Itinerary

1. Day 1: Londorossi Gate to Big Tree Camp

   • Depart from Arusha.

   • Complete the necessary registration formalities at the Londorossi National Park gate with your Tanzanian mountain guide.

   • Drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho road head. The last section of the road is of poor quality and difficult to drive after rain; sometimes, we start walking a kilometre or two below the road head. We often have our lunch at the road head before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through the beautiful and lush forest. 

   • Camp at Lemosho Big Tree Camp.

2. Day 2: Big Tree Camp to Shira One Camp

   • Start the climb after breakfast on your trek via Lemosho.

   • Pass by 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.

   • Camp in the center of the plateau at Shira One.

3. Day 3: Shira One to Barranco Camp

   • Embark on a morning of gentle ascent amidst panoramic views, leaving the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. 

   • Eat lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4,550 m), and descend to the bottom of the Great Barranco Valley sheltered by towering cliffs for extensive views of the plains far below.

   • Camp in the Barranco Valley.

4. Day 4: Barranco Camp to Karanga Hut

   • Trek a steep climb up the Barranco Wall, which leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Ice fields. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of vegetation in a sheltered hollow.

   • Spend the night at the camp at Karanga (4,000 m), the last water point on the way to the summit.

5. Day 5: Karanga Hut to Barafu Camp

   • Start your day five on the Kilimanjaro by passing through compacted scree with wide views that gains altitude unrelentingly with your Tanzanian mountain guide.

   • Reach the Barafu campsite (4,600 m) for lunch. 

   • Use a short acclimatisation walk to the plateau at the bottom of the South-East valley (4,800 m). 

   • Spend the remainder of the day resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night.

6. Day 6: Barafu Camp to Mweka Camp

   • Start climbing Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho route after drinking a cup of hot tea.

   • Ascent by torchlight at 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 (5,735 m) in about five or six hours. 

   • Rest at Stella Point for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. 

   • Make the two-hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m), passing close by spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area for those who are still feeling strong. 

   • Descent to Barafu, which is surprisingly fast.

   • Enjoy some refreshment.

   • Continue to descend to reach our final Mweka Forest Camp. 

7. Day 7: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Arusha

   • Spend your final day on the trek on the Lemosho Route with a gentle descent through a lovely forest with lush undergrowth.

   • Reach Mweka National Park Gate. 

   • Drive back to Peace hotel in Arusha.