8 Days Lemosho Route + Crater Stay

DAY 1 ARRIVAL

All trekkers need to organise their own flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). From JRO we will arrange a private transfer to your hotel. That night or early the next morning you will meet your local Kandoo representative and have a full pre-climb briefing.

• • Transport: Private transfer (0.8 hour, 40 km)
  • Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 2 LEMOSHO GATE TO MTI MKUBWA CAMP

4WD transfer to Lemosho Park Gate for registration. Our porters prepare and pack our supplies and luggage before we start our ascent along the forest trail to Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) campsite at 2895m. We will stay here overnight.

• • Transport: 1.7 hours, 80 km
  • Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
  • Ascent: 535 m
  • Max. altitude: 2895 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 3 MTI MKUBWA CAMP TO SHIRA 1 CAMP

Our journey continues eastwards across the Shira Plateau with spectacular views of Shira Cathedral. We cross moorland meadow to reach Shira 1 Camp for dinner and overnight camping at 3500m. By now we will be able to see the stunning glaciers of the Western Breach. It will be colder tonight than the previous night with temperatures possibly falling below freezing.

• • Hiking time: 5 – 6 hours
  • Ascent: 605 m
  • Max. altitude: 3500 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 4 SHIRA 1 CAMP TO MOIR HUT

We leave the forest behind now and the trail gets steeper as it enters the moorland zone. A gentle grade walk takes you across the high altitude Shira Caldera to Moir Hut with fabulous views of Arrow glacier. We will camp here for the night at 4200m.

• • Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours
  • Ascent: 700 m
  • Max. altitude: 4200 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 5 MOIR HUT TO BARRANCO CAMP VIA LAVA TOWER

Today we will climb up to 4600m to the base of Lava Tower for lunch and acclimatization. This will be our toughest day so far and you may, for the first time, feel the altitude. After lunch we will descend again by almost 650m to Barranco Camp, following the “walk high, sleep low” golden rule of acclimatisation. Our descent to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall.

• • Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours
  • Ascent: 400 m
  • Descent: 650 m
  • Max. altitude: 4600 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A short but fun day, starting with a scramble to the top of the Great Barranco Wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley (3930m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at Karanga campsite.

• • Hiking time: 4 hours
  • Ascent: 260 m
  • Descent: 280 m
  • Max. altitude: 4210 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 7 KARANGA CAMP TO BARAFU CAMP

We leave Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent trail. From here we continue up to Barafu Camp. You have now completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. At camp, we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be clearly seen from this position.

• • Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
  • Ascent: 670 m
  • Max. altitude: 4600 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 8 BARAFU CAMP TO SUMMIT TO CRATER CAMP

You will be woken around 07:00. We start our trek to the summit between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers through heavy scree up to Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. At Stella Point (5732m), we will stop for a short rest. We are now only an hour away from the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m), the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. After celebrating with a few summit photos, we begin our descent into Kibo Crater to camp for the night. The scenery is breathtakingly unbelievable and depending on the time of year, you will see the fast-receding glaciers set amidst either sandy, desert or snowy conditions.

• • Hiking time: 9 – 10 hours
  • Ascent: 1295 m
  • Descent: 165 m
  • Max. altitude: 5895 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 9 CRATER CAMP TO MWEKA CAMP

We wake up early to hike to the Crater Rim in time to see the sunrise. From the rim, we descend to Mweka Hut campsite. Trekking poles will be needed for the loose gravel going down to Mweka Camp (3100m). Later in the evening, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

• • Hiking time: 7 – 8 hours
  • Descent: 2630 m
  • Max. altitude: 5730 m
  • Accomodation: Camping
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

DAY 10 MWEKA CAMP TO MWEKA GATE

Your final day on the trek, departing after breakfast we descend a further 1300m to the Mweka Park Gate to pick up your summit certificates from the Park Headquarters. Transfer to your hotel.

• • Transport: 0.6 hour, 17 km
  • Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
  • Descent: 1300 m
  • Max. altitude: 3100 m
  • Accomodation: Hotel
  • Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch

DAY 11 DEPARTURE

After a much needed nights rest, we will bid you goodbye. If you have arranged airport transfers with us or a safari / Zanzibar trip, we will collect you in the morning for your onward journey.

• • Transport: 0.8 hour, 40 km
  • Meals included: Breakfast