Until the Northern Circuit opened recently, the Lemosho Route was widely considered to be the overall best route to climb Kilimanjaro. It combines all the best feature of the Machame route in terms of success rate but, by starting further round to the West, it takes you up and over the spectacular Shira Plateau, while at the same time avoids the crowds on the early part of the Machame route. Over 8 days, you have a fantastic journey and a great chance of summiting successfully.
The Lemosho route is considered one of the most scenic trail on the Kilimanjaro, granting panoramic vistas on almost all sides of the mountain. Being one of the newer routes, Lemosho is definitely an excellent choice for your climb.
Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa Elevation: 7,742 ft to 9,498 ft Distance: 6 km/4 miles Hiking Time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Rain Forest We depart Moshi for Londorossi Gate, which takes about 4 hours, where you will complete entry formalities. Then drive to the Lemosho trailhead. Upon arrival at trailhead, we begin hiking through undisturbed forest which winds to the first camp site
Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp Elevation: 9,498 ft to 11,500 ft Distance: 8 km/ 5miles Hiking Time 5-6 hours Habitat: Health We continue on the trail leading out of the rain forest and into a savannah of tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. As we ascend through the lush rolling hills and cross several streams, we reach the Shira Ridge before dropping gently down to Shira 1 Camp. Here we catch our first glimpse of Kibo across the plateau
Shira 1 Camp to Moir Hut Elevation: 11,500 ft to 13,800 ft Distance: 11 km/ 7 miles Hiking Time: 5-7 hours Habitat: Heath We explore the Shira Plateau for a full day. It is a gentle walk east on moorland meadows towards Shira 2 Camp. Then we divert from the main trail to Moir Hut, a little used site on the base of Lent Hills. A variety of walks are available on Lent Hills making this an excellent acclimatization opportunity. Shira Plateau is one of the highest plateaus on earth
Moir Hut to Lava Tower Elevation: 13,800 ft to 15,190 ft Distance: 7 km/4 miles Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert Lava Tower to Barranco Camp Elevation: 15,190 ft to 13,044 ft Distance: 3 km/2 miles Hiking Time: 2-3 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert We begin the day climbing up a ridge and then head southeast towards the Lava Tower – a 300 ft tall volcanic rock formation. We descend down to Barranco Camp through the strange but beautiful Senecio Forest to an altitude of 13,000 ft. Although you begin and end the day at the same elevation, the time spent at higher altitude is very beneficial for acclimatization
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp Elevation: 13,044 ft to 13,106 ft Distance: 5 km/3 miles Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert We begin the day by descending into a ravine to the base of the Great Barranco Wall. Then we climb the non-technical but steep, nearly 900 ft cliff. From the top of the Barranco Wall we cross a series of hills and valleys until we descend sharply into Karanga Valley. One more steep climb up leads us to Karanga Camp. This is a shorter day
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft Distance: 4 km/2 miles Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert We leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the rocky section to Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest and enjoy an early dinner to prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are viewable from this position
Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341 ft Distance: 5 km/3 miles Hiking Time: 7-8 hours Habitat: Arctic Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp Elevation: 19,341 ft to 10,065 ft Distance: 12 km/7 miles Hiking Time: 4-6 hours Habitat: Rain Forest Very early in the morning (around midnight), we begin our push to the summit. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. The wind and cold at this elevation and time of day can be extreme. We ascend in the darkness for several hours while taking frequent, but short, breaks. Near Stella Point (18,900 ft), you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see coming over Mawenzi Peak. Finally, we arrive at Uhuru Peak- the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. The trail is very rocky and can be quite hard on the knees; trekking poles are helpful. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate Elevation: 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft Distance: 10 km/6 miles Hiking Time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Rain Forest On our last day, we continue the descent to Mweka Gate and collect the summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. From the gate, we continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet us at Mweka Village to drive us back to the hotel in Moshi
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