This is probably the most
beautiful route up Kilimanjaro. All your equipment and supplies
are portered and a cook prepares all your meals. Where accommodation
on the Marangu route is in huts, the Machame route offers strictly
tents only This makes Machame (also referred to as the "Whiskey
route") better suited to the slightly more adventurous hiker,
however rewarding him with a scenic splendor such as not seen on
the Marangu route. From late afternoon sunsets at Shira, to the
misty revelations of Kibo at the great Barranco Wall, the Machame
route offers the adventurous hiker a stunning scenic "slide
show" over 6 days. The Machame route is normally completed
in a minimum of 6 days. There is an added benefit to this, as you
are afforded the most valuable commodity on the mountain - acclimatisation.
The Machame route takes you high to Lava Tower (4630m) on the day
3 and brings you down by nearly 700m for an overnight at Barranco
camp (3950m). This is the secret to successful acclimatisation.
DAY 1: 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, but 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 2: Machame camp (2980m) - Shira camp (3840m)
| Hiking time: 6 hours | Distance: About 9 km's | Habitat: Moorland
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 3: Shira (3840m) | Lava Tower (4630m) | Barranco
camp (3950m) | Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 15 km's |
Habitat: Semi desert
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 4: 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 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 5: 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
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,
before 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 6: Mweka camp (3100m)- Mweka
Gate (1980m) | Hiking time: 3 hours | Distance: About 15 km's Habitat:
Forest
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 Key's Annex hotel.
Price: US $ 1350.
Price inclusive:
2 Transfers from Moshi to Machame
park gate -return.
3 meals per day while trekking
- Vegetarian/Non-Vegetarian.
6 days Kilimanjaro trek- Machame.
5 nights accommodation in camps
while trekking Machame.
All park entrance fees and government
levies.
English speaking mountains Guide
and assistant guides.
Porters- a minimum of 3 per client.
First Aid Kit including Oxygen
Kit.
Camping Equipments including sleeping
tents, sleeping mats, dining tent, chairs and table.
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