Itinerary

1. DAY 1: Lemosho Gate to Big Tree Gate

   • Get picked up from your hotel at around 08:00 am and transfer to the Lemosho gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. After the registration process, start our climb steadily through the forests of the Lemosho glades to reach Big Tree camp where you will be spending the night.

   Distance covered: 7km

   Time to be used: 4 hours

   Meals: Lunch and Dinner

   Accommodation: Big Tree Camp

2. DAY 2: Big Tree Camp to Shira Camp

   • Cover a lot of ground as you trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. 
   • Trek through Shira 1 Camp from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds as we head towards our destination which is Shira 2. 
   • Gain a reasonable amount of altitude as we head towards Shira 1 and parts of the route are fairly steep. 
   • Proceed towards Shira 2 to get the chance to view the Northern Ice fields from the western side of the mountain with some unusual views of Kibo. Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatization and we enjoy great panoramic views.

   Distance Covered: 16.5kms

   Time to be used: 9 - 11 hours

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

   Accommodation: Shira Campsite

3. DAY 3: Shira Campsite to Barranco Campsite

   Start with an ascent with far-reaching panoramic views, walking into the climatic zone of the upland desert and on the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. 

   Reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4640 m), our high point for the day and a great place to enjoy your lunch. 

   In the afternoon, make a steep descent to our camp for the night, located in the base of the Great Barranco Valley (3960 m), sheltered by towering cliffs but with extensive views of the plains below.

   • Distance Covered: 10km
   • Time to be used: 7 hrs
   • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
   • Accommodation: Barranco Camp

4. DAY 4 : Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

   • Start by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. 
   • Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. 
   • For those feeling strong, go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.

   Distance Covered: 5.5 km

   Time to be used: 5 hrs

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

   Accommodation: Karanga Camp

5. DAY 5: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

   • After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb takes us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. 
   • Arrive at the camp, and eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. 
   • Have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up between 11 pm and 12 pm to start the climb to the summit.

   Distance Covered: 3km

   Time to be used: 3 hours

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

   Accommodation: Barafu Camp

6. DAY 6: Barafu Camp - Uhuru Peak to Millenium Campsite

   • Start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. Climb scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). 
   • Begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.
   • Distance Covered: 13.5km
   • Time to be used: 12 - 15 hrs
   • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
   • Accommodation: Millenium Campsite

7. DAY 7: Millenium Campsite to Mweka Gate

   • Go for a gentle trek that takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! 
   • Reach our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration.

   Distance Covered: 12.5km

   Time to be used: 6.5 hrs

   Meals: Breakfast & Lunch