Lemosho Route Trekking Kilimanjaro
A western approach starting in forest on the Londorosi side and crossing the Shira Plateau before joining the southern circuit. Longer and quieter early on, and generally rated the best balance of scenery and acclimatisation.
Starting at Londorossi Gate on the far western flank of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Lemosho route climbs through rainforest, crosses the full width of the Shira Plateau, merges with the Machame trail near Lava Tower and makes its summit bid from Barafu Camp before descending the Mweka trail. Gate to gate it covers roughly 67 to 70 km, usually over eight days, and its slow first half gives first-time trekkers some of the best summit odds on Kilimanjaro.
Safaris That Include Lemosho Route
Lemosho Route Guide in Tanzania
Lemosho Route Trek at a Glance
Altitudes on Kilimanjaro differ by up to about 100 m between guidebooks and operators. The figures on this page use the value that two or more independent sources agree on, rounded where they differ slightly.
Lemosho Night by Night Itineraries
The three common Lemosho itineraries compared by where you sleep each night, how far your sleeping altitude rises, and which nights go past the 500 m guideline used in altitude medicine.
| Measure | 8 days | 7 days A | 7 days B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nights on the mountain | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Nights rising over 500 m | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Largest single rise | 705 m | 1,050 m | 705 m |
| Nights near 4,000 m before Barafu | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Highest night before Barafu | 4,200 m | 3,995 m | 3,985 m |
| Operator summit estimate | About 90% | About 80% | About 80% |
| Day and stage | Zone | Distance and time | High point | Sleep at | Sleeping altitude change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 days via Moir Hut (standard) | |||||
| D1Londorossi Gate to Mti MkubwaBig Tree Camp, after the drive from Moshi | Rainforest | 5–6 km, 3–4 hrs | about 2,800 m | about 2,800 m | Up 700 m from the gate, below 3,000 m |
| D2Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1Out of the forest, round the Shira Ridge | Heath and moorland | 7–8 km, 5–6 hrs | 3,505 m | 3,505 m | Up 705 m, over 500 m |
| D3Shira 1 to Moir HutAcross the plateau past Shira 2, below the Lent Hills | Moorland | 11–14 km, 5–7 hrs | 4,200 m | 4,200 m | Up 695 m, over 500 m |
| D4Moir Hut to Lava Tower to BarrancoJoins the Machame trail at Lava Tower | Alpine desert | 10–11 km, 6–8 hrs | about 4,600 m | 3,985 m | Down 215 m |
| D5Barranco Wall to KarangaScramble, then ridges and the Karanga Valley | Alpine desert | 5 km, 4–5 hrs | 3,995 m | 3,995 m | Up 10 m, a level night |
| D6Karanga to BarafuMeets the Mweka trail junction | Alpine desert | 4 km, 3–5 hrs | 4,673 m | 4,673 m | Up 678 m, over 500 m |
| D7Barafu to Uhuru Peak to Mweka CampMidnight start, Stella Point near sunrise | Arctic summit to forest edge | about 17 km, 10–16 hrs | 5,895 m | about 3,100 m | Down 1,573 m |
| D8Mweka Camp to Mweka GateCertificates at the gate | Rainforest | 9–10 km, 3–4 hrs | about 3,100 m | Off the mountain | Gate at 1,640 m |
| 7 days A: long day two, skips the Shira 1 night | |||||
| D1Londorossi Gate to Mti MkubwaSame first day as the 8 day plan | Rainforest | 5–6 km, 3–4 hrs | about 2,800 m | about 2,800 m | Up 700 m from the gate, below 3,000 m |
| D2Mti Mkubwa to Shira 2Lunch at Shira 1; Machame groups share Shira 2 | Heath and moorland | about 15 km, 8–10 hrs | about 3,850 m | about 3,850 m | Up 1,050 m, over 500 m |
| D3Shira 2 to Lava Tower to BarrancoClimb high, sleep low | Alpine desert | 10–13 km, 6–8 hrs | about 4,600 m | 3,985 m | Up 135 m |
| D4Barranco Wall to KarangaKeeps the Karanga night | Alpine desert | 5 km, 4–5 hrs | 3,995 m | 3,995 m | Up 10 m, a level night |
| D5Karanga to BarafuBase camp for the summit | Alpine desert | 4 km, 3–5 hrs | 4,673 m | 4,673 m | Up 678 m, over 500 m |
