Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route (8 Days)

Moivaro Lodge is set on a working coffee plantation on the outskirts of Arusha. Removed from the busy city centre, it serves as a lovely base from which to enjoy the impressive safari and trekking opportunities of East Africa, with good access to Kilimanjaro and the northern safari parks of Tanzania.

You can choose to relax and take in the beautiful vista of Mount Meru from your garden cottage verandah, enjoy a drink at the cosy bar with fireplace, or perhaps just laze at the pool or amid the tropical trees and coffee plants in the gardens.

This evening there will be a climb briefing covering kit, camping arrangements, and what to expect on the mountain (climate, altitude etc), as well as tomorrow’s transfer times. This is a good chance to ask any questions you may have about the coming climb, particularly any concerns regarding kit.

After orientation and a thorough kit check, we will register at Londorossi Gate (please ensure that you send us your passport number and date of birth before the tour starts in order to ensure a quick registration.) Then, a short drive towards the trailhead at 2,350m, from where we begin our trek through the rainforest to camp 1 at Big Tree (2,785m).

Lemosho is an exciting wilderness route, which we use to avoid the overcrowding common on the more popular Machame and Marangu routes. Our trek today will take us along a little-used track, starting at the Lemosho Glades. In places the vegetation is so undisturbed that it grows right across the narrow track. Flora and fauna are richer here than on other, more trodden routes through the rainforest.

After lunch we head up a long ridge before dropping down into the Shira Caldera – a high altitude desert plateau rarely visited by man.

Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones. It is filled with lava flow from Kibo, its rim eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic action.

Today you can expect to get your first close views of Kibo – the dramatic summit cone of Kilimanjaro.

Camp at Shira One (3,500m).

Descending back into the crater from the ridge, we continue to our camp on the eastern slopes of Shira Crater, Shira Huts (3,895m).

This is only slightly higher than our camp at Shira Huts, but our trek past Lava Tower will have taken us over 4,500 metres, offering valuable altitude acclimatisation.

Today the Lemosho route merges with Machame route, so you can expect to see more groups in camp tonight.

The camp at Barranco is one of the most spectacular on Kilimanjaro, with dramatic views of Kibo.

Today’s trek will take approximately 7 hours.

We then continue on a steep ridge to Karanga Valley Camp (4,100m), where we have a relaxed afternoon and dinner.

This afternoon there will be an optional and highly useful acclimatization trek to just below the glaciers, which will allow you to try scree walking, for those members of the group with energy reserves to spare.

The trek up Barafu Ridge is tough and exposed to cross winds and the elements. Dinner will be served early and we encourage an afternoon bedtime in order to ensure you are well rested for tomorrow’s attempt on the summit.

For those who with the extra stamina, there is an optional acclimatising trek that will take you a few hundred feet higher, and which can be completed before dinner.

We expect to reach the crater around dawn, then continue around the rim to the highest point, Uhuru Point (5,895m) – the top of Africa! We take a moment to enjoy the amazing views from the summit, before returning to Stella point & then down the scree via Barafu Ridge to Millennium Camp (3,820m).

This is likely to be the toughest trek that most in the group will have ever experienced, involving approx. 1,200m of ascent, nearly 2,500m descent, and 12 to 15 hours of walking. Good effort!

This is a long walk-off lasting 5 to 6 hours, and perhaps even longer if there is rain on the route.

As the southern flank tends to receive more rain, it is quite likely that you will encounter wet and very muddy conditions in the rainforest section on this last day. Please be prepared for this and do not expect an easy jaunt back to the gate! Nevertheless, the route is very beautiful and well worth the effort.

After lunch, we drive approx. 2 hours to Moivaro Lodge for a well-earned hot shower, dinner & rest.

After lunch (this can be included with shared day room on request), unless you are continuing your trip with a safari or beach extension, you will be met by our driver for the transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your homeward flight.