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Kilimanjaro rising above the savannah
Kilimanjaro · western approach

The Lemosho Route

Eight days, seventy kilometres and 3,795 metres of ascent from the western forest to the roof of Africa. The longest gentle approach on the mountain, and the one we put most people on.

Days8 on the mountain
Distance~70 km
SummitUhuru Peak 5,895 m
StartLondorossi Gate 2,100 m
DifficultyNo technical climbing
Why Lemosho The profile Day by day Acclimatisation What's included Kit Your crew When to climb FAQ Enquire
Why this route

Time on the mountain is the whole argument.

Almost nobody fails on Kilimanjaro because they were not fit enough. They fail because they went up too fast. Lemosho exists to solve that: it approaches from the west, spends its first days crossing the Shira Plateau at a height where your body can actually adapt, and only then turns for the summit.

It starts at Londorossi on the quiet western side, where you will see almost nobody for two days. It joins the busier southern circuit at Barranco on day four, by which point you have already slept three nights above 2,700 m and walked to 4,630 m and back down again.

The seven-day version of Lemosho exists and we will sell it to you if your dates are fixed. We would rather you took the eight. The extra night is the cheapest insurance on the mountain.

The profile

Drawn to scale.

Every camp, every night, plotted against real altitude. The shape is the point: the dip after Lava Tower on day four is deliberate, and it is the single most useful thing this route does for you.

2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 Gate2,100 Mti Mkubwa2,780 Shira 13,505 Shira 23,900 Barranco3,960 Karanga3,995 Barafu4,673 Mweka3,068 Gate1,640 UHURU 5,895 Lava Tower 4,630

Sleeping altitude    Climb high, sleep low    Summit

Day by day

Eight days, in order.

Day 01

Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa

2,100 → 2,780 m · 6 km · 3–4 hrs · montane forest

A long drive round the mountain to the western gate, registration, then a gentle first walk into rainforest. Colobus overhead, and usually rain in the afternoon. Big Tree Camp is exactly what it sounds like.

Day 02

Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1

2,780 → 3,505 m · 8 km · 5–6 hrs · forest to moorland

Out of the trees and onto the Shira Plateau, a collapsed caldera on the western shoulder. First proper view of Kibo, and the first night where you will notice the altitude in your sleep.

Day 03

Shira 1 to Shira 2

3,505 → 3,900 m · 7 km · 4–5 hrs · moorland

A deliberately short day across the plateau. Most groups walk on to a higher point after lunch and come back down — the first of the acclimatisation excursions that make this route work.

Day 04

Shira 2 to Barranco, via Lava Tower

3,900 → 4,630 → 3,960 m · 10 km · 7 hrs · alpine desert

The most important day of the climb. You walk up to 4,630 m at Lava Tower, eat lunch there, then descend 670 m to sleep at Barranco among the giant senecios. You will feel worse at lunch than at bedtime, and that is the entire point.

Day 05

Barranco to Karanga

3,960 → 3,995 m · 5 km · 4–5 hrs · the Barranco Wall

Begins with the Barranco Wall — 250 m of scrambling that looks worse from below than it is, with one hands-on section. No ropes, no technical skill. Then a series of valleys to Karanga.

Day 06

Karanga to Barafu

3,995 → 4,673 m · 4 km · 4 hrs · alpine desert

A short walk to base camp on a bare rock shoulder. You arrive by early afternoon, eat, and try to sleep before a midnight start. Almost nobody sleeps well. That is normal.

Day 07

Summit night, then down to Mweka

4,673 → 5,895 → 3,068 m · 17 km · 12–14 hrs

Leave around midnight by head torch. Stella Point on the crater rim at dawn, then forty-five minutes along the rim to Uhuru Peak. Down to Barafu for a short rest, then on to Mweka. The longest day of your life, and the one you came for.

Day 08

Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

3,068 → 1,640 m · 10 km · 3–4 hrs · back into forest

A steady descent through the rainforest, wet underfoot and loud with birds. Certificates at the gate — green for Stella Point, gold for Uhuru — then the drive back to Moshi and the best shower of your life.

Acclimatisation

What actually stops people.

At Uhuru there is roughly half the oxygen there is at sea level. Your body can adapt to that, but only at a certain pace, and no amount of training at the gym speeds it up. This is the honest version of what you are up against.

Almost everyone gets some form of mild altitude sickness: headache, poor sleep, no appetite, breathlessness on small efforts. That is expected and manageable. What matters is recognising the difference between that and the two conditions that end climbs — fluid on the lungs or on the brain — and going down immediately if either appears.

Your guides carry a pulse oximeter and check you twice daily. They are not being dramatic. A guide who tells you to descend is doing the job you paid them for, and we back that call every time, whatever it costs.

Drink far more than feels reasonable — three to four litres a day. Walk more slowly than feels natural; pole pole is not a cliché, it is the technique. Eat even when you do not want to.

What's included

And what is not.