| D6Barafu to Uhuru Peak to Mweka CampLongest day of the trek | Arctic summit to forest edge | about 17 km, 10–16 hrs | 5,895 m | about 3,100 m | Down 1,573 m |
| D7Mweka Camp to Mweka GateCertificates at the gate | Rainforest | 9–10 km, 3–4 hrs | about 3,100 m | Off the mountain | Gate at 1,640 m |
| 7 days B: gentle start, skips the Karanga night | |||||
| D1Londorossi Gate to Mti MkubwaSame first day as the 8 day plan | Rainforest | 5–6 km, 3–4 hrs | about 2,800 m | about 2,800 m | Up 700 m from the gate, below 3,000 m |
| D2Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1Out of the forest onto the plateau edge | Heath and moorland | 7–8 km, 5–6 hrs | 3,505 m | 3,505 m | Up 705 m, over 500 m |
| D3Shira 1 to Shira 2Optional detour to the Shira Cathedral | Moorland | 7 km, or 10 km via the Cathedral, 3–6 hrs | about 3,850 m | about 3,850 m | Up 345 m |
| D4Shira 2 to Lava Tower to BarrancoClimb high, sleep low | Alpine desert | about 10 km, 6–8 hrs | about 4,600 m | 3,985 m | Up 135 m |
| D5Barranco to Barafu via KarangaLunch at Karanga, then up to base camp | Alpine desert | 8.5 km, 7–10 hrs | 4,673 m | 4,673 m | Up 688 m, over 500 m |
| D6Barafu to Uhuru Peak to Mweka CampLongest day of the trek | Arctic summit to forest edge | about 17 km, 10–16 hrs | 5,895 m | about 3,100 m | Down 1,573 m |
| D7Mweka Camp to Mweka GateCertificates at the gate | Rainforest | 9–10 km, 3–4 hrs | about 3,100 m | Off the mountain | Gate at 1,640 m |
The 500 m line follows the Wilderness Medical Society altitude guidelines: above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 m a night. No Lemosho itinerary meets it every night, so read the flags as a comparison, not a verdict. Published altitudes differ by up to about 100 m (Mti Mkubwa by up to 245 m), so every rise is approximate. Summit estimates come from operators, not from the park. Last checked November 2026. Sources: climbmountkilimanjaro.com (Henry Stedman), Ultimate Kilimanjaro, Follow Alice, Climb Kilimanjaro Guide, Wilderness Medical Society, TANAPA.
Lemosho Trekking Days 1 to 3: Rainforest, Shira Ridge and the Plateau
The first morning of a Lemosho trek is mostly road. From Moshi or Arusha the drive to Londorossi Gate takes three to four hours, and the gate sits at 2,100 m among farmland and plantation forest on the western slope. Most itineraries still list registration here. One long-running guidebook reports that the formalities have moved up to the Lemosho Glades trailhead, so ask your operator which stop applies. Either way, rangers weigh the porters' loads before anyone walks, and a forest track carries the vehicles on to the trailhead.
In the April and May rains that track can defeat a vehicle, and groups sometimes walk the last stretch.
Day one on foot lasts three to four hours: 5 to 6 km through montane forest to Mti Mkubwa, the Big Tree Camp, pitched under old podocarpus trees at about 2,800 m. Published figures for this camp run from 2,650 m to 2,895 m, the widest disagreement anywhere on the route. Fewer people walk this western forest belt than any other on Kilimanjaro, which explains why trip reports keep mentioning black and white colobus and blue monkeys around camp, and the noise they make after dark.
Watch the path edges for the red Impatiens kilimanjari, a balsam that grows nowhere else. Elephant and buffalo use the forest too. Sightings are rare, and nobody should pick the route for them.
Within a couple of hours on day two the trees give way. The path climbs into giant heather and moorland, rounds the northern side of the Shira Ridge and drops gently to Shira 1 Camp at 3,505 m, 7 to 8 km and five to six hours from the forest camp. Kibo appears for the first time, far across the plateau. The camp stands exposed on the western edge of the Shira Plateau, the collapsed remains of Shira, the oldest of Kilimanjaro's three volcanic cones, whose highest surviving point reaches 3,962 m.
