9-Day Kilimanjaro Climb via Lemosho Route with High Summit Success

You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town. There, you will meet your guide for a briefing on your upcoming trek and an equipment check to ensure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Any missing gear can be rented on this day.

After breakfast and a briefing, drive to Londorossi Park Gate, about a 3-hour trip. From here, a forest track requiring a 4WD vehicle leads to Lemosho Glades (2390 m), where you will start your trek through the rainforest.

Walk along forest trails to Mti Mkubwa campsite (2750 m).

Trekking Time: 3 hours | Distance: 7 km | Altitude Gain: 360 m

After breakfast, continue as the trail gradually becomes steeper and enters the giant heather moorland zone. After crossing several streams, continue over the Shira Ridge and then gently descend to Shira 1 Camp (3505 m), located by a stream on the Shira Plateau.

A gentle hike across the plateau leads to Shira 2 Camp (3810 m), set on moorland meadows by a stream. A variety of short hikes are available on the plateau, making this a good acclimatization day.

From the Shira Plateau, continue east, passing the junction near the peak of Kibo. As you continue, the direction changes to the southeast towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, you come to the second junction, which leads up to the Arrow Glacier (4876 m). You then continue down to Barranco Hut (3860 m).

Although you end the day at nearly the same elevation as when you began, this is another important day for acclimatization.

Start the day by descending into the beginning of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. Then climb steeply up what has been termed the Breakfast Wall. It is a climb over rocks - not technical, but long and tiring.

Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, head towards the Karanga Valley (4000 m) for the overnight stay.

Trekking Time: 3-4 hours

After a good night's rest and breakfast, set off on your walk to Barafu Camp at 4640 m. The climb takes you across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around you at all. It's a tough, steep walk made more difficult by the altitude.

On arriving at camp, eat and spend the afternoon resting as you 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 you will be getting up between 11 pm and 12 pm to start the climb to the summit.

You will be awoken around 23:30 with hot tea and biscuits. Hopefully, you have managed to get a few hours of sleep; don't worry if you haven't, as most people struggle to sleep before summit night. Make sure that all your kit, including warm clothes, a headlamp, insulated water reserves, and snacks, is ready for a sharp departure at 24:00.

The trek up Kibo is steep and slow. The trick is to keep your momentum moving forward, one step at a time. It takes about 6-8 hours to reach the top of the crater rim, where you will see the sign for Stella Point (5,739 meters). You still have another 156 meters of altitude to walk around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters).

After reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, a 4.5 km / 3-mile ascent, you still have an 11 km / 7-mile descent to Mweka Camp (3,100 meters). Mweka is situated in the upper part of the rainforest zone. The richness of oxygen and moisture in the air will be a very welcome surprise.

In the morning after breakfast, you will trek down to Mweka Gate. The trek is a pleasant one through the lower rainforested slopes and down to Mweka Gate (1,640 meters). Although you cover 9 km / 5.5 miles, the trek only takes 3-4 hours.

Assuming you successfully reach Stella Point or Uhuru Peak, you will be presented with official certificates - a green certificate for the former and a gold certificate for the latter. It is customary to tip your trekking crew before being transported back to your hotel in Arusha.

The end of the 8 Days Lemosho Route.