Why Climb Kilimanjaro with WT?
- We’re the experts on Kilimanjaro with over 30 years of experience.
- Our stunning Lemosho-Crater Camp Route is the best route on Kili, away from crowded trails, with no retracing of steps, and traversing the most magnificent glacier scenery
- Maximum acclimatization (the key to a successful climb) with a full 7 days on the ascent. We have a 98% summit success rate!
- On summit day, enjoy a spectacular and short 2-hour ascent, avoiding the grueling 9-hour ascent required on other routes
- The finest full-service camp amenities on the mountain, with delicious and nutritious food and full porter support
- Our legendary Trip Leaders —the most experienced on the mountain and all certified Wilderness First Responders (WFR)
Wilderness Travel does not summit Kili from Barafu (15,311'), as most other companies do! The bleak and crowded Barafu campsite is packed tent-to-tent with climbers who begin their 9-hour summit day at midnight, climbing through the dark on a crowded path. Our Lemosho-Crater Camp Route avoids this by camping at Crater Camp (18,800'), beside the spectacular glaciers at Kili’s crater rim, making our summit climb short—just 541 feet! Check out Choosing the Best Route for more details.
Overview
Ascend to the celebrated “snows of Kilimanjaro” on the stunning Lemosho-Crater Camp Route, following an uncrowded trail on Kili’s remote southwest flanks. Our special route gives you seven days on the ascent for proper altitude acclimatization and the best chance of summit success—plus just a short summit climb (not the grueling 9-hour climb in the dark required on other routes!). You’ll have the finest amenities, with fresh-made meals and full porter support. Let our legendary guides (the most experienced on the mountain) bring expertise, camaraderie—and fun—to your climb.
Wilderness Travel's route up Kilimanjaro was far better, more interesting than the major highways used by most trekkers. We were the only group at many campsites and felt like we were the only people on that magnificent mountain.
— Trenholm W., Charleston, SC
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-2
Arusha National Park / Acclimatization
Two nights at our private camp at 6,500 feet on Mount Meru in Arusha National Park aid in your acclimatization, with warm-up hikes to look for bushbuck, giraffe, and black-and-white colobus monkey.
Days 3-5
Kilimanjaro / Shira Plateau
Meeting our porters and trail guides at 7,400 feet, we hike through montane forest festooned with lichens and keep an eye out for a colorful array of birdlife and evidence of forest elephant. Ascending through the giant heath zone where Kili’s ancient lava flows are still visible, we move up to our Shira Ridge Camp (11,450'), with its dramatic view of Kilimanjaro’s glaciers that climbers on other routes never see. We continue to Moir Camp at 13,640 feet.
Days 6-11
Lava Tower Camp / Crater Camp / Summit Day
Entering Kili’s alpine desert zone, we reach Lava Tower Camp (15,200') for an extra day of acclimatization for the summit push. Set at the foot of Kibo Peak, this camp offers wonderful views over the Shira Plateau. Higher up at Crater Camp (18,800'), an extraordinary setting near the Furtwangler Glacier, we can hike right to the rim of Kili’s astonishing inner crater, a surreal moonscape. The next day, our two-hour climb from Crater Camp is short, bringing us to Uhuru Peak (19,341'), Kili’s true summit and the roof of Africa. We’ll be on the summit for sunrise, with magnificent views of the vast African plains before the daytime clouds arrive. A descent along the Mweka Route brings us back to our lodge for a well-deserved hot shower and victory celebration. Depart in the evening of Day 11 via Arusha, or join our post-climb safari or other extensions.
Details
Physically demanding 9-day trek to 19,341 feet, difficult terrain including scree (loose rock) and snow, extreme altitudes, overnight at 18,800 feet
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Trek to the Summit of Africa’s Highest Peak
Climb the highest mountain in Africa with your own private group! We offer the best and most scenic route that also promotes acclimatization, expert guides, and full-service camping amenities. You pick the dates, we do the rest.
Download Brochure
Download a PDF of our Climb Kilimanjaro Detailed Itinerary to learn more about our day-to-day itinerary, prices and dates, lodging, and leaders.
