If you are thinking of attempting a Mount Kilimanjaro climb with Top Story Tours & Safaris, the Lemosho route is a superb choice for your climb. It is our preferred route due to its ideal balance of low traffic, beautiful scenery and a high summit success rate.It approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the west, starting with a long drive to Londorossi Gate. The first two days are spent trekking through the rainforest to Shira Ridge.
The route crosses the entirety of the plain from the west to east in a pleasant, relatively flat hike, unlike Machame route which simply intersects the Shira Plateau. An added advantage of taking Lemosho route is that, before you join the popular Machame route, you will encounter low traffic. Afterwards, the route follows the same route through Lava Tower, Barranco and Barafu, known as the southern circuit. Descent is made via the Mweka route.
Day 01: Arrive Tanzania
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International airport in Tanzania. After customs and immigration formalities, you will be met by a Top Story Tours & Safaris representative with a board bearing your name. Enjoy a private transfer ride to your hotel in Arusha , town located 40 minutes from the airport. Dinner & Overnight at a hotel in Arusha.
Day 02: Arusha-Kilimanjaro
You will have breakfast in your hotel in Arusha before you leave for the Londorosi gate.On arrival you will be assisted by your guide to register and thereafter you will drive to Lemosho glades where you wll start the trek through the rain forest to the rain Forest Camp (Big Tree) [2440 m/ 8000ft]. Your trek today will be along a little used track known as Chamber’s Route. You will see in places that the vegetation is so undisturbed by humans that it grows right across the narrow track. Flora and fauna are richer here than on other more popular routes through the rain forest. (3 – 4hrs walking).
Day 03: Kilimanjaro
Your trekking today will result to a height gain of over 600mts/ 2000 ft. You will have a lunch stop at Shira camp which is a beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater at around 3050mts /10,000 ft. Cross into cross into the Shira Caldera after your lunch. Shira Caldera is a high altitude desert plateau rarely visited by the man. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones and it is filled with lava flow from Kibo. Its rim eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Today you camp at Shira One at 3500mts (11500ft) in Caldera. Today, you should expect the first close views of Kibo – the dramatic summit cone of Kilimanjaro.
Day 04: Kilimanjaro
You trek will start after breakfast in your camp, reaching Shira plateau after 2 to 3 hour of trekking. You will trek east across Shira Plateau, via Simba Camp. Your camp today is Shira II ( Hut), which is situated approximately 1 ½ hours walk from Simba at around 3840mts/ 12600ft. The views back across Shira are spectacular. There is optional and recommended early morning start for if you want to try the acclimatization trek to Shira Cathedral. The views from the top of this ridge are very special. If you have vertigo you should take extra care.
Day 05: Kilimanjaro
Today, you will trek towards your camp located at the base of formation called Lava Tower, this is found at an altitude of 4600m/15,000ft above sea level. Indigenous plants to the alpine zone such giant senecios , tussock grasses, giant lobelias, giant senecios and helichrysums can be seen. It is worth noting that Altitude at this level is too high for most insects to survive, you will however spot some bird species, like Jackson’s francolin, verreaux’s eagles, ,the white-necked raven, various sunbirds and swifts. You will also see small rodents like four-striped grass mouse (5-6 hours walk).
Day 06: Kilimanjaro
After having you breakfast, you will be leaving Lava Tower camp, the Southern Ice fields (Diamond, Balleto and Hein glaciers) as you trek, you come into view providing you with one of the most amazing sights on Mt. Kilimanjaro. You will finally reach your next camp, Arrow Glacier after a 3 – 4 hour walk, the camp is located at 4800m/15,750ft elevation, just near Arrow Glacier ice field. The southern slope of Kilimanjaro and the African savannah extending beyond, can be viewed from here on a clear day.The top of Mt. Meru just at below 15800ft, will be viewed floating in the clouds.
Day 07: Kilimanjaro
You start your trek by climbing the Western Breach wall, which tops out at over 5480m/18000ft. At this point you will be able to see the entire Shira plateau, giving you a good look at how far you have trekked so far! The dramatic Northern ice field to your left and the Furtwangler glacier to your right can be seen as get to the top of the breach wall; you can walk right up to these glaciers that are well over 50ft tall! The black volcanic rock makes a dramatic foreground to these huge glaciers, enjoy a great photo opportunity if there is no snow. To gain a sense of some perspective; your high base camp in the Crater, past the Furtwangler glacier, will be just below the altitude of Everest’s Base camp! (5- 6 hours walking). You have the option of taking , a trek taking you to the Volcanic vent(Ash Pit) can be done from here if you wish to.
Day 08: Kilimanjaro
This is an extremely important day for you as you prepare yourself to start struggling for the final section of climbing up to the summit from 6.00 a.m in the morning, this is soon after taking early light breakfast at your camp, getting there (at Uhuru Peak 5895m / 19,340ft), the Rooftop of Africa in 1½ hour later. Whilst here, you will have spectacular views of the Mawenzi Peak to the east and Mt. Meru to the west and glaciers including Furtwangler glacier, Northern ice field and Reusch crater. After getting our summit photos, you descend along Mweka route via Stella point and stopping en-route for lunch at Barafu huts, then descending further down to Mweka camp at 3100m / 10,170ft for the last night on the mountain. It takes about (3 – 3 ½ hours from the summit to Barafu camp and 3 hours more to Mweka camp.
Day 09: Kilimanjaro-Arusha
Enjoy your last breakfast in camp and afterwards , walk down across the rain forest to Mweka Gate where you will briefly celebrate your achievement with your mountain crew, it is here that you will be presented with Kilimanjaro certificates. You will have a chance to tip your crew and bid them farewell before taking a private transfer back to Aruha where a hot shower will be waiting for you.(From Mweka camp to the exit gate, it is about 2 ½ – 3-hour walk).A day room to freshen up will be provided till evening when you will be collected by Top Story driver and transferred to Kilimanjaro International airport.