8-Day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb

8 days Private or small group; full mountain crew

Lemosho starts on the western side of Kilimanjaro, crossing the remote Shira Plateau before joining the Machame route for the southern-circuit traverse and summit. The extra day and the gentler early gradient give it the best acclimatisation profile of any of the standard routes, which is why guided-climb operators report the highest summit success on the eight-day Lemosho.

It is also one of the least crowded routes for the first two days. Includes full crew, park fees, camping equipment and hotel nights before and after.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Lemosho Gate (2,100 m) to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,750 m)

Drive to the trailhead and trek 3–4 hours through undisturbed rainforest.

Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m)

Climb out of the forest onto the Shira Plateau (5–6 hours), with wide views of the caldera rim.

Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp (3,900 m)

A gentler day (3–4 hours) crossing the plateau, with an optional acclimatisation walk toward Shira Cathedral.

Shira 2 to Barranco Camp (3,960 m) via Lava Tower (4,630 m)

The key acclimatisation day — up to the Lava Tower for lunch, then down to Barranco (6–7 hours).

Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (3,995 m)

Climb the Barranco Wall and traverse to Karanga (4–5 hours).

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,673 m)

Short climb (3–4 hours) to summit base camp. Early night.

Summit day: Barafu to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), descend to Mweka Camp (3,100 m)

Midnight start, summit near dawn, then a long descent to Mweka Camp (12–16 hours total).

Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (1,640 m)

Final descent through the forest (3–4 hours), certificates and transfer to your hotel.