Itinerary

1. Day 1- Lemosho Gate to Big Tree Gate

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

   Meals: Lunch & Dinner Distance Covered: 7kms(4 hours)

   Accommodation: Big Tree Camp

2. Day 2- Big Tree Camp to Shira Camp

   • On this day you will cover a lot of ground as you trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. We will 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. We gain a reasonable amount of altitude as we head towards Shira 1 and parts of the route are fairly steep. 
   • As you proceed towards Shira 2 you will 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. 

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Distance Covered: 16.5kms (9-11 hours) 

   Accommodation: Shira Campsite

3. Day 3- Shira Campsite to Barranco Campsite

   • Your trek starts 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. 
   • You will 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 we 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. 

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Distance Covered: 10km (7 hours) 

   Accommodation: Barranco Camp

4. Day 4- Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

   • Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. 
   • We will 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, we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night. 

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Distance Covered: 5.5km (5 hours)

   Accommodation: Karanga Camp

5. Day 5- Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

   • After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we will set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. 
   • On arriving at camp, we will eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. 
   • We will 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. 

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Distance Covered: 3kms (3-4) hours 

   Accommodation: Barafu Camp

6. Day 6- Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Millenium Campsite

   • We start off at around midnight and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing 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 of jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. 
   • Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We will 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. 

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Distance Covered: 13.4kms (12-15 hours) 

   Accommodation: Millenium Campsite

7. Day 7- Millenium Campsite to Mweka Gate to Moshi

   • A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by 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. 

   Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Distance Covered: 12.1kms (6 hours)