Mount kilimanjaro Hiking climbing and trekking

Mount Kilimanjaro; an expert guide to the Machame Route

The beautiful Machame Route is highly rated as the most scenic route of all those up Kilimanjaro, with diverse vegetation and wide views as well as a number of possible route choices beyond the Lava Tower Camp at 4630m.

Machame Route

Planning Your Climb
Machame Route can take either five or six days to complete, depending on the fitness of the climbers, and the final ascent is steep in each case. This route sets off from Machame village, and reaches the first Machame Camp at 3000m where the forest meets the heather. The track continues across moorland to Shira Camp on the western side of Kibo, with excellent views over the Shira Plateau.

Towards the Summit
From here it is usual to follow the Shira Route to the Lava Tower Hut and then join with the Umbwe route down to Barranco Camp for an overnight at 3950m, but very fit climbers may continue to ascend the much steeper route via Arrow Glacier, (although the hut here is no longer in use).

Those at Barranco Camp ascend to Barafu Camp by the Mweka route, and continue on this trail on the final ascent to the summit. This route will usually descend by the Mweka Route.

Possible Itinerary Suggestion

8 day Itinerary for the Machame route
The Machame route can also be completed in 5 days. On day 3 on the itinerary below, you go directly to Kibo with an overnight at the Arrow Glacier camp, with your final summating attempt on day 4. An extremely physically and mentally demanding option, not recommended for the average climber.

Day 1: Arrival - Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, met and assisted. Transfer to a hotel for an overnight rest on bed and breakfast in readiness for the next day's hit to Kilimanjaro.

Day 2: Arusha - Kilimanjaro Machame Gate (1490m) - Machame camp (2980m
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 18 km's
Habitat: Montane forest
Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a drive to the Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment in the village. You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy mineral water in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete. After registering at the gate office, 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. You will have a welcome lunch stop about half way and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon.

Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent on your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite, B,L,D.

Day 2: Kilimanjaro Machame camp (2980m) - Shira camp (3840m)
Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: About 9 km's
Habitat: Moorland
You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing, B,L,D.

Day 4: Kilimanjaro Shira (3840m) - Lava Tower (4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 15 km's
Habitat: Semi desert
The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely, 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 descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. 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, B,L,D.

Day 5: Kilimanjaro Barranco camp (3950m) - Barafu camp (4550m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 13 km's
Habitat: Alpine desert
After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so, you reach Barafu Hut.

The last water stop on the route is the Karranga Valley, as there is no water at Barafu camp. 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 familiarise 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. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep, B,L,D.

Day 6: Kilimanjaro SUMMIT ATTEMPT, Barafu camp (4550m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m)-Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak
7/8 hours to descend to Mweka
Distance: About 7 km's ascent - 23 km's descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
You will rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off 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. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. 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. Here you will have a well earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to Mweka hut (3100m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared, B,L,D.

Day 7: Kilimanjaro Mweka camp (3100m) - Mweka Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours
Distance: About 15 km's
Habitat: Forest
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. In the Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot lunch!! You now drive back to Arusha for a long over due hot shower, dinner and celebrations!! Overnight at a hotel, B,L.

Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back home or continue with your safari schedule. End of services. B

Tour cost: US$ 1,400 per person sharing.

Tour price includes:
-Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
-Machame route trek as itinerary depicts
-Full board accommodation whilst on the trek.
-Meal plan as clearly detailed: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner
-Accommodations at a hotel for 2 nights on bed and breakfast
-Accommodations in huts on the mountain as per the itinerary
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English speaking professional Mountain guide on the mountain, porters and skilled cook
-All services begin and end at Kilimanjaro Airport as per the itinerary
-Treated water on the trek
-Return airport transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Airport
-Chemical toilet/s on the mountain
-Kilimanjaro climb certificate (Those that reach Gillman's Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates & Uhuru Peak (5895m), receive gold
certificates)
-Mountain rescue fees

Excluded:
-Any possible park fees entrance increments
-Tips, laundry, sleeping bags, drinks and climbing gears
-Travel, health, baggage loss and flight delay insurance
-Medical & hospitalisation bills
-International flights and taxes
-Visas & travel documents
-Items of a personal nature and any other extras not detailed in the above
itinerary.