We have to admit, we have a soft spot for the Lemosho route! Because of its versatility, scenery and a rather untouched, wild start to the climb, Lemosho is often considered the route with the most variety. Spotting large wildlife, like antelopes is not very common, but possible! One of the really unique things about this route is that it offers trekkers the experience of hiking across the Shira Plateau, one of the largest high altitude plateaus in the world. The route approaches from the western side of the mountain and is less frequented than other popular Kilimanjaro routes.
Tour Highlights:
As you can see, you spend more time around the 4,000 metre mark, allowing your body even better acclimatisation before climbing higher. The route then follows a path known as the Southern Circuit, which traverses underneath Kilimanjaro’s Southern Ice Field. You then summit from Barafu, and descend via Mweka.
At Londorossi Park Gate you are entered into the Kilimanjaro National Park’s records. You then drive for another hour to the Lemosho trailhead. From there it’s a three-hour hike up to MtiMkubwa, also known as the Big Tree Camp. This is your first night sleeping under the stars in tents!
After an early morning breakfast, you begin your ascent out of the rainforest and into the heather and moorland zone. You cross many streams and walk over a plateau that leads to Shira 2 Camp. At this campsite you have a spectacular view of the Western Breach, which is a gap formed by lava flow. You can also see glaciers. You hike for about five to six hours in total today.
Today’s trek is along the lines of ‘climb high, sleep low’, meaning you hike to a higher altitude before dropping back down to a lower altitude for the night. This strategy works wonders for acclimatisation. Today’s hike can therefore be broken into two parts: the climb to Lava Tower, then the descent to Barranco Camp. Today you hike up to an impressive rock formation called Lava Tower at 4,630 m (15,419 ft). It takes five hours to get there and is a true highlight of the Lemosho trail. After lunch at Lava Tower, you head down to Barranco Camp. The walk takes about two hours. The camp is located in a valley below the Western Breach and Barranco Wall.
This is a short hiking day of four to five hours that focuses on acclimatisation. After an early morning breakfast, it’s time for you to conquer the great Barranco Wall, which is a steep wall of rock. Although it may look intimidating at first, trekkers usually say it turns out to be easier than they anticipated. At the top of the wall you are above the clouds and enjoy superb views of the southern ice fields and the summit. The trail then winds up and down until you arrive at Karanga Camp.
It’s getting real! You’re now very close to the summit and have some amazing views of the mountain during your short ascent of two to three hours to the last base, Barafu Camp. This campsite sits at 4,600 m (15,091 ft) above sea level. You go to bed early tonight as tomorrow’s summit hike starts in the dark. This is partly to enjoy the sunrise from up high, and partly because of the long hours of trekking required.
Today’s trek consists of two parts: the climb from Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak, the tallest spot on Kilimanjaro, followed by the descent to Mweka Camp. You are woken up around midnight to get ready for your summit attempt. This is the moment to dig deep mentally and physically to try reach the tippy-top of Africa. The route heads northwest into the dark night. After about six hours of trekking you reach Stella Point on the crater rim. You then continue for another hour or so on a snow-covered trail to reach Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level. You did it! Having reached the summit, you descend to Mweka Camp for the night. Having hiked for about 12 to 15 hours, you fall asleep immediately, trust us!
Today you do the last bit of hiking down to the foot of the mountain, where your driver is waiting for you. Achievement of a lifetime.
get a custom itinerary with specialist advice from Kilimanjaro experts
we booked a day tour with african pangolin safaris. they were very responsive and organized a tour for us only one day ahead of our inquiry. it was a wonderful experience!
we booked a one day tour with pangolin safaris. our guide and driver was mansoor, the owner of pangolin safaris.mansoor is an awesome tour guide! he is professional.
everything was great. the best was our driver and guide emanuel. comunnication with mansoor from african pangolin safaris befor our trip was perfect.very kindly attitude from him.
tailor-made trips are tailored to each traveler. they are perfect if you are looking for authentic experiences and prefer to spend more time meeting locals on your trip.
Consistently and successfully providing pocket-friendly travel options to the Tanzania .
consistently and successfully providing pocket-friendly travel options to the tanzania traveler for over two decades is no mean feat and every single day has been a step forward towards our goals for us. over these years, our diligent services have been acknowledged several times by several leading tourism and travel organizations globally.
