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14-Day Luxury Lemosho Route and Fly-In Serengeti Safari

This year BootsnAll World Adventures (BWA) is offering a luxury climb/safari package to take the stress out of a trans-Atlantic flight, and to round of the climb with a fly-in safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Accommodation will be provided pre-climb by the lovely Ndarakwai Ranch, and on safari by Mbuzi Mawe tented Camp and the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

This trip is a BWA exclusive, and is inclusive of all transfers, accommodation, climb logistics and guide personnel and support. Get in touch with BWA today, or email direct for more information

Kilimanjaro

Day 1: Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, transfer to Ndarakwai Ranch

Day 2: Full Day at Ndarakwai Ranch. This is a preparation day for the climb, to sort out kit and meet the crew. Alternative activities include game walks and drives, cultural exchange and general relaxation

Dec 3: Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkumbwa (2,650 m/8,692 ft)

Hike time: 3hrs
Elevation Change: + 650 M/+2,132
Estimation distance: 10 km
Final Elevation: 2,650 m/8,694 ft

After a short but adventurous drive from Ndarakwai to Londorossi Gate we usually put boots on the trail at about noon. This is a mild challenge to start the trip, and is a 2 to 4 hour mixed climb through cloud forest to Mti Mkubwa camp at 8692ft.

Day 4: Mti Mkubwa (2,650 m/8,692 ft) to Shira One Camp (3,609 m/11,841 ft.)

Hike time: 5 – 6 hrs
Elevation change: + 950 M/+3116
Estimation distance: 12 km
Final Elevation: 3609 m/11,841 ft

Today’s climb is much tougher. It begins in forest but soon breaks out into heather and high moorland, with the gradient steep at times until broaching the edge of the Shira Crater. Camp is in a picturesque open area on the western edge of the Shira Plateau.

Day 5: Shira One Camp (3,609 m/11,841 ft.) to Shira Two Camp (3,849 m/12,628 ft)

Hike time: 5 – 6 hrs
Elevation change: + 240 M/+787 ft
Elevation distance: 5 km
Final elevation: 3849 m/12,628 ft

Today’s hike is short and relatively easy stroll across the Shira Plateau, with a minimal altitude gain to help with the process of adjustment, and another beautiful campsite on the western slopes.

NOTE: From Shira Two Camp on, this route merges with the Machame Route, including the descent on the separate Mweka Route.

Day 6: Shira Two Camp (3,849 m/12,628 ft.) to Barranco Camp (3,948 m/12,956 ft.)

Hike time: 5 hrs
Elevation change: +100 M/+328 ft
Estimated distance: 6 km
Final elevation: 3948 m/12,956 ft

The first stage of today’s climb follows a slow trail at a steady incline to the Lava Tower at about 15000ft, before descending back to an altitude of 12800ft at the dramatic Baranco Camp in the lap of Kibo Crater itself.

Day 7: Barranco Camp (3,900 m/12,800 ft) to Karanga Valley (3,963 m/13,000 ft)

Hike time: 3.5 hrs
Elevation change: +100 m/+328 ft
Estimated distance: 4km/2.5 miles
Final elevation: 3,963 m/13,000 ft

The first sight of the day is the Great Baranco Wall, a steep valley side that is the first big challenge of the day, but one that usually passes of with more ease than anticipated. A steady few hours follows over ups and downs until the trail ends at Karanga Camp

Day 8: Karanga Valley (3,963 m/13,000 ft) to Barafu Hut (4,600 m/15,091 ft)

Hike time: 3.5 hrs
Elevation change: +600 m/+1,968 ft
Estimated distance: 4km/2.5 miles
Final elevation: 4,600 m/15,091 ft

Today the trail ascends into barren terrain en-route to Barafu Camp. The camp is in a bleak and forbidding situation, but you’ll only be sleeping from around 7 p.m. until 11: 30 p.m. or so because you’ll be starting the summit climb at midnight.

Day 9: Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,091 ft) to The Summit (5,896 m/19,343 ft) and then to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft)

Summit time: 7 hrs
Elevation change: +1,300 m/+4,265 ft
Estimated distance: 5km/3.2 miles
Final elevation: 5,896 m/19,343 ft
Descent time: 5 hrs
Elevation change: -2,800 m/-9,186 ft
Estimated distance: 12km/7.5 miles
Final elevation: 3,100 m, 10,170 ft

At midnight the wake up call comes and the trail leads up into darkness lit by hundreds of blinking headlights. New Years Eve is one of the most popular times of the year to summit, and by now all the trails have merged. It is a tough 6/7-hour climb in the dark to catch the sunrise at Uhuru Peak at dawn. A quick photograph and a look around and you will probably want to head back, and begin the long descent and the hike on to Mweka Camp and a more comfortable altitude.

Day 10: Mweka Hut (3,100 m/10,170 ft) to Mweka Gate (1,828 m/6,000 ft)

Descent time: 4 hrs
Elevation change: -1,250 m/-4,101 ft
Estimated distance: 10km/6.21
Final elevation: 1,828 m/6,000 ft

After the previous day you’ll deserve this short and very scenic descent of about 4 hours down to the Mweka Gate, where you’ll sign the register to make your climb official.
Accommodation at the Parkview Hotel Moshi

Safari

Day 11: After breakfast we will drive to Arusha airport for a flight connection to Serengeti. After a 45-minute flight we arrived at Seronera Airport in the Serengeti National Park, before collection and transfer to Mbuzi Mawe tented camp in northern Serengeti. Depending on what wildlife we see along the way, the journey could take the rest of the day.

Day 12: We leave with a packed lunch for a day spent exploring the national park, with another night spent at Mbuze Mawe.

Day 13: Today we head south towards Ngorongoro, leaving behind the woodland savannah of the north of the park for the signature plains of the south. By afternoon we will be in the Crater Highlands, and by early evening at the lovely Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. Here you will stumble on arguably the most beautiful view in the world.

Day 14: After a morning spent on the floor of the crater we will start to make our way by road to Moshi. Evening at Parkview Inn.