Written by Jorryn Yapadi, 31 July 2025
7-Day Lemosho Route
This July 2025, we stood together on the roof of Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro – not just as an achievement, but to support others facing mountains of their own.
For Zied, this was huge. Diagnosed in his 20s with a brain malformation, he was told to avoid deep dives and high altitudes due to seizure risks. But through years of holistic living – clean eating, consistent training, quality sleep, and the right natural supplements – he’s now off medication and thriving.
This climb was deeply personal for our family. It reflects everything we stand for at Tucan Holistic—resilience, natural healing, and community. Read more about us
Read on to discover how we spent our 7 days on the mountain, including what challenged us, what kept us going, and the lessons that changed us forever. Each day was more than a hike – it was a story worth telling.
Arrival
Moshi, Tanzania
After landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), an hour's drive through dirt and paved roads found us in a small town called Moshi, the closest town to Mt. Kilimanjaro and the main gathering place for all climbers of the mountain.
Since we had a full day before the start of our trek, we took the opportunity to explore, interacting with locals, trying Tanzanian cuisine, and visiting one of many shops featuring handmade crafts and paintings.
Following a meal of ugali, fried banana, and chicken masala, our friends at Kili Backcountry Adventures conducted a gear check to ensure that we had all the essentials for the journey ahead.
What we learned: APPRECIATE PEOPLE! People across the world have lifestyles that are unique from one another. Being able to appreciate and partake in different cultures, languages, and traditions is important to developing a humbling and enriching perspective of the world we live in. We are all the same – human, living, breathing, and sharing the experience of life.
Day 1
Lemosho Gate (2000m) → Big Tree Camp (2727m)
Distance: 7 km
Habitat: Montane Forest
Our 3-hour drive began filled with a Swahili chorus of our beloved guides and porters – 17 in total! After waiting for our team to weigh their bags at the bustling Lemosho Gate, and a filling boxed lunch, we set out on the path toward our first camp.
An impressive trail winded ahead, shielded by the canopy of the rainforest, and our ponchos served us well as the clouded skies gave way to a light rain. We spotted blue-tailed monkeys, Colobus monkeys, and a red-winged little bird, a preview of the biodiversity we would witness throughout our journey. Although Forest Camp was populated with tents, we were greeted with hot tea and dinner – potatoes, cabbage, fish, and a mango salad!
What we learned: DRINKING ENOUGH WATER is crucial for our bodily functions, especially when we are expending energy for a long period of time. Getting 2-3L of water in our system keeps us hydrated, bringing nutrients and oxygen to our cells and flushing out wastes from our body.
Day 2
Big Tree Camp (2727m) → Shira II Camp (3850m)
Distance: 17 km
Habitat: Montane Forest - Moorland
A gruelling and tireless day ensued as we hiked on and on with several other groups leaving on the same route, providing some sense of camaraderie as we chatted briefly with each other during the long ascent.
Nevertheless, we exited the rainforest into a beautiful moorland that continued to slope upward almost endlessly, before opening up into the gorgeous Shira Plateau – a vast expanse of shrubbery and low-lying plants that stretched out below us like a wide valley.
After a quick stop at Shira I Camp for lunch (where several other parties would stop to spend the night), we continued onward against bone-chilling winds to reach Shira II Camp just as the sun was beginning to set. Surrounded by twilight colours with the summit looming high behind us, we experienced a cold but much-needed rest.
What we learned: SLEEPING WELL is another important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Getting a sufficient amount of good-quality sleep not only ensures that you feel well-rested when you wake, but also regulates hormone production, engages muscle recovery, and boosts immune response.
On the mountain, sleep provides time for the body to adjust and acclimatize to higher altitudes, reducing the risks of altitude sickness.
Day 3
Shira II Camp (3850m) → Lava Tower (4600m) → Barranco Camp (3900m)
Distance: 10 km
Habitat: Moorland - Alpine Desert - Moorland
Although we gained a lot of altitude the previous day, sleeping at Shira II definitely helped us get accustomed to the altitude. We set out slightly later than usual in the morning and traversed out of the moorland toward the Shira Junction, where our Lemosho Route would converge with the Machame Route, adding more parties of climbers onto our path.
