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THE CLIMB - 2006
LEMOSHO-LAVA TOWER ROUTE
12 DAYS/11 NIGHTS
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Feb 20 - FLY OUT DAY
Fly to Tanzania
Feb 21-22 - MOSHI (3,300 ft.)
 After arriving in Moshi, you check into the Keys hotel, and have a hot meal, and a good night's rest. We spend 2 nights in Moshi.
On your second day you will meet your guide for a climb
orientation and equipment check.
This is also a great time to immerse yourself in Chagga culture on
one of our cultural trips.
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Feb 23 - LONDOROSSI GATE to MTI MKUBWA (9,170 ft.)
A three-hour drive from our Moshi Hotel brings us to the  Londorossi Park Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. At the gate we sign in and then drive to the trailhead at Lemosho Glades and start our trek through the rain forest. In places the vegetation is so untouched that it grows right across the narrow track. The flora and fauna are richer here than on the other more popular routes through the rain forest. In about 3-4 hours we reach our camp in the rain forest at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree). |
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Feb 24 - MTI MKUBWA to SHIRA CAMP (11,500 ft.)
After
breakfast,
we start the climb cross the remaining rain forest towards the giant moorland zone.
 Today
is a 6-7 hour trek with an altitude gain of 2,400 ft. A great
lunch stop is in a beautiful valley just outside the Shira Crater at around 10,000 ft. After lunch we cross into the Shira Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from Kibo Peak. The crater rim has been decimated by weather and volcanic action. Today you'll get your first close views of Kibo - the dramatic summit of Kilimanjaro. |
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Feb 25 - SHIRA CAMP to MOIR CAMP (13,650 ft.)
After breakfast we continue to hike east across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards Moir camp. The views of the plateau are nothing less than spectacular.
Moir is one of the most beautiful and least-used site, situated at
the end of a vast canyon. It's about a 7 hour hike.
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Feb 26 - MOIR CAMP to LAVA TOWER (14,950 ft.)
In this  Alpine Moorland Zone, the plants are extremely hardy, and consist of lichens, grasses, and heather, among others. Today is not
a huge altitude gain for us, but takes us about 6-7 hours. We have Kibo peak looming on our left, while the great expanse of the Shira
Caldera spreads out on our right. We'll spend 2 nights here. On
our second day we'll hike up for a few hours to Arrow Glacier
camp at 16,000 feet to acclimatize. There is a spectacular view of
the plateau here. |
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Feb 27 - LAVA TOWER to KARANGA CAMP  (13,100
ft)
Today we descend in elevation slightly.
The trek is spectacular, as we traverse the foot of Kibo's south-facing glaciers. After
climbing the 500 ft. Barranco wall, (not technical) we descend into the
Karanga valley, and then climb up the other side to our camp. We
pass up and down through the Alpine Desert and Heath/Moorland vegetations
zones. |
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Feb 28 - KARANGA to BARAFU CAMP (14,950 ft)
Karanga to Barafu camp isn't far as the crow flies, but it's all up hill,
and takes us 3-4 hours to get there. It's alpine desert here, with
sweeping views of the Kibo saddle and Mawenzi Peak. Today's a key day for
acclimatizing as we hike up to 16,500 feet to allow our bodies to adjust. |
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March 1 - BARAFU to CRATER CAMP (18,370 ft.)
 We repack our gear, taking only what we'll need for one day in the crater. The porters will carry the rest of our gear around to Millennium Camp, for a rendezvous on our descent.
The views from the route up are nothing less than spectacular. Some Tusker climbers have talked about a spiritual experience as they
approach Stella point, at the crater rim- with dramatic cloud formations hovering over the mountainous landscape and the savannah, miles below you.
Slowly winding our way up, we reach the edge of the crater floor after about 8 hours, and enjoy our camp at the highest possible altitude. |
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Mar 2 - THE SUMMIT! to MILLENNIUM CAMP (19,340 ft. - 12,500 ft.)
 We
spend
about 2 hours hiking up to Uhuru Peak,
thesummit, taking in the spectacular view. After all the photos and celebration, we head down to our last camp on the mountain, feeling "high" in more ways than one.
You will be totally euphoric after reaching Uhuru Peak. It's a long hike down to Millennium Camp, and your lungs will thank you as you as you breathe the oxygen-rich air. On the way down, we stop for lunch, refill our water and continue down to
Millennium camp through the Heath and Moorland. This is our last night on the great mountain. |
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March 3 -
MILLENNIUM CAMP to MOSHI
(3,300 ft.)
 In the morning we have a 4-hour walk down to the road. We then get a lift back to the hotel and a well-deserved shower - and a cold beer,
where we spend the night at the Keys Hotel.
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March 4 - Depart Tanzania, or continue on your
Wildlife Safari.
The 6-day safari takes you through some of the most spectacular wildlife reserves on the planet. You stay
In some of the  finest lodges of East Africa in the
SERENGETI, NGORONGORO CRATER and at
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK. February
and March is the finest time of the year to visit the SERENGETI, as most of the migratory wildlife is concentrated in the south, around our lodge. It's also the annual calving season for the millions of wildebeest. This is a spectacle not to be missed. |
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