THE CLIMB - 2011
LEMOSHO-LAVA TOWER ROUTE
13 DAYS/12 NIGHTS

August 6 - DEPART NORTH AMERICA
Fly to Tanzania


August 7/8 - MOSHI (3,300 ft.)

After arriving in Moshi, you check into the Keys hotel, and have a hot meal, and a good night's rest. We spend 2 nights in Moshi. On your second day you will meet your guide for a climb orientation and equipment check.

This is also a great time to immerse yourself in Chagga culture on one of our cultural trips.

August 9   - LONDOROSSI GATE to MTI MKUBWA (9,170 ft.)

A three-hour drive from our Moshi Hotel brings us to the Londorossi Park Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. At the gate we sign in and then drive to the trailhead at Lemosho Glades and start our trek 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. In about 3-4 hours we reach our camp in the rain forest at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree).

August 10 - MTI MKUBWA to SHIRA CAMP (11,500 ft.)

After breakfast, we start the climb cross the remaining rain forest towards the giant moorland zone. Today is a 6-7 hour trek with an altitude gain of 2,400 ft. A great lunch stop is in a beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater at around 10,000 ft. After lunch we cross into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. The crater rim has been decimated by weather and volcanic action. Today you'll get your first close views of Kibo - the dramatic summit of Kilimanjaro.

August 11 - SHIRA CAMP to MOIR CAMP (13,650 ft.)

After breakfast we continue to hike east across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Moir camp. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular. Moir is one of the most beautiful and least-used site, situated at the end of a vast canyon. It's about a 7 hour hike.

 

August 12 - MOIR CAMP to LAVA TOWER (14,950 ft.)

In this Alpine Moorland Zone, the plants are extremely hardy, and consist of lichens, grasses, and heather among others. Our camp is at the foot of Lava Tower. This is the high point of the first section of the trek, and is excellent for helping our bodies get used to the thin air.

August 13 - LAVA TOWER to BARRANCO CAMP (12,850 ft.)

We descend just over 2,000-ft/600-m on a trek down through the Giant Senecio forest to Barranco. Camp is beautifully set up on a ridge at the foot of the Barranco Wall, just across a beautiful stream.This is where the Machame and Lemosho-Lava Tower routes converge, so we meet other climbers ascending the Machame Route.

August 14 - BARRANCO to KARANGA CAMP (13,200 ft)

After breakfast, our big challenge is to hike up the Barranco Wall, a 500 -ft lava flow. It’s not a technical wall, but challenging nonetheless. Once on top of the "wall", the climb becomes easier and extremely beautiful with fantastic views of the crags and crevasses of the jagged peaks of Kibo on your left. Lastly we descend into the Karanga Valley and up the other side, for our overnight camp. The sunsets here are truly spectacular.

August 15 - KARANGA to BARAFU CAMP (14,950 ft)

Karanga to Barafu camp isn't far as the crow flies, but it's all up hill, and takes us 3-4 hours to get there.  It's alpine desert here, with sweeping views of the Kibo saddle and Mawenzi Peak. Today's a key day for acclimatizing as we hike up to 16,500 feet to allow our bodies to adjust.

August 16 - SUMMIT! (19,340 ft.) to CRATER  CAMP (18,370 ft.)

We repack our gear, taking only what we'll need for the summit push. Today’s the toughest day, with the most stunning views of Mawenzi, the Kibo Saddle and the plains below. We slowly wind our way up over the rocky outcrops and through the scree until we reach the rim of the crater.

After lunch on the rim, we make our push to the summit. The view from the summit is dramatic. The weather and effects of altitude will determine how long we stay here. After our summit celebration we descend to our crater camp for overnight facing the amazing Furtwangler Glacier. We spend the remainder of the day taking it easy, and enjoying camp at the highest sleeping altitude.

August 17 - CRATER to MWEKA CAMP (10,400 ft.)

After breakfast, you can take a short hike up to the Ashpit, where fumaroles are evidence of Kilimanjaro’s dormant volcanic state. We then head downhill to Mweka Camp, where we enjoy our last night on Kilimanjaro.

August 18 - MWEKA CAMP to GATE (5,500 ft.) to MOSHI (3,000 ft.)

In the morning we have a 4-hour walk down to the road. We then get a lift from the gate back to the hotel, a well-deserved shower and a cold beer, where we spend the night at the Moshi Hotel.

August 19 - Depart Tanzania, or continue on your Wildlife Safari.

The 6-day safari takes you through some of the most spectacular wildlife reserves on the planet. You stay In some of the finest lodges of East Africa in the SERENGETI, NGORONGORO CRATER and at LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK. August is an excellent time of the year to visit the SERENGETI, as most of the migratory wildlife is concentrated in west. This is a spectacle not to be missed.

Click here for safari details.