The landscape shifted gradually – since there is less oxygen the further up you go, this was reflected on the mountain by the change from low shrubs and bushes to nothing at all – to an alpine desert. The highlight of the day was reaching a colossal piece of volcanic rock well above 4500m of elevation: the Lava Tower campsite.
A hearty lunch was followed by a steep and swift descent back into the moorland, enshrouded by thick fog as we arrived late in the evening at one of the largest camps on the mountain.
What we learned: "CLIMB HIGH, SLEEP LOW" is an old adage of mountain climbers that means sleeping at a lower elevation than the highest elevation you reached that day. It might seem like we're creating extra work for the next day, but our bodies experienced the relieving effect when headaches and other symptoms of mild altitude sickness wore off as we lost elevation.
Day 4
Barranco Camp (3900m) → Karanga Camp (3995m)
Distance: 6km
Habitat: Moorland
Most climbers on Kilimanjaro look forward to climbing up the Barranco Wall, a 250-meter vertical wall that rises to the clouds – or so it seems from a distance. We inhaled a hearty breakfast and set out after the other climbers already on the trail, passing through a heavenly garden of Giant Senecio (or Dendrosenecio kilimanjari), a plant species unique to Mount Kilimanjaro at a specific elevation range. What a wonder to be able to see and touch these plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world!
We had much fun climbing the wall, and although it looked like a vertical rock face from the camp, it is more like a steep tumbling of rocks – being able to scramble over rocks on your hands and feet is more than enough to get you over this impressive hurdle.
There were a lot of people on the Wall that day, as we were informed that four routes meet at Barranco to tackle this climb: Lemosho, Machame, Shira, and Umbwe.
After winding through some peaks and valleys, and a final last push with all of our strength, we arrived in the fog (yet again) at the most beautiful campsite of our entire climb, as we would discover the following day.
What we learned: EATING WELL is an obvious but understated facet of a healthy lifestyle. It is all about finding out what works for you in the moment – although we normally consume a low-carb diet, on the mountain this is different. As we expend a ton of energy every single day, a sizeable portion of carbs are needed every day to provide enough energy for the next portion of the climb. Even as we battled a loss of appetite, forcing ourselves to eat was one of the key factors for successfully reaching the summit.
Shoutout to our chef and team at Kili Backcountry Adventures for feeding us well!
Day 5
Karanga Camp (3995m) → Barafu Camp (4673m)
Distance: 4km
Habitat: Moorland - Alpine Desert
We woke up to one of the most beautiful scenes we witnessed so far on this mountain. Similar to Shira II Camp, the clouds were below us and the Summit behind us, the main difference being that the higher altitude meant the Summit was much closer to us now, and there were no longer any clouds above us – just clear, blue sky.
Very slowly, we trekked up a massive, slow-burning hill that seemed to never end, and as we finally trudged over the crest, we rested among some rocks and took some pictures with the rocky massif in the distance. As noted by the distance, we hiked a very short distance compared to what we have been doing daily so far, and after traversing a wide valley and climbing a steep hill, we arrived at the busiest campsite on this mountain – Barafu, the Base Camp of Kilimanjaro.
Almost all vegetation has ceased, and from this point on toward the Summit, the alpine desert took over our surroundings. We all felt the effects of high altitude sickness: headaches, loss of appetite, dizziness, and nausea. It was difficult to do anything at this altitude and thin air, but we forced ourselves to eat and rest with what little time we had, as we anticipated the most difficult portion of the climb to come that night.
What we learned: Keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE. In a way our journey on Kilimanjaro is reflective of the journey of life itself – we will experience headaches, hardships, and adversity. Sometimes it is even challenging to continue when you look ahead at a steep slope ahead and are terrified of it.
We must always keep our heads high, figuratively, and be grateful for every challenge that comes our way, for only through those challenges can we come out stronger, tougher, and ready to tackle the next challenge.
Responding to hardship with positivity will not only change your mindset to conquer your mountains, but will spread to the people around you to instill a strength that can overcome all things.
Day 6
Barafu Camp (4673m) → Uhuru Peak (5895m), and Descent
Distance: 15km
Habitat: Alpine Desert - Arctic
Did you know that there is 50% less oxygen at the Summit of Kilimanjaro compared to sea level?
