Tour Overview
This route approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the west. It offers a chance to visit Shira Plateau (Cathedral peak) and Shira Caldera. Lemosho Route crosses from Shira Ridge to Shira 2 Camp, in a pleasant hike. Climbers encounter low traffic until the route joins the Machame route. Afterwards, Lemosho follows the same route as Machame Route through Lava Tower, Barranco and Barafu, known as the southern circuit. The minimum days required for this route is 7 days, but eight days is recommended as it will give more chance to acclimatize and achieve the summit. Like Machame, this is a scenically spectacular and varied route. Lemosho is highly recommended and it has an abundance of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, eland and lion which come over to forage during dry season from Longido game controlled area.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Moshi to Londorosi gate to Big tree campsite
We will pick you up from your hotel your hotel and transport you to Londorosi gate for registration. After this formality, you board the vehicle and drive again to Lemoho glade. From this point you will start the trek across undisturbed Montane forest decorated with Black and White Colobus Monkey to the camp where dinner and overnight will take place.
Day 2: Big tree campsite to Shira one campsite
This is an acclimatization trek because you will gain over 650m by starting walking across a beautiful valley outside Shira caldera rim (3600m). After few hours you will reach into Shira caldera. A high altitude desert, Shira is the one among the three peaks which erupted in Kilimanjaro ecosystem. The peak ltaer collapsed and formed a crater which eventually became filled with the lava flow from Kibo peak. Its rim is eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Camp and overnight at 3500m elevation at the Shira one campsite
Day 3: Shira one campsite to Shira two campsite
This day you will trek to east across Shira plateau visiting (Cathedral peak 3850m)for acclimatization. Reaching at this peak you will find spectacular views of Mt. Meru and Kibo Peak. We then continue trekking to Shira two camp where we will stay for dinner and overnight place
Day 4: Shira two campsite to Barranco campsite
This is long acclimatization day. You will have an early breakfast then trek east to a junction leading to Lava tower rock 4600m for acclimatization. Afterwards, you will descend down to Barranco campsite for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Barranco campsite to Karanga campsite
Today is short day of trekking. In the morning you will start climbing Barranco wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga campsite for hot lunch. After lunch you will have a bit of rest and get another acclimatization of trekking up the scree slopes towards the Southern ice field. You will then return to the camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Karanga campsite – Barafu campsite
Today trek up to the Barafu ridge campsite is tough because of altitude. The walk take few hours because of short distance but is steep which need slowly walk so to avoid tiredness. You will completely walk across a alpine desert with strong and cold winds blows from the ever closer Kibo peak and its ice. You will have an early dinner at 1700hrs then rest until midnight when we you commence your push for the summit.
Day 7: Barafu hut campsite – Uhuru peak to Mweka hut campsite
Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12; 00AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 5 AM. At this point you will be having the views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some times for taking photo’s. After your summit activities done, you will descend back to the Barafu Huts campsite, for lunch, rest, collect your belongings, and continue down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka Huts campsite. Dinner and overnight at Mweka hut campsite.
Day 8: Mweka hut campsite – Mweka gate
After breakfast, today is your last day on the mountain so you will descend down to Mweka park gate walking across Montane forest this descent will take 3-4 hours. Then here at the gate you will sign out and get ready to board the vehicle ready for the transfer back to the hotel in Moshi for your certificate presentation celebration.
Price Includes
- 2 nights accommodation at Keys Hotel in Moshi
- All nights accommodation in Huts
- Professional, experienced, mountain guides
- All Park fees and Rescue fees.
- All meals while on the Mountain
- Arrival and Departure transfers
- Guides, Porters, cook salaries and park fees
- Large portions of fresh, healthy, nutritious food
- Clean, purified drinking water
- Fair and ethical treatment of porters
- Sleeping Mattress
Price Excludes
- Flights ( International)
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Personal expenses in nature such as money for souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees etc.
- Visa fees ( 100 USD for American and 50 USD for non-American)
- Immunization documents ( yellow fever recommended for visa processing on arrivals)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and /or park fees
