Machame
Route (6 days)
Day one ; Machame
gate
After to leave Arusha for
Machame Gate, where you will meet our porters, guides and cooks that will spend
the next six days trekking with you to Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa. The
drive through coffee farms and villages to Machame Gate takes about 1.5 hours.
After arriving, wait at the gate while we register your climb and the porters
and guides make final preparations.
Hike to Machame Camp via the
mystical, moss-covered trees of Kilimanjaro cloud forest. As the forest thins
later in the hike, take in the heathers, tall grasses and wildflowers. If the
weather is clear, enjoy the striking views of your ultimate destination, Kibo
Peak. Our porters and cooks will go ahead and prepare the campsite before you
arrive.
Day Two; Machame Camp to Shira camp
Today’s trek includes several uphill
sections so carry plenty of drinking water as it can be hot hiking on a clear
day. There are several viewpoints from which to view the plains and forests
below, and the commanding Kibo and Mawenzi peaks above.
Notice the change in
vegetation as you gain altitude. The trees diminish in size, giving way to Kilimanjaro
famous high altitude plants, Scenecio Kilimanjaro and Lobelia deckenii. After lunch,
climb the Shira Plateau, created when Kibo’s lava flows filled the Shira
crater. Continue to Shira Camp and relax for the rest of the day. Kibo lies to
the west and Mount Meru to the east.
Day
Three: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp
Although this up and down day ends
with an elevation gain of only 110 meters, by early afternoon you will have
climbed 690 meters to a height of 4,530 meters before beginning your descent to
Barranco Camp. This day is crucial for acclimatization.
After breakfast, hike east on
the Shira Plateau before reaching the junction for the Shira and Lemosho
Routes. Continue on through the barren landscape before stopping for lunch.
Shortly after lunch, reach the highest point of the day before descending
quickly to Barranco Camp. Faster hikers can take a detour via Lava Tower, a
300-foot lava formation jutting out of the mountainside.
Day
Four: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Leave Barranco Camp after breakfast
for Karanga Valley. The day begins with a 1.5 hour scramble up the Barranco
Wall. This is the hardest part of the day and in some places you may have to
use your hands to aid your climb. After reaching the top, hike through fairly
level terrain before making a short but steep descent into the green Karanga
River Valley.
Continue on to Barafu Camp, viewing
several of Kibo’s glaciers as well as the junction that connects the descent
route, Mweka, with the Machame trail. During day four, hike by the Heim,
Kersten and Decken Glaciers. Although the trail to Barafu passes through alpine
desert with little vegetation, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and
Mawenzi peaks. Try to sleep upon finishing dinner as you will wake before midnight
for your summit hike.
Day
Five Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak and Mweka
Camp
Around midnight, begin the final
ascent to Uhuru Peak. Hike by the light of your headlamp for the next six
hours. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire
trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point.
The hike from Stella Point to
Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The
altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes
approximately one hour. Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos of your guide and group
at the peak before beginning the descent to Mweka Camp. On the way down from
Uhuru, enjoy views of the mountain, crater, clouds and glaciers.
At Barafu Camp, eat breakfast
and take a short break. You still have another three to five hours to go before
reaching Mweka Camp.
Day
Six: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
After breakfast, finish the
trek with a hike through the forest to Mweka Gate. The trail may be slippery
following rain. Our vehicles will meet you at the lower station of Mweka Gate
to take you back to Arusha.