Lemosho Route

"Conquer Kilimanjaro with Lemosho!"

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant stratovolcano located in Tanzania. Standing at 5,985 meters (19,341 feet), it is the highest point in Africa and is known locally as ‘The Roof of Africa’ as a result.

Upon arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport and clearing customs, you’ll be greeted by our friendly driver and guide holding a sign board with your name. They will assist with your luggage and drive you to your accommodation in Arusha City.

Once at your hotel, the driver will help you check in and confirm the schedule for the next day. Depending on your arrival time, you may have a brief meeting with a salesperson and a gear check with your guide. If not done on the same day, the briefing will be scheduled for the following morning before you head to the mountain.

Accommodation: Overnight stay at the hotel on a Bed and Breakfast Basis

After departing from Arusha or Moshi, you’ll drive approximately 4 hours to Londorossi Gate, then continue for another hour to reach the Lemosho route trailhead. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy a tasty lunch before starting your hike through the pristine rainforest to the first campsite, either “Big Tree Camp” or Forest Camp.

The trail, covering about 6 km in 3-4 hours, winds through undisturbed forest with stunning flora and fauna, gradually ascending from 7,800 ft to 9,500 ft. At Forest Camp, you’ll receive full board, ensuring a comfortable and well-nourished start to your Kilimanjaro adventure

Driving Distance: 120 km / 3 hours
Walking Distance: 8 km / 3-5 hours
Starting/Ending Elevation: 2100 to 2780 meters above sea level
Nature of Trail: Challenging steady incline
Vegetation: Rainforest

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll continue our trek from the forest into a picturesque savannah, featuring tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rocks adorned with lichen. As we ascend through rolling hills and cross several streams, we’ll reach the impressive Shira Ridge, offering stunning views of Kibo, one of Kilimanjaro’s peaks, across the expansive plateau.
Following this awe-inspiring vista, we’ll make a gentle descent to Shira 1 Camp. Here, we’ll savor a well-deserved dinner and spend the night, immersing ourselves in the tranquility of the wilderness.

After breakfast at 07:30, we will continue our ascent into the alpine desert. The trail splits, and we’ll take the southern (left-hand) route, stopping at the Maua River to replenish our water supply at approximately 4,000 meters. Initially steep with sparse vegetation, the path offers our first view of Kilimanjaro’s iconic ‘cones’.

We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch at 13:00 before climbing towards the Mawenzi Ridge and crossing the arid Saddle area to reach Kibo Huts, located at the base of the Kibo summit. Dinner will be served at 17:30, and an early bedtime is recommended for the midnight summit departure. The stone Kibo Huts are basic, and the guide will brief you on necessary gear and clothing for the summit ascent.

After breakfast, we’ll head southeast towards the Lava Tower, known as the “Shark’s Tooth.” Following this, we’ll reach the second junction leading to the Arrow Glacier at 16,000 feet.

From there, we’ll descend to the Baranco Hut at 13,000 feet, where you can rest, enjoy dinner, and spend the night.

After breakfast, we’ll depart from Barranco and tackle the steep ridge of the Barranco Wall, heading towards the Karanga Valley campsite. This short trek is designed to provide extra time for acclimatization.

After breakfast, we depart Karanga and join the Mweka Trail, ascending to the Barafu Hut. Having completed the South Circuit, you’ll have enjoyed various summit views. We’ll set up camp here, rest, dine, and prepare for the summit day, with stunning views of Mawenzi and Kibo peaks

We begin our summit attempt between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers at midnight, tackling challenging scree slopes as we head towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This stage of the trek is both physically and mentally demanding.

Reaching Stella Point at 18,600 feet, we’ll pause to enjoy a stunning sunrise if weather permits. From there, we’ll ascend for an hour to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, where faster hikers may catch the sunrise from the summit. During the descent, gaiters and trekking poles are recommended to navigate loose gravel. We will then proceed to Mweka Camp in the upper forest, where full board will be provided and you may experience mist or rain in the late afternoon

After breakfast, we’ll begin our descent towards Mweka Park Gate. Upon reaching the gate, our vehicles will be ready to take you back to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi.

We will descend from 10,000 feet to 5,400 feet over a distance of 10 km, with an estimated hiking time of 3-4 hours through the rainforest. Half board will be provided for this portion of the journey

Package Includes

2 nights hotel accomodation in Moshi / Arusha (before & After the climb)
Group transport to and from Moshi to the thrail head.
Kilimanjaro National Park Permits, camping / hut fees ,rescue fees and Value added Tax
Expert guide, assistant guides, chef and porters
Bottled oxygen, for emergency rescue only
Mountain tents, double occupancy
Sleeping pad, foam, sleeping bag & trekking poles.
Mess tents, tables, chairs, lanterns
Fresh nutrition meals on the mountain
Pick up and drop off at kilimanjaro or Arusha airport
All ground Transfers