8-Day Machame Route

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day.

The drive from Arusha to the Machame Gate takes about 1 hrs. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. As we leave the park gate, we walk through the dense rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge until we reach the Machame Camp. ● Machame Gate to Machame Camp ● Elevation: 5,380 ft to 9,350 ft ● Distance: 11 km/7 miles ● Hiking Time: 5-7 hours ● Habitat: Rain Forest

We leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path up to a steep, rocky ridge. On the Shira Plateau, we pass through heather and open moorlands, then cross a large river gorge to Shira Camp. ● Machame Camp to Shira Camp ● Elevation: 9,350 ft to 12,500 ft ● Distance: 5 km/3 miles ● Hiking Time: 4-6 hours ● Habitat: Heath

We continue to the east up a ridge and then head southeast towards the Lava Tower – a 300 ft tall volcanic rock formation. We descend down to Barranco Camp through the strange but beautiful Senecio Forest to an altitude of 13,000 ft. Although you begin and end the day at the same elevation, the time spent at higher altitude is very beneficial for acclimatization. ● Machame Camp to Shira Camp ● Elevation: 12,500 ft to 15,190 ft ● Distance: 7 km/4 miles ● Hiking Time: 4-5 hours ● Habitat: Alpine Desert ● Lava Tower to Barranco Camp ● Elevation: 15,190 ft to 13,044 ft

Our day starts by descending into the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical, but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley, which is our last stop for fresh water before the summit. Scree now forms the terrain as we walk through arid and desolate land towards Barafu camp. ● Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp ● Distance: 8 km/5.3 miles ● Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ● Habitat: Arctic

Very early in the morning (around midnight), we begin our push to the summit. This is the most mentally and physicallychallenging portion of the trek. The wind and cold at this elevation and time of day can be extreme. We ascend in the darkness for several hours while taking frequent, but short, breaks. Near Stella Point (18,900 ft), you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see coming over Mawenzi Peak. Finally, we arrive at Uhuru Peak– the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. The trail is very rocky and can be quite hard on the knees; trekking poles are helpful. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep. ● Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak ● Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341 ft ● Distance: 5 km/3 miles ● Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ● Habitat: Arctic ● Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp ● Elevation: 19,341 ft to 10,065 ft ● Distance: 12 km/7 miles ● Hiking Time: 4-6 hours ● Habitat: Rain Forest

On our last day, we continue the descent to Mweka Gate and collect the summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. From the gate, we continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet us at Mweka Village to drive us back to Moshi Town. ● Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate ● Elevation: 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft ● Distance: 10 km/6 miles ● Hiking Time: 3-4 hours ● Habitat: Rain Forest

Enjoy breakfast and a private transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport.