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"My guide helped me during the hard times. He carried my daypack to the summit. Stephen was by my side at all times, even late at night when I needed oxygen."
Christy D.
Colorado, USA
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LEMOSHO-LAVA TOWER
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LEMOSHO-LAVA TOWER - 12 Days / 11 Nights
(9 climbing days)
Day 1-2 |
MOSHI
3,000-ft/600-m
After arriving at Kilimanjaro airport, you check into our hotel. We spend two nights in Moshi allowing you time to regenerate and meet with your guides as they give you a detailed climb orientation and gear check. |
Day 3 |
LONDOROSSI GATE to MTI MKUBWA CAMP
9,170-ft/2,800-m • 2.1 miles/3.4 km • 3-4 hours
We enter Kilimanjaro National Park and check in at the Londorossi Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. O ur trek today will be along a little used track through the montane forest. In places the vegetation is so untouched that it grows right across the trail. The flora and fauna are richer here than on the other more popular routes through the rain forest. Our first camp is in the rain forest at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree). |
Day 4 |
MTI MKUBWA to SHIRA PLATEAU CAMP
11,500-ft/3,505-m • 4.5 miles/7.3 km • 7-8 hours
After breakfast we leave the glades, and start the climb towards the heath and moorland zone. A couple  hours after lunch we cross into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau, very different from the rain forest. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. Weather and volcanic action have decimated the crater rim. Today you'll get your first close views of Kibo - the summit of Kilimanjaro. |
Day 5 |
SHIRA PLATEAU to MOIR CAMP
13,650-ft/4,160-m • 5.7 miles/9.2 km • 7-8 hours
After breakfast we hike east across the  Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Moir camp, tucked away at the end of a huge gorge, at the foot of a giant lava flow. We enjoy a hot lunch at Fisher Camp, which is only a couple hours from our destination. |
Day 6 |
MOIR to LAVA TOWER CAMP
14,600-ft/4,450-m • 2.4 miles/3.9 km • 3-4 hours
In this Alpine Moorland Zone, the plants  are extremely hardy, and consist of lichens, grasses, and heather among others. Our camp is at the foot of Lava Tower. This is the high point of the first section of the trek, and is excellent for helping our bodies get used to the thin air. |
Day 7 |
LAVA TOWER to KARANGA CAMP
13, 200-ft/4,023-m • 6.6 miles/7.4 km • 7-9 hours
From Lava Tower, we are trekking mostly downhill today,  around Kibo's spectacular south-facing glaciers. The view of the towering peak are spectacular. After descending through the heather and lobelias to 12,800 ft., we climb the Barranco Wall, a massive "rock" 500 feet high. We then descend through the Karanga Valley to our camp up the other side of the valley.
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Day 8 |
KARANGA to BARAFU CAMP
14,950-ft/4,556-m • 2.2 miles/3.5 km • 3-4 hours
It’s all uphill to the rocky, craggy slopes  at Barafu camp. Barafu means "ice" in Swahili, and it is extremely windy and cold at this altitude. There is a buzz of excitement in the air, as climbers anticipate our toughest day just ahead. The clouds move in an out, revealing the eroded peak of Mawenzi, painted with colors of the African sun. |
Day 9 |
BARAFU to CRATER CAMP
18,370-ft/5,600-m • 2.8 miles/4.5 km • 6-9 hours
We repack our gear, taking only what we'll  need for the day and tomorrow’s summit push. The porters will carry the rest of our gear as they descend to Millennium Camp, where we will rendezvous with them on after the summit.
Today’s the toughest day, with the most stunning views of Mawenzi, the Kibo Saddle and the plains below. We slowly wind our way up over the rocky outcrops and through the scree until we reach the rim of the crater. If you get there early, you will have time to hike around the inner crater before going on to our camp on the crater floor facing the amazing Furtwangler Glacier. There might be snow along this part of the climb. We spend the remainder of the day taking it easy, and enjoying our camp at the highest sleeping altitude. |
Day 10 |
THE SUMMIT! & DESCEND to MILLENIUM CAMP
Summit: 19,340-ft/5,895-m • 2-3 hours • .5 miles/.7 km
Millennium: 12,500-ft/3,810-m • 5-7 hours • 2.5 miles/4 km
We spend about 2 hours hiking up to Uhuru  Peak. The view from the summit is dramatic. The weather and effects of altitude will determine how long we stay here celebrating. We descend to our camp for our last night on the mountain, as your lungs thank you for the the oxygen-rich air. We enjoy a celebration meal, prepared by our cook at camp, and savor our last night on Kilimanjaro. |
Day 11 |
MILLENNIUM CAMP to MWEKA GATE to MOSHI
Mweka: 5,500-ft/1,676-m • 6.9 miles/11 km• 4-5 hours
Moshi: 3,000-ft/600-m • 30 minute drive
In the morning we have a 4-5 hour walk down to the road. At the gate, our Tusker vehicles meet us and it’s a half-hour drive back to the hotel and a well-earned shower and a beer. |
Day 12 |
DEPART TANZANIA
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Kilimanjaro Climb
