LEMOSHO 8 DAY CLIMB

8 day private camping trekking tour + 2 nights’ hotel stay

The Lemosho route is traditionally one of the quieter and lesser-known routes on the mountain. It’s also the newest and probably the most diverse in terms of the ecological systems and landscapes it passes through. The first two days of this route take you through lush rainforest before you emerge into heath and moorland then join the Machame Route on the third day. This narrow trail, which begins on the Western side of Kilimanjaro, has some very steep and undulating sections. Hikers overnight in tents.

Highlights

Day 1

Start: Lemosho Gate (2385 m)
Finish: Big Tree Camp (2780 m)
Altitude: ↑ 395 m
Walking Time: 2-3h

Beautiful passage through thick mountain forest on a small trail with a moderate climb.


Day 2

Start: Big Tree Camp (2780 m)
Finish: Shira Camp 1 (3500 m )
Altitude: ↑ 720 m
Walking Time: 4-5h

Continuously rising and falling terrain above the rainforest with wonderful views of the Shira Ridge and the Kibo Summit.


Day 3

Start: Shira Camp 1 (3500 m)
Finish: Shira Camp 2 (3900 m)
Altitude: ↑ 400 m
Walking Time: 3-4h

Short trek with moderate rising through heat and moorland zone. Great views by crossing Shira Ridge.


Day 4

Start: Shira Camp 2 (3900 m)
Finish: Barranco Camp (3960 m)
Altitude: ↑ 740 m  ↓ 680 m
Walking Time: 6-7h

A long trek through the heath and moorland zone with impressive vegetation on the way to the Lava Tower.


Day 5

Start: Barranco Camp (3960 m)
Finish: Karanga Camp (4035 m)
Altitude: ↑ 100 m ↓ 25 m
Walking Time: 3-4h

Steep climb over the Barranco Wall with a rewarding view of Kibo’s southern glacier, continuously up and down.


Day 6

Start: Karanga Camp (4035 m)
Finish: Barafu Camp (4640 m)
Altitude: ↑ 615 m
Walking Time: 3-4h

Small path through rocky alpine desert, not technically demanding.


Day 7

Start: Barafu Camp (4640 m)
Finish: Uhuru Peak (5895 m) – Mweka Camp (3080 m)
Altitude: ↓ 1255 m  ↓ 2815 m
Walking Time: 10-14h

Very steep, long and possibly cold climb to Stella Point. Fantastic panorama at the crater ridge and at the summit. Descent relatively steep and long. Altitude might influence the climb.


Day 8

Start: Mweka Camp (3080 m)
Finish: Mweka Gate (1630 m)
Altitude: ↓ 1450 m
Walking Time: 2-3h

Easy and relatively short descent with a good path through lush rainforest.

Itinerary

Kilimanjaro Airport – Usa River

Our friendly transfer driver will meet you at Kilimanjaro airport. After loading the luggage into the vehicle you will make your way to the Meru View Lodge in Usa River. You can relax the rest of the day or go and explore the small town of Arusha. Our team will meet you later the day to have a preliminary talk in preparation for the days to follow.

Dinner


Day 1 Usa River – Lemosho Gate (2385 m) – Big Tree Camp (2780 m)

In the morning, you will make your way to the Lemosho Gate. Here you will be registered by the national park authorities and your trek through a dense rainforest begins. Today will be a shortest walk of the entire trek, about 2½ hours, which gives you a small taste of what lies ahead in the coming days. The walk takes you through dense and unspoiled rainforest, which is very different from the scenery you will have in the next couple of days. Your destination for the day is the beautiful Big Tree Camp at 2780 m.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 2 Big Tree Camp (2780 m) – Shira Camp 1 (3500 m)

After breakfast you will follow a thin trail through the rainforest before leaving the green area behind heading into moorland. Erica and Lobelia plants will start to take over the landscape. After about 3-4 hours you will reach Shira Camp 1 where you will have your evening meal and overnight stay.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 3 Shira Camp 1 (3500 m) – Shira Camp 2 (3900 m)

After breakfast you continue your trek, which today will be less tiring than the day before. You will cross Shira Ridge which will allows for great views of the Rift Valley and Mt Meru. The ever changing landscape will again surprise you with a different terrain, you will walk on ground where lava once flowed. You will also pass the big Senecien that can grow to more or less 9 meters in height. Shira Camp 2 will be your destination for the night at (3900m), 400m more than the night before.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 4 Shira Camp 2 (3900 m) – Lava Tower (4640 m) – Barranco Camp (3960 m)

