|
HIKING THE MIGHTY KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO
ROUTE
Itinerary
| Biomes
| Price
| Included
| Excluded
| Discounts
| Extra
Charges | Getting
to Moshi
Itinerary
When you arrive in Moshi, you will be transfered from the
Kilimanjaro Airport to the Keys Hotel ($10/person one-way).
If you are flying directly into the Kilimanjaro Airport, we
recommend at least one rest day before starting your trek.
If you are transferring from Nairobi, this can act as your
rest day.
 A
briefing will be held the evening before your trek, and you
must separate one bag for the trek from your other luggage.
Extra luggage can be stored in a locked storage room at the
Keys Hotel at no charge.
The next morning, enjoy a hearty breakfast before last-minute
trip preparations at our office. Land Rovers will drive you
to the mountain to begin the journey. Depending on the route
you take, the drive to the trailhead can take up to one hour
and can be very bumpy.
Once you reach the park gate, climbers are requested to make
their final preparations for the climb. Porters will be seen
arranging their packs containing the food, water, firewood,
and other equipment. Make sure that you have all your day
pack items with you as the porters travel very quickly. The
guides will be pleased to assist with any additional information.
The average hiking day begins between 8-9am and is about
5 to 6 hours, walking very, very slowly. The distances you
will hike each day are very moderate so as to acclimate a
little at a time. Your guides will repeat over and over, "pole
pole" (po-ly, po-ly) , which means "go slowly"
in Swahili.
The terrain lower down is absolutely gorgeous and fascinating.
Higher up, the views are vast. There is little to do at the
camps themselves, so take advantage of the slow pace to absorb
the scenery and take every photo opportunity.
The hike to the summit starts around midnight depending on
your route and speed of your group. You will go as high as
you feel fit. Some people stop at the crater rim, and others
continue to the very highest point on the mountain. Your guides
will then take you down as quickly as possible to minimize
any altitude problems. You will continue past your last campsite
to the next one for overnight.
At the end of your trek, you will be picked up at the trail
head by Land Rover and taken back to the Keys Hotel
for a hot shower and warm bed.
Biomes
You will experience many different biomes as you climb Kilimanjaro.
The land is cultivated and inhabited up to about 1900 meters
(6234 ft) in elevation. You will begin the hike at the edge
of the forest. This starts in a dense rainforest with an extremely
high ceiling. The forest turns into a shorter forest with
moss and giant ferns until about 2800 meters (9186 ft).
Next comes the heather biome to 3300 meters (10,827 ft) when
Moorland appears with the unusual Senecio Kilimanjari trees.
From 4000 to 4800 meters (13,123 ft to 15,748 ft), you will
go through Alpine Desert where some mosses, lichens, and starchy
flowers are all that remain. The area around the summit is
Arctic conditions. It looks a bit like moonscape with only
rock and glacier.
LEMOSHO ROUTE
Duration: 8 days hiking
Price: $ 1680 /person
$1630/person for groups of 6 or more
+ $120 group transportation fee
Extra day on the mountain: $190/person
Low Season: $50/person off April 1 - May 31 and November
 MOSHI
Book into the Keys Hotel in Moshi for overnight.
Day 1
To Mti Mkubwa Camp
2100m to 2750m
6900ft to 9000ft
About 3 hours hiking
After breakfast and briefing, drive to Londorossi Park Gate
(2250m / 7382 ft, 2.5 hours). From here a forest track requiring
a 4WD vehicle leads to Lemosho Glades (2100m / 6890 ft, 11km,
45 minutes) and a possible campsite (park fees are not paid
to camp here). Walk along forest trails to Mti Mkubwa (big
tree) campsite.
Day 2
To Shira 1 Camp
2750m to 3500m
9000ft to 11,500ft
About 5 hours
After breakfast, we continue as the trail gradually steepens
and enters the giant heather moorland zone. Several streams
are crossed then it gains the Shira Ridge at about 3600m (11,811
ft) and drops gently down to Shira 1 camp located by a stream
on the Shira Plateau.
Day 3
To Shira 2 Camp
3500m to 3850m
11,500ft to 12,600ft
About 2 hours
After breakfast, a gentle walk across the plateau leads to
Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream. A variety of
walks are available on the Plateau making this an excellent
acclimatization day.
Day 4
To Barranco Hut
3840m to 3860m
12,600ft to 12,700ft
About 6 hours
From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east, passing the
junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction
changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the
"Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, we come
to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier
at an altitude of 4876 meters (15,997 ft). We now continue
down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3860 meters (12,664
ft). Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight. Although you
end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this
day is very important for acclimatization and will help your
body prepare for summit day.
Day 5
To Karanga Hut
3860m to 4200m
12,700ft to 13,800ft
About 4 hours
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep
ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley (4200m
/ 13,780 ft) campsite.
Day 6
To Barafu Hut
4200m to 4600m
13,800ft to 15,100ft
 About
4 hours
After breakfast, we leave the Karanga Valley and pass the
junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue
to the Barafu Hut, which is located ant an altitude of 4600
meters (15,092 ft). You have completed the South Circuit,
which offers views of the summit from many different angles.
Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the
summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen
from this position.
