8 Days Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route

You will meet our Mangokili Adventures driver at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), and he will take you to your hotel in Moshi town. There, you’ll meet your guide. He or she will ask you about your upcoming hike and check your gear to make sure you have everything you need for the mountain. On this day, you can rent the gear you forgot.Spend the night at the Lindrin lodge or the Park View hotel. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all included in the price.

Drive to Londorossi Park Gate after breakfast and a meeting (about a 2.5-hour drive). From here, you can get to Lemosho Glades by taking a forest road that only works for 4WD vehicles. Follow trails through the woods to get to the Mti Mkubwa (big tree) campsite.

— Height: 1830m/6000ft to 2650m/8700ft
— Distance: 6km/4mi
— Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
— Habitat: Montane Forest

After breakfast, we keep going as the trail gradually gets steeper and takes us into the area of giant heather moorland. After crossing a few streams, we go over the Shira Ridge and slowly go down to the Shira 1 camp, which is near a stream on the Shira Plateau.
— The altitude goes from 2650m/8700ft to 3500m/11,500ft.
— The distance is 8km/5mi.
— Time to walk: 4 to 5 hours
— Habitat: Moorland

After breakfast, you can take a gentle walk across the plateau to get to Shira 2 camp, which is in moorland meadows next to a stream. There are many different hikes on the Plateau, which makes this a great day to get used to the altitude.
— From 3500m/11,500ft to 3850m/12,600ft in altitude
— 8km/5mi in distance
— Time to walk: 4 to 5 hours
— Habitat: Moorland

From the Shira Plateau, we keep going east along a ridge, past a junction, and up to the top of Kibo. As we keep going, our direction changes to the south-east, towards the “Shark’s Tooth” Lava Tower, which is 4,650m (15,250ft) high. Shortly after the tower, we come to the second fork, which leads to the Arrow Glacier. Now, we keep going downhill toward the Barranco Camp. Even though you end the day at about the same height as when you started, this day is very important for getting used to the altitude and will help your body get ready for summit day.
— Height: 3850m/12,600ft to 4000m/13,000ft
— Distance: 8km/5mi
— Walking Time: 5–6 hours
— Habitat: Semi-desert

After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue along a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction with the Mweka Trail.
— From 4000m/13,000ft to 4050m/13,250ft in altitude
— 5km/3mi in distance
— Time on Foot: 34 hours
— Habitat: Alpine Desert

We keep going toward the Barafu Camp. You have finished the South Circuit, which gives you a lot of different views of the summit. Here, we set up camp, rest, eat dinner, and get ready for the day we’ll reach the top.
— Height: 4050m/13,250ft to 4700m/15,350ft
— Distance: 4km/2mi
— Time to walk: 3–4 hours
— Habitat: Alpine Desert

We keep going to the top between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers between midnight and two in the morning. You head northwest and climb up through a lot of loose rock to get to Stella Point on the edge of the crater. This is the hardest part of the trek for both your mind and body. At Stella Point, you’ll take a short break and get to see the most beautiful sunrise you’re likely to ever see. Those who hike faster may be able to see the sunrise from the top. From Stella Point, it could snow all the way to the top, which is an hour away.
When you reach Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the whole continent of Africa!
From the top of the mountain, we head straight down to the Mweka Camp, stopping for lunch at Barafu. For the loose gravel on the way down, you might want gaiters and trekking poles. We get to Mweka Camp and spend our last night on the mountain having fun.
— Elevation: 4700m/15,350ft to 5895m/19,340ft and down to 3090m/10,150ft
— Distance: 5km/3mi up and 13km/8mi down
— Hiking Time: 5-7 hours up and 5-6 hours down
— Habitat: stone scree and ice-capped summit