Tour Code :VMTKLC 03
Start : Arusha
End : Arusha
Tour Duration: 8
days Mount Kilimanjaro Climb -Machame Route
Accommodations: As per itinerary
Group Size: Daily guaranteed departure
MACHAME ROUTE
8 Day - Itinerary for the Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Machame
route
Duration: 8 Days
Total hiking distance: About 100 km's
Day 1: Nairobi - Arusha
Leave Nairobi for Arusha by shuttle bus arriving in time for lunch.
Afternoon spent at leisure and shopping for the provisions needed
for the mountain. Dinner and overnight in an Arusha Hotel.
Day 2: 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
45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) 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, Machame Forestbut 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
erect 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.
Day 3: Machame camp (2980m) -
Shira camp (3840m)
Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: About 9 km's
Habitat: Moorland
Shira tent Camp. 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
Day 4: Shira (3840m)-Lava Tower
(4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 15 km's
Habitat: Semi desert
Lava Tower.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.
Day 5: 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 Barafu Tent Camp.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.
Day 6: 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
Stella Point.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 live.
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, beforeSummit Group. 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.
Day 7: Mweka camp (3100m)- Mweka
Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours
Distance: About 15 km's
Habitat: Forest
Mweka Gate.After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short
3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. It is strongly
recommended not to pay your porters any tips until you and all your
gear have reached the gate safely. 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 Moshi for a long over
due hot shower, dinner and celebrations!! Overnight in a hotel.
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, leave for Nairobi by morning or afternoon shuttle
bus. Transfer to a Nairobi Hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport for your flight back home.
contact us for pricing
Trek price includes:
-Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
-Machame Route trek as per the itinerary
-Full board accommodation in tents whilst on the trek.
-2 nights hotel accommodations in Arusha before and after the trek
and 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/s
-All services begin and end at Kilimanjaro Airport as per the
itinerary
-Treated water on the trek
-Return airport transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Airport or Nairobi
Return Shutle transfers
Trek price Excludes:
-Tips, laundry, sleeping bags, drinks and climbing gears
-Medical evacuation, USD 30 per person value
-International flights and taxes
-Visas
-Items of a personal nature and any other extras not detailed in the
above itinerary.
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