Day 7
To Summit and
Mweka Hut
4600m to 5895m
(and down to 3100m)
15,100ft to 19,300ft
(and down to 10,200ft)
About 11 hours
Early morning, we continue our way to the summit of Uhuru
Peak at 5985 meters (19,636 ft). This part of the climb takes
about 6 hours. It can be very cold at night at these elevations,
but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You
will want clothing for both extremes with you. At Uhuru Peak,
we have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and
the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise
from the summit. From the summit, we now make our descent
continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site at 3100
meters (10,171 ft). This part of the descent takes about 5
hours. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose
gravel going down.
Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain
and a well-earned sleep. Beer and soda may be available for
purchase at the Mweka Hut -- the only place on this route.
Day 8
To Moshi
3100m to 1830m
10,200ft to 6000ft
About 4 hours
After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka
Park Gate. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters
and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably
be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).
A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back
to hotel in Moshi. Don't forget to tip your guides and porters.
It is time for celebration!
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR TRIP
• National Park gate fees
• Transport from Moshi to starting point on mountain
and return to Moshi
• Hut / camping fees and tents
• Qualified guides for all routes
• Porters' salaries
• Rescue fees
• All meals on the mountain
• Two nights accommodation in Moshi bed and breakfast,
double or triple occupancy
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
• Tips for guides and porters
• The typical tip is $20/guide/day, $10/porter/day, and
something in between for assistant guides. This is from the
whole group not per climber. If they did extra or special
work, it is nice to tip higher than this.
• Expect 2 porters per hiker, 1 guide per 8 hikers,
and 1 assistant guide per 4 hikers (assistant guides double
as porters).
• Budget $250 per hiker for tips for a 6-day trek.
• Tips should not be dependent on whether you summit
or not, but rather whether they were professional and had
your best interests in mind.
• Mountain equipment
• Some equipment is available for rent.
 •
Tents and foam sleeping pads are included on camping routes.
DISCOUNTS:
Groups of 6 or more get a $50/person discount.
Low Season Discounts:
Low season is April 1 - May 31 and November.
Kilimanjaro treks are offered at a $50/person discount on
all routes. This can be combined with the group discount.
EXTRA CHARGES:
Extra days on the mountain are available for $190/person/day.
Oxygen is available for $30.
Extra porters (for camera gear, etc.) are $15/day
Getting to Moshi
Ideally, you want to fly into the Kilimanjaro Airport. KLM
has direct flights from Amsterdam. These flights are more
expensive than flying into Nairobi, but you save yourself
two days of travel and expenses. We provide transportation
between the Kilimanjaro Airport and the Keys Hotel
for $10/person one-way.
From/To Arusha 
The Davanu Shuttle (see below) goes between Arusha and Moshi
once a day for $15/person one-way. We can arrange for a private
car for $80 one-way for the car.
From/To Nairobi
The first option is to take any of the two shuttles that leaves
every morning at 8am from Nairobi, Kenya, which cost $35 per
person each way and takes approximately six hours. You can
also fly to the Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is
located halfway between Moshi and Arusha. This costs around
$200 per person one way from Nairobi, Kenya. The third option
is to take a private car from Nairobi to Moshi. The car fits
7-8 people and costs $400 total each way, or a mini-bus for
$500 total each way (20-25 people). You determine time and
place of pick-up.
Shuttle Buses
These are 25, 35, or 55 person shuttle buses that go from
the Nairobi, Kenya to Moshi. This is not the most comfortable
route (very bumpy and dusty), but it is a quintessential African
experience. Excitement builds as you see African wildlife,
Masai villagers, Mt. Meru, and finally Kilimanjaro emerge
in the countryside around you.
The shuttle stops at the Tanzanian border where all passengers
must disembark and go through immigration. A visa is required
to enter Tanzania. Luggage may also be removed and randomly
inspected by customs agents.
There is one bathroom stop on the Kenyan side of the border
where you can also purchase refreshments. There is also a
stop in Arusha to switch shuttles and get lunch. You will
probably want to bring your own snacks and drinks for the
trip.
The shuttles leave from Nairobi at 8:00am. They will also
pick up at various hotels in the city center. The shuttle
from Moshi leaves early in the morning, and also picks up
at a few hotels in town. Arrive at the shuttle 1/2 hour early
to get your luggage loaded. Travel times vary greatly, but
allow at least 6 hours. The shuttle operates every day of
the year including holidays.
 If
you take the afternoon shuttle, it only goes as far as Arusha.
We can arrange for a private car to drive from Arusha to Moshi
for $70 one-way for the car.
Take a look at the Shuttle Buses we recommend:
The Riverside Shuttle
The Impala Shuttle
Flights
The flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro is approximately
9 1/2 hours. Because of the long flight, we recommend a rest
day in Moshi before starting your trek.
The only airlines that fly into the Kilimanjaro Airport are
KLM, Ethiopia Airlines, Kenya Air, and Precision Air.
Flights between Nairobi and Kilimanjaro cost around $200/person
one-way. Flights from Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar are around $160/person
one-way. Flights form Arusha to Zanzibar are around $180/person
one-way. Flights from Zanzibar to Nairobi are about $200-260/person
one-way.
You can now book flights on-line:
Precision Air
Air Tanzania
Air Kenya
From/To Dodoma
Buses leave Moshi for Dodoma at 6:30am. They take 8-9 hours
and cost $20. These are public buses so not deluxe, they are
safe.
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