9 days Kilimanjaro hiking Lemosho route

9 days Kilimanjaro climbing Lemosho route

9 Days, 8 Nights

About 9 days Kilimanjaro hiking Lemosho route 2022/2023

9 days Lemosho route Kilimanjaro hiking grants panoramic views on various sides of the mountain. As one of the newer routes, Lemosho is a superb choice for your Kilimanjaro climb. It is the preferred route due to its ideal balance of crowds, beautiful scenery, and high summit success. Zoom Tours specializes in guiding Kilimanjaro hiking via the Lemosho route. Most of the clients who climb Kilimanjaro using the Lemosho route consistently report that it is lovely. Thus, Lemosho is highly recommended.

The Lemosho route approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the west side, the route starts with a long drive from Moshi/Arusha to Londorossi Gate. The first two days are spent trekking through the rainforest to Shira Ridge. The Lemosho route crosses the entire Shira Plateau from west to east in a pleasant, relatively flat hike.

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DAY 1: KILIMANJARO – LEMOSHO FOREST CAMP

Londorossi Gate to Forest Camp

Elevation (ft): 7,800ft to 9,500ft

Distance: 6 km

Hiking Time:3-4 hours

Habitat: Rainforest

Full board at Forest camp (Big tree Camp)

After completing the necessary registration formalities at the Londorossi National Park gate, we drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho road head. We often have our lunch in the glades before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through a beautiful and lush forest. This area has a variety of games, including buffalo. We camp at Lemosho Forest Camp known as Big tree Camp 7,800 ft.

DAY 2: FOREST CAMP – SHIRA 1

Forest Camp to Shira One Camp

Elevation (ft): 9,500ft to 11,500ft

Distance: 8 km

Hiking Time 5-6 hours

Habitat: Moorland

Full Board at Shira One Camp

We soon leave the forest camp behind and enter the moorland zone of giant heather. The path climbs steadily with wide views to reach the Shira Plateau rim. There is a tangible sense of wilderness, especially if afternoon mists come in! We camp in the center of the plateau at Shira One (11,500 ft).

DAY 3: SHIRA 1 – SHIRA 2 OR MOIR HUT

Shira Camp 1 to Shira 2 to Moir Hut

Elevation (ft): 11,500ft to 13,800 ft

Distance: 14 km

Hiking Time: 5-7 hours

Habitat: Moorland

Full Board at Shira 2 camp

We will explore the Shira plateau for a full day. It is a gentle walk east toward Kibo’s glaciered peak, across the plateau which leads to Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream. Then we Stay at Shira 2 camp or continue to Moir Hut, a little used site on the base of Lent Hills. A variety of walks are available on Lent Hills making this an excellent acclimatization opportunity. Shira is one of the highest plateaus on earth. You might have an option of spending the night at Shira 2 camp or Moir Hut a relatively long hike and significant altitude gain, today is a short day and you arrive at Shira 2 camp in time for lunch. A good day for acclimatization with the option of afternoon walks with your guides.

DAY 4: SHIRA 2 – BARRANCO CAMP VIA LAVA TOWER.

Moir Hut to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp or Shira 2 Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco

Elevation (ft): 13,800ft to 13,000ft

Distance: 7 km

Hiking Time: 4-6 hours

Habitat: Semi Desert

Full Board at Shira 2 or Moir Hut camp

A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, leaving the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower (14,900 ft), we descend to the bottom of the Barranco Valley to camp at Barranco Camp (12,790 ft), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below.

DAY 5: BARRANCO CAMP – KARANGA

Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 13,100ft

Distance: 5km

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

Full Board at Karanga Camp

A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the southeastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Ice fields. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and there is only a short distance to Karanga Camp (13,100 ft), the last water point on the way to the summit.

DAY 6: KARANGA CAMP – BARAFU CAMP

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,100ft to 15,300ft

Distance: 4 km

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

Full Board at Barafu Hut Camp

We follow an easy path on compacted scree with wide views that gains altitude unrelentingly to reach the Barafu Hut (14,800 ft) for lunch. There is a short acclimatization walk to the plateau at the bottom of the southeast valley. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the early morning final ascent.

DAY 7: BARAFU CAMP – CRATER

Barafu Camp to Crater camp

Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft

Distance: 6 km ascent / 12 km descent

Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent

Habitat: Arctic

Full Board at Mweka hut Camp

Unlike other routes with a nighttime ascent, your hike selection affords you a daytime ascent to the Kibo crater. The going is slow but with constant encouragement from your climb team, the rim of Kibo is reached before descending a little way into the caldera to Crater camp. The afternoon is spent relaxing and short walks can be taken with one of your guides.

DAY 8: KILIMANJARO – MWEKA

After a night in the crater, you now have the shortest final summit bid of any route. Such a short distance to the summit from the crater (around 1 hour) means that timing arrival with the sunrise is much easier and quite spectacular. The summit of Kilimanjaro is the top of the highest freestanding mountain in the world. After your summit bid, you then descend for a final night on the mountain at Mweka Camp passing back through the heath zone. Endemic Proteas, pollinated by Malachite Sunbirds are plentiful.
Overnight: Mweka Camp (breakfast- lunch – dinner).

DAY 9: MWEKA CAMP - ARUSHA Or MOSHI

Mweka Camp to Arusha or Moshi

Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft

Distance: 10 km

Hiking Time: 3-4 hours

Habitat: Rainforest

Half Board

After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). Kilimanjaro Nature Tours vehicle will be waiting for you at the Mweka gate to drive you back to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi.