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kilimanjaro

Tanzania · Private · Comfort

Kilimanjaro: 7-Day Lemosho Route

A quiet start in the western forests, a long crossing of the Shira Plateau, and a route that climbs high and sleeps low before the night walk to the summit.

6 nights
7 days

A seven-day Kilimanjaro climb on the remote Lemosho route, crossing the Shira Plateau and descending by the Mweka route.

The journey at a glance

  1. Day 01

    Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa (Forest) Camp, 2,821 m

    Mount Kilimanjaro

  2. Day 02

    Forest Camp to Shira 2 Camp (3,875 m)

    Mount Kilimanjaro

  3. Day 03

    Shira 2 to Lava Tower (4,642 m) and Barranco Camp (3,984 m)

    Mount Kilimanjaro

  4. Day 04

    Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (4,040 m)

    Mount Kilimanjaro

  5. Day 05

    Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,681 m)

    Mount Kilimanjaro

  6. Day 06

    Summit day: Barafu to Uhuru Peak and down to Mweka

    Mount Kilimanjaro

  7. Day 07

    Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (1,641 m)

    Mount Kilimanjaro

Day by day

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 01 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa (Forest) Camp, 2,821 m

An early briefing and breakfast, then about two hours by road from Moshi to Londorossi Gate, where the crew packs supplies and you register. A forest track of 12 km leads to the Lemosho trailhead; it can take 45 minutes to an hour and a half, and after heavy rain you may walk the last 2 to 5 km, so keep a headlamp handy. Walk quietly through the forest: small antelope are often seen, and an armed ranger may join you on this first day. Your tent is up when you arrive. Nights here can already reach freezing.

Good to know: About 3½ hours · about 5.4 km · montane forest.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 02 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Forest Camp to Shira 2 Camp (3,875 m)

An hour or so to the edge of the forest, then a steeper climb into giant heather moorland, crossing several streams. Lunch at Shira 1 Camp (3,504 m) on the western edge of the Shira Plateau after about 8 km, then 7.5 km across the plateau to Shira 2. To the east, the Western Breach and its glaciers come into view. Tonight is colder still.

Good to know: About 8 hours · about 15.6 km · moorland.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 03 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Shira 2 to Lava Tower (4,642 m) and Barranco Camp (3,984 m)

East across semi-desert and rock towards Lava Tower, where the Lemosho route joins the Machame route. The last stretch to the tower is the hardest so far, and some climbers first feel breathlessness or headaches here. Lunch at Lava Tower, then about two hours and 3.3 km down to Barranco Camp, below the Western Breach and the Barranco Wall. Climbing high and sleeping lower is what makes this day so useful for acclimatisation.

Good to know: About 8 hours · about 10.3 km · semi-desert.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 04 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (4,040 m)

The Barranco Wall looks daunting from camp, but the scramble up it is usually easier than it looks. At the top, below the Heim Glacier, the mountain opens up. Three climbs and descents bring you to Karanga Camp for lunch, dinner and the night. Depending on the weather and how the group feels, your guide may lead an acclimatisation walk higher up.

Good to know: About 6 hours · about 6 km · semi-desert.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 05 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,681 m)

A short climb of about 640 metres to Barafu, Swahili for "ice": a bleak, windy camp on a narrow, stony ridge. Learn the ground around your tent before dark. The summit is another 1,214 metres up and you leave tonight, so prepare your kit, poles and warm layers, fit fresh headlamp and camera batteries, keep water in a thermal flask, and be in bed by about 19:00.

Good to know: About 3 hours · about 3.4 km · alpine desert.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 06 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Summit day: Barafu to Uhuru Peak and down to Mweka

You are woken at about 23:20 for tea and biscuits and set off in the dark, climbing north-west through heavy scree towards Stella Point (5,739 m) on the crater rim. For many climbers these six hours are the hardest of the trek. Rest at Stella Point as the sun rises, then walk about two hours, usually on snow, to Uhuru Peak. Do not linger: cold and tiredness set in fast. About three hours back to Barafu for a short rest, then down through rock and scree into the moorland and forest to Mweka Camp, where mist or rain is common in the late afternoon.

Good to know: 7 to 8 hours up, 6 to 8 hours down · about 4.5 km up and 10.8 km down · scree and ice.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Day 07 · Mount Kilimanjaro

Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (1,641 m)

After breakfast, a scenic walk of four to six hours down through the forest to the park gate; knees can make it slower. Please wait to give tips to the crew until you and all your gear are safely at the gate. Sign out at the gate, where climbers receive their certificates: green for Stella Point, gold for Uhuru Peak. A muddy 3 km walk takes you to Mweka village for a hot lunch, then the drive back to Moshi for a shower and a celebration.

Good to know: 4 to 6 hours · about 8.5 km · forest.

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