Lemosho Route | Mount Kilimanjaro Hike.

DAY 1:

We go through a variety of farms with open views of the plains to get to the Lemosho roadhead after taking care of the necessary registration procedures at the Londorossi National Park gate. The last part of the road isn’t very good, and it’s hard to drive on it when it rains. The drive there should be seen as part of the trip; sometimes we start walking a kilometer or two below where the road starts. We often eat lunch at the beginning of the trail before we start walking. It’s a simple day to walk up a short road through a lovely, lush forest. We camp at Lemosho Big Tree Camp (2,650 m), which is about 2 to 3 hours’ walk away.

DAY 2:

Soon, we’ll be out of the forest and into the wild area with big heather. As you make your way up the trail, you’ll be able to see a lot of the Shira Plateau. It really feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere, especially when the afternoon rains come in! At “Shira One” (3,550 m), we set up camp in the middle of the hill. [Walking for 6-7 hours]

DAY 3:

A day of ease to help you get used to the altitude and see the volcanic rock forms on Shira Plateau. Before we get to the next camp at Shira Hut (3,840 m), we walk to the top of Shira Cathedral. This campsite is close to the glaciated dome of Kibo and the rough edge of Shira Plateau, so it has beautiful views. This spot has some of the most beautiful views of Mt. Meru floating on the clouds. (4–5 hours of walking)

DAY 4:

In the morning, there was a gentle climb with great views. We left the moorland area and walked on lava ridges below the Western Breach glaciers. After lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4,550 m), we go down to the bottom of the Great Barranco valley (3,900 m), where tall cliffs protect us and give us a wide view of the fields below. (5–7 hours of walking)

DAY 5:

We have to climb steeply up the Barranco Wall to get to a trail that goes along the southeast side of Kibo. This trail has great views of the Southern Icefields. The ground turns to scree, with patches of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows. Our camp at Karanga (4,000 m), which is the last water source on the way to the top, is only a short distance away. (4–5 hours of walking)

DAY 6:

We take a simple path on packed rock that keeps going up in elevation until we reach the Barafu campsite (4,600 m) in time for lunch. At the bottom of the South-East valley (4,800 m), there is a short walk to help you get used to the altitude. The rest of the day is spent resting to get ready for the last climb, which happens very early at night. (3–5 hours of walking)

DAY 7:

We will begin our climb by flashlight around 1 a.m. so that we can reach the edge of the Crater by morning. We will get to Stella Point (5,735 m) in about five or six hours if we keep up a slow but steady pace as we climb steeply over loose volcanic scree. We’ll take a short break there to watch the sun rise over Mawenzi. From here, it takes two hours to go around the crater rim and reach Uhuru Peak (5,896 m). Along the way, you’ll get to see the beautiful glaciers and ice walls that still cover most of the summit area. It’s amazing how quickly we can get down to Barafu. After a break to refuel, we keep going down until we reach our final campsite, Millennium, at 3,800 meters. (11 to 15 hours walking)

DAY 8:

A steady descent on a well-built road through a beautiful tropical forest full of birdsong and lush undergrowth with lots of interesting plants. Our path makes its way down to the National Park gate at Mweka, which is 1,650 m below us. Here is where we leave the national park. We then walk for another 15 minutes through coffee and banana farms to get to Mweka town, where our car is waiting. There is a shower, drink, and a swimming pool very close by. [4 to 6 hours of walking]

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