Kilimanjaro Trek

Arrival

After a long flight, you’ll be greeted on your arrival in Moshi and transported to your hotel. Your American Alpinistas Adventures Host will be there to welcome you. You’ll have time to unpack and relax at the B&B.

Our local Tanzanian guides will take some time to check our gear and answer last minute questions.

Once everyone has arrived, we’ll all enjoy a Tanzanian welcome dinner and get to know each other!

Lemosho Gate to Big Tree Camp

We’ll enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel and then our guides will pick us up to drive to Lemosho Gate. We will get signed in to the National Park and start off with a short hike.

Your guide will take you through the lush nature of the rain forest and its fascinating flora and fauna. You will see Colobus and Blue Monkeys hanging and jumping from tree to tree.

- hiking distance: 4 miles

- hiking time: 3-4 hours

- altitude gained: 1,300 ft

- habitat: rain forest

- meals included: lunch box, hot dinner

Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 Camp

Today we will continue walking through the rainforest with its high trees and soft ground. We will reach the moorland zone with its shorter trees and enjoy the amazing views.

The hike will take you up and down the ridge of the Shira plateau and finally lead you to the next Camp.

You will get a hot lunch during the day as well as a hot dinner before you rest at the camp.

- hiking distance: 5.5 miles

- hiking time: 5-6 hours

- altitude gained: 2,359 ft

- habitat: heather moorland

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch, hot dinner

Shira Camp 1 to Shira Camp 2

After having breakfast we will leave camp to hike up to Lava Tower. Today’s hike starts at a higher elevation, however, it is a short one.

Throughout the hike you will encounter impressive Giant Senecio, Stoebe Kilimanjari, and Lobelia that are some of the few plants and trees that can survive and thrive in this harsh environment.

We will stop to eat lunch along the way, making our way up to Shira Camp 2 for the night. Shira Camp 2 offers impressive sunsets so we’ll make sure to enjoy the views.

This day will be an easy going day and if the weather is clear we will take you to beautiful Cathedral point where you can enjoy the magnificent view and give your body the chance to acclimatize.

- hiking distance: 5 miles

- hiking time: 4-5 hours

- altitude gained: 970 ft

- habitat: moorland

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch, hot dinner

Shira Camp 2 to Lava Tower tp Barranco Camp

We’ll hike towards the Lava Tower, a 300 foot tall volcanic rock formation. This volcanic rock is easy to climb and the views are amazing. Get ready for picture time! By the time we get to camp, we’ll have lunch and rest.

That afternoon, we’ll do an acclimatization hike up to a higher elevation but return back to camp for the night. This afternoon hike will benefit our bodies and help us to prepare for the higher elevation tomorrow. We’ll have dinner and get more rest.

- hiking distance: 6.2 miles

- hiking time: 6-7 hours

- altitude gained: 2,300 ft

- habitat: alpine desert / moorland zone

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch, hot dinner

Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley Camp

To the north we go! You will pass through the Breakfast Wall or affectionately called, kissing rock, to see a view of a spectacular glacier.

Once reaching Karanga Camp, we’ll be served lunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing. If the skies are clear, we’ll have perfect views of the summit of Kilimanjaro. This will be the time to rest up and mentally prepare for the higher elevation tomorrow.

- hiking distance: 3.1 miles

- hiking time: 3-4 hours

- altitude gained: 1110 ft

- habitat: alpine desert

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch, hot dinner

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Today will be a short hike through the high desert landscape heading up to Barafu Camp. This arid elevation can be windy and cold. We might potentially encounter snow.

We’ll get in early to Barafu Camp and spend a lot of time relaxing and recharging for tomorrow will be summit day!

- hiking distance: 3.1 miles

- hiking time: 3-4 hours

- altitude gained: 2,220 ft

- habitat: alpine desert

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch, hot dinner

Summit Day!

We’ll be leaving camp very early, before sunrise, after a quick breakfast. This will be the most challenging part of the trip as it will be very cold and windy.

Our slogan is “pole pole” (“walk slow”), so you will have some short breaks to make you drink lots of water and some ginger tea from time to time to prevent altitude sickness. On Lemosho Route your body got the best preparation and acclimatization, so it is very likely to reach the summit without any symptoms.

After many photos on the top, we’ll head back to camp for another morning meal and rest. We’ll then start our descent down to Millennium Camp.

- hiking distance: 11.8 miles

- hiking time: 13-14 hours

- altitude gained: 4,010 ft

- descended altitude: 6,380 ft or 9,170 ft

- habitat: arctic ice zone, alpine desert, moorland

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch, hot dinner

Head on Down!

From Millennium Camp, we’ll head down to Mweka Gate while traveling through the rainforest. We’ll receive our certificates of ascent from the Kilimanjaro National Park.

Our 4x4s will be there to take us back to our B&B. An overdue shower and rest by the pool will be well deserved. We’ll celebrate our amazing accomplishment together at a farewell dinner.

- hiking distance: 8 miles

- hiking time: 5-6 hours

- descended altitude: 7,600 ft or 4,820 ft

- habitat: rainforest

- meals included: breakfast, hot lunch

Departure

We’ll share a last breakfast together and celebrate our Tanzanian journey before we all head off to our next adventure (or home).

If you are joining the safari add on, you’ll be met by our Kilimanjaro guide. Further details on this segment provided below.