Kilimanjaro hike

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be welcomed to Tanzania by a member of our team and then you will be chauffeured to your Moshi hotel. After dinner you will have a full briefing with your lead guide.

After a hearty breakfast and a final kit check, you are then transferred to the Londorossi Gate and drive to the Lemosho Trail Head located to the West of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We will trek along the little used track known as Chamber’s route. This exciting wilderness route through the rainforest provides us with rich flora and fauna to enjoy during the trek. We will camp at The Rainforest Camp near Big Tree.

Our trek takes us to G&M One, a beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater, for lunch. We will then cross the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau that is rarely visited by man. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaros volcanic cones. It is filled by lava flow from Kibo and its rim has been destroyed by volcanic activity and erosion. From here we usually get our first up close glimpse of Kibo and the stunning glaciers of the Western Breach.

We start the morning with an early acclimatizing trek to Shira Cathedral (12,200 ft). The top of the ridge provides stunning views across the Shira Plateau. We then continue our trek across the Shira Plateau via Simba Camp and onto our camp which will be either at G&M Two or at the Shira Hut.

In the morning we cross part of the plateau heading due north. After lunch at our campsite, we hike up onto the Lent Hills (15,400 ft)

Today we leave the Moorland Plateau behind. Hiking along the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach, we will stop for lunch near the Lava Tower. We will then descend to the bottom of the Barranco Valley to enjoy the camp sheltered by the towering cliffs.

An early morning climb up Barranco Wall (14,000 ft) is known for magnificent views of Mt. Meru and the plains below. We then continue across the ridges and valleys to the Karanga Valley Camp where we will enjoy a relaxing afternoon. An optional trek just below the glaciers provides additional acclimatization and practice scree walking.

Today we take the Traverse Route that takes up the Barafu Ridge. We move quite slowly due to the difficulty of the Route, complicated by crosswinds and altitude. An optional trek a few hundred feet higher will help to optimize acclimatization. We dine and retire early in order to get some rest before the summit attempt.

Rising around midnight, we start our summit attempt around 1 am. Trekking the scree slopes to Stella Point (18,820 ft) on the rim. We will take a short rest at Stella Point and enjoy a magnificent sunrise. We continue along the rim to Uhuru Peak (19,342 ft), the highest point in Africa. After spending a few precious moments to enjoy your accomplishment and the views from Uhuru, we start our descent. We return to Stella Point and pass along Barfu Ridge to Mweka High Camp where we will spend the night.

We finish the descent through the Mweka Gate, and onto Mweka village where our vehicle will be waiting to take you to the Stella Maris Lodge in Moshi.

After a relaxing breakfast a vehicle will be on standby to transfer you to Arusha International Airport.