Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Trek
Experience Overview
Take on Mount Kilimanjaro on our iconic trek to its summit, the highest point in Africa. Following the lesser-used Lemosho route, climb through breathtaking climactic zones, from rainforest to moorland and alpine desert to arctic planes. Our steady seven-day ascent gives you time to acclimatise as we push on to the summit.
Gradual ascent - Our seven-day ascent lets you slowly acclimatise to the changing altitude, helping you reach the summit and enjoy the climb.
Experienced crew - Our trek is led by world-class leaders and accompanied by a full team of guides, porters and cooks.
Wild camps - Sleep on Kili's slopes as we wild camp with panoramic views of the surrounding plains.
Extend your stay - Spend four days on the exotic island of Zanzibar (trip code: ZI) or three days on safari in some of Tanzania's best national parks (trip code: KCS).
Highlights
Climb to the roof of Africa via the most scenic route on Kilimanjaro - Lemosho|Increase the chances of summiting by spending seven days trekking on the mountain|All Kilimanjaro Park fees and summit certificate included in our price
Trip Details
Product Code: 20256
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Bus
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: KC
Starts: Tanzania
Finishes: Tanzania
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Unknown
Includes
- Explore Tour Leader
- Cook
- Driver(s)
- Porter(s)
- Trek Crew
Accommodation
- Weru Weru River Lodge
- Big Tree Forest Camp
- Shira 1 Camp
- Shira 2 Camp
- Barranco Camp
- Karanga Camp
- Barafu Camp
- Millennium Campsite
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4,120 ($412 /day)
Itinerary
Our Kilimanjaro adventure starts today in the town of Moshi, the capital of the Kilimanjaro region. We'll meet our trek leader in the reception of our hotel - the Weru Weru Lodge - at 5pm for a welcome meeting, including full trekking details. We'll also spend time checking our kit and making sure we're fully prepared for the challenge ahead - this can take several hours but it's essential to make sure we're all safe and happy as we set off on our trek. Afterwards, we'll sit down for a group dinner (included) at the lodge. There are no other activities planned for today but it's important that you arrive in time for the welcome meeting. If you do miss it, our trek leader will catch you up as soon as possible. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is around a 45-minute drive from our hotel. If you arrive earlier today, the Weru Weru Lodge has a swimming pool and garden where you can relax with views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Today, we begin our trek. After a drive through farmland and plantations, we'll reach the Londorossi National Park Gate on the western side of Kilimanjaro. From here, we continue to the Lemosho roadhead at 2,100 metres/6,890 feet - this is the starting point of our trek. We'll climb steadily through the lush forest of the Lemosho Glades - starting with a gradual ascent before making a slight descent to Big Tree Camp (2,780 metres/9,121 feet). As we find our walking feet, enjoy the sounds of the surrounding rainforest and keep your eyes peeled to spot black and white colobus monkeys amongst the trees. Porters will assist us throughout our trek and will carry your trek kitbag, so you only need to carry what you need for the day - waterproofs, camera, water bottle, extra fleece, sunhat, packed lunch and three litres of drinking water. Please note, drones are not permitted in Kilimanjaro National Park without a permit. Refer to the equipment section of the trip notes for more information. Today's 7-kilometres/4.4-mile trek is expected to take approximately three to four hours with an ascent of 680 metres/2,231 feet.
Today, we'll head out of the rainforest zone and into the moorland zone, trekking a plateau of grass and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. We'll hike over the Shira Ridge where - weather permitting - we'll catch our first glimpse of Kibo Peak rising in the distance, giving us a clear view of the exciting challenge ahead. Our destination today is the camp at Shira One (3,500 metres/11,484 feet). We gain a reasonable amount of altitude today and some sections of our trek are quite steep. Today's 8.5-kilometres/5.3-mile trek is expected to take approximately four to five hours with an ascent of 720 metres/2362 feet.
Ahead of us today, we have the chance to view the Northern Ice Fields from the western side of the mountain, opening us up to some unusual views of Kibo. Traversing yet another unique climactic zone, we'll steadily trek across the green grassy landscapes of the Shira Plateau to more arid planes. This steady climb will help with acclimatisation as we reach the Shirt Two Camp at 3,900 metres/12,796 feet. This afternoon, we have free time with the option to take an acclimatisation walk to the junction of the trail to the Moir Hut. The 8-kilometres/5-mile trek between the camps at Shira 1 and 2 is expected to take approximately five hours with an ascent of 400 metres/1,312 feet. The afternoon acclimatisation trek is for an additional one to two hours.