After breakfast you will start your walk up to Lava Tower with a long ascent above the Shira Plateau. You will climb quite a bit in altitude, roughly 740 m. You will have a rest here before descending again. This is a so called acclimatising day, where you will climb high but sleep low, giving you a good idea of how your body reacts to altitude. The landscape will once again change as you pass through the Barranco Valley with its big Senecias and smaller Lobelia plants. After a long 6 – 7 hours you will reach your beautiful camp for the night the Barranco Camp. The crew will be there waiting with a well deserve evening meal before settling in for the night.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 5 Barranco Camp (3960 m) – Karanga Camp (4035 m)

Straight after breakfast you will make your way up the famous Barranco Wall. This is most probably the steepest part of the entire route. Safety is very important to us so please follow the guideline of your guides who will get you to the top safely. You might have to use yours hands every now and then to get a better grip but rest assured there are no alpine climbing passages. Once at the top you will walk along the mountain ridge and if the weather allows you will have a great view of the southern glacier of Kibo as the Kibo summit. After 3 – 4 hours you will reach Karanga Camp for your overnight.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 6 Karanga Camp (4035 m) – Barafu Camp (4640 m)

Barafu Camp is your destination for today at (15,220 ft) 4640 m. You will start after breakfast and should reach it in about 3 to 4 hours. The scenery for today will be mostly afro-alpine dessert. Once at the camp you will have a filling early dinner before settling in for a good rest in preparation for tomorrow exciting climb.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner


Day 7 Barafu Camp (4640 m) – Uhuru Peak (5895 m) – Mweka Camp (3080 m)

Your day will begin at 00:00. After hot tea and biscuits you will start your 5-7 hours walk to Stella Point, the crater rim of Kilimanjaro. Here you will have a short rest if necessary before continuing another 1-2 hours to reach the highlight of the trip the Uhuru Peak (5895 m). This is truly a once in a lifetime experience as you stand at the top of Africa watching the sunrise light up the surrounding summits and landscape. After taking much needed pictures you will make your way down back to Barafu Camp for a 1-2 hours rest. Once everyone is well rested you will continue down to Mweka gate (3080 m), an approx. 3 hours walk. The rest of the evening is yours to relax, you’ll have a nice evening meal and a good night’s sleep.

Breakfast, Dinner 


Day 8 Mweka Camp (3080 m) – Mweka Gate (1630 m) – Usa River

After breakfast, before starting your final stretch, you will enjoy a traditional farewell ceremony from the mountain guides. A 2 – 3 hours walk will take you through the rainforest back the Mweka Gate. Our driver will be there waiting for you and take you back to the Sal Salinero Hotel. The rest of the day is yours to freshen up, relax, and take in all the excitement of the last couple of days.

Breakfast


Usa River – Kilimanjaro Airport

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Kilimanjaro Airport or can head out on safari with us.

Breakfast

Price includes:

  • Trekking tour according to the itinerary
  • Accommodation in tents and hotels as indicated in the itinerary
  • Professional English-speaking guide
  • Personal porter
  • Meals as indicated in the itinerary
  • Drinking water
  • Transfers as indicated in the itinerary
  • Camping equipment – tents, sleeping mattress and camping furniture
  • Portable toilet and toilet tent
  • National park fees
  • Rescue fees

Price excludes:

  • Flights (international and domestic)
  • Meals not indicated in the itinerary
  • Beverages other than water (alcohol and soft drinks)
  • Visa, tips, personal expenses, travel insurance
  • Sleeping bag (can be rented, please ask us at the time of the booking)

FAQ

  • The group size is between five and a maximum of ten persons
  • On a private climb, you choose your hiking partners. You will not be teamed up with strangers. We can accommodate private groups of up to 100 or so.

As per the national park authorities, the minimum age for climbing Kilimanjaro is 10 years but seeing that children are more prone to altitude sickness than adults, we recommend a minimum age of 12. There is no maximum age restriction, but a medical check-up is advisable for people over the age of 60.

Kilimanjaro is one of the few mountains of its height that can be summited without mountaineering skills or experience. You should however be healthy and fit enough to manage the 4-6 hour hike each day, as well as the 12-14 hour hike on the day of the summit. For the last stretch, much endurance and willpower is needed.

Generally yes. We however discourage any attempts during the main rainy season (end of March to beginning of June). During the short rainy season (November), daily short rainfalls and cloudy views can be expected. From December until the end of February, temperatures are at their highest and rainfall is at its minimum. These are the busiest times. Between the end of June and the middle of October is also a good time to climb. Temperatures are a little lower but there is almost no rain.

The Lemosho route begins on the rather remote western side of Kilimanjaro, but meets up with the Machame route on day 3 at the Shira Plateau. The Lemosho route is the longest route and it covers the most kilometres, which is why one should allow a minimum of seven days for the climb.

