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The Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route is widely regarded as the most beautiful of all the Kilimanjaro Routes
The Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route is one of the newer routes on the mountain, and it shares a portion of the same trail as the Machame route, but it has a few advantages over that route that make it worthwhile to consider, especially for tourists with extra time.
The Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route is newer and approaches Kilimanjaro from the west. The journey begins at Lemosho Gate and the route was introduced as a substitute to the Shira Route which trails starts from a higher, more challenging altitude.
Lemosho Route is a little wild and you may get to spot large buffalo, antelope, and maybe even elephant. The route is also home to some primates such as black and white colobus monkey, blue monkeys etc.
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha; 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. The missing gear 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 our climb steadily through the forests of the Lemosho glades to reach Big Tree camp where you will be spending the night.
Today you will cover a lot of ground as you trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. We will trek through Shira 1 Camp from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds as we head towards our destination which is Shira 2.. We gain a reasonable amount of altitude as we head towards Shira 1 and parts of the route are fairly steep. As you proceed towards Shira 2 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Mweka Camp for a long well-earned rest.
A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, 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 Arusha, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower then celebrate with cold drinks. Overnight at your arranged Hotel
Kilimanjaro Is Climbable All Year Round. The Best Months To Climb Are December-March, And September-October, Which Are The Warmest And Driest Months. The Next Best Are June To August, But They Are Colder. July, August, And September Are The Busiest Months. Summiting On Or Soon After A Full Moon Is Very Beautiful And Helps Illuminate The Landscape Without Using Headlamps. However, It Is Also Very Bright For Sleeping And Stars Are Not As Visible.
Malaria Is A Serious Problem In East Africa So You Must Consult Your Doctor About Getting Effective Malaria Prophylaxis For Your Visit. Many People Are Avoiding Lariam Nowadays And Using Malarone. You Cannot Catch Malaria Above 3000 Metres On Kilimanjaro, But You Must Be Careful Below That Altitude, Particularly If You Visit The Coast Where The Strains Of Malaria Tend To Be Especially Virulent.
Temperatures Range From 25 To 30 Degrees Celsius At The Foot Of The Mountain And -15 To -20 Degrees Celsius On Top Plus Wind Chill. Lower Down, It Can Be Wet And Humid, But Higher Up, There Can Be Snow. Rain And Snow May Be Encountered Any Time Of The Year!
Your Decision Will Depend On Where You Want To Sleep And The Hiking Distance Each Day And Number Of Days Of Each Route. On The Marangu Route, You Sleep In Huts With Simple Beds, While On All The Other Routes, You Sleep In Tents. There Are Two Main Routes On The Mountain: The Marangu And Machame. You May Also Want To Consider The Rongai Route As It Is Far Less Traveled. The Lemosho Route Is A Good Choice If You Want A Longer Route (8+ Days). Kindly Visit Our Kili Routes Page.
Physically, The Marangu And Machame Routes Are Rather Different. The Main Force Of Kibo's Volcanic Activity Occurred Out Towards The West (The Machame Side) And So Machame Is Steeper - Especially In The First Day And A Half - And More Rugged Than Marangu. It Is Often Considered More Scenic Because The Views Of Kibo Are More Impressive Than From The South-East (The Marangu Approach), But Many Consider The Vegetation On Day 2 Of The Marangu Route To Be More Attractive Than Anything Seen On The Western Side. As Always With Mountains, Every Route Has Its Advantages And Drawbacks. The Difficulty Grading Has Marangu As A 1, And Machame A 1+, So There's Not A Great Deal In It.
Always Remember To Maintain A Slow, Steady Pace From Beginning To End. Going Slowly Allows The Body To Acclimatize While Hiking. Those Who Start Out Too Quickly Will Have Troubles Higher Up The Mountain As The Body Will Be Overexerted. This Still Holds True If You Are Spending An Extra Day On The Mountain.
It Will Depend On The Route You Pick And Your Pace. It Can Take From 4-8 Hours To Reach The Summit From The High Camp.
A Weatherproof Jacket, Such As Gore-Tex.
A Woollen Sock That Fits Over The Head With Slits For Only The Eyes And Mouth.
Most Groups Will Start For The Summit On Ascent Day At 11 PM To 12:30AM, Depending On The Perceived Fitness Of The Group, The Weather And The Route. The Pre-Dawn Hours, While Cold, Are Also The Calmest And Clearest. The Best Views From The Summit Are At Dawn. Often Clouds And High Winds Develop Not Long After Sunrise Making The Summit Much Less Attractive And The Descent More Difficult. Guides Who Have Been To The Summit Scores Of Times Report That It Is Very Rare To Find It Cloudy At The Summit At Dawn In Any Season. The Ascent Day Is A Very Long Day Of Hiking. Some People May Require 15 Hours To Reach The Summit And Descend To The Campsite For That Day.
No, But We Can Schedule Transfer From Nairobi By Riverside Shuttles For An Additional Charge.
If A Client Cannot Walk Because They Are Injured Or Sick, At Least Two Support Staff Will Assist This Climber Down. There Is No Extra Charge For Coming Down And Taken Back To The Hotel, But You Will Get No Money Back For That Mountain Days You Missed, And You Will Be Responsible For Medical Assistance And Extra Hotel Nights. We Highly Recommend Travel Insurance To Cover Any Medical Expenses And Further Evacuation
The Typical Tip Is: Porters $10 Per Day Per Porter Cooks $12 To $15 Per Cook Assistant Guides $15 To $20 Per Guide Kilimanjaro Guides $20 Per Day And Up Per Guide *Tip Amounts Listed For Kilimanjaro Are Per Group, Not Per Individual Traveler. For Instance, If Four People Are On Kili, They Should Each Contribute $5/Day If They Want To Tip The Lead Guide $20.
A 30% Deposit Is Required At Time Of Booking To Hold Your Climb/Safari.
