7 Day Kilimanjaro Trekking Lemosho Route

ARRIVAL

You will be picked up from Kilimanjaro (JRO) airport . From there you will go to the hotel in moshi. Orientation on your trek will be done . Your guides will be there to provide you with details on your trek and will also check your trekking gear.

Overnight in hotel in Moshi.

DAY 1: MOSHI TO LONDOROSSI GATE TO LEMOSHO GLADES TO MTI MKUBWA CAMP

Drive from Moshi to the Londorossi Park Gate. From here follow a forest track in a 4WD vehicle for about 11 km/7 mi (45 minutes) to Lemosho Glades and a possible campsite. From the Glades, walk for 3 hours along beautiful forest trails to the Mti Mkubwa (big tree) campsite.

Elevation: 915 m/1387 to 2,250 m to 2,000 m to 2,750 m 
Elevation: 3,000 ft/4921ft to 7,380 ft to 6,560 ft to 9,020 ft 
Distance: 18 km 
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours 
Habitat: Montane 

DAY 2: MTI MKUBWA CAMP TO SHIRA 1 CAMP

The trail gradually steepens as it winds upward, entering the vast expanse of giant heather moorland. It then crosses the dramatic Shira Ridge at 3,600?m (11,810?ft), offering sweeping panoramic views, before descending gently to Shira Camp 1, peacefully situated by a sparkling stream on the Shira Plateau. The route provides an excellent opportunity to experience the unique high-altitude landscape while continuing acclimatization.

Elevation: 2,750 m to 3,500 m
Elevation: 9,020 ft to 11,485 ft
Distance: 12 km 
Hiking Time: 5 hours 
Habitat: Semi-Desert

DAY 3: SHIRA CAMP 1 TO SHIRA CAMP 2

A gentle walk across the sun-dappled plateau leads to Shira Camp 2, nestled amid lush moorland meadows beside a sparkling stream. The plateau offers a variety of scenic trails, each showcasing breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, making this an ideal day for leisurely exploration and essential acclimatization. 

Along the way, the serene environment and fresh mountain air provide a perfect opportunity to relax, take photographs and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the region.

Elevation(m): 3,500 m to 3,840 m
Elevation(ft): 11,485 ft to 12,600 ft
Distance: 6 km
Hiking Time: 2 hours 
Habitat: Alpine Desert

DAY 4: SHIRA CAMP 2 THROUGH LAVA TOWER TO BARRANCO CAMP

After breakfast, you will hike east up a steepening path above the highest vegetation toward Kilimanjaro’s looming mass. After several hours, you walk through a rocky landscape to reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower at 4,630 m/15,190 ft. This chunky remnant of Kilimanjaro’s earlier volcanic activity is several hundred feet high, and the trail passes right below it. For extra credit, the sure-footed can scramble to the top of the tower. 

After a lunch stop near Lava Tower, descend for 2 hours below the lower cliffs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall to Barranco Camp at 3,950 m/12,960 ft. There are numerous photo opportunities on this hike, especially if the walls are festooned with ice. Barranco Camp is in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Walls, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for your dinner. On this day, be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness.

Elevation(m): 3,840 m to 4,630 m to 3,950 m
Elevation(ft): 12,600 ft to 15,190 ft to 12,960 ft
Distance: 15 km 
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Habitat: Semi-Desert

DAY 5 : BARRANCO CAMP TO BARAFU CAMP

Leave slowly crossing the floor of the great Barranco Valley and up the Barranco wall continue the trek on the South Circuit path through the Karanga Valley. Then slowly trek (7 hours) to Barafu Hut (4600m). From Barafu you will have excellent views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Barafu Hut is situated on an exposed and dangerous ridge, so it is necessary to familiarise yourself with the terrain before dark. We will have our dinner, rest and prepare for summit night.

Trekking Time: 7-8 Hours
Distance: 9km
Altitude : 800 m

DAY 6: BARAFU CAMP TO UHURU PEAK TO MWEKA CAMP

You will rise around 11:30 PM, and after some steaming tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. Your 6-hour climb northwest up through heavy scree between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers to Stella Point on the crater rim is the most challenging part of the route for most climbers. At Stella Point (5,685 m/18,650 ft) you stop for a short rest and a chance to see a supremely sanguine sunrise. At Stella Point you join the top part of the Marangu Route, but do not stop here too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. 

Depending on the season and recent storms, you may encounter snow on your remaining hike along the rim to Uhuru Peak. On the summit, you can enjoy your accomplishment and know that you are creating a day that you will remember for the rest of your life.

After your 3-hour descent from the summit back to Barafu Camp, you will have a well-earned but short rest, collect your gear, and hike down a rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft).

Elevation(m): 4, 550m to 5,895 m to 3,100 m 
Elevation(ft): 14,930 ft to 19,340 ft to 19,340 ft 
Distance: 7 km up, 23 km down
Hiking Time: 8 hours up, 7-8 hours down 
Habitat: Scree and seasonal snow

DAY 7: MWEKA CAMP TO MWEKA GATE TO MOSHI
 

After a well-deserved breakfast, it is a short, scenic, 3-hour hike back to the park gate. At Mweka Gate, you can sign your name and add details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reached Stella Point are issued green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will be driven back to Moshi for an overdue hot shower and comfortable night.

Elevation(m): 3,100 m to 1,980 m to 890 m/ 1387 m 
Elevation(ft): 10,170 ft to 6,500 ft to 2,920 ft/ 4921ft
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3 hours 
Habitat: Forest