Lemosho Route

Lemosho Route 7-Days and 8-Days itinerary

The Lemosho route can be completed in as little as 6 days on the mountain. However, it is ideally tackled over 8 days as this offers a better altitude acclimatisation schedule. 

  1. The first two days are spent trekking through the rainforest to Shira Ridge and leads into a relatively flat hike, moving from west to east.
  2. From this point, you’re unlikely to encounter many other hikers. Crowds will be few and far between until the route joins the Machame route near the Lava Tower. 
  3. The route traverses underneath Kilimanjaro’s icefields on a path known as the Southern Circuit, before summiting from Barafu.
  4. To complete the journey, the descent is made via the Mweka route. 

Previous trekking experience is highly recommended, as the days will feature 6-8 hours hiking with daily ascents of 900m to 1,000m, perhaps with the odd day ascending around 1,100m to 1,200m.

Depending on the route, you may be trekking at an altitude of over 3,500m. You need complete confidence in your ability to trek for many days over difficult terrain. 

  • Distance: The Lemosho route is 70 kilometres (42 miles). 
  • Location: Access to the trail begins with a long drive from Moshi or Arusha to Londorossi Gate, and can take three to four hours. Londorossi Gate is located in the western base of the mountain.
  • Height: The Lemosho route reaches the summit of Kilimanjaro at the Uhuru peak, reaching a height of 5,895 metres (19,341 feet). 
  • Trail conditions: The first part of the trail makes its way through the verdant rainforest to reach the Shira Plateau, and later travels through icefields and high alpine deserts. 
     

The Lemosho route is known as one of the most beautiful routes, offering sweeping vistas from the mountain. Travelling in a similar direction as the Shira route from the western base, climbers are likely to encounter lower traffic until the route meets with the Machame Route, and it’s one of the newer routes on the mountain, which makes Lemosho a great choice for your climb. 

As you travel along the western side of Kilimanjaro, you might be fortunate enough to spot antelope, buffalo, and maybe even a few elephants.

DAY START ALTITUDE (M/FT) FINISH ALTITUDE (M/FT) TIME (HRS) DISTANCE (KM/MI)
1 Londorossi Gate 2,360m/ 7,742ft Mti Mkubwa 2,895m/ 9,498ft 3-4 6km/ 4mi
2 Mti Mkubwa 2,895m/ 9,498ft Shira 1 Camp 3,505m/ 11,500ft 5-6 8km/ 5mi
3 Shira 1 Camp 3,505m/ 11,500ft Moir Hut 4,200m/ 13,800ft 5-7 11km/ 7mi
4 Moir Hut 4,200m/ 13,800ft Lava Tower 4,630m/ 15,190ft 4-5 7km/ 4mi
  Lava Tower 4,630m/ 15,190ft Barranco Camp 3,976m/ 13,044ft 2-3 3km/ 2mi
5 Barranco Camp 3,976m/ 13,044ft Karanga Camp 3,995m/ 13,106ft 4-5 5km/ 3mi
6 Karanga Camp 3,995m/ 13,106ft Barafu Camp 4,673m/ 15,331ft 4-5 4km/ 2mi
7 Barafu Camp 4,673m/ 15,331ft Uhuru Peak 5,895m/ 19,341ft 7-8 5km/ 3mi
  Uhuru Peak 5,895m/ 19,341ft Mweka Camp 3,068m/ 10,065ft 4-6 12km/ 7mi
8 Mweka Camp 3,068m/ 10,065ft Mweka Gate 1,640m/ 5,380ft 3-4 10km/ 6mi