KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO

Arrive at your base hotel in Moshi. Pre-climb briefing.
Overnight at your base hotel, the Chanya Lodge.
Meals : Dinner

After breakfast, transfer by road to Londorossi Gate in west Kilimanjaro. The starting point is a two to three hour drive from Moshi, and you may well spend more time driving and waiting around at the gate than walking today. After registration at the gate, transfer to the starting point for your trek. Your climb today begins in the dense rainforest. The forest is beautiful and full of smaller wildlife; look out for Colobus and blue monkeys hiding among the branches. A short walk until the first campsite with a few steep sections. The day's trekking will take around 2-3 hours. Picnic lunch will be en route. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight: Mt Mkubwa (Big Tree) Camp.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Breakfast. Today the trail becomes very steep and you may need many breaks. A 4-5 hour walk may feel like much more. Once you reach the first major ridge, you leave the forest behind and enter the heather and moorland zone as you work your way up towards the Shira Plateau. Through a few more steep ridges, offering great views, a well deserved break, then a descend into the valley on the other side. You will have your picnic lunch and sometime after lunch the path will flatten out. Before you know it, you are standing on the edge of the Shira Plateau (3612m) with Kibo straight ahead of you, the Shira Ridge to your right and the plateau below. From the ridge you will descend to your camp for the night. The day may sound difficult, but you have all the time in the world and many climbers say this is their favourite day of the walk. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight: Shira One Camp.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Breakfast. Today is an easy paced day for acclimatisation with about 2-4 hours of hiking. You will hike east across the Shira Plateau, past the Shira Cathedral towards Shira Two camp at 3935m. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular. Hot lunch at Shira camp. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight: Shira Two Camp.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Breakfast. From Shira your route turns sharply east and heads directly towards Kibo and its Western Breach. You enter the alpine zone today, which receives limited water, has cold night-time temperatures and intense daytime sun, climbing steadily to a high point of 4530m, close to the distinctive Lava Tower with spectacular views of the surrounding cliffs and rock formations throughout the day's hike. You will have your picnic lunch along your route and then spend the final few hours of the day descending steeply to the great Barranco (valley) ending at an altitude of 3950m, only 150m higher than your starting point, nonetheless, you will have climbed and descended 680m, increasing your body's ability to adjust to the decreasing air oxygen levels. You should be ready for a hard-earned sleep. The day's trekking usually takes 5-7 hours. Dinner will be served at the campsite.
Overnight: Barranco Camp.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Breakfast. This is the start of your summit attempt (which will be at midnight tonight). A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads you through a trail on the south-eastern side of Kibo, with super views of the southern ice fields down and up again until Karanga valley campsite for picnic lunch. Depart Karanga and continue along an easy path on compacted scree and steep parts over rocky slabs. Your path after the Karanga valley meets with the Mweka trail, which you will use to descend the following day. Turn left at the junction, heading up towards Barafu camp at 4600m. The day's trekking usually takes 5-8 hours. Once you reach the campsite, the chef will prepare your 'last meal' around mid-afternoon. It is recommended to sleep after dinner until your guides wake you for the summit attempt around midnight.
Overnight: Barafu Camp.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

At midnight (00:00am) you will be woken by your guides for the summit attempt, this allows you to reach the summit for around sunrise, and still gives you time to descend in the daylight. You will walk in single file, ascending in a zigzag pattern (because of the steepness) through the scree and entering the arctic zone of the mountain. The climb to Stella Point is probably the most daunting section of the Lemosho route, mainly because of the altitude, darkness, and many hours of walking prior to this, however, there are no technical difficulties. Keep pushing forward and consult the guides regarding any altitude sickness, they are trained to notice symptoms of mild, medium and high altitude sickness and will be able to advise you if you can continue ascending, or if you should stop and descend.

Determination will take you to Stella Point at 5730m. Here you will take a short rest, and those who are still feeling strong can continue to Uhuru Peak at 5895m, passing spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that are the only residents in the zone. At Uhuru peak (once you take the pictures with the sign board) you will not stay for long, our guides advise on a maximum of 10-15 minutes, then you should begin your descent to Mweka. The scree feels very lose underneath you and you may find it is harder to descend than to ascend. Two walking poles come in useful here and the guides can show you a trick to almost 'ski' down. You follow the same path you used to ascend until Barafu campsite where you will have a hot lunch. Continue descending until the Mweka junction where you take the path leading to Mweka and descend through the heather and moorland until the top of the forest where Mweka camp lies at 3000m. The walk from Barafu to Stella usually takes around 5-6 hours, the walk to Uhuru a further 1-2 hours and the descent to Mweka around 5-7 hours. Dinner will be served at Mweka camp. Enjoy a well earned rest for the night.
Overnight: Mweka Camp.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Breakfast. This will be your final day on the mountain. You leave Mweka Camp and trek south through the Mountain forest until Mweka gate. Picnic lunch en route. Overnight: base hotel, Chanya Lodge.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Depart after breakfast.
Meals : Breakfast