin the easiest part of your adventure on Mount Kilimanjaro via scenic path through the forest to Mweka Gate. Successful hikers who made it to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak will be awarded their certificates at the gate. Then it’s time to drive back to your hotel to enjoy a shower, dinner.

 All climbing entry fee
 Professional, experienced, mountain guides
 7 days 6nights Kilimanjaro Trekking o
 Camping fees
 Camping gears (tents, mattresses, chairs, tables
 2 ways transfers from and to
 Mountain Guides, Chef and porters wages
 3 meals a day during the trekking
 Trekking certificates
 24hrs office assistance
 Enough drinking water
 Boiled water on the mountain
 Guide,porters,cook accommodation and entry fees on the mountain
 All flights
 All items of personal nature
 Tips to safari guides and mountain crew
 Drinks and beverage at the Hotel/Lodge
 Sleeping bags
 And other not indicated in the program
 Nights in Moshi before and after trekking
 Mountain gears and clothes
 Recommendation Guide Tip $ 20 per day
 Cooker $15 per day
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You want to be in good physical shape to climb Kilimanjaro, but there's no need to be super-fit. This is a trek, not a climb after all, and if you can run for 30 minutes two to three times a week, and enjoy an all day hike at weekends, you should be fine. That said, many people do underestimate Kilimanjaro.

Climbing Kilimanjaro most days are not very hard because the trails are not steep it's mostly dealing with the altitude, however the summit night is extremely difficulty as this is the coldest, windiest section of your adventure. An ascent of 4,084ft with 49% less oxygen and a descent of nearly 6,870ft.

11.2 miles
The full day is 12 – 14 hours of trekking and covers 11.2 miles/ 18.1km. 1,245m/ 4,084 feet up the mountain from Barafu or 1,095m/ 3,592 feet up from Kosovo Camp to the summit. You then have 2,795m/ 9,169 feet down hill all in the same day.

It takes around two days to descend Kilimanjaro from the Uhuru Peak Summit to the Finish point. The descent can take up to 5hrs to reach to Camp for overnight and the following day 4hrs to 6 hrs. depending on the route and trekkers experience.

We generally advise that the best time to climb Kilimanjaro is during the warmest and driest times of year, from December to mid-March and mid-June to the end of October. However, although these are considered to be the best times to climb the mountain in terms of weather, they are also the busiest months.

The short answer is “Yes”. You may get a phone signal all the way through the summit. Over the years, the mobile network coverage on Kilimanjaro has improved greatly. Nearly everyone who treks nowadays brings Electronic Gadgets On Kilimanjaro, especially smartphones

Likewise, there is no electricity on Kilimanjaro. There is nowhere to charge camera batteries or smart phones, so plan accordingly. Bring enough camera batteries to last the entire climb.

Between 20 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit

At the summit, Uhuru Point, the night time temperatures can range between 20 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 to -29 degrees Celsius). Due to Mount Kilimanjaro's great height, the mountain creates it's own weather. Read more about the trail conditions, sleeping on the mountain or the best time to climb Kilimanjaro.

Africa’s highest mountain is located in Northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border. It’s about 350km (220 miles) south of the equator. The closest major towns are Moshi and Arusha.

On a practical level, the Marangu route is the only one which offers accommodation in mountain huts. On the other three routes, climbers stay in tents in designated campsites. Marangu is perhaps less scenic than the other ones. A more detailed description of each can be found on our Mount Kilimanjaro page. The other main difference is the time spent on the mountain (see ‘How long is the hike?’ above.)