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Tanzania · Trekking
The journey
The Lemosho route is considered the most scenic trail on Kilimanjaro, offering panoramic vistas from various sides of the mountain. As one of the newer routes, Lemosho is a superb choice for your climb, with an ideal balance of low crowds, beautiful scenery, and a high summit success rate. This 10-day variation includes the challenging Crater Camp extension, giving adventurous climbers the rare chance to sleep overnight in the crater near the famed Furtwangler Glacier.
This 10-day variation includes the challenging Crater Camp extension, giving adventurous climbers the rare chance to sleep overnight in the crater near the famed Furtwangler Glacier.
From the itinerary
At a glance
Day by day
You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town. There, you will meet your guide, who will brief you on your upcoming trek and carry out an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Any missing gear can be rented on this day.
You will be picked up at your hotel at around 08:00 am and transferred to the Lemosho Gate, located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. After the registration process, you will begin your climb steadily through the forests of the Lemosho Glades to reach Big Tree Camp, where you will spend the night.
Today you will cover a lot of ground as you trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. You will trek through Shira 1 Camp, from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds, as you head towards your destination at Shira 2.
You gain a reasonable amount of altitude as you 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. Your steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatization, and you will enjoy great panoramic views.
Your trek starts with an ascent featuring far-reaching panoramic views, walking into the climatic zone of the upland desert and along the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. You will reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4,640 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 at the base of the Great Barranco Valley (3,960 m), sheltered by towering cliffs but with extensive views of the plains below.
Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then climb steeply up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It is 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 3,963 m. For those feeling strong, we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4,200 m before descending back to camp for the night.
After a good night's rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu Camp at 4,640 m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It is a tough, steep walk made more difficult by the altitude.
On arriving at camp, we 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 have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep, as we will be getting up between 11 pm and 12 am to start the climb to the summit.
Wake before dawn to start your summit approach. You will reach Uhuru Peak in the early afternoon, when few groups are around. A short descent brings you to Crater Camp, set in soft sands near the famed Furtwangler Glacier.
Crater Camp is not a route in its own right, but a challenging extension that can, in principle, be added to any route. It involves sleeping overnight in the bowl of the crater - an amazing experience enjoyed by only a few of the most adventurous climbers.
In the morning, after an early breakfast, we begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on a scree slope, passing Barafu Camp for a short break before heading down to Millennium Camp for a long, well-earned rest.
Today you walk down through the rain forest 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 your arranged hotel in Moshi.
Our packages include departure-day services. Enjoy breakfast and morning sightseeing in the city, or join us for safaris. If you are returning home, our driver will bring you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to catch your flight home.
Where this trip takes you
Shira Plateau, Lava Tower, Uhuru Peak, Crater Camp
The route
The fine print
Logistics
Your 10 days finish where they began, in Kilimanjaro Airport Rd.
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