7 DAYS:MACHAME ROUTE

7 DAYS:MACHAME ROUTE

This program travels the scenic Machame route, with some game-viewing and bird watching opportunities along the first days’ paths. Then it’s up across the Shira plateau through the Grand Baranco Canyon and on to the top. If all goes as planned, you will reach Stella Point at dawn, with a chance to continue around Kibo’s rim to the summit, Uhuru Peak.
Fit to trek?. The Machame route is a strenuous, but not a technical climb and no mountain-climbing experience is necessary. But there’s no avoiding the steep ascents and high altitudes that make robust physical fitness (and a minimum age of 16 years) a prerequisite for this trip. You’ll want to consult your physician before undertaking this unforgettable adventure.<br><br>

DAY 1:MACHAME GATE TO MACHAME CAMP<

Machame Gate – (1,640m or 5,380ft)
Machame Hut – (2,850m or 9,350ft)
Trekking – 5 to 6 hours
Distance – 11km or 7 miles
Zone – Rain forest

Drive to the gate of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. The journey passes through the village of Machame, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. You now leave the park gate and walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. You continue a short distance up to Machame Camp.<br><br>

DAY 2:MACHAME CAMP TO SHIRA CAMP

Shira Camp Two – (3,810m or 12,500ft)
Trekking – 5 to 6 hours
Distance – 5km or 3 miles
Zone – Low alpine

After breakfast, you leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. Time for rest with dinner and overnight at the Shira campsite.

DAY 3:SHIRA CAMP TO LAVA TOWER TO BARRANCO CAMP (3,976m)

Trekking – 8 to 9 hours
Distance – 10km or 6 miles
Zone – Low to high alpine

From the Shira Plateau, you continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth.” Shortly after the tower, you come to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 4,876m (15,997 feet). You now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3860m (12,664 feet). Here you rest, enjoy dinner and overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.

Elevation – 13,000 to 13,100ft
Trekking – 4 to 5 hours
Distance – 5km
Zone – Alpine desert

After breakfast, you leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatization. A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Icefields. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and there is only a short distance to our camp at Karanga Camp (13,100 feet), the last water point on the way to the summit.<br><br>

DAY 5:KARANGA CAMP TO BARAFU CAMP

Elevation – 13,100 to 15,300ft
Trekking – 4 to 5 hours
Distance – 4km<br>
Zone – Alpine desert

After breakfast, you leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. You continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here you make camp, rest, enjoy dinner and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can be seen from this position. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the early morning final ascent.

DAY 6:BARAFU CAMP TO SUMMIT TO MWEKA HUT

Elevation – 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
Trekking – 7 to 8 hours ascent / 4 to 6 hours descent
Distance – 5km ascent / 12km descent
Zone – Arctic

You start the ascent by torchlight at about midnight so that you can be up on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (18,800 feet), in about five or six hours. You will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. If you are still feeling strong, you can make the two hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (19,345 feet), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast from the summit as you now descend continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut campsite. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, you enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

DAY 7:MWEKA CAMP TO MOSHI

Elevation – 10,000 to 5,400ft
Trekking – 3 to 4 hours
Distance – 10km
Zone – Rain forest

After breakfast, continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). From the gate, a private vehicle transfers you back to the hotel in Moshi.