Overnight accommodation will be in two-man tents and sleeping mats are provided. Single travellers usually share a tent with another group member of the same gender. Single tents can be provided on request at additional cost.

There are no ablution facilities except for basic long-drops (very simple latrines), but on private climbs mobile chemical toilets are included.

  • Fresh water will be collected from the available sources on the mountain and is boiled before it’s served. Porters will carry water in canisters for the higher areas, where no more fresh water is available. All meals are freshly prepared by your cook.
  • Meals are included as indicated in the itinerary.
  • Breakfast usually consists of fruit, scrambled eggs, porridge, toast and jam, hot chocolate, coffee or tea. For lunch you are usually provided with a lunch box that contains sandwiches, boiled eggs, chicken etc.
  • For dinner you will be served a soup and bread followed by the main course that either consists of red meat or poultry served with some sort of starch (chips, mashed potatoes, pasta or rice) and vegetables. For dessert you will get fresh fruit, hot chocolate, coffee or tea and milk.
  • Breakfast and dinner are served in a mess tent that is equipped with a table and chairs while lunch is usually enjoyed en-route.
  • We are able to provide meals for vegetarians or people with other dietary requirements or food allergies but we need to know in advance in order to cater for special requests.

Almost every hiker attempting Kilimanjaro will notice the altitude and the thinner air. Fitness fanatics are just as likely to suffer from it as couch potatoes. Symptoms include headaches that are often accompanied by fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea. More often than not, symptoms are mild, allowing you to continue to ascend. Occasionally the symptoms are more severe and a rapid descent is required, after which your body tends to recover quite quickly. Please however always keep in mind, that severe altitude sickness can be life-threatening and it may even lead to death. We do not recommend the use of medication, as it suppresses the symptoms of altitude sickness. We do however encourage you to drink enough water to replace the fluids lost from the physical activity. Two to four litres per day are recommended, as well as mineral supplements (magnesium etc.) to help replace lost minerals and to prevent muscle cramps.

 

  • Unfortunately there are no state of the art mountain rescue services like the ones to be found in the European Alps for example. If you no longer have the ability to walk, you will either be carried or transported on a wheeled stretcher. This is by no means a pleasant experience which is why we encourage you not to overstrain your body and to travel safe. Helicopters can only land at a lower altitude and are therefore rarely used.
  • Please ensure that you are covered by your health insurance while travelling. If you do not have sufficient coverage, we highly recommend taking out appropriate travel insurance. Your insurance should cover all your medical expenses including costs for rescue and repatriation.
  • It is common practice to tip the members of your mountain crew after the climb. Tips make up a large portion of their income and are therefore highly appreciated. Below are some guidelines based on a group (not per person)
  • Guide: 15-18 USD / day
  • Assistant Guide: 12-15 USD / day
  • Cook:   8-10 USD / day
  • Waiter: 7-9 USD / day
  • Porter:   6-7 USD / day
  • Of course the above is just a guideline. If you are happy with the service received, you are welcome to show this when it comes to tipping.
  • If you plan to tip in USD, please make sure the notes have been printed after 2004 as any earlier dated bank notes are not valid and can therefore not be used in Tanzania.
  • Travel bag, backpack or kitbag, weighing no more than 12kg. Please do not bring a suitcase or trolley bag, as this type of luggage cannot be carried by the porters.
  • Day backpack with rain protection.
  • High quality sleeping bag for harsh conditions (at night temperatures can drop to -20°C).
  • Different layers of clothing including thermal base layers, fleece clothing, trekking pants, warm jacket and water-resistant top layers as well as a warm headgear.
  • Water-resistant and comfortable hiking boots and a variety of trekking socks.
  • Please note that the above list is not complete and these are just a few things that you will have to bring with you. Once we have confirmed your booking, you will receive a more detailed list.
  • Citizens of all nationalities need to contact the embassies of their travel destination to check the visa regulations.
  • In general, European citizens can apply for a Tanzanian Tourism Visa upon arrival in Tanzania.
  • It is the sole responsibility of every traveller to be in possession of the required documents and visa that allows them to enter their holiday destination.
  • Tanzania is no longer a yellow fever region, so a yellow fever certificate isn’t generally a requirement. If visiting any other countries in the region either before or after Tanzania, be sure to check if a yellow fever vaccination is required
  • Although there are no mosquitoes at high altitude, Tanzania is within a malaria region. It is up to you if you wish to take medication, but we suggest that you speak to your doctor or travel clinic about the different prophylaxis and their effects and side-effects.
  • Although Tanzania does not require proof of immunization against tetanus, diphtheria, polio and hepatitis A and B, we nevertheless recommend those vaccinations.

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