9-Day Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit Summit Trek via Lemosho

Start your adventure with a drive from your hotel to the Londorossi Park Gate (2,100 meters), where you will sign in.

Enjoy a drive along the rainforest track for around 45 minutes until you reach the Lemosho Glades, where you will start the trek.

Walk for 3-4 hours up the stunning rainforest trail, keeping an eye out for the monkeys.

Spend the night at the Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) campsite (2,820 meters) for your first night on Kilimanjaro.

Follow the trail through the rainforest until it steepens slightly, leading you to the moorland zone, where you will get your first sight of Kibo.

Cross the Shira Ridge, where the trail flattens as you reach Shira Camp 1 (3,610 meters), located next to a mountain stream on the Shira Plateau.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast and begin a gentle walk across the Shira Plateau, leading you to Shira Camp 2 (3,850 meters), located on moorland meadows by another mountain stream.

A variety of additional walks are available in the afternoon on the plateau, making this a good day for acclimatization. If you are feeling tired, use the afternoon to rest around camp.

Gear up for a long trek heading east, passing through the 'Garden of the Senecios' and entering the high alpine desert zone. Spend the morning trekking up to Lava Tower and the iconic Shark's Tooth rock formation at 4,600 meters, where you will have lunch.

Join the Northern Circuit heading down to Moir Camp at 4,200 meters. This is an important day in your trek, as you will experience high altitude and then sleep low, which is good for the acclimatization process.

Start on a moderately steep climb out of Moir Valley.

Take a small detour to climb the summit of Little Lent Hill at 4,375 meters before returning to the Northern Circuit trail. The route follows a series of inclines and declines, skirting around the northern slopes of Kibo to Buffalo Camp (4,020 meters).

Arrive at Buffalo Camp just after midday, have lunch, and rest after a long day of hiking. The trek offers great vistas across the plains that lie north of Kilimanjaro and stretch out to the Kenyan-Tanzanian border.

Soon after breakfast, start with a climb up the Buffalo Ridge and down into Porfu Camp, where lunch is usually served. The route then continues east around the northern slopes to the Rongai Third Cave at 3,800 meters. The trek is shorter than the day before, and by now, you should be feeling well acclimatized to the altitude.

Reach the Third Cave around mid-afternoon.

After having a sumptuous breakfast, begin a steady incline up and over the Saddle, which sits between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi.

Continue walking south-west up to School Hut (4,800 meters).

Arrive at School Hut, where you will be served an early dinner.

Get some shut-eye, as you will be awoken before midnight to start your summit attempt.

Remember to prepare all your gear, including warm clothes, insulated water bottles, snacks, a headlamp, and a camera, before going to bed.

Wake up at around 11:30 with hot tea and biscuits and begin the steep incline up the slopes of Kibo under the cover of darkness.

Take a short break at your first checkpoint, Hans Meyer Cave. The climb will steepen as you approach Gilman's Point (5,681 meters), which will be around 5-6 hours after departing School Hut.

Take a moment to enjoy the approaching dawn and incredible views out across Mawenzi Peak, but remember you still have 2 hours of trekking to reach Uhuru Peak, so dig deep for the energy.

The slope flattens as you head west around the crater rim, and you should arrive at the summit at or just after sunrise. Your stay here will be brief, so get as many pictures as you can of the incredible views and surrounding glaciers.

Retrace your steps back around the crater rim to Stella Point (5,739 meters), where you will turn south and head down the heavily screed slopes of Kibo to Barafu Camp (4,680 meters).

Catch your breath here before continuing down to Millennium Camp (3,950 meters) for your final night on the mountain.

In total, you will be trekking for 14-16 hours on day eight, so it is important to pace yourself, remain hydrated, and keep your blood sugar levels up.

Hike through the dense montane rainforest from Millennium Camp (3,950 meters) to Mweka Gate (1,640 meters).

Sign out with the authorities, who will also provide you with your official certificate - a green certificate for those who made it to Gilman's Point and a gold certificate for those who reached Uhuru Peak.

Head to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and fly home.