8 Days Lemosho Route

8 Days Lemosho Route 

Overview

The Lemosho route is one of our preferred routes due to its low traffic, beautiful scenery and a high summit success rate.

The Lemosho route starts off from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to Londorossi Gate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking through the lush rainforest to Shira Plateau.

We recommend a minimum of 7 days to attempt this route but 8 days is preferable for better acclimatization and summit success.

The Lemosho route joins the Machame route at Shira 2 Camp and then follows the same route through the southern circuit and descending at Mweka Gate

ITINERARY

Our 8 days Lemosho trekking route includes information such as transportation details, accommodations, and activities for each day. We want to ensure that our clients are able to make the most of their time in this particular destination. 

Meals: No Meals Included

Overnight: Park view Inn Hotel/Pink Flamingo lodge

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town, you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Gear which is missing can be rented on this day.

You will be picked up at your hotel at around 08:00am and transferred to the Lemosho gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. After the registration process you will still start the climb steadily through the forests of the Lemosho glades to reach Big Tree camp where you will be spending the night.

Distance covered: 7km / 4.3mi

Approx. time taken: 4 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Today you will trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. Our destination for today is the Shira 1 Camp from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds. We gain a reasonable amount of altitude today and parts of the route are fairly steep.

Distance covered: 8.5km / 5.3mi

Approx. time taken: 7 hrs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Today you will get the chance to view the Northern Ice fields from the western side of the mountain with some unusual views of Kibo. Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatization and we enjoy great panoramic views. Our destination today is the Shira 2 Camp. In the afternoon you will take an acclimatization walk then head back to camp for dinner and overnight.

Distance covered: 8km / 5mi

Approx. time taken: 5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Your trek starts with an ascent with far-reaching panoramic views, walking in to the climatic zone of the upland desert and on the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. You will reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4640 m), our high point for the day and a great place to enjoy your lunch. In the afternoon we make a steep descent to our camp for the night, located in the base of the Great Barranco Valley (3960 m), sheltered by towering cliffs but with extensive views of the plains below.

Distance covered: 10km / 6.2mi

Approx. time taken: 7 hrs              

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Our day starts by descending 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, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.

Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi

Approx. time taken: 5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.

Distance covered: 3km / 1.9mi

Approx. time taken: 3 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing 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 to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.

Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3mi

Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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Trip Information

Travel information provides essential details to help you make informed decisions and enhance your overall travel experience. We have prepared some important travel information including weather, documentation and recommendations to allow you to navigate our destinations with confidence and ease.

It is of course impossible to predict exact weather conditions, and mountains are notorious for creating their own, localized conditions.  The highland areas of East Africa, including Northern Tanzania where Kilimanjaro and the parks of Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara are located, have a pleasant, temperate climate throughout the year. There is a long rainy season in April/May and a second, shorter rainy period in November/early December. Temperatures vary greatly with altitude. At the foot of Kilimanjaro it’s usually approximately 25- 28⁰C, dropping to 15⁰C at night. At 3000m, daytime temperatures can be around 15⁰C. Above 4000m, the night-time temperatures will fall below freezing and it is usually no more than 10⁰C in the day.

It is recommended that you do not photograph Tanzanians without their express permission. However, you will find that many people enjoy having their pictures taken especially if they can see the instant results of a digital image. If individuals do refuse to be photographed, please respect this decision

In some cities and towns in Tanzania, expensive-looking clothing, jewelry and electronics could put you at an unnecessary risk for robbery or worse. Individuals with electronic equipment such as laptops, cameras, and music players are asked to use them discreetly.

Tipping is not a common practice in Tanzania, with exception of the tourism industry. It is customary for visitors climbing Kilimanjaro or going on Safari to tip the guides and crew. This is discretionary and should depend on the level of service you received and be a mirror of your satisfaction of the professionalism of the team.

We strongly feel this should not depend on whether or not you reached the top. Whilst discretionary, many of our guests ask us for a guideline so we suggest the following percentages:

Kilimanjaro Expeditions: 10-15% of total sum shared across the crew

Safaris: 5-7% of total sum shared across the crew

Local Excursions: 10% of total sum shared across the crew

Though Tanzania is a rather tolerant country, people tend to dress rather conservatively and it is a sign of respect that you dress the same. Women should never dress in what the local people might interpret as a provocative fashion. We recommend that skirts or shorts at or below the knees or long pants should be worn at all times. Spaghetti strap tops, halter tops, or tank tops are not worn by local women very often, but are definitely seen more now than they used to be. Tight fitting or revealing clothing should be avoided – mainly to avoid stares from local men rather than any other reason.

Men can wear shorts or trousers, although you will find the local men rarely wear shorts. It is also advisable that men avoid wearing sleeveless shirts. It can be rainy between November – April, so we’d suggest bringing a raincoat and a sweatshirt.  At other times of the year, light cotton clothing is best for the heat, though you should be prepared and pack a light sweater just in case.

We recommend that you make 3 photocopies of each of the below documents; you should scan them and email them to yourself as well.

  • Passport (valid for at least 6 months after your intended return date)
  • Tanzania Tourist Visa (you can also get this at the airport in Tanzania)
  • Flight Tickets or print out of e-ticket (please also email these to Muzuri Tours so we can keep copies together on your file)
  • Travel insurance details (again please email to us)
  • Check/Debit/Credit Card
  • Vaccination records/certificates

We recommend that you make 3 photocopies of each of the above documents; you should scan them and email them to yourself as well. On your journey to Africa, you should keep one copy in your backpack, one in your day-bag and give one set to your parents or a friend back home (in case you need to contact them in case of an emergency). To be extra safe you should also bring with you photocopies of the following:

  • Driver’s license from your home, and international license if you have one
  • Your embassy phone number in the countries you will be visiting
  • Serial number on valuables e.g. cameras
  • Credit card numbers & emergency numbers to report theft

It is strongly recommended you secure travelers insurance for your upcoming trip and if climbing Kilimanjaro with us, be sure to include this additional coverage.  The nearest hospitals of western standards for severe and life-threatening emergencies are located in Nairobi. For a minimal fee we can arrange Emergency Air Evacuation coverage to be transferred via helicopter to accredited facilities. Medical evacuations often cost tens of thousands of US Dollars

There are many options for this, including AMREF Flying Doctors, Air Med, Medjet Assistance, International SOS, Patriot Travel Medical Insurance and Foreignsure.  Before your trip, we recommend that you consult with an insurance provider about these and other options to decide what is best for you.

As a developing country, health care costs are considered fairly low for local and basic services, and International travelers usually have to pay cash for any required medical care during travel.  Few places will bill your home health insurance direction. And many health insurances plans do not cover medical care outside of your home country