Today's longer walk helps us acclimatise more as we ascend to a high point of 4,640 metres/15,223 feet before descending to a lower altitude for the night. Our trek starts with an ascent into the climatic zone of the upland desert, where we'll be rewarded with panoramic views. We'll progress slowly via the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach before reaching the pinnacle of the Lava Tower (4,640 metres/15,223 feet), our high point for the day and a great place to stop for lunch. This afternoon, we'll make a steep descent to our camp for the night, located at the base of the Great Barranco Valley (3,960 metres/12,992 feet), sheltered by towering cliffs but with extensive views of the plains below. Today's 10-kilometre/6.2-mile trek is expected to take approximately seven to eight hours with an ascent of 740 metres/2,428 feet and descent of 680 metres/2,231 feet.
We have a challenging start ahead of us today as we traverse the steep ascent of the Barranco Wall. This rocky cliff (standing 260 metres/853 feet high) is thought to have been created by a huge landslide around 100,000 years ago. Our trail zig-zags up the wall and there are sections where you'll need your hands free to pull yourself over some of the rocks. You don't need technical ability and we'll take this section slowly. The climb leads to an undulating trail on the southeastern side of Kibo and (weather permitting) we'll get views of the Southern Ice Fields. Again, the terrain here is unique with volcanic scree pocketed with lush vegetation. Eventually, we'll make our descent into the Karanga Valley followed by an ascent to our campsite at 4,035 metres/13,239 feet. The Karanga Valley is the last water point on the approach to Barafu. Today's 6-kilometre/3.7-mile trek from the Barranco Valley to Karanga is expected to take approximately four to five hours with an ascent of 360 metres/1,181 feet and descent of 185 metres/607 feet.
This morning, we'll climb out of the Karanga Valley following an easy path of compacted scree. The trek will be steep, constantly gaining altitude, until we reach our camp at Barafu (4640 metres/15224 feet). This afternoon, we'll prepare for our midnight ascent - prepare your pack, load up on carbs and water and settle down for a very early night. Today's 6-kilometres/3.7-mile trek is expected to take approximately four to five hours with an ascent of 605 metres/1,985 feet.
Leaving camp at around midnight, while the scree and potential snow are still frozen, we'll make our final ascent. We plan to trek to the summit at 5,895 metres/19,341 feet before descending over 2,000 metres/6,562 feet to our last campsite. It'll be a long and strenuous day with high altitude and extreme cold. Remember to take it steady up here - at times you might only manage ten paces before you need to rest. We climb steadily on a zig-zagging scree path. After passing the Rebmann Glacier, we'll reach Stella Point and continue around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 5,895 metres/19,341 feet. After time to enjoy our achievement and take our victory photographs at the famous summit sign, we'll descend back down the scree to Barafu Camp for a rest and something to eat. Continuing back down, we have a continuous descent to the Millennium Camp at 3,790 metres/12,435 feet, where you'll feel the difference in the air immediately. Today's walking totals 19.5 kilometres/12 miles and is expected to take up to 14 hours. The trek from Barafu Camp to Stella Point is an ascent of 1,045 metres/3,429 feet and will take around five to six hours, with the hike from here around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (an additional 210 metres/689 feet of ascent) taking another one to two hours. The trek down from the summit to Millennium Camp, (a total descent of 2,105 metres/6,907 feet), is expected to take approximately five to six hours (excluding the time spent resting at Barafu).
After a well-deserved night's sleep and rest, our final day on the trek takes us down through the lush beauty of the rainforest, enjoying the increasing warmth and richness of the mountain air. Our trail ends at the Mweka Gate (1,630 metres/5,348 feet) from where we'll travel by road to Moshi and back to the comforts of our lodge. We'll have a well-earned lunch on arrival back in Moshi. Today's 12-kilometres/7.5-mile trek is expected to take between approximately four to six hours and is a total descent of 2,160 metres/7,087 feet.
