Footloose itineraries – Kilimanjaro, Lemosho Route
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Kilimanjaro, Lemosho Route
The Lemosho is a wilderness route which combines spectacular views and scenery, good acclimatisation, and quieter than the Marangu (tourist) route. It is parallel to the Shira route on the north west side of the mountain and joins the Machame on the third day. The route gives a quiet and interesting start, coupled with the most interesting scenery of the southern cliffs. ITINERARY Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 the south lit up by the early morning sun. From here on you continue to cross the typical valleys and ridges that radiate from the summit downwards. You will stop for lunch in the Karanga valley (if you have the extra day you will spend the night here) and you should eat as much as you can here because you may not feel too hungry higher up. It is also the last water point. The latter part of the walk is over and up moonscape ridges to Barafu camp. There is a new toilet here, but other camping conditions are poor. Eat as well as you can and get to sleep early because you will be getting up at 11pm for soup or tea and the start of the summit attempt. It cannot be stressed enough that up to this point you should have been drinking and eating as much as possible including a good intake of high energy snacks. Day 6 If you are feeling good, you can continue to the highest point, Uhuru, but it is further than it looks. Your guide has been instructed to forbid any climber who has been sick from continuing. Remember that this is the point of maximum risk to your health and that you must be prepared to take advice from your guide and colleagues and be reasonable if they feel you should descend. The rewards on the top are superb views of the summit glaciers and ice walls and, of course, standing on the highest point in Africa - 19,340 feet. The descent commences at Stella Point and leads steeply down over snow and later broken rocks and scree. After about two hours you reach the Barafu camp and stop for some refreshment. From here the path is much clearer and you reach the South Circuit Path. Cross straight over here and continue steeply down to the Mweka camp on the edge of the forest. The camp has two small buildings at 10,100 feet. Day 7 Day 8 Extra Day Accommodation on the route is in roomy two person tents. The evening stops are referred to as huts, but most of the buildings are decrepit. They are used as shelters for the porters and for cooking. The tents are usually erected for you when you arrive, although if you want a particular position it's worth taking charge. In the mornings, it helps everyone get away early if you lend a hand with taking the tents down. Acclimatisation is extremely important, both to let you enjoy your ascent but more importantly to avoid any serious complications. The route is planned to optimise the height gain, but you may still get a headache or feel nauseous. There are two important preventative measures: to drink copiously, even when it is really difficult, and to walk very slowly, avoiding as far as possible increased heart and breathing rates. A drug is available, Diamox, from your GP which is well proven to help with acclimatisation. This is taken as tablets for a few days before and then during your ascent. It is safe and has no serious side effects. It is important to remember that one possible effect of altitude is light-headedness and odd behaviour, which can lead to foolish decisions. The danger here is of someone who is not well insisting on continuing. Watch each other closely. Food and kitchen equipment will be carried by the porters and cooked by an experienced cook. It will be plentiful and wholesome, but the variety may be limited. Your own supply of chocolate and high energy snacks is a good idea. Water is available at several points and should be purified before
drinking. All water in camp will be boiled and some provided for
drinking the next day. A comforting tip is to fill your bottle in
the evening Toilets, a portable toilet in a small tent will be provided. If you are caught short during the walk, please find a spot as far as possible from the trail and any water. Bury your faeces and paper. It is often easiest to move a large rock and use the indent as a hole. Mark your spot by balancing a couple of stones. Tipping. The tip system is a traditional part of the porters, cooks,
drivers and guides income. They work very hard to provide the best
possible services but at the same time they expect good tips in
return. Our recommended tips are quite high by Tanzanian standards
and there is no need for them to be exceeded, however if services
were not adequate a full tip need not be paid and in this event
please inform us at the Hotel reception of any problems that arose
on your trip. Staff Tip in US$
Price includes:
Western Breach
Mount MeruIf you enjoy mountains and would like extra acclimatisation, why not consider an ascent of Mount Meru (14,800 feet) before going to Kili. The mountains are adjacent and the two trips complement each other. Please ask for more details.
SafarisMost people add a safari to a trip to climb Kilimanjaro. This can be either before or after the climb and any number of days. There are many of the well known game parks within easy reach, such as Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Masai Mara. Please ask for detailed itineraries. Zanzibar Go to
main Kilimanjaro page > |
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