Lemosho Route And Success Rates: A Beginner’s Guide & Cost

6 Days Lemosho Route Itinerary Cost

7 Days Lemosho Route Itinerary Cost

8 Days Lemosho Route Itinerary Cost

Lemosho Route Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

When you get to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you’ll be met by an agent from kabira Safaris, who will take you to your hotel as part of the package deal. There will be nice rooms, hot water, friendly staff, a swimming pool, and Internet access at the hotel, so you can have a peaceful stay. There will be a meeting with our bosses in the evening, and they will also make sure you are ready to start the climb.

As part of private tour packages, your group will share a ride to and from the airport. For more than one person transfer, there will be extra fees. To avoid extra fees, make sure that the times your group arrives and leaves are the same.

Day 2: High-Altitude Drop off Destination And Trekking to Shira 2 Camp

There will be a guide and a mountain support crew at the hotel. Then you will drive for about three to four hours to Londorossi Gate, which is the western entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park. After quickly getting climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, the group goes up in off-road vehicles to reach their drop-off point at 3,610 m/11,841 f. This is the first place where you can see the Shira Plateau in all its beauty.

From where you were dropped off to your first high-altitude camp, Shira 2, the trail has a modest elevation gain and isn’t too hard on the body. In this way, you will be able to start the acclimatisation process in the right way. Our trained mountain crew will have already set up the tents, prepped everything they need, and started making dinner by the time you get to camp.

PLEASE NOTE:
You should really pay attention to these rules from now on because today is your first day at this height:

• Hold off on drinking booze and caffeine;
• Over 4 litres of drinking water every day (little by little, often);
• If you want to avoid getting altitude sickness in the first place, you might want to take a high-altitude rescue medicine. Many mountain hikers take these kinds of pills in the morning, before they start their climb, to ease the pain of altitude sickness. Along with your travel plans, our managers will give you more detailed information. Before the trip, you should talk to your doctor about any allergies or health worries you might have.

As you get used to the high altitude, you may feel uncomfortable at night because your body gets less oxygen than during the day because you breathe less deeply at night. Taking into account the altitude, you may start to feel sick and get a headache. Watch your body and let your guide know if you start to feel any signs of altitude sickness.

Day 3: Trekking From Shira 2 Camp to The Lawa Tower And Descent to Barranco Camp

The hike to Lava Tower, which is the most important part of the trip, will begin after breakfast. There are a lot of ups and downs on this part of the trail, which ends at a camp at over 4,600 m (15,091 f). Some parts of the hike might be hard, and it’s normal to feel a little uneasy. But you need to spend at least one to two hours here getting used to the higher elevation, so this is where you’ll eat lunch.

After that, you’ll go down to Barranco Camp. The famous Barranco Wall can be seen here. It is amazing how big it is and how steep it is. You will be climbing it the next day, but don’t worry—it has a very easy hike trail and is not at all scary.

Day 4: Trekking From Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

To start this day, you’ll get up early and eat a big breakfast before going up Barranco Wall. If you want to avoid getting slowed down by other groups, you should leave the camp as early as possible. It is not hard to walk up the gorge wall, and it only takes an hour. Before or after the climb, you can rest and take pictures in front of Kibo.

Following that, you will begin a tougher walk to Karanga Camp. The trail has many ascents and descents, but don’t worry—our guides are trained to find the best pace for the group. When you get to the camp, you’ll be given a warm meal. After a couple of hours, you will have to go on an acclimatisation hike that goes towards Barafu Camp and goes up 300 metres (984 feet). Then you will have to go back down to the camp.

PLEASE NOTE:
To speed up the process of getting used to the altitude, the acclimatisation hike is a short, easy hike with a small elevation gain. The acclimatisation hikes are very important that you do them. They make it more likely that you will be able to reach the top of Kilimanjaro and protect you from getting altitude sickness.

Day 5: Trekking From Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

You will start your walk to Barafu Summit Camp in the morning, after a full breakfast. This camp is where you’ll begin your last night’s climb to the top of Uhuru Peak (5,895 m/19,336 f), which is your ultimate goal. Our team will set up camp ahead of time, so your blankets and sleeping bags will already be ready when you get to Barafu Summit Camp. This way, you can just unwind and rest. Before the night peak, it is better to rest and sleep for the rest of the day.