This morning there is the option to head out on a game drive around the Momella Lakes area in the nearby Arusha National Park. The park is well known for its giraffe population, as well as elephants, hippos and buffalos. The game drive will run from approximately 6.30am to 1pm and requires a minimum of two participants to run (this optional costs between $122-328 depending on numbers). If you don't want to take part in the game drive, you're free to depart from the hotel in Moshi at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at the lodge. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is around a 45-minute drive from our hotel. Customers who are joining our Zanzibar Extension (trip code: ZI) will be transferred to Arusha Airport (around a two-hour drive away) for the flight to Zanzibar. Our tour leader will advise you of your departure time.
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Jennifer - Traveled, August 2023
All of it! The group and Walt were brilliant. I thought Kruger was going to be the peak and then the rest might be okay but not as good, but the whole trip was great and I was surprised how many highlights I had in the second part of the trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/26/2023
Maxine - Traveled, August 2023
The whole trip was wondeful and had so many highlights, Kruger Park, penguins at Betty's Bay with the surprise sighting of an otter. The scenery wildlife and birds were stunning. Our guide Walt was excellent, very knowledgeable, helpful and went above and beyond expectations during the trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/28/2023
Wendy - Traveled, August 2023
So many highlights! Kruger was a first highlight as we saw so much over the two days! The beaches in South Africa were stunning too!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/29/2023
Louise - Traveled, September 2023
The safari in Kruger The whale watching in Plettenberg Hermanus Going to Cape Point from Cape Town.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/16/2023
Nicola - Traveled, September 2023
The trip was full of amazing experiences with the highlight being the safari. The whole experience from going out on the trucks to the accommodation was amazing. Loved the area where we stayed it gave us the whole safari experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/19/2023
Pamela Woodward - Traveled, November 2023
The tour was varied and offered something for everything. We especially enjoyed the added hikes to see things "on the ground". Having a tour of Kruger National Park was a highlight as well even though we ran into one day of terrible weather there. Be prepared for all kinds of weather even though you are in Africa. We were able to spend our US Thanksgiving while on tour and our guide helped arrange a celebration of all the participants. One of the other things we enjoyed was the extended tour offered to visit Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. That also was excellent and I wish all Explore trips had extended trips offered for all their trips. Cape Town was also a fun place to visit and we were lucky that our guide helped us all see the Cape Point and also the Penguins.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/30/2023
Cheryl - Traveled, November 2019
I've been sent a form for "Discover Nepal" (which I went on last year), but the holiday I have just returned from is "Sao Tome with Kathleen Becker". I've provided feedback about that latest trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/09/2019
Nic - Traveled, November 2019
I paid the single supplement which did seam a little high compared for six nights compared to my other Explore trips. I also had to accept that others benefited with single rooms at no additional cost - I accept was my choice !
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/04/2019
Janet Lupton - Traveled, November 2019
The views and wildlife are wonderful and the itinerary is quite active. You pack a lot into the holiday and it can be non-stop, especially if you do the optional trips. Restaurant prices are generally very good. There are 3 lovely walks, all of which require good walking shoes or boots with firm soles because there are lots of rocks underfoot. Walking poles might be a help if you struggle with uphill or downhill.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/01/2019
Clarejaques - Traveled, November 2019
Check who your guide is and check their rating with the company
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/30/2019
Susan O Sullivan - Traveled, October 2019
We felt this tour was poor value for money compared to other companies we have used. The accommodation overall was poor. 3 star hotels or less is not acceptable at this price. Improvement needed!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/06/2019
Joanna Smith - Traveled, September 2019
It’s a wonderful experience. I highly recommend you visit this amazing country
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/11/2019
DEBBIEPEEL - Traveled, September 2019
I would say just go for it! We had the best time - safari was absolutely magical - everything from the animals we saw to the safari guides to the accommodation was incredible. Explore have been very helpful every step of the way. The tour guide (Vincent) was super knowledgeable and made our trip :)
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/28/2019
Anita - Traveled, May 2019
An excellent trip in terms of variety and the things packed in. I've done a number of trips and one of the best as you didn't feel like you were just in one country. A few tweaks to it - itinerary and accommodation and it would be amazing!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/17/2019
Paula - Traveled, November 2019
Great holiday. and great itinerary. Fantastic tour guide.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/17/2019
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