Climbers who expected a mild night at 3,500 m often wake to frost on the flysheet. From here on, keep a warm layer and a hat in the daypack.
Itineraries split on day three. On the standard eight day plan you walk east across the plateau, past Shira 2 Camp at about 3,850 m, then bear north to Moir Hut at 4,200 m under the Lent Hills: an 11 to 14 km day of five to seven hours, and the first night above 4,000 m. Few groups use Moir, and anyone with spare energy can walk up into the Lent Hills for extra height before dinner. Other plans stop at Shira 2 instead, where Machame groups arrive on their second night.
On the Shira 2 versions, guides often add the Shira Cathedral on a clear morning. This rock buttress on the southern rim of the plateau adds about 3 km and a climb to roughly 3,720 m, useful height for acclimatisation, and its top gets a mobile signal on most days, which few places on the western side do.
Where the Lemosho Trek Joins Machame: Lava Tower to Barafu
Two trails become one on the Lemosho route, and the meeting point depends on the itinerary. Groups who slept at Shira 2 share that camp with Machame trekkers and walk the same path from then on. Groups coming from Moir Hut keep their own trail until Lava Tower, the volcanic plug at about 4,600 m where both routes stop for lunch. From that lunch stop to the summit, Lemosho and Machame climbers walk a single path, and the quiet of the first three days ends.
The Lava Tower day runs 10 to 11 km and six to eight hours from Moir. You climb to the highest point of the trek so far, then drop about 600 m through stands of giant groundsel to Barranco Camp at 3,985 m. Guides call it climbing high and sleeping low. A mild headache at Lava Tower is common and usually eases on the way down; a headache that lasts through the evening at Barranco is the one to tell the guide about.
Barranco sits under the Western Breach and the Southern Icefield, among the most photographed camps on the mountain. It also fills up. Climbers from the Machame, Lemosho and Shira routes all pass through this valley, so a wide spread of tents at night and a queue at the foot of the Barranco Wall next morning come with the territory.
The wall itself is a scramble of roughly 250 to 275 m. Nothing on it needs ropes. You use your hands on rock for an hour or so, and at one narrow ledge, known to guides as the Kissing Rock, you press against the face to step past.
After the top the trail rolls east over ridges and gullies, drops steeply into the Karanga Valley and climbs out the far side to Karanga Camp at 3,995 m: 5 km and four to five hours, ending almost exactly level with Barranco. Karanga is a bare, dusty camp on a slope. Many of the high camps on this side have no water of their own, and porters carry it in.
From Karanga it is 4 km and three to five hours to Barafu Camp at 4,673 m. On the way you pass the junction with the Mweka trail, the path you will come down after the summit. Barafu sits on a rocky ridge on Kibo's south-eastern shoulder. Expect to arrive by early afternoon, eat early and try to sleep before a wake-up call close to midnight.
Summit Night and the Mweka Descent on a Lemosho Climb
By summit night a Lemosho climb and a Machame climb follow the same path. Groups leave Barafu around midnight and gain about 1,220 m over roughly 5 km of switchbacks on scree to Stella Point, near 5,750 m on the crater rim, which most reach around sunrise after six or seven hours. Uhuru Peak, at 5,895 m, lies a further 45 minutes to an hour along the rim past the glaciers.
Cold and wind make the night hard. Trip reports keep returning to the same small fixes: eat something real in the tent before leaving, carry water in an insulated bottle because a drinking tube freezes, and sleep with a hot water bottle in the bag on the nights before. Several climbers also noticed that steady pairs who rarely stopped overtook larger groups resting at every bend.
Then the knees take over. You return to Barafu for a short rest and a meal, and continue down the Mweka trail to Mweka Camp at about 3,100 m in the upper forest. That makes around 17 km on the day and ten to sixteen hours on the move, the longest day of the trek. Trekking poles help on the loose rock. The last morning covers 9 to 10 km and three to four hours down to Mweka Gate at 1,640 m, often muddy under the trees, where climbers who reached Stella Point or Uhuru collect their certificates.
