Kilimanjaro Climb - Lemosho Route
Kilimanjaro Climb - Lemosho Route
Kilimanjaro Climb - Lemosho Route
10 Days Starting and ending in Arusha
Visiting: Tanzania
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TYR
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 16
Age range:
16-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Taking the western approach we cross the caldera of Shira Volcano, traversing beneath the southern icefields of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's highest volcano. We have eight days on Africa’s highest mountain, which means plenty of time for acclimatisation and soaking up the ever changing scenery. This is one of the least trekked routes allowing us to savour the immense and wild Shira Plateau. This itinerary gives you an excellent chance of reaching the summit: approximately 96% of people trekking the Lemosho route with Exodus stand on the roof of Africa.
Highlights
Itinerary
**
Day 2
There will be a trip briefing this afternoon/evening. Please bring with you
your passport and insurance details, and your air ticket details. The
briefing will cover all aspects of your trip and will include the
distribution of any hired equipment you have booked.
*Comfortable Hotel*
Day 3
In the morning we transfer to Londorossi (2250 m), passing between the slopes
of Kilimanjaro and the horseshoe-shaped volcanic crater of Mt. Meru (a
distance of about 120 km). After completing the necessary registration
formalities, we drive on for a short distance through farmland and
plantations to reach the Lemosho roadhead. The last 5 km of the road to the
park gate is of poor quality, particularly after rain, and the drive there
should be considered part of the adventure. We often have our lunch in the
glades before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path
through beautiful and lush forest, this area has a variety of game including
buffalo. We camp at Lemosho Forest camp (2650 m). Approx 3-4 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 4
The trail starts out in the lush rich montane forest before ascending into
the moorland zone of giant heather. The trail climbs steadily with views
across the plains opening out as we reach the rim of the Shira Plateau. There
is a tangible sense of wilderness especially if the afternoon mists come in.
We camp in the centre of the plateau at Shira One (3550 m). Approx 6-7 hours
walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 5
A day to help acclimatisation and to explore the grassy moorland and the
volcanic rock formations of the plateau. We walk to the summit of Shira
Cathedral, a huge buttress of rock surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles.
The views from our camp near Shira Hut (3840m) of Mt. Meru floating on the
clouds are simply unforgettable. The afternoon is free to relax. Approx 4-5
hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 6
A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, walking on lava ridges
beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower
junction (4550m), we descend to the bottom of the Great Barranco valley
(3900m), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains
far below. Approx 5-7 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 7
A short steep climb up the famed Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating
trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the southern
icefields. The terrain changes to volcanic scree, with pockets of lush
vegetation in sheltered hollows, and a powerful sense of mountain wilderness.
Our next camp is at Karanga (4000m) a short distance away. The valley floor
has the last water point on the approach to Barafu and we camp on the higher
sides of the valley with views towards the glaciers of the southern
icefields. Approx 4-5 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 8
The trail follows a path on compacted scree with wide views ahead including
the Barafu Ridge where our camp lies. The trail climbs unrelentingly to reach
the Barafu campsite (4600m) for lunch, after which there is a short
acclimatisation walk to the plateau at the bottom of the southeast valley
(4800m). The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the
final ascent and includes a very early night. Approx 3-5 hours walking.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 9
We will start our ascent by torchlight around midnight so that we can be up
on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has
some well-graded zigzags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella
Point (5735m), in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short
time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong
can make the two hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak
(5,895m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still
occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast,
and after some refreshments we continue to descend to reach our final
campsite (3800m) at Millenium camp. Most of us will be too tired to notice
the beauty of the forest surrounding the crowded campsite. This is an
extremely long and hard day with between 11 and 15 hours of walking at high
altitude.
*Full-service Camping*
Day 10
This day is a sustained descent on a well-constructed path through lovely
tropical forest alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with
considerable botanical interest. Our route winds down to the national park
gate at Mweka (1650m); and on through coffee and banana farms to Mweka
village. The shower, the beer, and the swimming pool are tantalisingly close!
We return by bus to Arusha (a distance of about 100 km). Approx 4-6 hours
walking.
*Comfortable Hotel*
Day 11
The morning can be spent resting in the hotel garden by the pool or exploring
Arusha for souvenirs for those on group flights. Those not flying back to UK
with the group will leave us in Arusha.
