Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route: 8-Day Climb with 2 Hotel Nights

Your guide and crew collect you after breakfast for the drive of three to four hours to Londorossi Gate (2,200 m) on the western side of the mountain. Once permits are issued and you have signed in with the rescue service, you walk through thick rainforest, so keep a rain jacket handy, to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,780 m). After lunch a short walk of about an hour gains 300 metres towards Shira 1 before you come back down for dinner. About 6 km, 3 to 5 hours.

The trail climbs steadily out of the forest into giant heather and moorland, and at about 3,500 metres the Shira Plateau and Kibo come into view for the first time. You cross the Shira Ridge and drop gently to Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m) in time for lunch. The afternoon is free to rest or wander near camp. From today, drink three to four litres of water, skip alcohol, and tell your guide about any headache. About 5 km, 5 to 6 hours.

An easy day across one of the highest plateaus in the world, with wide views and unusual alpine plants along the way. Shira 2 Camp sits on moorland by a stream and is the best place on the route to see Mount Meru when the sky is clear. After lunch and a rest, you walk about 2 km towards Lava Tower, gaining around 300 metres, then return to camp for dinner. About 7 km, 3 to 4 hours.

Today follows the golden rule of climbing high and sleeping low. You climb through alpine desert to the volcanic plug of Lava Tower (4,630 m) and eat lunch there, giving your body time at altitude. If anyone is struggling, your guide can take the lower porters' path, which tops out around 4,400 m. You then descend through giant groundsels into the Barranco Valley and camp beneath the Barranco Wall (3,960 m). About 12 km, 6 to 8 hours.

An early start gets you onto the Barranco Wall before other groups. It looks daunting from camp, but it is a scramble with good handholds rather than a climb, and takes about an hour. From the top, Kibo and its glaciers fill the sky. The trail then rolls up and down across valleys to Karanga Camp (4,035 m) for lunch. Later you walk about 2.5 km towards Barafu, gaining some 200 metres, then return to sleep. About 5 km, 4 to 5 hours.

A shorter morning walk over stony alpine desert brings you to Barafu Camp (4,640 m), your base for the summit. The crew will have your tent up and a hot meal ready. After a rest you take a last acclimatisation walk towards Kosovo Camp at about 4,800 m and come back down. Then it is an early dinner, a final briefing and as much sleep as you can manage before a wake-up call around 11 pm. About 6 km, 4 to 5 hours.

You leave Barafu around midnight and climb slowly by headtorch towards Stella Point on the crater rim, reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) around sunrise. The path is not technical, but the thin air makes every step count, and your guides check each climber closely. If you have energy left, you can walk a short way towards the nearest glacier. You return to Barafu for a rest and a meal, then continue down to Millennium Camp (3,820 m). About 15 km, 8 to 12 hours.

Waking lower down, you will feel the difference in the air. After breakfast you walk down through heath and then rainforest to Mweka Gate (1,650 m). Take the descent carefully, because tired legs and loose ground cause most slips. At the gate you say goodbye to your crew and collect your summit certificate, a good moment to celebrate together. Then it is a short drive back to Weru Weru River Lodge for a hot shower and a proper bed. About 12 km, 4 to 5 hours.

Enjoy a slow breakfast and a rest before your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Hotel check-out is at 11 am. If your flight leaves in the evening, ask us about a late check-out or an extra night at the lodge, which can be arranged for an additional fee. Many climbers add a safari, a day at Materuni Waterfall or a few days in Zanzibar after the mountain, and your specialist can plan the connection for you.