Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via The Lemosho Route

Lemosho route is one of the best routes for acclimatization. The route is less used and a beautiful way up to the Shira Plateau.

The route is one of the few where groups may be accompanied on the first day by an armed ranger, as the forests around the Lemosho Glades are inhabited by buffalo, elephant and other wildlife.

8 days Lemosho has one of the highest sucess rates. The additional days give your body more time to acclimatize, reducing the effects of altitude sickness and give you more time to rest before attempting the summit.

Duration: 7 – 8 days
Difficulty: Medium
Scenery: Excellent
Traffic: Medium

Meeting Point
Kilimanjaro International Airport
Arrival City
Arusha / Moshi
Best Season
All Around of The Years
Accomodation
Lodge / Campsite
Guide
Lets view Tanzania Team
Transportation
4WD
Group Size
2 - 13
Destinations
Mount Kilimanjaro
Activities
Trekking and Hiking

Overview

Itinerary

FAQs

Map

Other Tour Details

Overview

The Lemosho route is one of our preferred routes due to its low traffic, beautiful scenery and a high summit success rate. The route starts off from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to Londorossi Gate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking through the lush rainforest to Shira Plateau.

The Lemosho route joins the Machame route at Shira 2 Camp and then follows the same route through the southern circuit and descending at Mweka Gate. We recommend a minimum of 7 days to attempt this route but 8 days is preferable for better acclimatization and summit success.

Day 1 :

Arrival in Kilimanjaro

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) by an Ahsante Tours representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town. Your guide 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.

Meals
Meals not included. You have the option of having lunch and/or dinner at the hotel or a restaurant in town.

Accommodation
Accommodation is at Hotel / Lodge on Bed & Breakfast basis. Alternative accommodation of the same standard will be provided if the primary accommodation option is unavailable.

*For those on a lower budget, you can request for alternative accommodation at a lower price or no accommodation as part of the package.

Day 2 :

Lemosho Glades (2385m / 7825ft) to Big Tree Camp (2780m / 9121ft)

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.

Distance
7km / 4.3mi

Duration
3 – 4 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 3 :

Big Tree Camp (2780m / 9121ft) to Shira 1 Camp (3500m / 11483ft)

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.

Distance
16.5km / 10.3mi

Duration
9 – 11 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 4 :

Shira 1 Camp (3500m / 11483ft) to Shira 2 Camp (3900m / 12795ft)

Today 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. Our destination today is the Shira 2 Camp. In the afternoon you will take an acclimatization walk then head back to camp for dinner and overnight.

Distance
8km / 5mi

Duration
5 – 6 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 5 :

Shira 2 Camp (3900m / 12795ft) to Barranco Camp (3960m / 12992ft)

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.

Distance
10km / 6.2mi

Duration
6 – 7 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 6 :

Barranco Camp (3,972m / 13,031ft) to Karanga Camp (3963m / 13,002ft)

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.

Distance
5.5km / 3.4mi

Duration
5 – 6 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 7 :

Karanga Camp (3963m / 13,002ft) to Barafu Camp (4,640m / 15,223ft)

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.

Distance
3km / 1.9mi

Duration
3 – 4 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 8 :

Barafu Camp (4640m / 15,223ft) to UHURU PEAK (5895m / 19,340ft) & down to Millennium Camp (3790m / 12,434ft)

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 Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.

Distance
13.4km / 8.3mi

Duration
12 – 15 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Spacious 2-person tents. Accommodation is on sharing basis.

Day 9 :

Trek Millennium Camp (3790m / 12,434ft) to Mweka Gate (1630m / 5,348ft)

A gentle trek takes us down through the rain forest 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 Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration.

Distance
12.1km / 7.5mi

Duration
6 – 7 hours

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Accommodation
Accommodation is at Hotel / Lodge on Bed & Breakfast basis. Alternative accommodation of the same standard will be provided if the primary accommodation option is unavailable.

*For those on a lower budget, you can request for alternative accommodation at a lower price or no accommodation as part of the package.

Day 10 :

Depart Kilimanjaro

The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Moshi town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport.

*We also welcome you spare an hour of your day to plant a tree, as part of our environmental conservation efforts in the Kilimanjaro region.

*Safari and Zanzibar add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania

Meals
Breakfast Included.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via Lemosho route FAQs

Expand all

Do I climb the Barranco Wall on the Lemosho route?

Yes, you climb the Barranco Wall on the Lemosho route. But don’t let this concern you – the Barranco Wall is perfectly manageable. And for many it ends up being one of their favourite parts of the entire trek!

Is the Lemosho an easy or hard route?

All routes leading up Kilimanjaro are hard routes, as Kilimanjaro is one tough cookie!

That said, the Lemosho route is a fairly manageable route, and we feel confident recommending it to first-time trekkers. This is because it’s not too steep, nor does it make you ascend the mountain too quickly, which can lead to altitude sickness.

You might like to see this detailed description of the Lemosho route itinerary.

Should I climb the 7- or 8-day Lemosho route?

There are two possible Lemosho route itineraries: the seven-day and the eight-day itineraries. The latter provides an extra day during the ascent to give your body longer to acclimatise to the increased altitude. Both itineraries are described in our Lemosho route blog post.

Deciding between the two itineraries is a personal choice. On the one hand, an extra day of acclimatisation is a great thing as it decreases your chances of developing altitude sickness and so increases your chances of a successful summit. On the other hand, an extra day on the mountain involves committing a little more time and money.

Generally speaking, we find the seven-day Lemosho route tends to offer adequate acclimatisation time. That said, we always recommend the eight-day itinerary to anyone who is unsure. It’s just the safer option.

Please feel free to chat with us about this so we can offer you some personalised advice.

What is the distance of the Lemosho route?

The total distance of the Lemosho route is 70 km (43 miles). It’s one of the middling routes, being neither long nor short in comparison to the others.

Where do I go to the toilet?

On the Lemosho route, you go to the toilet in the toilet tent provided by your tour operator when at camp. During the day’s trek, you go to the toilet behind a rock or bush. But note that you can’t leave any loo paper behind, as Kilimanjaro National Park has a ‘leave no trace’ policy. So you’ll need to carry little disposable bags with you for carrying your used toilet paper till you reach camp.

It’s worth noting that you need to pee all the time on Kilimanjaro, as discussed in 6 things I wish I knew before climbing Kilimanjaro. Also, climbing at altitude can bring on your period early. Ladies, you might find it useful to read Advice for women climbing Mt Kilimanjaro