Kilimanjaro Trek: Western Breach Route
The Western Breach route starts on the Lemosho Route, but after the third night we’ll take a hard left, towards the Breach. Compared to standard routes, this route is steeper and has more exposure to weather and rockfall. The Western Breach is a good choice for climbers or trekkers who have previous experience in the mountains; for example, climbing 14’ers in Colorado such as Mount Wilson or Wilson Peak.
Day 1: Arrival Day
Arrive in Tanzania. Generally, it’s preferable to fly directly into the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where we will meet our team and driver. Often these flights come in late in the evening and we’ll go directly to the beautiful N’darakwai Lodge for the night. Instead of staying at a somewhat generic hotel in the cities of Moshi or Arusha, we’ll take you to a beautiful and luxurious safari-style tent lodge, where you’ll see wildlife from your breakfast table. Make the most of your time in Africa!
Day 2: Kilimanjaro Trek Preparation and Wildlife Viewing!
We’ll have this day to prepare our gear, unwind a bit, and enjoy the grounds of the N’darakwai Lodge. We can take a game walk through their wildlife preserve and see our first African wildlife! We’ll meet our local guides, do a final gear check, and have a pre-trip briefing on this day.
Day 3: Trek to Big Tree Camp 9,120 ft/2,780 m, ~3 miles, 2-3 hours
We’ll wake up early and have breakfast at the lodge before loading into our Land Cruisers to drive to the trailhead. The Lemosho route starts at the Londrossi Gate Park Entrance (7,350 ft/2,250 m). We’ll hike through the lush rainforest, where we’ll see giant fern trees, rare African flowers, and monkeys hanging out above us. After only a couple of hours of hiking, we’ll arrive at our camp in the forest, where we’ll spend the first night on the mountain.
Day 4: Trek to Shira 1 Camp 11,500 ft/3,505 m, ~5 miles, 5-6 hours
After coffee and breakfast, we’ll get off to an early start on this day and trek higher, leaving the rainforest below and entering the giant Heather and Moorland zone. We’ll hike up to the old Shira crater rim, where we’ll get our first close-up views of Kilimanjaro and descend gently towards our camp next to a creek on the Shira Plateau.
Day 5: Trek to Moir Camp 13,600 ft/4,150 m, ~5 miles, 5-6 hours
A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, we’ll leave the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges and climbing towards the flanks of Kilimanjaro. We’ll pass through Fischer Camp and possibly stop here for lunch before continuing up to Moir Camp.
Day 6: Trek to Lava Tower 15,200 ft/4,630 m, ~2.5 miles, 2-3 hours
A shorter day as we start to reach higher altitudes and work on acclimatizing for the days to come. We’ll hike just a few hours to the landmark Lava Tower, where we will set up camp for the night. The views from this camp are spectacular and you can see the lights of Moshi town below on a clear night.
Day 7: Trek to Arrow Glacier Camp 16,000ft/4,875 m, ~1 miles, 1-2 hours
The air gets thin at this altitude and we’ll start slowing our pace as we climb up to the base of the Western Breach and the nearly extinct Arrow Glacier. We’ll hike up a bit above camp to scope the route that we’ll be climbing pre-dawn the following morning, and then return to camp to relax and prepare for the summit climb.
Day 8: Kilimanjaro Summit Day!
Summit: 19,340 ft/5,895 m, 5-6 hours
Mweka Camp: 10,170 ft/3,100 m, ~6.8 miles, 5-6 hours
We’ll start our ascent of Kilimanjaro by headlamp shortly after midnight, so we can be up on the Crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree and some scrambling up through the volcanic ridges of the Western Breach will lead us to the Kilimanjaro Crater Rim at 18,700 feet. We’ll walk across the moonscape of the crater, past some remnants of the old crater glaciers, and then make the final 500 foot climb up to the high point on the crater rim at 19,340 feet. The descent to back down through the Barafu Camp goes much faster, and after some rest and refreshment, we’ll continue to descend to reach our final campsite at the edge of Mweka Forest.
Day 9: Descend to Mweka Gate 5,500 ft/1,676 m, ~5.3 miles, 3-4 hours
Overnight at Arusha Coffee Lodge.
A sustained descent through lovely forest with lush undergrowth takes us to the National Park gate at Mweka and on through coffee and banana plantations to Mweka village (3-4 hours walking). There we’ll be met by our vehicles to take us back to a beautiful lodge for a well-earned shower and delicious meal.
Day 10: Homeward Bound
At this point some may be heading back home, or if you are continuing for a safari option or the Mount Kenya Climb, we’ll start those itineraries on this day.
Kilimanjaro Trek: Lemosho Route
The Lemosho Route is a classic Kilimanjaro trekking route. It’s our favorite as it allows for a good acclimatization profile so you’ll have a better chance of summiting and feeling good up high. It’s an 8-day/7-night trek traversing the Shira Plateau and summiting from the Barafu high camp. The Lemosho is less traveled than the Machame route, but the routes join for the last couple of days and the summit route.
