9-Day Kilimanjaro Climb via Lemosho Route to Uhuru Peak

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 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, we will cover a lot of ground as you trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. We will pass through Shira 1 Camp, from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds, as we continue towards our destination at 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 have the chance to view the Northern Ice Fields from the western side of the mountain, along 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.

Our trek starts with an ascent offering far-reaching panoramic views as we walk into the climatic zone of the upland desert and onto the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. You will reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4640 m), the 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 (3960 m). The camp is sheltered by towering cliffs and offers 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 separates us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It is a climb over rock - not technical, but long and tiring.

We continue towards the Karanga Valley, passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers. From the valley, we make a steep climb to our night's camp at Karanga Camp, set at 3963 m. For those feeling strong, we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200 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 4640 m. The climb takes 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 the 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 get up between 11 pm and 12 pm to begin the climb to the summit.

We start at around midnight and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours, gaining incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular.

We should reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5739 m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us, and the views of the jagged Mawenzi Peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour's walk takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895 m).

We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point, descending on a steep slope, and tracking back to Barafu Camp for breakfast before finally heading down to Mweka Camp for a long, well-earned rest.

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 celebrate with cold drinks. Overnight at your arranged hotel.

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 take you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to catch your flight home.