Why Climb Kilimanjaro with WT?
- We’re the experts on Kilimanjaro with nearly 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 (18,500'), beside the spectacular glaciers at Kili’s crater rim, making our summit climb short—just 840 feet! Check out Choosing the Best Route for more details.
Overview
We’ve perfected the climb to the celebrated “snows of Kilimanjaro” on the stunning Lemosho-Crater Camp Route, a beautiful, uncrowded trail on Kili’s remote southwest flanks. With seven days on the ascent for maximum altitude acclimatization, you’ll have the best chance of peak success—plus just a short climb to the summit to view the sunrise (not the grueling 9-hour climb in the dark required on other routes!). On our route, we also have the opportunity to hike right to the rim of Kili’s astonishing inner crater, a surreal moonscape. Our camps have the finest amenities on the mountain, and for extra security we always carry oxygen and a Gamow bag. Our legendary, highly skilled guides and crew bring experience, 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
Days 1-2
Arusha National Park / Acclimatization
We start our Kilimanjaro climb the ideal way—with two nights at our private camp at 6,500 feet on Mount Meru in Arusha National Park. This allows us to acclimatize to the altitude, take warm-up hikes, and also look for bushbuck, giraffe, and black-and-white colobus monkey.
Arusha National Park / Acclimatization - Days 1-2
Mount Meru Seasonal Camp
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights), Arusha National Park, TanzaniaMount Meru Camp, set at nearly 6,500 feet in the ancient montane forest on the slopes of Mount Meru, is a fantastic, off-the-beaten-track hideaway and the perfect jumping off point for our Kilimanjaro climb. Each tent features wood framed beds, an en suite bathroom with a bucket-type shower and flush toilet, a small private veranda with chairs and a washstand, and solar powered lighting. A lounge tent, set in an open glade, has a wide veranda to keep it cool during the heat of the day, and a separate mess tent serves wonderful food created by our resident chef over an open fire (a specialty is barbecued meat and vegetable kebabs). Mount Meru Camp is great for acclimatization, and the two nights sleeping at 6,500' give you the head start that will help you get to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Days 3-5
Kilimanjaro / Shira Plateau
Meeting our porters and trail guides at the trailhead (7,500'), we hike through thick montane forest festooned with lichens. We’ll 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 (11,500'), with its dramatic view of Kilimanjaro’s glaciers that climbers on other routes never see. We continue to Moir Camp at 13,100 feet.
Kilimanjaro / Shira Plateau - Days 3-5
Camping on the Mountain
Days 3 to 10 (8 nights), Mount Kilimanjaro, TanzaniaYou may be pleasantly surprised by the comforts of our Kili mountain camps, considering we’re on a high altitude expedition! We use sturdy 3-person Mountain Hardwear tents (but just for two people each, to give you more room). Meals are served in a large dining tent. Breakfast is hot cereal, toast, eggs on request, lunch is picnic style, always with hot soup for hydration, salad, sandwich fixings, and hot dishes such as quiche or pizza if we are in camp. Dinner is hot soup, salad, pasta, and stew or fish. Snacks and drinks are always available at camp. The staff brings tea or coffee and a bowl of washing water to your tent to get you started in the morning, and each camp has separate men’s and women’s toilet tents, both with seats.
Days 6-11
Lava Tower Camp / Crater Camp / Summit Day
Entering Kili’s alpine desert zone, we have an important acclimatization day at Lava Tower Camp (15,240'). An extra day at this elevation is essential to getting us used to the altitude for our summit push. From Crater Camp (18,500'), an extraordinary setting near the Furtwangler Glacier, we can explore the Inner Crater and Ash Pit on an optional hike. 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 surreal views of the vast African plains spread beneath our feet 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 one of our post-climb extensions.
Lava Tower Camp / Crater Camp / Summit Day - Days 6-11
Camping on the Mountain
Days 3 to 10 (8 nights), Mount Kilimanjaro, TanzaniaYou may be pleasantly surprised by the comforts of our Kili mountain camps, considering we’re on a high altitude expedition! We use sturdy 3-person Mountain Hardwear tents (but just for two people each, to give you more room). Meals are served in a large dining tent. Breakfast is hot cereal, toast, eggs on request, lunch is picnic style, always with hot soup for hydration, salad, sandwich fixings, and hot dishes such as quiche or pizza if we are in camp. Dinner is hot soup, salad, pasta, and stew or fish. Snacks and drinks are always available at camp. The staff brings tea or coffee and a bowl of washing water to your tent to get you started in the morning, and each camp has separate men’s and women’s toilet tents, both with seats.
Mount Meru Game Lodge (Day Room)
Day 11, Arusha, TanzaniaSet in tranquil surroundings outside Arusha, Mount Meru Game Lodge is nestled between the Usa River and a wildlife sanctuary that is home to zebra, ostrich, a wide array of birds and monkeys. It is just 25 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport. The lodge has 17 well-appointed guest rooms. The bar is well stocked with spirits, beer, and a selection of wines, and the terrace is shaded by enormous old mango trees and has magnificent views over the gardens and sanctuary beyond. There is a swimming pool, and the garden has a campfire for outdoor dining.
Climb Kilimanjaro!
Highlights
Highlights
Details
Physically demanding 9-day trek to 19,341 feet, difficult terrain including scree (loose rock) and snow, extreme altitudes, overnight at 18,500'
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Download a PDF of our Climb Kilimanjaro Detailed Itinerary to learn more about our day-to-day itinerary, prices and dates, lodging, and leaders.