Day 1: Arrival Day
Arrive in Tanzania. Generally, it’s preferable to fly directly into the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where we’ll meet our team and driver. Often these flights come in late in the evening and we’ll go directly to the beautiful N’darakwai Lodge for the night. Instead of staying at a somewhat generic hotel in the cities of Moshi or Arusha, we’ll take you to a beautiful and luxurious safari-style tent lodge, where you’ll see wildlife from your breakfast table. Make the most of your time in Africa!
Day 2: Kilimanjaro Trek Preparation and Wildlife Viewing!
We’ll have this day to prepare our gear, unwind a bit, and enjoy the grounds of the N’darakwai Lodge. We can take a game walk through their wildlife preserve and see our first African wildlife! We’ll meet our local guides, do a final gear check, and have a pre-trip briefing on this day.
Day 3: Trek to Big Tree Camp 9,120 ft/2,780 m, ~3 miles, 2-3 hours
We’ll wake up early and have breakfast at the lodge before loading into our Land Cruisers to drive to the trailhead. The Lemosho route starts at the Londrossi Gate Park Entrance (7,350 ft/2,250 m). We’ll hike through the lush rainforest, where we’ll see giant fern trees, rare African flowers, and monkeys hanging out above us. After only a couple of hours of hiking, we’ll arrive at our camp in the forest, where we’ll spend the first night on the mountain.
Day 4: Trek to Shira 1 Camp 11,500 ft/3,505 m, ~5 miles, 5-6 hours
After coffee and breakfast, we’ll get off to an early start on this day and trek higher, leaving the rainforest below and entering the giant Heather and Moorland zone. We’ll hike up to the old Shira crater rim, where we’ll get our first close-up views of Kilimanjaro and descend gently toward our camp next to a creek on the Shira Plateau.
Day 5: Trek to Moir Camp 13,600 ft/4,150 m, ~5 miles, 5-6 hours
A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, we’ll leave the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges and climbing toward the flanks of Kilimanjaro. We’ll pass through Fischer Camp and possibly stop here for lunch before continuing up to Moir Camp.
Day 6: Trek to Lava Tower and Down to Barranco Valley Camp 12,960 ft/3,950 m, ~6 miles, 6-7 hours
The day begins by trekking 2-3 hours up to the Lava Tower at 15,200 feet. This is an old volcanic lava plug and a striking landmark on the flanks of Kilimanjaro. We’ll have lunch at the Lava Tower and then continue down hill toward our camp for the night at the Barranco Valley.
Day 7: Trek to Karanga Camp 13,000 ft/3,965 m, ~3.5 miles, 4-5 hours
One of the most stunning days of the trip, we begin this day with a steep climb up the Barranco Wall. We
continue around the southeastern flank of Kibo, with vistas of the southern ice fields to our camp at Karanga.
There is plenty of time to rest, or for a short optional acclimatization walk in the afternoon up the valley above the
camp.
Day 8: Trek to Barafu/High Camp 15,090 ft/4,600 m, ~2 miles, 3-4 hours
The air gets thin at this altitude and we’ll start slowing our pace as we climb up to the rocky Barafu Camp. “Barafu”
means “ice” in Swahili, and you’ll feel the temperatures drop as we get higher on the mountain. This is a relatively
short day, but we’ll be trying to get some rest as we prepare for our summit climb tonight!
Day 9: Kilimanjaro Summit Day! And descend to Mweka Forest Camp
Summit: 19,340 ft/5,895 m, 2.75 miles/4.5 km, 7-9 hours
Mweka: 10,170 ft/3,100 m, 6.8 miles/10.9 km, 5-6 hours
We’ll start our ascent by headlamp shortly after midnight so that we can be up on the Crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded switchbacks, and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (18,815 ft/5,735 m) in about six hours. We’ll rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi before continuing the 1-2 hour roundtrip along the crater rim to the high point of Uhuru Peak. The descent back down to the Barafu Camp goes much faster, and after some rest and refreshments, we’ll continue to descend to reach our final campsite at the edge of Mweka Forest.
Day 10: Descend to Mweka Gate 5,500 ft/1,676 m, ~5.3 miles, 3-4 hours
Overnight at Arusha Coffee Lodge.
A sustained descent through lovely forests with lush undergrowth takes us to the National Park gate at Mweka, and on through coffee and banana plantations to Mweka village (3-4 hours walking). There we’ll be met by our vehicles to take us back to a beautiful lodge for a well-earned shower and delicious meal.
Day 11: Homeward Bound or Begin Safari
At this point some may be heading back home, or if you are continuing for a safari option or the Mount Kenya Climb, we’ll start those itineraries on this day.
