The Lemosho Route avoids the crowds on the early part of the Machame route. Over 8 days, you will have a fantastic journey and a great chance of summiting successfully on this Lemosho route 8 days itinerary. The 8-day Kilimanjaro Lemosho route adventure begins at Londorossi Gate, at an altitude of 2360 meters, with an approach far to the west of the mountain. It passes through the majestic rainforest where some of the region’s most unique wildlife can often be seen. The route continues up to the mountain’s third summit at Shira Ridge.
The Lemosho Route 8 days is a good hike for those who have not trekked much at high altitudes, with an effective extra day’s acclimatization, giving a better success rate. Experienced and already acclimatized mountaineers may opt for the more difficult 7-day ascent along the Lemosho route.
Moshi Town (Google Map)
Early In The Morning
Camping/ huts
A Transfer to Londorossi Park Gate for registration to start our Lemosho route 8 days itinerary. Our porters prepare and pack our supplies and luggage before we start our ascent along the forest trail to Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) campsite at 2895m. We will stay here overnight.
Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
Ascent: 535 m
Max. altitude: 2895 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Our journey continues eastwards across the Shira Plateau with spectacular views of Shira Cathedral. We cross the moorland meadow to reach Shira 1 Camp for dinner and overnight camping at 3500m. By now we will be able to see the stunning glaciers of the Western Breach. It will be colder tonight than the previous night with temperatures possibly falling below freezing.
Hiking time: 5 – 6 hours
Ascent: 605 m
Max. altitude: 3500 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
We leave the forest behind now and the trail gets steeper as it enters the moorland zone. A gentle grade walk takes you across the high-altitude Shira Caldera to Moir Hut with fabulous views of the Arrow glacier. We will camp here for the night at 4200m.
Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours
Ascent: 700 m
Max. altitude: 4200 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Today we will climb up to 4600m to the base of Lava Tower for lunch and acclimatization. This will be our toughest day so far and you may, for the first time, feel the altitude. After lunch, we will descend again by almost 650m to Barranco Camp, following the “walk high, sleep low” golden rule of acclimatization. Our descent to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall.
Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours
Ascent: 400 m
Descent: 650 m
Max. altitude: 4600 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
A short but fun day, starting with a scramble to the top of the Great Barranco Wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley (3930m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten, and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at the Karanga campsite.
Hiking time: 4 hours
Ascent: 260 m
Descent: 280 m
Max. altitude: 4210 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
We leave the Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent trail. From here we continue up to Barafu Camp. You have now completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. At camp, we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be clearly seen from this position.
Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
Ascent: 670 m
Max. altitude: 4600 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
You will be woken around 23:30 with tea and biscuits. We start our trek to the summit between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers through heavy scree up to Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. At Stella Point (5732m), we will stop for a short rest and hopefully be in time to witness the magnificent sunrise (weather permitting). We are now only an hour away from the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m), the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, we descend down to the Mweka campsite, via Barafu for lunch. Trekking poles will be needed for the loose scree going down to Mweka Camp (3100m). Later in the evening, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Hiking time: 13 – 16 hours
Ascent: 1295 m
Descent: 2795 m
Max. altitude: 5895 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
On your final day of the Lemosho Route 8 Days Kilimanjaro climb, departing after breakfast we descend a further 1300m to the Mweka Park Gate to pick up your summit certificates from the Park Headquarters. Transfer to your hotel.
Transport: 0.6-hour, 17 km
Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
Descent: 1300 m
Max. altitude: 3100 m
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch
What should I pack for my Lemosho Route 8 Days Kilimanjaro climb?
Inside Your daypack on Kilimanjaro, you will have waterproof gear, a sun hut, extra warm clothing, water, snacks, Packed lunch, gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug repellent, and a camera. When you’re on the mountain, most of your gear will be packed in your large duffel bag, which our porters will carry. For more information on what to park from Kilimanjaro hiking kindly check our Kilimanjaro guide
Is it safe to climb mount Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 8 Days?
Yes, technically speaking, Mount Kilimanjaro is also relatively safe compared to other mountains of similar altitude and the risks are low compared to other mountains. However, this is not to say that it is easy to reach the summit or that there are no risks involved.
How fit would I have to be to climb mount Kilimanjaro?
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro doesn’t need an athlete or someone who is so much into exercise. Only a few training sessions prepare your lungs for low oxygen levels. To better equip our climbers, at Northern lagoon Travel, we always do offer a fitness assessment check.
Are the guides trained in first aid and altitude sickness?
Kilimanjaro guides are trained in acute mountain sickness (AMS) and basic mountain first aid. However, they are not doctors or paramedics, climbers are however responsible for bringing their own first aid kits and medical supplies.
Is my health monitored throughout the treks?
We carry full medical supplies that could possibly be required from, oxygen tanks to resuscitation equipment. Everyone is assessed daily, both morning and evening for; respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and O2 saturation levels. We also provide full medical support with qualified doctors if needed at additional costs per group.
Should I do a scheduled group trek or a private trek?
A Kilimanjaro open group tour is one in which anyone can join the climb, however, tend to be cheaper compared to private tours and they have a set schedule.
We run our own scheduled group trek departure dates throughout ‘all’ seasons, and also “tailor-made” private treks where you can choose your specific dates.
Which Kilimanjaro route is the best?
The best route to climb Kilimanjaro is the Machame route and Lemosho route over 7 or 8 days – excellent acclimatization and an easier summit night make these winners a long way. The Lemosho route, summit success rate? Due to its longer length profile, summit success rates on the Lemosho route are one of the highest on the mountain. Whilst there are no official statistics, the average success rate across all operators is 90% for the 8-day trek and an 85% success rate for the 7-day trek. Check out our blog post on the Kilimanjaro hiking routes
A hard hike but in the end, it was all worth it. The Guides were amazing, such an amazing team to work with!
Amazing Hike with Northern Lagoon Travels Tanzania.
Special thanks to Richard, and the guide who was perfect and took good care of us!