Country: 
TANZANIA
Days: 7
Touch down at Kilimanjaro International airport in Tanzania. After customs and immigration formalities, you will be met by a Smart African Travel representative with a board bearing your name. Enjoy a private transfer ride to your hotel in Arusha , town located 40 minutes from the aiport. Dinner & Ovenight at Planet Lodge.
After breakfast depart Arusha for Londorosi gate where you are going to register, afterwards drive to a road heading near Lemosho Glades and start the trek through the rain forest to the rain Forest Camp (Big Tree) [2440 m/ 8000ft]. Your trek today will be along a little used track known as Chamber’s Route. You will see in places that the vegetation is so undisturbed by humans that it grows right across the narrow track. Flora and fauna are richer here than on other more popular routes through the rain forest. (3 – 4hrs walking).
You have a full day’s trek with a height gain of over 600mts/ 2000 ft, taking you to a lunch stop at Shira camp.This is a beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater at around 3050mts /10,000 ft. After lunch, you cross into the Shira Caldera which is a high altitude desert plateau rarely visited by the man. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones. It is filled with lava flow from Kibo, and its rim eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic cones and its rim eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Today you camp at Shira One at 3500mts (11500ft) in Caldera. This day expect the first close views of Kibo – the dramatic summit cone of Kilimanjaro.
Start your trek after breakfast, after two to three hour, trek east across Shira Plateau, via Simba Camp. Your camp today is Shira II ( Hut), which is located approximately 1 ½ hours walk from Simba at around 3840mts/ 12600ft. The views back across Shira are stunning. There is optional and recommended early morning start for if you want to try the acclimatization trek to Shira Cathedral. The views from the top of this ridge are very special. If you have vertigo you should take extra care.
After breakfast in your camp, you ascend to your camp just at the base of formation called Lava Tower at 4600m/15,000ft elevation. During your hike, you will see plants indigenous to the alpine zone such as giant lobelias, giant senecios, tussock grasses, and helichrysums. Altitude at this level is too high for most insects to be found in this zone but you will see some bird species, like the white-necked raven, various sunbirds, Jackson’s francolin, verreaux’s eagles, and swifts. You will also see small rodents like four-striped grass mouse (5-6 hours walk).
You leave you Lava Tower camp, the Southern Ice fields (Diamond, Balleto and Hein glaciers) and come into view providing you with one of the most spectacular sights on the mountain. After a 3 – 4 hour walk, you will get to your next camp which is Arrow Glacier Camp, at 4800m/15,750ft elevation,just near Arrow Glacier ice field. The southern slope of Kilimanjaro and the African savannah extending beyond, can be viewed from here on a clear day.The top of Mt. Meru just at below 15800ft, will be viewed floating in the clouds.
Take an breakfast and start your climb by scrambling up the Western Breach wall, which tops out at over 5480m/18000ft. The entire Shira plateau, which can be seen from here, gives you a good look at how far you have trekked! The dramatic Northern ice field to your left and the Furtwangler glacier to your right can be seen as get to the top of the breach wall; you can walk right up to these glaciers that are well over 50ft tall! The black volcanic rock makes a dramatic foreground to these huge glaciers, enjoy a great photo opportunity if there is no snow. To gain a sense of some perspective; your high base camp in the Crater, past the Furtwangler glacier, will be just below the altitude of Everest’s Base camp! (5- 6 hours walking). You have the option of taking , a trek taking you to the Volcanic vent(Ash Pit) can be done from here if you wish to.
This is the day you have been waiting for as you start struggling for the final section of your climbing up to the summit from 6.00 a.m in the morning soon after early light breakfast, getting there (at Uhuru Peak 5895m / 19,340ft), the Rooftop of Africa in 1½ hour later. Whilst here, you will have spectacular views of the Mawenzi Peak to the east and Mt. Meru to the west and glaciers including Furtwangler glacier, Northern ice field and Reusch crater. After getting our summit photos, you descend along Mweka route via Stella point and stopping en-route for lunch at Barafu huts, then descending further down to Mweka camp at 3100m / 10,170ft for the last night on the mountain. It takes about (3 – 3 ½ hours from the summit to Barafu camp and 3 hours more to Mweka camp.
After your breakfast in camp, walk down across the rain forest to Mweka Gate ,where you will be presented with a certificate and spend some few minutes taking photos. After a picnic lunch, enjoy a private transfer to your lodge in Arusha for a welcome hot shower, dinner and overnight. (From Mweka camp to the exit gate, it is about 2 ½ – 3-hour walk).
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb with Aardvark Expeditions Limited – Lemosho Route is regarded as one of the prettiest routes on Mount Kilimanjaro. You begin the trek from the west, climbing in the fertile rainforest until we reach the wildflowers on the heath ecosystem. Approaching from the west, we cross on of the most beautiful areas on Mount Kilimanjaro, the Shira Plateau before traversing the mountain along the southern circuit.
Read MoreWhether you are looking to explore the wildlife of the Serengeti, or begin your expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro, we have something suitable for all of you. Get in touch with us today and our team of specialists will help build your experience of a lifetime to Tanzania
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