7 days via Lemosho

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. Your driver will take you to Londorossi Gate where we complete registration formalities. Climbers should have their passport numbers for their registry entries but unless under 16 years of age or East African citizens, 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. When the driver delivers you to the 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

Trek from 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 guide you to the summit of the Lava Tower (4688m) where the views are excellent. Lunch is normally taken at the foot of the tower. Descend from Lava to Barranco Camp (3984m). Distance from Shira to Lava Tower is 6.6km. Distance from Lava Tower to Barranco is 3.7km.

Day 4

Trek from Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp (4681m) via the 257m high Breach Wall across the valley from Barranco. You should be aware that there are three rises and falls before reaching Karanga Camp where we have lunch at 4040m. From Karanga the route ascends 640m to Barafu. Distance from Barranco to Barafu is 9.4km.

Day 5

Around midnight (your guide will judge the time that is optimal for you based on your pace thus far) quit camp for the assault via Stella Point (5752m) to the summit. Tonight is very difficult - particularly the final 500m - and you’ll need to draw on inner strength to help you achieve the summit.

When you reach Stella Point you will sit and rest. Stella Point is only 143 vertical metres short of the summit, the journey from here is easier going, much less steep, and you have plenty of time for short rest stops.

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 or to record your memories.

From the summit you will continue to press westwards, passing Furtwangler Point at 5894m, before descending a steep scree slope to Crater Camp at 5729m. Having settled and enjoyed refreshments at Crater Camp you have the option of requesting that your guide accompany you to the top of the Breach Wall to watch the sunset over the Shira Plateau.

Distances on summit day:

Barafu to Stella Point: 3.3km Stella Point to Summit: 1.2km Summit to Crater Camp: 0.9km

Total summit day’s distance: 5.4km

Day 6

This morning, provided climbers are feeling strong and motivated and are judged by the guide to be in good health, we rise up from Crater Camp towards the very centre of Kibo and the Reusch Ash Pit viewpoint at 5845m. From here views are enjoyed towards the summit and into the centre of the volcanic cone where fumeroles and sulphur emissions can often be seen. Strength permitting, we continue to circumnavigate the Ash Pit towards the Eastern Icefields and Stella Point, where we begin the descent to Barafu Camp, this time moving left of our ascent route into the Southeast Valley, descending via its loose scree slopes. There is clear logic is descending a loose scree slope; it is far easier on the knees and as the ground collapses underfoot if you take short quick strides it’s easy to maintain momentum. We do short bursts and take regular rests, pausing to photograph the Saddle beneath us and Kenya to our left. At Barafu Camp we have a short refreshment break before continuing to Mweka 3090m where we overnight again.

Crater Camp to Stella Point via Crater Excursion: 5.2km

Stella Point to Barafu Camp: 3.3km

Barafu to Mweka Camp: 6.3km

Total day’s distance: 14.8km

Day 7

Descend from Mweka Camp (or Millennium) to Mweka Gate (1641m) where we sign the summit register and you will be awarded your Certificate of Achievement before being collected and driven back to your 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.