6Days Kilimanjaro Machame Route

Day 1:   Arusha to Machame camp

Hiking time: 7 hours.
Distance: About 18 km’s.
Habitat: Montane forest.
Elevation change: + 1490 m
Early in the morning the guide for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be with you for briefing after breakfast around 9:00 am. Then you will drive to Machame gate which takes about 40 to 45 minutes. With your picnic lunch, climbers will do registering at the gate office; thereafter you start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy, and slippery experience. Tents and other belongings will be taken care of by porters and by the Mount Kilimanjaro guide. Most of the time porters and the cook happen to reach to the camping site before you for preparation of meals as well as erection of tents for your accommodation. Sometimes temperatures can already drop to a freezing point at Machame campsite.

Day 2: Machame camp to Shira Campsite

Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: About 9 km’s.
Habitat: Moorland.
Elevation change: + 860 m
Early in the morning after breakfast, the day is spent hiking to reach Shira campsite (3840 m) with our picnic lunch. The night at this bare camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing. The trail takes an hour or so to reach the top of the forest and then there will be two hours at a more gentle gradient through the moorland zone. After a picnic lunch and rest, you will continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. Hiking to this point you will be able to see in an easterly direction the Western Breach with its spectacular glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite.

Day 3:Lava tower to Barranco

Hiking time: 6hours
Distance: About 15 km’s
Habitat: Semi desert.
Elevation change: + 790 m, – 680 m
Final Elevation: 3950 m
The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about four hours of walking. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). This is the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point, where for the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches. After lunch you descend again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner.

Day 4: Barranco campsite to Barafu Campsite

Hiking time: 6 hours 
Distance: About 13 km
Habitat: Alpine desert 
Elevation change: + 600 m 
Early in the morning after breakfast at the Great Barranco Wall you will appreciate how beautiful climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame route really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice” and it is a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and you will make the final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski stick, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep.

Day 5: Barafu Campsite to Uhuru Peak

Distance: About 7 km’s ascent – 23 km’s descent.
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit.
Elevation change: + 1345 m, – 2795 m
Final Elevation: 3100 m
You will wake up around 2330hrs, and after some tea and biscuits you start climbing to Uhuru peak into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella point is for many climbers, mentally and physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life. The walk back to Barafu from the summit takes about 3 hours. Dinner and washing water will be prepared.

Day 6: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

Hiking time: 4 hours.
Distance: About 15 km’s
Habitat: Forest
Elevation change: – 1120 m
After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the park gate. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. At the Mweka Gate, meet Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Officials give you the Certificate of Achievement. You now drive back to Arusha.

End of service

Include:

·         In All transfers in private car

·         Water you will drink as much as you need

·         6days private Kilimanjaro Climb / Machame Route

·         Fallboard during climb including drinking water

·         Professional well experienced Kilimanjaro Team with English speaking Mountain guide, 2 porters per person and cook

·         Mountain Camp accommodation (pls bring your own sleeping bag)

·         Camping equipment (tents, mattresses, chairs, tables, camping toilet, toilet tent

·         Meals and accommodation as per itinerary

·         Service of a professional cook

·         All wildlife reserve entry fees, rescue fees, Climbing Certificates

Not include

·         All items of a personal nature

·         Gratuities for Mountain guide and mountain teams

·         Airport departure tax

·         Travel insurance

·         Visa fee (50 US$ /100 US$ for Americans & Irish Passport Holders – to be paid upon arrival)

·         Sleeping bag (rental fee 15 US$)