The Lemosho Route is considered the most scenic trail on Mt Kilimanjaro, granting panoramic vistas on the western, southern, and eastern sides of the mountain. As one of the newer routes, Lemosho is a superb choice for your climb. It is our preferred route due to its ideal balance of beautiful scenery, good acclimatization, and a high summit success rate. Most of our clients who have used Lemosho Route have rated this route as excelent. The trek begins at Londorossi Gate, located on the western side of the mountain at an altitude of 2360 metres. The route takes you through a majestic rainforest where some of the region’s most unique wildlife can often be seen. The route continues up to the lowest of Kilimanjaro's 3 dormant volcanoes at Shira Ridge. Lemosho Route is a long route and we recommend an 8 days itinerary, but we also offer a 7 days version. No technical climbing is required but a good level of fitness is recommended.
Lemosho Route Itinerary
Duration: 7 nights/8 Days Climb
Arrival Day
When you arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) you will see our driver waiting for you just outside the secured customs area - with a Kilifortune Expeditions sign with your name on it. From there you will be drive to your hotel in Moshi. After allowing some time to settle in, there will be a climb briefing with your guide. Here all questions will be answered. There will also be an equipment check. If you are lacking any items, they can be rented locally of good quality at a reasonable price. If you have a nightime arrival, these things can be done early the next morning.
Day 1: Lemosho Glades
After breakfast at your hotel, we take you to the Londorosi gate on the western side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We will begin our hike at the Lemosho trail head.
Please note that in rainy/muddy conditions, sometimes the vehicles can’t make it to the true trailhead so there can be some extra hiking – After a picnic lunch, we will hike for about 4 hours to Forest Camp.
In the forest, exotic moss and flowers delight the eye while bird calls entertain the ear. You may see black and white colobus monkeys as well as signs of the elephants that travel in this area. We will overnight at Forest Camp.
Hiking hours: 4 hours
Distance: 6km
Overnight Altitude: 3,950M
Habitat: Montane Forest.
Day 2: Shira Plateau
As we leave the Montane Forest and enter the hagenia zone, our views open and we
will catch our first views of Kibo Peak. This is a good acclimatization hike, as
we go up and down several ridges along the way to our highest point of the day at
11,500 ft. before descending to camp. Overnight at Shira 1 Camp.
Hiking: 6-9 hours
Overnight Altitude 11,500 ft.
Day 3: Moir Camp
We will traverse the heath zone of the Shira Plateau and begin climbing the western
slope of the Kibo Massif. Along the way, we will enjoy a picnic lunch at Scott
Fisher Memorial Camp (named after a well-known Mt. Everest guide). We will continue on to the
upper heath zone and Moir Camp. Depending on the weather, acclimatization hikes can
be arranged in the late afternoon.
Hiking: 5-6 hours
Overnight Altitude: ~13,650 ft.
Day 4: Barranco Camp
We leave the heath zone and enter the alpine zone as we hike 4-6 hours past Lava
Camp (up to about 14,300 ft) with its volcanic landscape and then down a bit into the
scenic Barranco Valley to camp.
Hiking: 4-6 hours
Overnight Altitude: ~13,044 ft.
Day 5: Karanga Camp
Ascend the Great Barranco Wall with views of Kilimanjaro’s ice fields, then hike up
and down across some small valleys on your way to Karanga Camp.
Hiking: 3-5 hours
Overnight Altitude: ~13,106′
Day 6: Barafu Camp
Hike about 3-5 hours to Barafu Camp, again with some ups and downs across small valleys. Early supper and rest in camp before your wake-up call to start your summit ascent around 11:00 PM or midnight.
Hiking: 3-5 hours
Overnight Altitude: ~15,100 ft
Day 7: Summit and Mweka Camp
Summit day. We will start our ascent to the summit (19,340ft – 5,896m) around 11:00 PM or midnight the night prior. The goal for you – and numerous other climbers – is to reach the peak right at sunrise. In reality, due to differences in hiking speed, energy, and altitude acclimatization, there is a several hour span where most climbers reach the summit.
Using headlamps you will ascend 6-7 hours to Stella Point and then another 1-2 hours to Uhuru Peak, the summit. After a summit celebration and photos, we descend to Barafu Camp for lunch and then to Mweka Camp to sleep overnight.
Hiking: Very variable on both the up and the down; 12-17 hours typical
Summit 19,341 ft
Overnight Altitude: 10,448 ft
Day 8: Mweka Park Gate
We make the final descent to the trailhead today, about 3-5 hours hiking. At the gate, our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Moshi. In town, you will say goodbye to your mountain crew, then relax, recover, and celebrate your achievement! Typically you will arrive at your hotel usually between 3-5 PM.
Hiking: 3-5 hours
Departure Day
Breakfast at the hotel in included in your climb package. If you have booked a safari we will leave after breakfast. Otherwise our driver will be available to take you to Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) at any time necessary for your flight. Hotel checkout is at 10am. If you have a flight leaving later in the day, we can try to arrange a late checkout or a day room (there would be an extra charge for a dayroom).