Kilimanjaro Machame Route
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Overview
The Machame is a beautiful and popular route. The winding path leads you up the
southwestern slope of Kilimanjaro, then strikes east below the shadow of Kibo Peak, before
turning north to approach the summit. The scenery is dramatic and rewarding. And the
acclimatisation profile is good, so it has a high summit success rate.
Included/Exclude
- Dedicated trip manager
- In-depth preparation documents
- Assistance and advice concerning Covid testing requirements
- Pre-climb Zoom consultation
- 2 overnight stays (incl. breakfasts and dinners)
- In-depth pre-climb safety briefing at Lindrin Lodge
- Transport to and from trailheads
- Kilimanjaro National Park entrance fee
- Qualified, experienced, English-speaking guides
- Porters
- Experienced cook
- All meals on the mountain
- Snacks and hot drinks
- Purified drinking water
- Daily bowl of water for ‘washy washy’
- High-quality, four-season sleeping bag
- High-quality, four-season sleeping tent
- Sleeping mat
- Private OAAS toilet (1 per 8 climbers)
- Organisation of any rental equipment, if required
- Medical equipment (incl. pulse oximeter and emergency oxygen)
- Climb certificate
- Tanzanian visa
- Airfares
- Traveller's insurance
- Single supplement ($200) if required
- Tip for mountain crew
Tour Amenities
Accepts Credit Cards
Outdoor Seating
Restaurant
Smoking Allowed
Tour Plan
We fetch you from Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to the lodge. Here you meet
your fellow trekkers and lead guide, who gives you a briefing on what to expect. Relax by the
pool and enjoy your last night of easy living for a while!
After an early breakfast you're driven to Kilimanjaro National Park where the trek begins! At
Machame Gate (1,640 m) you’re recorded in the park's register. You then hike for five to seven
hours through pristine rainforest to Machame Camp (3,020 m). This is a beautiful section of the
hike, and you should keep your eyes open for monkeys, duikers and birds.
After an early breakfast, you climb up and out of the rainforest and into the moorland (or
heath) zone. You cross many streams and walk over a plateau that leads to Shira Cave Camp
(3,810 m). At this campsite you have a spectacular view of the Western Breach and its glaciers.
Today’s hike lasts about five to six hours in total.
Today’s route consists of two parts: the hike up to Lava Tower (4,630 m), followed by the hike
down to Barranco Camp (3,967 m). This means we 'hike high, sleep low', which is an excellent
strategy for good acclimatisation. You enjoy lunch at Lava Tower, a striking rock formation.
Barranco Camp is nestled at the base of the imposing Barranco Wall. You hike for six to eight
hours today.
After an early breakfast, it’s time to conquer Barranco Wall. While it may look intimidating at
first, it's actually very managaeable. And most trekkers actually really enjoy it. It's a funnel on
the trek route, and there's a great spirit of camaraderie. From there, the trail winds up and
down until you arrive at Karanga Camp (3,995 m). In total you hike for four to five hours.
It’s getting real! You’re now very close to the summit and have some amazing views of the
mountain during your ascent of three hours to reach Barafu Camp (4,673 m). You all go to bed
early tonight as you’ll be woken around midnight by your crew with tea and biscuits to get
ready for the start of the long summit trek.
This is it! Time to go big or go home. And that means believing in yourself and when it gets
tough, just focusing on the next step. Because you can do it! Starting at midnight, you reach
Stella Point on the crater rim around 6 or 7 am for sunrise. After another hour of walking you're
standing at Uhuru Peak (5,685 m), the higest person in Africa! It's then a long hike of six to eight
hours down to Mweka Camp (3,068 m).
Today you hike the last bit of the trek route (which takes three hours) to reach Mweka Gate
(1,640 m). This part of the route takes you back into the rainforest, and all that oxygen-laden air
is a dream! Your driver meets you at the gate and whisks you back to your lodge where you can
enjoy beers, hot showers and cosy beds!
Today we drive west, with Kilimanjaro in our rearview mirror and amazing memories in our
back pockets. For those flying out of Tanzania or on to Zanzibar, we drop you at the airport. But
for those heading off on a safari, we continue west into the next part of our adventure!
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