Lemosho Group Trek (25 May 2025)

All Pristine Trails guides have extensive climbing experience, each trekking at least 20 times per year over many years.

Lead guides are all Wilderness First Responder certified, the highest level of Western industry first aid training available to mountain guides, making them exceedingly skilled in handling emergencies, with a focus on treating and preventing acute mountain sickness caused by the increase in altitude as you hike to the summit. During each low season, we invest in re-certification and extra training in additional health, safety and group management principles.

Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel is one of the first truly 4-star boutique hotels in Moshi which provides great ambience and facilities. Located 4 km from the town of Moshi, 45 km from Kilimanjaro National Park and 40 km from the Kilimanjaro International Airport, Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel is ideally located for all those who visit Moshi town for adventure seeking or for business travel.

Meals: Breakfast

Once you arrive at the trailhead at Lemosho Glades, you will begin hiking. You will spend this day in some of the most beautiful forest found on the mountain, with wildlife sightings possible. After a short 2-3 hours you will arrive at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) campsite. Here, like all days, you’ll have an afternoon snack and delicious hot dinner.  

Trekking Time: 2-3 hours  |  Distance: 5 km / 3.1 mi  |  Altitude Change: +396 m / +1,299 ft

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Leaving the forest early in the day, the trail gets steeper as it enters the grasses and wildflowers of the heath and moorland zone towards the valley. A gentle grade walk takes you across the high-altitude Shira Caldera past Shira Cave (views of Arrow glacier) and then gently downwards to Shira Hut 1 located near a stream on the Shira Plateau.  

Trekking Time: 4-5 hours  |  Distance: 7 km / 4.3 mi  |  Altitude Change: +719 m / +2,359 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A gentle hike across the plateau within the moorland meadow takes you to Shira Hut 2 for the afternoon and overnight. Many short hikes are available on the Plateau, making this a great day for acclimatization. 

Trekking Time: 3 hours  |  Distance: 7 km / 4.3 mi  |  Altitude Change: +391 m / +1,283 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. Traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach to reach Barranco camp. The day has been spent at altitude, but you will have followed the mountaineering code of ‘walk high, sleep low’ to avoid altitude sickness by aiding your bodies in acclimatization.

Trekking Time: 6-7 hours  |  Distance: 10 km / 6.2 mi   |  Altitude Change: +732 m / +2,401 ft; -641 m / -2,103 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start the day by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. Then exit steeply, up what has been termed the Breakfast Wall, which divides you from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It is a climb over rocks, although not technical. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, head towards the Karanga Valley for overnight.

Trekking Time: 4-5 hours  |  Distance: 5 km / 3.1 mi   |  Altitude Change: +48 m / +158 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The day is characterized by a short hike on terrain formed by scree. Walk through arid, lunar land towards Barafu Camp where you have the entire afternoon to rest before your assault on the summit begins at midnight.

Trekking Time: 2-4 hours  |  Distance: 3.5 km / 2.2 mi  |  Altitude Change: +628 m / +2,060 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We avoid walking too long in the heat of the sun today by starting around midnight, walking steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. You will be climbing scree for 5 to 6 hours but you gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. You should be on the crater rim at Stella Point as the first rays of the sun emerge. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround you and the views to Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walk takes you to your goal, the summit of Uhuru, the highest point in Africa. You made it!

Trekking Time: 6-8 hours  |  Distance: 5 km / 3.1 mi   |  Altitude Change: +1233 m / +4,046 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a quick celebration and photos at the top, you will begin the descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope back to Barafu Camp for breakfast and a short rest before finally heading down to Mweka Hut for a well-earned rest. On the descent, you will have fabulous views of the plains and Mawenzi peak.

Trekking Time: 6-8 hours  |  Distance: 11.5 km / 7.1 mi  |  Altitude Change: -2789 m / -9,151 ft

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A gentle trek takes you down through the rainforest to the Mweka Gate, where park formalities will be completed and you will be met by our vehicles to return you to the Pristine Trails office.

Trekking Time: 2-4 hours  |  Distance: 9 km / 5.6 mi  |  Altitude Change: -1473 m / -4,832 ft

Meals: Breakfast

Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel is one of the first truly 4-star boutique hotels in Moshi which provides great ambience and facilities. Located 4 km from the town of Moshi, 45 km from Kilimanjaro National Park and 40 km from the Kilimanjaro International Airport, Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel is ideally located for all those who visit Moshi town for adventure seeking or for business travel.

Meals: Breakfast