9 Days Lemosho Route

Elevation: 2,820 m / 9,252 ft – 3,500 m / 11,483 ft

Walking distance: 8 km

Walking time: 5–6 hours

Habitat: Moorland

After breakfast, you will start the climb cross the remaining rain forest towards the giant moorland zone.  Today is a full day trek with an altitude gain of 2,000 ft.  A great lunch stop is at the beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater at around 10,000 ft. After lunch you will walk to Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. The crater rim has been decimated by weather and volcanic action. Today you’ll get your first close views of Kibo – the dramatic summit of Kilimanjaro. Dinner and Overnight: Shira one Camp. (FB)

Elevation: 3,500 m / 11,483 ft – 3,850 m / 12,631 ft

Walking distance: 7 km

Walking time: 3–4 hours

Habitat: Moorland / Heather

After breakfast will continue hiking to the east, across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Shira Two camp.  You only gain 700 feet in elevation – this allows you to acclimatize slowly to the altitude. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular.

Dinner and Overnight: Shira two Camp. (FB).

Elevation: 3,850 m / 12,631 ft – 4,600 m / 15,092 ft (Lava Tower), then descend to 3,960 m / 12,992 ft

Walking distance: 10 km

Walking time: 6–7 hours

Habitat: Semi-desert

Today’s walk is the last of the “easy days”.  It’s about a 7 hour superb hike. You will pass the Lava Tower, around the southern Flank of Kibo, and slowly descend to Baranco, your most spectacular campsite, at the foot of Kibo Peak, looming high above.  Your camp is only 465 feet higher than where you were last night, but our walk will have taken you just over 14,000 feet today.  This is one of your most valuable days for acclimatization. Dinner and Overnight:

Baranco Hut. (FB)

Elevation: 3,960 m / 12,992 ft → 3,995 m / 13,107 ft

Walking distance: 5 km

Walking time: 4–5 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, your first obstacle is to breach the Baranco Wall, a 600-foot rock. Once over wall, the climb becomes easier and extremely beautiful with fantastic views of the crags and crevasses of the jagged peaks on your left.  Then you descend to the Karanga Valley.  Some folks with time restrictions don’t stop here in the Karanga Valley for an overnight camp.  Continue straight on to Barafu Hut.  If you continue, you’ll find that it becomes a really long day, but it is certainly doable. We encourage you to spend the extra night here at Karanga, as it enables you to acclimatize to the altitude, and increases your chances of getting to the top.  It’s also a really great place on Kili. The air is starting to get quite thin, and you will be running short of breath as you climb out of the Karanga Valley.   It is a slow tough hike up to Barafu hut and you’ll be glad you stayed at Karanga for the night. Barafu means “ice” in Swahili, and it is extremely cold at this altitude. Go to bed early as we’ll wake you up at midnight for the final ascent to Uhuru Peak – the summit. Dinner and Overnight: Barafu Camp -(FB)

Elevation: 4,673 m / 15,331 ft – 5,895 m / 19,341 ft (Uhuru Peak), then descend to 3,100 m / 10,171 ft

Walking distance: 17 km / 10.5 mi total

Walking time: 11–14 hours (7–8 hours ascent, 4–6 hours descent)

Habitat: Arctic (summit) then Rainforest

Dress warmly, because we will start climbing around midnight, on the steepest and most demanding part of the mountain. The moon will provide enough light, and we’ll reach Stella Point by sunrise. (About 6 hours) At dawn, from the Crater rim, rugged Mawenzi is a thrilling sight, with the Kibo saddle still in darkness beneath you, and the crater’s ice-walls looming ahead. If you feel strong enough, you should continue to Uhuru Peak (1-2 hours) this is the highest point in Africa, and the world’s highest solitary peak (19,340 ft). This is the toughest day that most trekkers have ever experienced.  You will have ascended 3,600feet and descended 7,200 feet in a period of 12-15 hours.  Although descending is far less tiring, it’s a good idea to have a little rest once in a while as you continue down to Mweka Hut (3-4 hours from the top).

Dinner and Overnight: Mweka Camp – (FB)