March 2
BIG TREE FOREST CAMP (9,170 ft/2,795 m)
 
It's a few hours drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate, on West Kilimanjaro. After checking into the park, we load up and hit the trailhead in the Lemosho Glades and start trekking through the rain forest. In places the vegetation is so untouched that it grows right across the narrow track. The flora and fauna are richer here than on the other more popular routes through the rain forest. It's usually about a 4-5 hour hike to reach our camp in the rain forest at Big Tree.