Kilimanjaro 6 Days Machame Route

Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania – Drive to Arusha.

The first day on your amazing Kilimanjaro Machame Route journey is filled with anticipation. After arriving at the airport, you’ll be greeted warmly by our Driver who’ll transport you to the hotel in Arusha. You’ll then settle down then attend an orientation session. Our experienced team leader will guide you through all the important details of your trip and offer advice for a successful journey. Your hiking gear will then be carefully inspected and adjusted if necessary. The rest of the day is spent getting ready for your life-changing adventure. Overnight stay on bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 – Arusha City-Machame Gate (1,800amsl) to Machame Camp (2,800amsl)

• Distance: ~13km
  
• Trekking time: 5-6 hours
  
• Zone: Rainforest.

The first day trekking begins at Machame Gate (1,800amsl). On the way you will get to see subsistence farming and the town of Machame. At the Gate you will meet your trekking crew – your Guides, Porters and Cook. There will be a flurry of activity as porters assemble gear for the trek; weighing packs to ensure they don’t exceed 20 kilograms. You, your Guides and climbing team will be in the meantime begin the ascent through the stunning rainforest that covers the South-West of the mountain. The first day trek on the Machame Route is a long one (~13km) and takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete. Most tour operators will provide a packed lunch on route and 3 liters of bottled water. This is the only bottled water you will receive. From here on porters will collect water from mountain streams. The day’s trekking ends at Machame Camp (2,800amsl) which sits near the border of the rainforest zone. By the time you arrive your porters will have already setup your camp and tents, and dinner will be served. Overnight at Machame Camp.

Day 3: Machame Camp (2,800amsl) to Shira Cave (3,750amsl)

• Distance: ~5km
  
• Trekking time: 4-5 hours
  
• Zone: Rainforest / Moorland

On day two you will rise early, pack your gear and prepare for the trek from Machame Camp to Shira Cave (3,750amsl). The trek is relatively steep as you enter moorlands and grasslands. Shira Cave sits on a plateau which provides you with the first views of Kibo in the North-West and Mount Meru in the East. Day two takes approximately 4-5 hours and covers a distance of 5km; overnight at Shira Cave.

Day 4: Shira Cave (3,750amsl) to Lava Tower (4,600amsl) for acclimatization then Barranco Camp (3,900amsl)

• Distance: ~10km
  
• Trekking time: 7 hours
• Zone: Alpine zone / Moorland zone

Day three is a long and tough trekking East off the Shira Plateau through the ‘Garden of the Senesces’, up to Lava Tower and the Shark’s Tooth rock formation at 4,600amsl and then back down via the Southern Circuit to Barranco Camp (3,900amsl). The route is approximately 10km in length and takes 7 hours to complete. Although you end the day at a very similar elevation to when you started from Shira Cave, it is arguably one of the most important days on your trek as it gives you a chance to climb high and sleep low which is important for proper acclimatization. Overnight at Barranco Camp.

Day 5: Barranco Camp (3,900amsl) to Karanga Camp (3,995amsl) (and then Barafu Camp – 4,635amsl)

• Distance: ~12km
  
• Trekking time: 8hours
  
• Zone: High alpine zone

Day four on the Machame Route begins with a steep traverse up the Barranco Wall; a 4,200amsl rock face that requires basic scrambling skills to the top of the Karanga Valley. The path then follows a series of inclines and declines to Karanga Camp (3,995amsl). If you are on a six day trek you will stop for lunch at Karanga Camp and then continue on along the Southern Circuit until it joins the Mweka Trail up to Barafu Camp (4,635amsl). For six day trekkers, day 4 takes approximately 8 hours to complete and covers 12km. When you arrive at Barafu Camp around mid-afternoon you will be served an early dinner and encouraged to get some shut-eye as the summit trek commences around 24:00 that night. Note: Trekkers on the seven day route spend the night at Karanga Camp before continuing on to Barafu Camp. This additional day is beneficial in terms of acclimatization. Overnight at Barafu Base Camp.

Day 6: Barafu Camp (4,635amsl) to Uhuru Peak (5,895amsl) and then Mweka Camp (3,100amsl)

• Distance: ~5.5km and then 8km descent
  
• Trekking time: 6 hours to the summit and then 4-5hours to Mweka
  
• Zone: Summit zone and the all preceding zones

Day five is summit night (and day)! You will be awoken around 23:30 with hot tea and biscuits. Hopefully you have managed to get a few hours’ sleep; don’t worry if you haven’t as most people struggle to sleep before summit night. Do however make sure that all your kit, including warm clothes, headlamp, insulated water reserves and snacks are ready for a sharp departure at 24:00. The trek up Kibo is steep and slow. The trick is to keep your momentum moving forward, one step at a time. It takes about 6 hours to reach the top of the crater rim where you will see the sign for Stella Point (5,739amsl). This is not the summit of Kilimanjaro. You still have another 200amsl of altitude to walk around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895amsl). We recommend resting briefly at Stella Point and potentially having some hot tea or hot chocolate. Dawn should be approaching. Take a moment to savor where you have got to and then dig deep for the energy to push for the summit. Over 60% of climbers stop at Stella Point but most can make it to the summit if they master the metal strength to push through. Obviously if you are experiencing severe AMS symptoms you should descend immediately. After reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, a 5.5km ascent, you still have an 8km descent to Mweka Camp (3,100amsl)! The descent can be very grueling on your joints. It is recommend you use trekking poles and potentially wear gaiters to avoid fine glacial scree getting into your boots. Mweka is situated in the upper part of the rainforest zone. The richness of oxygen and moisture in the air will be a very welcome surprise.

Day 7: Mweka Camp (3,100amsl) to Mweka Gate (1,800amsl)

• Distance: ~6km
  
• Trekking time: 3 hours
  
• Zone: Rainforest

Day six is the final day of trekking on the Machame Route. By now you will be exhausted and probably only thinking about a hot shower. The trek is a pleasant one through the lower rain-forested slopes and down to Mweka Gate (1,800amsl). Although you cover 6km, the trek only takes 3 hours. Assuming you successfully reach Stella Point or Uhuru Peak you will be presented with official certificates – a green certificate for the former and a gold certificate for the latter. It is customary to tip your trekking crew before being transported back to your hotel in Arusha.

Day 8: Departure from Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport.

If you are flying back home we mostly recommend to book an evening flight so that you can spend in the afternoon doing shopping in Arusha and off-course this is the reason why we booked your last night accommodation in Arusha. This is the beating heart of the wild and the last port of civilization. The markets of Arusha burst with color, and throng with locals picking up their weekly wares. The numerous cafes sell dark and deliriously good coffee from the plantations, and close by the infamous National Park lures visitors in to explore her evocative Maasai culture and exotic flora and fauna. In the late evening, depending on your flight time we will come to pick you up and drop you at Airport.

End of our service.