Seven or Eight Days on the Lemosho Trek
Choose eight days unless you have a strong reason not to. Almost every guidebook and operator covering this route says so, and their summit estimates point the same way: operators put eight day Lemosho climbs at roughly 90% and seven day climbs nearer 80%. The scenery barely changes between them. Where the nights fall changes a great deal.
Seven day itineraries come in two forms. The first drops the Shira 1 night: you lunch there on day two and carry on to Shira 2, a day of about 15 km and eight to ten hours that lifts your sleeping altitude by over 1,000 m at once. The second keeps the gentle start through Shira 1 and Shira 2 but cuts the Karanga night, walking from Barranco to Barafu in one 8.5 km push of seven hours or more.
The itinerary table above measures each version against one benchmark. The Wilderness Medical Society's altitude guidelines suggest that above 3,000 m you raise your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 m a night, with a night of no gain every three or four days, and they class ascents of Kilimanjaro in under seven days as high risk. No Lemosho itinerary meets the 500 m figure every night, because Barafu sits nearly 700 m above any camp before it.
That benchmark turns up a surprise. The eight day version via Moir Hut breaks the 500 m line on three nights, more than either seven day plan. What it buys instead is time high up: a night at 4,200 m on day three, then two nights that go no higher, before the move to Barafu. Count the nights at or near 4,000 m before base camp and the eight day plan has three, the long day two plan has two, and the plan without Karanga has one. That exposure, rather than a perfect rise each night, is what the extra day pays for.
Fitness does not predict who copes. One recent forum account of a twelve person group on the seven day plan had eleven reach the top; the climber who turned back was young, very fit and struggling from day three onward.
How Hard Is Lemosho Trekking, and Who Reaches the Summit
Lemosho is a long walk rather than a hard climb. There are no ropes or technical sections, and outside the Barranco Wall you rarely use your hands. Daily walking runs three to eight hours until summit night, which tests everyone. For steepness the route sits between the gentle Northern Circuit and the short, steep Umbwe, and its first days across the Shira Plateau feel flatter than the climb out of the Machame forest.
Train for consecutive days on your feet. Long hill walks with a loaded daypack on back to back weekends prepare you better than short gym sessions, and the operators who run this route most often report many first-time hikers reaching the top.
Treat summit percentages with care. The 90% and 80% figures come from operators, and we found no route by route figure published by Kilimanjaro National Park. Companies also count differently: Stella Point earns a certificate, so some include it as a summit and others count only Uhuru. Ask any company you compare for its own figure on your exact itinerary, how it counts a summit, and how many of its climbers came down early because of altitude.
Crowds follow the same split as the trails. The first two or three days rank among the quietest walking on Kilimanjaro. From Shira 2 or Lava Tower you share the path with Machame traffic, and park figures quoted by guidebook author Henry Stedman put Machame as the busiest route by a wide margin, with Shira and Lemosho together third behind Marangu.
Turnarounds happen. Descent remains the main treatment for altitude illness, so a guide who sends you down from Barranco or Barafu is doing the job well. Check that your operator carries bottled oxygen and a pulse oximeter, and that your insurance covers trekking to 6,000 m and evacuation.
Best Months for a Lemosho Climb: Dry Seasons, Mud and Fire Closures
The drier windows, late June to October and late December to February, give the firmest forest trail and the clearest Shira mornings. They also bring the most climbers. March to May brings the long rains, when the western forest turns to mud and the track to the trailhead can stop vehicles, while November brings shorter rains and quieter camps.
| Months | Trail | Crowds |
|---|---|---|
| January, February | Mostly dry | Busy |
| March to May | Wet, muddy | Quiet |
| June | Drying out | Building |
| July to October | Dry, dusty | Busiest |
| November | Short rains | Quiet |
| December | Drying late | Busy at holidays |
September and October carry a second risk on this side of the mountain. On 28 September TANAPA suspended the Lemosho and Londorossi routes while a fire burned from the Sangarini and Kamwanga area towards the Shira Plateau, and it sent climbers to Machame, Marangu and Rongai instead. It reopened Lemosho, Londorossi and Rongai on 8 October. Large fires have broken out on Kilimanjaro in several recent dry seasons, mostly in September or October. If your dates fall then, ask your operator how it would reroute you, and check that your insurance covers a changed itinerary.
