The Lemosho route is one of the most popular trails up Kilimanjaro. It's certainly one of our favourites. We love the scenery, the varied ecosystems and the fact that it offer good acclimatisation.
But there are two possible itineraries for the Lemosho: the seven-day and the eight-day. It's the eight-day that we really love, and so that's the itinerary we offer at Follow Alice.
High up on the beautiful Lemosho route
Why we prefer the 8-day Lemosho
The reason we prefer the eight-day Lemosho itinerary is that it offers better acclimatisation. Poor acclimatisation leads to altitude sickness, and this is the main reason so many people who start the climb don't make it to the summit.
Since we want everyone who travels with us to enjoy that incredible moment of standing by the Uhuru Peak sign and gazing out across Africa, we're all about good acclimatisation. And that means we prefer the eight-day Lemosho route itinerary.
That said, it's for you to decide which Lemosho itinerary you'd prefer. So let's look at some facts and an overview of each route so that you understand the differences.
A fabulous pic by our client George taken on the eight-day Lemosho route
Overview of the 7-day Lemosho route
- Start point: Lemosho Gate
- End point: Mweka Gate
- Difficulty: Medium
- Success rate: Medium to high
Map of the 7-day Lemosho route
Here's a map of the seven-day Lemosho route.
Overview of the 8-day Lemosho route
- Start point: Lemosho Gate
- End point: Mweka Gate
- Difficulty: Medium
- Success rate: High
Map of the 8-day Lemosho route
Here's a map of the eight-day Lemosho route. Note that you stopover at Shira 1 Camp and Moir Hut en route to Barranco Camp. On the seven-day route, you stop only at Shira 2 Camp before reaching Barranco Camp.
You also take a slight detour to reach Moir Hut on the eight-day route. This detour increases your overall distance on this route, but it's only by a few kilometres and so is negligible when it comes to the big picture.
Differences between the 7- and 8-day routes
As you've seen in the two maps above, the route of the seven-day Lemosho differs from the route of the eight-day Lemosho only near the beginning. Once you reach Barranco Camp (halfway along the ascent route), the routes and campsites are exactly the same.
On the seven-day itinerary, you cover the distance between Mti Mkubwa Camp and Barranco Camp in just two days. On the eight-day itinerary, you take three days over that same route.
Our lovely client Rafiq by one monster-sized tree in the rainforest
The 8-day route offers better acclimatisation
The reason for taking three days instead of two to climb from Mti Mkubwa Camp to Barranco Camp is not so much the desire to reduce the distance hiked each day as it is to give you more time to acclimatise. (You might like to read Kilimanjaro acclimatisation if you're unfamiliar with this important topic.)
The jump from Mti Mkubwa's 2,895 m (9,498 ft) to Barranco Camp's 3,976 m (13,044 ft) might not seem excessive, but believe us when we tell you that your body feels the change! The longer you can give it to adjust, the better you'll cope with the rest of the climb.
And here's Rafiq taking a selfie with his guide Trevor on summit day
Climbing up to Uhuru Peak's 5,895 m (19,341 ft) takes a toll on your body. We encourage you to give it the best chance of managing the demands of such a great elevation by taking it that little bit slower via the eight-day Lemosho.
