6 days Lemosho via Western Breach

Sample Itinerary:

Kilimanjaro, Lemosho via Western Breach (Six days)

Day 1

Breakfast at your hotel is served from 0700. Please ensure that you have packed your bags before breakfast, have signed over your extra luggage that will not be required on the mountain to reception, and have deposited your valuables into the hotel’s safe.

Transfer and Registration. You will normally be collected at 0730 from your hotel. Unless under 16 years of age or East African citizens, trekkers are advised to have kept their passports and valuables in the hotel safe (excluding the amount they will budget for tipping their crew). Following registration we continue a further 12km by vehicle to the route’s start point. This final drive can take anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour 30, depending on road conditions. Please be very careful in wet weather or following a spell of recent rains as the road and tracks can become badly damaged and there is risk of being jolted inside the vehicle. When the driver delivers you to start point please also note that following any transfer it is customary to tip the driver; around $5 - $10 per group is usual. When the road is in poor condition it is sometimes not safe or even possible for the vehicle to reach all the way to the road head. In this event there will be some 180 additional metres of ascent to trek and 1.9km required to reach the start point.

From Lemosho Start Point (2424m) to Forest Camp (2821m) the distance is 5.4km, over 400m of elevation gain. You are advised to stop regularly today and to move quietly in the hope of sighting wildlife near to the trail. Sightings of small antelope are virtually unique to the Lemosho and Rongai Routes.

Day 2

Trek from Forest Camp to Shira 1 Camp (3504m) on western edge of Shira Plateau. The distance to Shira 1 is 8.1km. Here we stop for a slow and relaxed lunch. After lunch we continue 7.5km across the plateau to Shira Cave Camp (3875m).

Day 3

We trek from Shira Hut/Shira 2 or Shira Cave Camp to Lava Tower (4642m). Shortly before the Lava Tower the Lemosho Route merges with the Machame Route. If the weather’s good you can ask your guide to lead you to the summit of the Lava Tower (4688m) where the views are excellent. Lunch is normally taken at the foot of the tower. Distance from Shira Cave Camp to Lava Tower is 6.6km. Afternoon acclimatisation excursions from Lava Tower to Arrow Glacier Camp before returning to Lava Tower Camp to overnight.

In the event that your guide feels spending tonight at 4642m would not help your acclimatisation, he may choose for you to descend to Barranco Camp (3965m) to overnight. Distance from Lava Tower to Barranco is 3.7km.

Day 4

Trek from Lava Tower Camp (or Barranco Camp if used) to Arrow Glacier Campsite (4871m). Though only a short distance is covered today - 2.5km, taking approximately 1.5 hours.. Afternoon acclimatisation excursions on the Western Breach Assault route. You probably won’t feel like eating or drinking but please try to do so because your body needs the fuel.. You are advised to get all your gear ready for the summit bid before you go to sleep as you may feel disoriented when awoken for the ascent at 0500.

Day 5

Around 0530 (your guide will judge the time that is optimal for you based on your pace thus far) quit camp for the assault via the Western Breach / Crater rim (5725m) to the summit. The Western Breach assault route to the summit, while the shortest, time wise, is also the steepest.

When you reach the crater rim you will sit, rest and admire the views out to the west, and the Furtwangler Glacier to your immediate east. At this point you are only 170 vertical metres short of the summit, the journey from here is much less steep, and you have plenty of time for further rest stops.

From Crater Camp, it is only a short climb (max 1 hour) via the zig-zag track to the summit,passing Furtwangler Point at 5894m .

On the summit your guide will advise how much time you can spend there in consideration of your condition, your timings, and the weather. The brain does not always function very well at this altitude so please remember to take many photographs in all directions to capture your memories.

From the summit you will continue to press eastwards towards Stella Point (5752m) with the massive Southern Icefield, including Rebmann and Decken Glaciers, 100m to your right. When you reach Stella Point your guide may opt to switch left onto the loose scree to descend to Barafu. On arrival at Barafu you would usually have time to rest an hour or so before continuing the descent after some refreshments.

From Barafu you will usually descend to Mweka Camp (3090m) for overnight. If your guide judges that a shorter day will benefit you and preserve sore knees and ankles, he may decide to stop short at Millennium Camp (3820m) instead.

Distances on summit day:

Arrow Glacier Camp to Crater Camp: 3.5km

Crater Camp to Summit: 0.7km Summit to Stella Point: 1.2km Stella Point to Barafu: 3.3km Barafu to Mweka Camp: 6.3km

Total summit day’s distance: 15km

Day 6

This morning we descend from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (1641m) where we sign the summit register and you will receive your Certificate of Achievement before being collected and taken back to our hotel.

Distance from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate is 8.5km.

Typical tips for mountain crew tend to average some 10-15% of climb cost. All climbers’ contributions are usually added together and the total amount is presented to the chief guide at Mweka Gate. Our guides always divide these tips fairly amongst their crew according to a customary scale that is determined by the responsibilities and experience of each staff member.

PLEASE NOTE: Your safety is our business. All our Mountain Guides are highly trained in guiding at altitude and hold relevant, current First Aid Qualifications. In all matters of safety the decision of the Chief Guide is final.