For how the climb fits around safari seasons, see our guide to the best time to visit Tanzania.
Lemosho Climbing Variants: Crater Camp, Daytime Summit and Western Breach
Three add-ons start from the Lemosho side. A daytime summit plan adds a ninth day: you climb from Barafu in daylight, return to Barafu to sleep, then descend, which spares you the coldest hours. A Crater Camp plan also runs nine days and puts a night inside the summit crater near the Furtwängler Glacier; because of the altitude, operators offer it privately and on request. The Western Breach leaves the main trail at Lava Tower, overnights near Arrow Glacier and climbs straight up Kibo's western wall into the crater. It is steeper and more exposed than the Barafu line, fewer operators run it, and it usually takes a day less.
Getting to Londorossi Gate for Your Lemosho Trek
Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport, between Moshi and Arusha, and spend at least one night in town before the climb. On day one your operator drives you three to four hours west to Londorossi through the farmland on the lower slopes. Carry your passport, since the park registers every climber against it. Mobile coverage on the western side is patchy, so buy a local SIM or an eSIM in town if you want to message home from the higher camps. For visas and entry papers, see Tanzania travel requirements; for the wider mountain, read our Mount Kilimanjaro guide and the climbing Kilimanjaro planning notes.
Lemosho Route Trekking Questions
How long is the Lemosho route on Kilimanjaro?
About 67 to 70 km from Londorossi to Mweka Gate. Roughly 46 km of that is the climb from the trailhead to Uhuru Peak with the Shira Cathedral detour, and about 21 km is the descent on the Mweka trail.
How many days does the Lemosho route take?
Eight days is the standard length and the one guidebook authors and operators recommend. Seven day versions exist in two forms, six day climbs carry much lower summit odds, and nine days allows a daytime summit or a night at Crater Camp.
Is the Lemosho route harder than Machame?
Longer, but gentler at the start. The first days across the Shira Plateau climb more gradually than the Machame forest and ridge, and from Shira 2 or Lava Tower onward the two routes follow the same path, including the Barranco Wall and the summit night from Barafu.
How many climbers reach the summit on the Lemosho route?
Operators estimate about 90% on eight day climbs and about 80% on seven day climbs. These are operator figures, not park statistics, so ask each company for its own record on your exact itinerary.
How much are the park fees for a Lemosho climb?
The Kilimanjaro National Park tariff charges adult non-residents a conservation fee of US$70 a day, a camping fee of US$50 a night and a rescue fee of US$20 per trip. Operators add 18% VAT plus a small entry fee for each crew member. On an eight day climb that comes to US$930 a person before VAT and about US$1,100 with it, and the eighth day adds US$120 in fees before VAT compared with seven days. Fees sit inside the operator's package price and become non-refundable once the operator pays them.
Where does the Lemosho route start?
At Londorossi Gate, 2,100 m, on the western side of Kilimanjaro, three to four hours by road from Moshi or Arusha. The walking starts at the Lemosho trailhead, a short drive further up a forest track.
Is the Lemosho route open after the Kilimanjaro fire?
It is open again. TANAPA suspended Lemosho and Londorossi on 28 September and reopened them, along with Rongai, on 8 October. Fires tend to return in the dry months of September and October, so check the current status with your operator before travelling.
Can a beginner climb Kilimanjaro on the Lemosho route?
Many first-time trekkers do. No climbing skills are needed, and the long acclimatisation profile suits people with no high altitude history. Good walking fitness matters, and choosing eight days over seven matters more.
Where do you sleep, and are there toilets?
In tents at designated campsites every night, with basic park toilets at each camp. Many climbers rent a private toilet tent from their operator, and trip reports describe it as money well spent on cold nights.
Tanzania Safari.travel lists Kilimanjaro climbs from independent, licensed operators, so you can set Lemosho itineraries side by side, check which nights each one cuts, and send an enquiry straight to the operator with no booking fee added. Start with the Lemosho route climbs or browse every Kilimanjaro climb on the site.