Description

Known for being beautifully scenic, the Machame Route also has the best summit success rate. This route allows you to “climb high, sleep low”, giving your body time to adjust to the changes in altitude over several days. Climbs can take six or seven days; the difference between six and seven days Machame route is that with six days, you won’t camp at Karanga campsite, so you will walk for a longer distance to reach the base camp passing Karanga campsite.
Itinerary

DAYS

DAY 1:

You arrive today at Kilimanjaro Airport in Arusha, Tanzania. We will take you by group transfer to a comfortable hotel near Arusha where you can rest after you long flight. No meals are included

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DAY 2:

Today you can adjust to your African time zone and are free to do as you please until 4:00 PM when you gather for your group orientation meeting. If you want to explore the “little Geneva of Tanzania” as Arusha is sometimes called, you can arrange transportation at the hotel’s front desk. Arusha was established in 1900 as a German garrison town and is located in the shadow of Mt. Meru and offers excellent views of Mt. Kilimanjaro which you can gaze at with anticipation for your coming adventure. You may just wish to relax by the pool or in the gardens to prepare yourself for your coming excursion. Your breakfast and dinner are included

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DAY 3:

After breakfast, you will depart around 8:00 AM for Machame village where you begin your hike at the Machame entrance gate of the park. You begin your trek with a 2 to 3 hour walk through a dense tropical forest made up of fig and rubber trees, begonia flowers as well as other tropical flora. If you are interested in botany you may wish to take notes as the guides aren’t especially knowledgeable about this aspect of your journey. As you continue, the tropical forest gives way to tall grasses and giant heather. Your route takes you on a ridge between two streams: to your left, Semira, and to your right, Weru. Depending on your pace, you should arrive at Machame Camp (10,000’) by 5:00 or 6:00 PM. The camp is near some old metal huts once used for shelter. You will stop for lunch when about halfway to camp
This first stage of your climb is relatively easy but there is no need to try to keep up with your porters who typically rush ahead. It is recommended that you go slowly to help with your acclimatization and, besides, there is no rush since there is little to do at camp. It is far wiser to enjoy the beauty of the tropical forest and other aspects of your hike

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DAY 4:

Starting with this morning you will be awakened at 6:00 AM and greeted with tea or coffee. Depending on the weather, you may have a fabulous view of Uhuru peak. Today’s approximate 6 hour climb takes you on a steep trail through a savannah of volcanic rock, tall grasses , bearded heather, giant flowers and a river gorge. It is at times a ghostly landscape of caves, volcanic lava and frothy streams. Lunch will be served below the Shira Plateau about three or four hours from your destination—Shira Camp, which you should reach around 2:00 or 3:00 PM. You should take this hike slowly and stop for a rest about every half hour. Many will feel the symptoms of the altitude by now and feel lethargic and get headaches as Shira Camp is at 12,500’. If that is your experience it is recommended that you drink tea and sleep as much as possible

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DAY 5:

This morning you will be greeted by the entire Shira Plateau which offers views of the Meru and Shira Needles. Today is an important day for acclimatization for you ascend to the Lava Tower at 15,000’ where you are served lunch, before descending to Barranco (“gorge’ in Swahili) Camp at 13,000’. Your hike takes you through moorlands and to the alpine zone where only grass and lichen grow. After crossing the Bastains stream you descend towards camp which takes you along an immense canyon called Grand Barranco. Your views include numerous waterfalls fed by mountain streams which converge here to form the Umbwe River. Today’s hike includes a lot of up and down walking so can be quite tiring. Your trek will last about 6 hours so you will arrive at camp around 4:30 to 5:30 PM

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DAY 6:

Today is a relatively short hike of about 4 hours and you should arrive at Karanga Camp for lunch around 1:00 PM. You begin by climbing the Barranco Cliff which is not technical but is a bit of a climb. The rest of the hike is spent going up and down ridges and valleys until you reach camp. After lunch you can hike in the Karanga Valley full of giant lobelia and other plants if you choose. However, it is advised that you rest as much as possible for the strenuous climb ahead

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DAY 7:

Today’s climb is steadily uphill mostly on a moraine with incredible views of majestic Mawenzi peak to your right and Kibo peak towering overhead and seemingly within reach. The temperature grows steadily colder in this alpine desert of mostly lichens and mosses. The hiking time is 4 to 5 hours and you should arrive at Barafu Camp (15,200’) by 2:30 PM taking lunch along the way. Barafu means “ice” in Kiswahili and it is staging point for your push to the summit. You need to get to bed early for tomorrow’s wake-up call at midnight and your strenuous ascent to the summit

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DAY 8:

Awakened at midnight for a light breakfast so you can begin your climb by 1:00 AM this will be a difficult climb and a hard day. By now, very few will not be suffering from some sort of altitude sickness and you should carry as little as possible. In temperatures ranging from -4 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit, you ascend a pass that is flanked by Ratzel and Rebman glaciers where there are some stunning sights. You will climb about 6 hours before reaching the edge of the crater between Stella and Hans Meyer points. It will still be another hour of climbing before you reach the summit at Uhuru. The track around the edge of the crater is rocky and icy so concentrate on your feet and closely follow your guide. At 19,340’, Uhuru is the highest point on the continent of Africa and offers amazing views at this time in the morning before the clouds close in. you have reached the “roof of Africa” and should feel quite proud.
The descent is quite difficult too and it will take you about three hours to reach Kibo Hut at about 11:30 AM. Here you will rest and have refreshments before you continue on to Mweka Camp (10,200’) arriving around 5:00 PM. It will have been an exhausting 13 hours today!

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DAY 9:

On this your final day you will make the 5 hour hike from Mweka camp to the base arriving around noon. When you reach the gate you will be awarded your certificate attesting to your success at reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit but probably even more important will be your memories of this amazing experience. You will then be driven back to Arusha to your lodge where you will have use of a day room before your group transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport. Now, relaxing under a hot shower or having a cold drink by the pool, you can contemplate where you were just yesterday and see Mt. Kilimanjaro in a new light as you gaze upon it from your hotel this day or in the future when contemplating a picture

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Authentic African Trips

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