Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route Reflections
Although I've yet to write up the detailed stories for each day of the Lemosho Route, I thought it might be useful for people to read some of the overall highlights and thoughts about the trek, gathered together in one story.
I'll remember many experiences, including the lichen-draped trees in the forests and the Colobus monkeys, the great variety of plant life, the views over the clouds, and most of all the sights and sensations of reaching the summit after that exhausting night climb. That was the best bit.
The worst aspect was definitely lying awake for hours, trying to keep warm, in the tents, despite several layers of clothes.
The funniest bits came at the end - the kids following us in the forest, disguised as trees, and the persistent hawkers at our final lunch stop. We also had a good laugh with the guides over our mispronounciation of the cook (Evagri)'s name as "Viagra".
The main warning would be to make sure you're fit for the long days of trekking and climbing, although several days were easier. But if you've climbed a few Scottish munros recently (or the equivalent elsewhere) without difficulty you should be fine, at least until the final ascent!
Is it difficult? Not technically - just a long mountain walk, with quite a few ups and downs, a bit of easy scrambling on day 4 and some downhill sections where you could slip if you're not careful. But the final climb at high altitude in the cold IS tough!
Worries, we had a few - the Barranco Wall (which was fine), the altitude, the cold and camping (which were all tough to cope with), but all of these affect people differently.
More reflections in the linked story...
Now (March 2009) BBC's Comic Relief celebrities have just completed a climb using what looked like the same route, taking one more day. They also had our guide Naiman as a support guide for their walk. See the BBC website for stories & videos.
Key Facts
| Location | Just south of the Equator in Tanzania |
| Date walked | 5-11 September 2007 |
| Walk type | Longer Walks and Treks |
| Difficulty | Requires plenty of stamina and gradual acclimatisation to the altitude |
| Time taken | 7 day(s) |
| Disabled access | No |