Day 12
Arrive London.
What's Included
-
Meals
9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 9 dinners.
* All breakfasts, 8 lunches and 9 dinners
* All accommodation (see below)
* All transport and listed activities
* Tour leader throughout
* Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
* Kilimanjaro Park Fee
What's Not Included
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Visas or vaccinations
-
Travel insurance
-
Equipment hire
-
Single supplement
Accommodation
On this adventure, we spend seven nights camping in three-person tents and two nights in a hotel.
Arusha: Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge (nights 1 and 9)
Before and after our time on Kilimanjaro, we stay at the comfortable Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge. In a peaceful setting just outside Arusha, this property has 40 spacious thatched cottages dotted throughout a beautiful garden overlooked by Mount Meru. There's also an excellent restaurant serving African and international dishes, a spacious bar and a swimming pool. It is also possible to book a massage for when you return from the trek.
Kilimanjaro: Full-service camping (nights 2-8)
Although conditions are basic on the mountain, the camping we experience is one of the best available on the Lemosho Route. We sleep in Vango Halo Pro 300 tents regardless of whether you have made a twin-share or single supplement booking. These are spacious three-person tents that are ideal for the conditions on Kilimanjaro. Our camp life is about as comfortable as it gets on Kili, with a communal mess tent, where we gather as a group and eat breakfast and dinner, and a private toilet tent. We also ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Worth knowing
The campsites on Kilimanjaro are designated by the national park and are mainly stone/dirt. They are not all level and can be crowded in peak season.
Handwashing water, treated with Dettol, is available along with soap before all meals, and everyone is strongly advised to make use of it.
The toilet tent has toilet paper within it, but we recommend that you bring your own toilet paper and wet wipes.
All camping equipment is provided except for sleeping bags, sleeping mats and pillows.
Food
All meals during the climb are included. Please allow about GBP20-30
(USD30-50) for the two lunches (day 1 and 10) not included.Â
On trek the emphasis is on a varied and well-balanced diet with a greater
amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids.
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any
special dietary requests. Please note that in Tanzania the availability of
certain specialised products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or
dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring
these specialised dietary items from home.
The menu has a high liquid and carbohydrate content; the two important
elements for successful
climbing. At higher altitudes, stimulants (such as coffee) and less
digestible foods (such as meat) are
not recommended. Our evening meal at the highest camp on Kilimanjaro is a
meatless stew as our
experience shows this to be the ideal preparation for the summit day. At
mealtimes a
selection of hot drinks are available. Soup is served twice daily.
Daily Meals
Bed Tea - tea or coffee served in your tent.
Breakfast - consists of seasonal fresh fruit (mango/banana/watermelon),
porridge, cooked eggs,
sausage, bacon and toast.
Energy snacks are provided for the daily walk such as biscuits, bananas, and
chocolate bars.
Lunch - either a packed lunch on longer days or, more usually, a
hot lunch served in camp by a small
team who have raced ahead of the clients. A hot lunch typically consists of
soup, bread or pancakes,
cheese, tuna, jam, peanut butter, pasta salad and cake.
Afternoon tea - served in late afternoon. It is an opportunity to drink
lots of hot drinks and snack on peanuts or popcorn.
Dinner - the main meal of the day and always consists of three courses;
soup and bread, followed by the main dish, which could be rice, potatoes or
pasta with fish, meat or vegetables, and is followed by a dessert often of
fruit.
Summit snacks - Whilst we provide enough food for the climb, we recommend
that you bring some of your favourite snacks, and keep them for the summit
day. This is because the summit day is a long and tough climb and having your
favourite snacks can give you a very welcome boost.
Water
Whilst the water we provide on Kilimanjaro is suitable for drinking you may
wish to be extra safe and treat it with your own water purification tablets.
Biox Aqua drops or tablets are the best available alternative for sale in the
UK as they kill giardia and cryptosporidium.
Check out our Q&As
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Minimum age 16 and above passenger can go to this tour.
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What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?
You will spend 2 nights in comfortable hotels with en suite facilities. you will have 7 nights of full-service camping
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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What is the maximum group size?
16
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Are flights included in this tour?
No
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.