Lemosho Route 9 Day Itinerary

Our trips begin and end at Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. Clients may arrive at any time on day one. There is a pre-trip meeting around 5:30pm and the included dinner is served at 6pm. Private transfers from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to Ilboru Safari Lodge can be arranged for an extra fee. Download the Peak Planet Lemosho 9 Day Itinerary here.

To book a group climb please take a look at the group climb schedule. To book a private climb, please take a look at the private climb pricing page.

ITINERARY
DAY 1

Arrive anytime at Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. With prior arrangement, airport pick up and private transfers to Ilboru Safari Lodge are available from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), or simply make your own way by taxi. We will gather in the evening for a pre-climb briefing and an equipment check. We will also confirm you have the appropriate mandatory medical coverage and travel insurance.

DAY 2

After completing the neccessary registration formalities at Londorossi National Park gate, we drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho roadhead. We often have our lunch in the glades before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through beautiful and lush forest. This area has a variety of game, including buffalo.We camp at Lemosho Forest camp (8,700 ft).
[2-3 hours walking]

DAY 3

We soon leave the forest behind and enter the moorland zone of giant heather. The trail climbs steadily with wide views to reach the rim of the Shira Plateau. There is a tangible sense of wilderness, especially if afternoon mists come in! We camp in the center of the plateau at Shira One (11,000 ft).
[6-7 hours walking]

DAY 4

An easy day to help acclimatization and to explore the volcanic rock formations of Shira Plateau. We walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral (12,300 ft) before reaching the next camp at Shira Hut (12,600 ft). This campsite has stunning views, close to the glaciated dome of Kibo and the jagged rim of Shira Plateau. The views from here of Mt. Meru floating on the clouds are simply unforgettable.
[4-5 hours walking]

DAY 5

In the morning we cross part of the plateau heading north to reach our campsite at Moir Hut (13,800 ft) for lunch. After which there is an excellent acclimatization walk up onto the Lent Hills, the summit of which is at 15,400 ft..
[4-7 hours walking]

DAY 6

A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, leaving the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower, we descend to the bottom of the Barranco Valley to camp at Barranco Camp (12,790 ft), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below.
[7-8 hours walking]

DAY 7

A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Icefields. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and there is only a short distance to our camp at Karanga (13,100 ft), the last water point on the way to the summit.
[4-5 hours walking]

DAY 8

We follow an easy path on compacted scree with wide views that gains altitude unrelentingly to reach the Barafu Hut (14,800 ft) for lunch. There is a short acclimatization walk to the plateau at the bottom of the South-East valley. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the early morning final ascent.
[3-5 hours walking]

DAY 9

We start our ascent by torchlight about 1 a.m. so that we can be up on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (18,800 ft), in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the two-hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (19,345 ft), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshments, we continue to descend to reach our final campsite, Millenium Camp (12,500 ft).
[11-15 hours walking]

DAY 10

A sustained descent on a well constructed path takes us through a lovely tropical forest alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with considerable botanical interest. Our route winds down to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate at Mweka (5,400 ft); and on through coffee and banana farms to Mweka village, where we are transferred to Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha.
[4-6 hours walking]

DAY 11
After breakfast, we can arrange for a private transfer or taxi to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).

 

Trip Profile

PRIVATE CLIMBS
Trip Profile
 
Trip Duration:
11 days
 

Days on Mountain:
9 days

 
Difficulty:
high

 

Success Rate :
98% (Stella Point)
93% (Uhuru Peak)


 

Distance:
45 miles (approx.)

 

 

Accommodations:
2 nights lodging
8 nights camping


 
Meals:
all meals during climb
plus breakfast and dinner at lodges

 
Park Fees:
all park fees are included