Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Highlights
Lemosho Forrest | Shira Plateau | Shira Cathedral | Great Barranco Valley | Karanga | Sunrise at Stella Point | Uhuru peak | Millennium camp | Option for ascent to bottom of S.E. ValleyDescription of Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
This 12 day climb up Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, tackles the Lemosho Route which navigates both the volcanic caldera of Shira and underneath the ice fields of Kibo - two out of three of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones.As this itinerary extends to eight days on Kili there’s more than enough time to gradually acclimatise at altitude as you enjoy extra rest periods overlooking some of the dormant volcano’s most impressive western approach terrain.
As the Lemosho Route is a lesser-climbed trail there are far fewer crowds which adds to the remoteness and authenticity of the experience as well as giving you every opportunity to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro without compromising on the safety of individuals or the group as a whole.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
Accommodation and Meals:For the most part of the trip we will be camping. By spending 7 nights in non-permanent accommodation, we create a minimal impact on the environment by saving energy. Our chefs are local people and enthusiastic about sourcing ingredients locally, which keeps money in the area. Whilst trekking, the emphasis is on a varied and well balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids. For the remainder of the trip, we will be using small, unique hotels or lodges which otherwise may not benefit from the commerce of tourist groups due to their size.
Activity:
Few holidays have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a trekking trip. It is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem and our trip leaders encourage clients not to stray from paths to minimise this. We work with a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy, meaning we have respect for wildlife and the landscape, separate rubbish and take all burnable waste back to a proper disposal place. We also ask that clients consider using biodegradable toiletries and shower at lodges where electricity or solar power is used for hot water.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
A Fair Deal:
We are dedicated to providing fair treatment, wages and working conditions for our guides and porters. Despite wages being the biggest expenditure on ground, there is no temptation to pay less than what is deserved and as a result we pay one of the highest wages on Kilimanjaro. Alongside this, we always make sure there is suffiecient food, fuel, shelter and medical attention with sick pay if necessary. The care for our local staff is not restricted to the trekking season: In the rainy months when work is restricted, we fund a project to teach English to porters and other staff in order to improve their career prospects. So far, with the support of our clients, the project has reached over 800 people in Arusha, Magangu and Tarekea.
Campaigning for Change:
Our dedication to local community is not just for those working for us. In Tanzania, we have funded a project which has managed to install 180 smokeless stoves in 9 villages across Geita and to teach over 90 young people how to build and use them. The benefits of this project have been incredible as the new stoves eliminate the myriad of health issues caused by prolonged exposure to smoke and take far less cooking time. There are also environemntal benefits as much less firewood is required to run the new stoves.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
Accommodation and Meals:For the most part of the trip we will be camping. By spending 7 nights in non-permanent accommodation, we create a minimal impact on the environment by saving energy. Our chefs are local people and enthusiastic about sourcing ingredients locally, which keeps money in the area. Whilst trekking, the emphasis is on a varied and well balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids. For the remainder of the trip, we will be using small, unique hotels or lodges which otherwise may not benefit from the commerce of tourist groups due to their size.
Activity:
Few holidays have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a trekking trip. It is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem and our trip leaders encourage clients not to stray from paths to minimise this. We work with a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy, meaning we have respect for wildlife and the landscape, separate rubbish and take all burnable waste back to a proper disposal place. We also ask that clients consider using biodegradable toiletries and shower at lodges where electricity or solar power is used for hot water.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
A Fair Deal:
We are dedicated to providing fair treatment, wages and working conditions for our guides and porters. Despite wages being the biggest expenditure on ground, there is no temptation to pay less than what is deserved and as a result we pay one of the highest wages on Kilimanjaro. Alongside this, we always make sure there is suffiecient food, fuel, shelter and medical attention with sick pay if necessary. The care for our local staff is not restricted to the trekking season: In the rainy months when work is restricted, we fund a project to teach English to porters and other staff in order to improve their career prospects. So far, with the support of our clients, the project has reached over 800 people in Arusha, Magangu and Tarekea.
Campaigning for Change:
Our dedication to local community is not just for those working for us. In Tanzania, we have funded a project which has managed to install 180 smokeless stoves in 9 villages across Geita and to teach over 90 young people how to build and use them. The benefits of this project have been incredible as the new stoves eliminate the myriad of health issues caused by prolonged exposure to smoke and take far less cooking time. There are also environemntal benefits as much less firewood is required to run the new stoves.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
4 Reviews of Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Reviewed on 25 Feb 2012 by Mair James
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Making new friends and climbing the Lava Tower.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Positive attitude is essential. Bring snacks, plenty of food but nice to have
home comforts and to share with guides and porters.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
No, not really.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent experience but very tough.
Read the operator's response here:
We have recently teamed up with the Kilimanjaro Guide Scholarship Foundation (KGSF). By working with KGSF we hope to enable many of our guides to further their education on a three month scholarship during the long rains. KSGF (in conjunction with the Bridge Institute of Business Studies in Arusha, Tanzania) have created a special course that can run through the rainy season. This course is applicable to guides and porters and will enable them to improve their future career prospects. The scholarship allows the recipients to continue working during the remainder of the year and the course consists of four sections: tour operations and administration, social anthropology and history, tourism geography, and wildlife knowledge.
In 2010 three of our guides successfully undertook this course at the Inter-Continental Training College in Arusha. Our Base Manager in Arusha, Richard Marsden, gave his comments:
'I have just had a debrief with Makeke, Mussa and Matthew. The 3 courses: Tour Operations & Administration, Tourism Geography, and Wildlife Studies had a written exam of 2.5 hours, whereas the course Social Anthropology & History was a more informal oral exam.
The parts of the course that were relevant for Kilimanjaro guides were many, helping them understand more about tourists and how they book trips, and then how to describe in greater detail the geology, animals, culture and services of Kilimanjaro. In addition the courses widened their views outside of Kilimanjaro, to many other areas within East Africa. All 3 guides thought the course very useful and are happy to have participated in it. The one comment they made is that in the 3 months it was only possible to cover a small portion of Wildlife Studies both because this subject is very large, and they did not have a field course to assist them. In conclusion the 3 guides and myself thank you for the sponsorship and believe it would be a useful course to offer in the future.'
Reviewed on 21 Aug 2011 by Jane Walker
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable and exciting part of the holiday was of course the ascent of Kilimanjaro on summit day. It was exhilarating arriving at the peak after all the lead up to it and the views were fantastic.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Listen and follow your guide’s advice and have a positive mental attitude. Also, be prepared to be grubby!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I guess it did but it is a curious situation having so many people looking after so few. There were 4 of us and 21 porters/ helping porters/ guides/ cook.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.
Reviewed on 21 Sep 2010 by Annika Ratcliffe
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Getting to the summit of Kilimanjaro with all my friends - old and new.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do it! And take the Lemosho route - it is the best one.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes. the operator coordinated locally with a walking operator who were brilliant.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
10/10.
Reviewed on 10 Sep 2010 by Michael Axe
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Reaching the top of Kilimanjaro at last, as this was my second attempt. The Lemosoho route offers far more spectacular scenery than the other route I tried last year. The safari to Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti was the perfect relaxation after the arduous climb.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It may be Africa and it may be the tropics but the weather was much colder than I expected even at lower levels. I would recommend careful attention to clothing and sleeping equipment. There was a frost 7 nights out of 8.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Our group of 6 people employed 31 porters and guides and great care was taken to keep the mountain clean and to leave no trace behind.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Absolutely superb. The organisation was flawless and the local guides were very professional and the people were very friendly.
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