It felt like we had just slept for a minute when we woke up in the dead of night for the Summit push. Exiting our tents in all the layers we could manage, we braced the cold air as we set out as a team of six tiny headlights among the many teams who chose to tackle the Summit that night – Zied, Emmy, Jorryn, and three from our team to guide us to the top.
At 11PM, we started scrambling up a rocky section, then passing through a gradual slope before our steep push to the Summit. Our bodies felt the effect of the thin air as we had to breathe deeply and walk at a very slow pace – we could not physically go any faster even if we wanted to.
In complete darkness, Emmy reached her limit as she continued to push with all of her energy – she made a very strong and commendable effort before making the brave decision to descend to Base Camp due to worsening conditions of altitude sickness, reaching an impressive altitude of 4800m above sea level. Bravo, Emmy!
As one of our guides descended with Emmy to ensure her safety, the remaining Summit team continued with heavy hearts, putting one foot in front of the other as muscles ached and dizziness clouded our minds.
Cold winds sliced through our thick layers and we felt the chill of the night in our very bones. Our pace was excruciatingly slow, battling the lack of oxygen in the air, on an unrelenting trail that switched back and forth until we lost track of all time.
I was only aware of the sounds of my own heartbeat, pounding loudly in my chest, and my strained inhales and exhales – with each step I gasped for oxygen, and with every strike of my hiking pole my relief was interrupted by the freezing air that bit into my skin.
After what seemed like hours and hours of darkness, the sky turned into a hopeful magenta and we trudged the last few steps to Stella Point (5756m above sea level), where we enjoyed the sunrise over a hot cup of tea.
We were reassessed briefly for signs of altitude sickness, and confirming that we were okay to continue, we eagerly jumped back on the trail. Here in the Artic zone, we were surrounded by an otherworldly sight – ice all around, with virtually zero signs of plant growth, and the view of clouds far, far below us.
It is an unforgiving climate with strong, unshielded sunlight by day and cold, harsh winds by night. We felt like we were on another planet.
At 8:02AM, Zied and Jorryn successfully reached the Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5895m – the highest point in Africa. They accomplished this without any altitude medication, relying only on natural supplements and following the advice of the guides – sleeping well, eating well, and drinking enough water.
Victorious and exhausted, we reunited with Emmy at Base Camp and celebrated with our dear friends who were the real heroes of the journey – our guides and porters.
As we were advised not to stay at high elevation for a long time, an hour's rest was just enough to boost our tired bodies down a quiet descent to the moorland. We enjoyed a peaceful and long night under the light of the stars after such an arduous effort.
What we learned: "POLE POLE" is a Swahili phrase literally meaning "slow slow", and was the most important advice given to us by our guide.
Fighting against the lack of oxygen and harsh conditions as we climbed higher, this is especially important to ensure that we are conserving energy such that we can make it from one camp to another at a steady pace, without elevating our symptoms of altitude sickness.
Climbing the mountain is not about getting there as fast as possible, but about getting there safely and successfully.
Day 7
Millenium Camp (3950m) to Mweka Gate (1640m)
Distance: 13.5km
Habitat: Moorland - Montane Forest
The rest of the descent was a blur, and although we lost a lot of elevation and travelled a great distance, we felt a sense of accomplishment and relief. We re-entered the rainforest, and descended the mountain through dirt and mud to Mweka Gate, where our team was waiting.
We sang and danced in the tip ceremony, where we and the team celebrated each other. We were presented with Summit certificates, and after a last meal with our head guide, we said goodbye to our team on our way back to Moshi.
What we learned: NEVER GIVE UP! What you think you can do is nowhere near what you are really capable of. The human mind is very powerful, and we learned that through the endless push to the Summit, in pitch darkness, where we know neither how long we have to keep going nor how much longer until the sun rises.
It is only when you are at your very limit and decide to go beyond, that you really discover what you can do, and once that happens you will remember that moment for the rest of your life.
What a wonderful and unforgettable journey we had on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and we are thankful to many people who made this possible.
Thank you to our families, friends, and everyone who followed, supported, and contributed to our fundraising throughout the climb.
Thank you to the people who cheered us on and believed in us.
Thank you to our friends at the Indonesian Community of Ontario for collaborating with us for a greater cause to bless communities in need with our climb.
Thank you to our beloved team at Kili Backcountry Adventures for making our adventure possible.
Thank you for climbing with us!