Day 5: Ascent to Uhuru Peak And Descent to Millennium Camp

At night, you will leave Barafu Camp and begin the last part of the climb to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m/19,336 f). The climb isn’t too hard from a technical point of view, but at this high elevation, even normal physical exercise can feel hard. So, for the whole climb, each pair of hikers will be paired with a personal guide who will keep a closer eye on their physical and mental health. Once you’ve reached the top of Uhuru Peak, you can choose to go down to the nearest glacier. After taking a two-hour break, you will go back to Barafu Camp and continue your way down to Millennium Camp.

PLEASE NOTE:
Don’t forget that 90% of accidents, like broken arms and legs, happen on the way down. You should be very careful with your feet because you could hurt your toes.

Day 7: Descent From Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate

The Millennium Camp is in a tropical jungle. When you wake up, you’ll be glad that the height has gone down and happy that you made it to the top. Right after a hot breakfast, you’ll go to the Mweka Gate. This is where you leave the park. After you come down, the whole group will meet to congratulate you and give you a chance to write in the guestbook about your thoughts on the climb. Last but not least, we will give you your commemorative awards in our office and take you back to your hotel.

Day 8: Departure

Rest in the hotel and transfer to the airport.

PLEASE NOTE:
The hotel’s check-out time is 11 AM. If you need to check out late because of a flight in the evening, you can pay extra to stay longer at the hotel.

Lemosho Route FAQ

Lemosho 7 days vs Lemosho 8 days

You might be wondering whether the 7-day or 8-day Lemosho schedule is better for your trip. The seven-day plan starts at 3,414 metres, which helps you get used to the altitude faster. This way, you can go up in elevation for longer, but some people might not like how quickly they are going up in elevation. Also, the hikes on the first two days of this plan are pretty easy and don’t go up much in elevation.

The 8-day route, on the other hand, begins at 2,100m and has a tougher first day. But if you start lower, you’ll be able to get used to the altitude more slowly and enjoy hiking through a jungle. All in all, climbers of all levels should definitely try both paths. They are great for getting used to the altitude, have success rates at the top of well over 90%, and are some of the most beautiful routes on Kilimanjaro.

Lemosho 8 days vs Northern Circuit

The Lemosho 8 route has beautiful scenery and, like the Northern Circuit 8 route, a good shape for getting used to the altitude. The Northern Circuit, on the other hand, has views of Kilimanjaro from all four sides but is usually thought to be less beautiful. This is mostly because it rains less on the northern hills, so there is less variety and abundance of plants there. Another thing to think about is that the Northern Circuit is much less busy than the Lemosho route, which is one of the three busiest on Kilimanjaro right now.

Because it’s longer, the Northern Circuit is better for hikers with more stamina who don’t mind going on longer daily walks. On top of that, the Northern Circuit lets you skip the Barranco Wall if you really want to. Both routes can be done without expert knowledge or a lot of training, and they are great for getting used to the altitude. There are more people who reach the top of Lemosho than on Northern Circuit because the Northern Circuit is longer and some hikers get tired on that road.

How many miles in the Lemosho Route

The Lemosho route takes about 8 days and covers about 70 km (43 miles). The 6 and 7-day versions cover about 56 km (35 miles). If we look at how long other Kilimanjaro routes are, this puts Lemosho in the middle.

Where does the Lemosho route start

For the 8-day choice, the journey starts at Londorossi Gate (2250m), while for the 6-7 day options, the journey starts with a vehicle drop-off at 3,414m on the Shira Plateau.

Does Lemosho go via the Barranco Wall

The Lemosho path does go through the Barranco Wall. Still, the way it looks can be scarier than the event itself. Many adults have even been able to get around it without much trouble! Check out our guide to the Barranco Wall to learn more.

How hard is the Lemosho Route compared to other routes

The climb isn’t too hard, but it’s definitely doable for most people who are in good shape. It’s amazing that it comes out as the best choice for beginners because it has the highest success rates.