Lemosho Route

Overview

Both the Lemosho and Shira routes approach Kilimanjaro from the west and cross the Shira Plateau. Lemosho is a relatively new route and is an improvement on the original Shira route as it starts much lower than Shira thus improving acclimatisation.

The Lemosho route is one of our highly recommended routes, not only for its beautiful scenery but also its’ high summit success due to the longer and steadier walk in improving acclimatisation. The first two days of the route have low traffic and are quite unspoilt, however, thereafter it joins with the Machame route to the summit.

The Lemosho route starts from Londorossi Gate and the first two days are spent trekking through rainforest, where you may see wild game. It then traverses up to Shira Ridge, Kilimanjaro’s third summit. From here you will ascend and cross the expansive Shira Plateau with fantastic views of Shira Cathedral.

On the Shira route you will take a vehicle directly up to the Shira Gate to commence your trek up to Shira Camp where you will spend your first night at 3600m. The high altitude start on the Shira route is not recommended for good acclimatisation as climbers may experience symptoms of altitude on their first day.   After day 1 the Lemosho and Shira routes merge.

The descent is along the Mweka Route, a descent-only route. The minimum time taken for the Lemosho route is 7 days, but again an extra day to acclimatise is recommended to improve the chances of summiting.