TANZANIA
KILIMANJARO
THE LEMOSHO ROUTE
11 days
ITINERARY
7 days
TREKKING
5,895m
ALTITUDE
Dates
2023 - 2025
The Classic Way Up...
To climb Kilimanjaro on our 11 day Lemosho Route itinerary (trekking for 7 days), you can join one of many Open Group Challenge climbs throughout the year, departing from the UK. Our group climbs bring like-minded people together to share a Kilimanjaro experience. You can sign up on your own, as a couple, or with a group of friends or family.
Visit our dedicated Kilimanjaro Challenge website
We’ve taken over 5,000 trekkers safely to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, including groups from many leading UK companies and charities. We offer a range of Kilimanjaro trek itineraries to suit all requirements, and believe that our Challenge Group trips offer the best overall Kilimanjaro experience – and the best value in the market. We have a dedicated Kilimanjaro Challenge website which lists all departures, trips & more.
The Challenge
Reach the roof of Africa in 7 days...
The Lemosho Route approaches Kilimanjaro from the West, and starts in pristine forest before crossing the vast Shira plateau, and merging into the Machame Route after Shira Camp (on Day 3 of the trek). The route traverses around to the east on Kilimanjaros’ southern side – and provides a fantastic varied trek with changing views. This Kilimanjaro itinerary includes the famous Barranco Wall and an extra acclimatisation day with a shorter day trekking prior to summit day, which ensures you get more rest, more time to prepare for the summit push, and the best chance of making it to the top. It’s popular – and that’s not surprising – as it has everything!
- 11 day trip - 7 days trekking
- All inclusive challenge - hotels, & flights
- Approaches from the West
- Private Kilimanjaro camp areas
- Private camping areas en route
- Walk through the forest & around Kili
- Good acclimatisation features
- Great & varied Kilimanjaro scenery
- Take on the Barranco Wall!
- Stay on for a beach break or safari
- Training guides, kit lists, & visa support
Find out more At An open Evening
Join us for a FREE live online info session, talking you through the Kilimanjaro Challenge – from the route and the service, to training, kit, fundraising advice and what it is like to summit Africa’s highest mountain with Action Challenge! You can join us live in London, or watch an online session:
The Experience
Life on the trek
On an Action Challenge trip you’ll be part of a team which takes on an adventure together – and that’s what makes the experience so special. Getting to know others, supporting each other when the going gets tough, laughing together, and sharing those special moments & the new friendships that will stay with you for many years. Led by a UK Mountain Leader and supported by a Medic overseeing the group’s wellbeing – you’ll be in safe hands, and our expert local logistics team & guides will ensure it all runs like clockwork. These are ‘fully inclusive’ trips – leaving you to focus on your challenge, and to enjoy it!
An Action Challenge trip is much more than a holiday! It brings like-minded people together in fantastic landscapes, provides the best support & great hospitality, and enables the group to take on a tough & unforgettable challenge which forges new friendships, broaden horizons, and leaves you wanting more of life’s adventures!
The blueprint for Action Challenge trip is based on delivering a high quality enjoyable experience – and doing it all safely. An experienced UK Mountain Leader ensures that all aspects of the challenge run to plan – and one of our UK Medics with an expedition med kit is on-hand to look after the group’s wellbeing – enabling everyone to have the best chance of successfully competing their challenge.
We go to great lengths to ensure that we only use the best local organisations to supply the all-important ground logistics and the on-challenge support, catering, and hospitality teams – with experienced guides leading the way on the trails with their deep local knowledge and authentic style.
Like minded people with a similar sense of adventure – but often from very different backgrounds, and with a wide range of experience, ages, levels of fitness, and personal ambitions. Our trips are perfect for individuals, couples, and small groups of friends to join – and then to take on a unique challenge as part of a larger group which shapes & bonds as the adventure unfolds!
Whether its’s the hotels, restaurants & transfers before & after the main challenge – or the challenge accommodation & meals whilst out on the trails – our all inclusive packages mean that you will get a top quality experience at a great value price! Flights are generally included, but there’s a ‘land only’ option if you’d prefer to book your own – and single supplement accommodation upgrades are available.
The group comes together – takes on a tough challenge together – and then celebrates its achievements in style on the final night of the trip in a local restaurant or hotel, with medals, awards, and a maybe a bit of a party! Many of our participants make new special friends on our trips – and quite a few come back together for another challenge in the following years!
A successful challenge starts with good preparation. The better prepared you are the more confident you’ll be, and the more you’ll enjoy it! Our ‘Challenge App’ will have all the info & details of what to expect on your challenge – and how to prepare for it – and we have optional training walks, training weekends , and a place on one of our UK Ultra Challenge events to get out on the tails and test your fitness, kit, & equipment.
Itinerary & Route
Please note that some details of the itinerary may change, you will be provided with a detailed itinerary once you are signed up to the challenge.
Departing London, we fly overnight before landing into Tanzania. Upon a morning arrival, we transfer to our hotel, check in, before a welcome briefing & kit check. We have an evening meal together before an early night.
Setting out from the Londrossi gate, to the west of the mountain, we set out from the foothills through lush vegetation. Our 1st night is spent camping at ‘Big Tree Camp’ (2,780m). The next day we make our way slowly towards Shira Camp where the landscape turns more into ‘Moorland’ with unique shrubs & flora. We camp at the Shira Plateau which is above the cloud line, at 3,850m. From here we head towards Barranco Camp, past Lava Tower & under the ice field of Kibo – tonight’s camp is at 3,972m, just below the infamous Barranco wall.
Heading out from Barranco camp, we scramble up to the top of the Barranco wall, before heading along to Karanga Camp for a night’s rest at 3,995m. The next morning we set out from Karanga to Barafu Camp at 4,670m which takes us about 6 hours. It is here that we prepare ourselves for our summit attempt, getting in a few hours of sleep before waking up approx. 11pm.
And so to the Kilimanjaro summit day! We awake just before midnight – and after a hot drink & snacks we begin our climb. For the next 6 hours we trek the steepest and most demanding part of the route by torch light. This is a long and gruelling trek to reach Stella point (5,730m) at Kilimanjaro’s crater rim. After a short rest we make our final traverse to Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the African continent at 5,895m. The rising morning sunlight gives us spectacular views across the plains below and of Mount Meru in the distance – and we feel on top of the world! After some photos we have a tough decent back to Barafu Camp where we stop for a rest and brunch, before continuing down to Millennium Camp at 3,950m. After a long and exhilarating day we can finally rest our tired legs and get a good night’s sleep!
We descend to the gate from Millennium Camp which takes us between 4-5 hours, before boarding a bus to head back to the hotel. After a rest & a hot shower we have the afternoon to relax by the pool before a celebratory dinner. The next day we have a free morning, before heading to the airport for an overnight flight back to the UK.
Costs & Fundraising
We’ve two payment & fundraising options for you to take on this challenge.
Self Funding
Sign up with a £295 online deposit & balance payment due 12 weeks before, with no fundraising target.
Fundraise for Charity
Sign up with a £295 online deposit & fundraise for a charity of your choice, with different target options.
Our Brochure
The Challenge brochure details the full itinerary, inclusions, and more – download for a full run down of the challenge details.