Included
  • All park, camping, rescue and conservation fees
  • Professional mountain guides and full support crew
  • All meals on the mountain, plus filtered drinking water
  • Sleeping tents, mess tent, table and chairs, toilet tent
  • Transfers between Moshi or Arusha and the gates
  • Two nights' hotel either side of the climb
  • Oximeter checks twice daily and an emergency oxygen cylinder
  • Summit certificate
Not included
  • International flights and Tanzanian visa
  • Travel and medical insurance — required, and it must cover trekking to 6,000 m
  • Personal trekking gear, though most of it can be hired in Moshi
  • Tips for the crew — we give you the customary figures before you start
  • Drinks and laundry at the hotel
  • Portable toilet upgrade, private tent, extra porter

On insurance: ordinary travel policies frequently exclude trekking above 4,000 m. Check the altitude limit in writing before you buy, and check that it includes helicopter evacuation. We will not take you up the mountain without it.

Kit

What you actually need.

You will walk through rainforest, moorland, alpine desert and arctic conditions in the same week. Layers, not bulk. Almost everything below can be hired in Moshi for a fraction of buying it — tell us and we will arrange it.

On your feet

  • Broken-in waterproof boots with ankle support
  • Gaiters
  • Liner and thick trekking socks
  • Camp shoes for the evenings

Layers

  • Base layers, top and bottom
  • Fleece or soft-shell mid layer
  • Insulated down jacket for summit night
  • Waterproof shell, jacket and trousers

Extremities

  • Warm hat and a sun hat
  • Buff or neck gaiter
  • Liner gloves and insulated outer gloves
  • Category 4 sunglasses

The rest

  • Head torch and spare batteries — cold kills them
  • Trekking poles
  • Daypack of 30–35 litres
  • Two 1-litre bottles or a bladder, plus a flask
  • High-factor sun cream and lip salve
  • Personal first aid and any prescriptions

Your duffel goes to a porter and the mountain's rules cap what one person may carry. Keep your bag to 15 kg and carry only water, layers, camera and snacks yourself.

Your crew

The people who get you up.

A Kilimanjaro climb is not a solo effort. A party of two is typically supported by a lead guide, an assistant guide, a cook and six to eight porters — and how that crew is treated is the clearest signal you will get about an operator.

Porters carry the tents, food, water and your duffel. Park regulations cap the load a porter may carry, and reputable operators weigh bags at the gate to enforce it. Ask any operator you are considering how they pay, feed and shelter their porters, and how they handle a porter who falls ill. The answer tells you everything.

We brief you on tipping before you start, with the customary range per role and per day, and we do the distribution openly at the end so everyone sees what they received.

When to climb

Two good windows, and two wet ones.

Jan – mid MarWarm and clear

Warmer nights, clear mornings, moderate traffic. Often the best photography of the year from the crater rim.

Prime
Late Mar – MayLong rains

Wet on the lower slopes, cloud on the plateau, slippery descents. Fewest climbers and lowest prices — a real option if you do not mind being wet.

Wet
Jun – OctDry and cold

The main season. Dry, stable, cold at night, and the busiest — Barafu can be crowded on summit night. Book several months out.

Prime
Nov – DecShort rains, then clearing

Afternoon showers in November easing through December. Christmas and New Year fill early and carry a premium.

Good
Questions

The ones we are asked most.

How fit do I need to be?

Fit enough to walk five to seven hours a day, on consecutive days, carrying a light pack. If you can walk for a full day in hill country and get up and do it again, you are fit enough. Altitude, not fitness, is what decides most summits.

Seven days or eight?

Eight. The extra night raises your chances materially and costs less than a failed attempt. We will run the seven-day version if your dates leave no choice, and we will tell you plainly that you are reducing your odds.

Do I need technical climbing experience?

No. There is no rope, ice axe or crampon work on Lemosho. The Barranco Wall involves using your hands for one short section. It is a long walk at altitude, not a climb in the mountaineering sense.

How cold does summit night get?

Between about −7 °C and −20 °C at the crater rim before dawn, colder with wind. That is what the down jacket, the second pair of gloves and the flask are for.

What if I have to turn back?

An assistant guide takes you down while the rest of the group continues. You do not end anyone else's climb by stopping, which is exactly why the crew is staffed the way it is.

Can I charge my phone or camera?

Not from mains. Bring a power bank — two if you shoot a lot. Cold drains batteries fast, so sleep with them in your bag.

Are the toilets as bad as people say?

The public long-drops are grim. A private toilet tent is an inexpensive upgrade and one of the few we actively recommend.

How far ahead should I book?

Three to six months for the June to October season, and earlier for Christmas and New Year. Park permits and good crews are both finite.

Begin here

Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly.

Whether Lemosho is right for you, whether eight days fits your window, and what it will actually cost with every fee included. If another route suits you better we will say so.

Plan your climb → Ask on WhatsApp or call +255 762 914 714