8 DAYs LEMOSHO ROUTE          

Overview          

The Lemosho route starts off from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to LondorossiGate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking through the lush rainforest to Shira Plateau. This may be the most beautiful route to take, with breathtaking views on all sides of the mountain and if you wanted a more private experience with fewer climbers. This is one of the few routes where an armed ranger accompanies our groups, since there are still animals in the forest around the Lemosho Glades. We recommend minimum of 7 days but 8 days is preferable for better acclimatization and summit success.

A relatively new route up to the mountain and extremely beautiful. It’s our favouriteroutes because;-,

It offers a great balance of high summit success rate, scenic views and Low traffic.

ITINERARY      

Arrive in Tanzania

Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will meet with Boko Explorers representative, picked up there and transfer to hotel in Moshi town. Then 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.

Hotel: Bed & Breakfast

Overnight: At hotel in Moshi        

Day 1: Lemosho gate (2335) to Big Tree Camp (2780)

After breakfast, you will be picked from the hotel at around 8:00 am and transferred to Lemosho gate, located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. At the gate, Boko Explorers will handle the registration and other pre-hike formalities before your 4hours walk starts. This first day will be covered by a walk through a thick forest hosting the black and white colobus and blue monkeys that brings to the Big tree camp where you’ll spend the dinner and overnight.   

Distance covered: 7km / 4.3mi  

Approx. time taken: 4 hours     

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 2: Big Tree camp (2780m) to Shira 1 Camp (3500m)      

Today’s hike will take you across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. Our destination; Shira 1 Camp, from where there are views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds. We will gain a reasonable amount of altitude today and parts of the route are fairly steep but nothing that is too much for any member of the Boko Explorers family.         

Distance covered: 8.5km / 5.3

Approx. time taken: 7 hrs.    

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 3: Shira 1 Camp (3500m) to Shira 2 Camp (3900m)      

Today, observe the views the Northern Ice fields from the western side of the mountain also with some unusual views of Kibo. Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau provides breathtaking panoramic views as well as helping with the process of acclimatization. After reaching Shira 2 Camp, your Boko Explorers guides will take you on a short acclimatization walk before heading back to camp for dinner and another night of sleep under the stars.        

Distance covered: 8km / 5mi  

Approx. time taken: 5 hours      

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 4: Shira 2 Camp (3900m) to Barranco Camp (3900m)      

Your trek starts with an ascent that provides far-reaching panoramic views, reaching the climatic zone of the upland desert. You will continue on the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. You will reach the distinct pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4640 m), our highest point for the day and a great place to enjoy your lunch. In the afternoon, we will descend 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. Photos really do not do these views any justice, just get ready to have that camera ready.      

Distance covered: 10km / 6.2mi  

Approx. time taken: 7 hrs.      

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 5: Barranco Camp (3900m) to Karanga Camp (4000m)      

After breakfast, we continue up a steep ridge of the great Barranco wall, there you climb the imposing obstacle, which actually turns out to be easier than it looks. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. With Kibo glaciers soaring overhead, the descent is truly beautiful. From the camp, you can look east and see the jugged peaks of Mawenzi. After a hot lunch in camp, the afternoon is your own but we recommended trying to rest and taking a quick nap. This short day is very important for your acclimatization since your summit push is about to start. For those feeling strong we will go for a midafternoon 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

Day 6: Karanga Camp (4000 m) to Barafu Camp (4640m)      

After breakfast, you will start hiking to Barafu Camp (4640 m). On the way be ready for the beautiful views of the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. After arriving at the campsite, lunch will be provided, take advantage of a quiet afternoon by heading to your tent to catch some of that much need sleep to prepare for the long journey ahead. Dinner will be early and then it is back to your tent to get some sleep, alarms will be set around midnight to start the moment you have been preparing for; the climb to the summit.

Approx. hiking time: 3 hours      

Distance covered: 4 km      

Habitat: Alpine desert      

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Day 7: Barafu Camp (4673 m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) then down to Millennium Camp (3950 m)      

As the new day starts you will be awoken at midnight with some light tea and breakfast. After final preparations, we will be being our 4-to-5-hour climb gaining incredible height over a very short distance. The view is spectacular as the sun begins to rise. We should be on the crater rim at Stella point (5756 m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Then it will take us 1hour from Stella point to Uhuru peak (5895 m). Once at Uhuru point, you need to celebrate your accomplishment, you made it. Photos will be taken to show to all of your friends and family back home and after admiring the views we will start the descent to Barafu Camp for lunch and some rest. The day is not yet over, early afternoon we will descent down to Millennium Camp (3950 m) where you can enjoy dinner and reflect on your successful summit of Kilimanjaro, before retiring to your tent for some much-needed rest.  

Approx. hiking time: 12-15 hours      

Distance covered: 15 km

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Day 8: Millennium Camp (3950m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)  

After breakfast, the final descent beings, it is a couple of hours walk from the Millennium Campsite to Mweka Gate, where you will collect your certificates and can finally enjoy a nice cold beverage. After saying goodbye to your mountain guides, a private car will then take you back to your hotel where you can enjoy the warm shower you have been craving. It’s definitely time to celebrate!        

Approx. hiking time: 5 hours        

Distance covered: 14 km

Habitat: Montane Forest  

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included          

Walk down the Mweka montane forest to Mweka Gate for 3 hours, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride. The vehicle will be ready to drive you back to the hotel for warm shower at Moshi. It’s definitely time to celebrate!

Departure

Later in the evening or the next day you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport to board your home bound flight.

End of The Trip