8 Days Climbing: $1890
(No Overnight in the Crater)
Lemosho is a slightly longer route, which allows you to acclimatize to the altitude, and extra time to enjoy the spectacular environment. Lemosho is one of the more scenic routes up Kilimanjaro and does not require a midnight summit climb. We prefer to summit during daylight hours to enjoy the views, the warmer weather, and to avoid the crowds in the early morning at the summit. We approach from the west.
Day 01 – Moshi
3,000-ft/914-m
After arriving at Kilimanjaro airport, you check into the hotel. We spend two nights in Moshi allowing you time to regenerate and meet with your guides as they give you a detailed climb orientation and gear check.
Day 02 – Mti Mkubwa
9,170-ft/2,795-m • 2.5 miles/4 km • 3 hours
We enter Kilimanjaro National Park and check in at the Londorossi Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. Our trek today will be along a little used track through the montane forest.
In places the vegetation is so untouched that it grows right across the trail. The flora and fauna are richer here than on the other more popular routes through the rain forest. Our first camp is in the rain forest at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree).
Day 03 – Shira Plateau
11,500-ft/3,505-m • 5.2 miles/8.4 km • 7-8 hours
After breakfast we leave the glades, and start climbing towards the heath and moorland zone. We traverse the steep ridge into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau.
Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones – now eroded – and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. Weather and volcanic action have decimated the crater rim. Today you’ll get your first views of Kibo peak.
Day 04 – Moir Camp
13,650-ft/4,160-m • 6.3 miles/10 km • 7-8 hours
After breakfast we hike east across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Moir camp, tucked away at the end of a massive gorge, at the foot of a giant lava flow.
On the way to camp we enjoy a hot lunch at Fisher Camp, which is only a couple hours from our destination.
Day 05 – Barranco
12,950-ft/3,950-m • 6.2 miles/9.9 km • 6-7 hours
After breakfast, we start climbing toward Lava Tower lower camp, at 15,200-ft/4,633-m, where we stop for lunch, allowing our bodies to acclimatize. Descending through the giant Senecio habitat, we arrive at our camp beautifully located at the foot of the Barranco Wall.
This is where the Machame and Lemosho routes converge, so we meet other climbers ascending the Machame Route.
Day 06 – Karanga
13,200-ft/4,023-m • 3.6 miles/5.8 km • 4-5 hours
Our big challenge is to hike up the Barranco Wall, a 500-ft lava flow. It’s not technical, but challenging nonetheless. Once on top of the wall, the climb becomes easier and extremely beautiful with fantastic views of the crags and crevasses of the jagged peaks of Kibo on your left.
Lastly we descend into the Karanga Valley and up the other side, for our overnight camp.