Saturday, February 22, 2020

Kilimanjaro | The Lemosho Route with South Col

Image result for lemosho gate

A South Col team will be attempting to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and one of the seven summits in the fall of 2021.

There are seven routes to the summit and the climb be done in as little as five days (with major altitude issues) upto 9 days.  We are planning to do a conservative eight day climb, most probably by the Lemosho route.

This is a longer, more remote route on Kilimanjaro and allows  for optimum acclimatisation time for the summit itself.As the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro makes up one of the Seven Summits (i.e. highest mountains on each of the seven continents). The additional time on the mountain means that success rates for  the Lemosho route trekkers are relatively high.

Approx. 35,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro every year. The chances of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro is highly dependent on the number of days taken to trek the mountain.The more days, the higher the probability of success as your body has more time to adapt and acclimatize.Here are the success rate figures as published by the Kilimanjaro National Park. These numbers are admittedly quite old and success rates are most likely higher as route configurations have improved and the number of people taking 5 day treks has almost ended.

  • All climbers, all routes 45% (we estimate this figure is closer to 65% today)
  • All climbers, all 5 day routes 27%
  • All climbers, all 6 day routes 44%
  • All climbers, all 7 days routes 64%
  • All climbers, all 8 day routes 85%

The details of the Lemosho Route are given below:


DAY 1
Londrossi Gate 2100m – Mti Mkubwa Camp 2800m Hiking Time: – 5hours Distance:7 km Habitat: Montane Forest 
Drive from your hotel in Arusha to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and check in at Londrossi Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. The journey passes through the village of Sanya Juu, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. You reach the starting point at the Lemosho glades with the vehicle where you shall see the, porters arranging their packs containing the food and other equipment. Make sure that you have all your day pack items with you as the porters travel very quickly. The guides will be pleased to assist with any additional Information. You now trek through the main forest on a winding trail to the first camp, which is located at an altitude of 2250 meters. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are good idea here. You continue a short distance until you reach the Mti Mkubwa Camp (BIG TREE ) officially known as the forest camp rest and enjoy your dinner and overnight. You have now reached an altitude of 2250 meters.
DAY 2
Mti Mkubwa 2800m – Shira 1 Camp 3500m Hiking Time – 5hours Distance 7km Habitat – Moorland 
After Breakfast, you leave the forest to continue on an ascending path crossing through the heather and moorland. Today is a full day trek with an altitude gain of 700m. After lunch you cross into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. Overnight Shira 1 Camp at 3500m.
DAY 3
Shira 1 Camp 3500m – Shira 2 Camp 3840m Hiking Time: – 3 hours Distance: 7km Habitat: – Moorland 
After Breakfast, you leave the heather to continue on an ascending path, through the Moorland and, to the east across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Shira 2 camp. You only gain 340m in elevation - this allows you to acclimatize slowly to the altitude. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular. Overnight at Shira 2 Camp 3840m
DAY 4
Shira 2 Campsite 3840m – Lava Tower (4600m) Barranco Camp 3950m Hiking Time: 7 hours Distance: 11km Habitat: Semi desert.
From the Shira Plateau, you continue to the east, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you continue, the direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth”. It is usually at these point where for the first time some climbers will start feeling symptoms of breathlessness and headache due to high altitude and one should walk slowly –POLE POLE as they say in Kiswahili. You now continue downwards to the Barranco Camp at an altitude of 3,950 meters , situated in a valley below the breach and the great Barranco Wall. Here, you rest enjoy dinner and camp overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation, as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization (climb high and sleep low) and will help your body prepare for the successful summit day


DAY 5
(ACCLIMITIZATION DAY) Barranco Camp (3840m) – Karanga Campsite (4200m) Hiking time: 4 hours Distance: 7 km Habitat: Alpine desert 
After Breakfast, you will depart from Barranco Camp and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall through the Karanga Valley at 4200m and it is the LAST WATER STOP as you shall not find water at the Barafu Camp. Here, one gets a better chance to view the glaciers at a very near distance. You shall have hot Lunch at Karanga Valley. After a short rest, you can view the Mawenzi Slopes as well as the Tanzania Sugar Plantation farms. (TPC) with a short walk to see the sedimentary rocks which sound like iron when stepped on and return to the Karanga Valley Campsite for dinner and overnight.
DAY 6
Karanga Valley Campsite (4200m) – Barafu Camp (4600m) Hiking Time: 3hours Distance: 8km Habitat: Alpine Desert 
After Breakfast, you will depart from Karanga Valley campsite at (4200m), for the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail. You continue to the Barafu Hut, which is located at an altitude of 4600 meters. You have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views for the summit from many different angles. There is no water at Barafu Camp, even though Barafu is the Kiswahili word for “ice”. The famous snows of Kilimanjaro are far above Barafu Camp near the summit of the mountain. Your tent will be pitched on a narrow, stony, wind-swept ridge, so make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. Prepare your equipment and warm clothing for your summit climb, and drink a lot of fluids Here you can, rest, enjoy dinner and go to bed for a few hours of precious sleep.
DAY 7
Barafu Camp – (4600m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Mweka Camp (3100m) Hiking Time: – 8hrs to reach Uhuru Peak 7-8 hrs down to Mweka camp. Distance:- 8km up- 23km Habitat : Stone scree and ice capped summit
Early morning, you continue towards the summit of Uhuru Peak at 5895meters. It can be bitterly cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will want clothing for both extremes with you. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. You now make your descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut Campsite, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp at 3100meters, situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected during the late afternoon. This part of the descent takes about 7 to8 hours. Later in the evening, you enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well earned sleep.
DAY 8 Mweka Camp (3100m) – Mweka Gate (1500m) Hiking Time: 3 -4hours Distance: 15km Habitat: Forest After Breakfast, you continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to your Hotel in Arusha..

We will be taking a small team of 8 climbers for this climb so if you are interested do email sujoyrdas@gmail.com
For more details on our treks and workshops please do visit www.southcol.com

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