Kilimanjaro – Lemosho Route

You will meet your Bucket List Leaders at the airport and fly out as a group for Bucket Lister + Trips. If you have booked a Bucket Lister Trip we will see you in Tanzania soon!

If you have Transfers with us we will take you to the hotel. For those making their own way – we will see you in Moshi.

We arrive in Tanzania and transfer to our hotel Weru Weru Lodge for a restful afternoon and some free time to explore Moshi before the adventure begins.

Welcome Briefing: Your welcome briefing will be at 6pm at the hotel.

After breakfast we will be taken to the western side of Kilimanjaro. This is where the trek begins at the Lemosho Gate (1743m). Once registered, we will set off on our adventure and begin with a steady incline through the Lemosho Glades forests. After 4 hours, and a distance of 7km (4.3 miles), we will reach Big Tree Camp (2780m) where we will stay for the night.

Distance covered: 7km / 4.3 mi Approx. time taken: 4 hours

Our destination for today is Shira 1 Camp from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds.

Shortly after leaving Big Tree Camp, our scenery will differ from day 3. We gain a reasonable amount of altitude through heather and grassy moorland. Today we will cover 8.5km and hike for 7 hours before reaching our camp at 3500m.

Distance covered: 8.5km / 5.3 mi Approx. time taken: 7 hrs

Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatisation, and we’ll enjoy great panoramic views. Our destination today is Shira 2 Camp.

Leaving the camp in the morning and trekking on the western side of the mountain, we will experience extraordinary views of Kibo and the Northern Ice Fields. We will continue at a steady incline taking 5 hours and covering a distance of 8km. We can take in views of our surroundings before reaching Shira 2 Camp (3900m). In the afternoon we will participate in an acclimatisation walk to prepare us for the days ahead.

Distance covered: 8km / 5 mi Approx. time taken: 5 hours

We will leave Shira 2 Camp and begin our ascent. Our trek starts with an ascent with far-reaching panoramic views, walking into the climatic zone of the upland desert and on the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. We will reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4640m), our high point for the day and a great place to enjoy lunch.

In the afternoon, we embark on a steep descent to reach Barranco Camp (3960m). We will cover a distance of 10km and be trekking for 7 hours.

Distance covered: 10km / 6.2 mi Approx. time taken: 7 hrs

Our day starts with a descent into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, which, whilst not technical, is long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From the valley, we have a steep upward climb. We will arrive at Karanga Camp (3963m) after walking 5.5km over 5 hours. We can join an additional acclimatisation trek before returning to camp for the night.

Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4 mi Approx. time taken: 5 hours

After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we will continue our trekking route to Barafu camp at 4640m.

Our journey will guide us across the uninhabited scree slopes of the mountain. Once we arrive at Barafu Camp we will try to get some sleep before waking up in the evening to begin our climb to the summit!

Distance covered: 3km / 1.9 mi Approx. time taken: 3 hours

We start at around midnight and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing steep scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views of jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m).

Our descent will begin with a return to Stella Point, then descent to Barafu Camp to enjoy breakfast, and finally to Millennium Camp (3790m) for a well-deserved rest. This day will take us between 12 and 15 hours and in total we will trek a distance of 14.4km.

Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3 mi Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours

After leaving Millennium Camp (3790m), we will begin a gentle amble down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate (1630m), where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride!

We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration. 

Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5 mi Approx. time taken: 6 hours

Today is a free day in Moshi for you to explore the town, cafés, and local delicacies, or simply relax after summiting the roof of Africa!

This marks the end of our Tanzanian adventure.

However, if you’re not ready for the adventure to end, you can add a safari to any of our Kilimanjaro tours. Alternatively, head to Zanzibar where you can learn to scuba dive, or just relax on the white sand beaches. You can book either extension directly through us.