Kilimanjaro Climb - Machame Route

Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where you will meet an HEC Kilimanjaro and Safaris representative, and transfer to the hotel . The hotel will provide all the essentials for a comfortable stay: cozy rooms, hot water, polite staff, a swimming pool, and Internet access. In the evening there will be a briefing with our guides, who will also make sure you are ready to begin the climb.

Machame Gate – Machame Campsite FB Elevation: 1200m to 1700m to 3000m. Distance: 13 km. Hiking time: 5-7 hours. Habitat: Montane forest. After breakfast our vehicle will transport you from the hotel to Machame gate. Here you will do the required registration procedures then you will start the trek through the rain-forest to Machame camp where you will find the tents are already setup for you. Dinner and overnight at the campsite.

Machame Hut Campsite to Shira Campsite Elevation: 3000m to 3800m Distance: 9km Hiking time: 6-7 hours Habitat: Moorland. After breakfast leave the camp and continue ascending by crossing little valleys and steep rocky ridges covering with heather plants to the western side of the mountain where the camp is situated. At this camp you will be able get the spectacular view of Mount Meru, Shira Plateau, Kibo Peak and sunset; then dinner and overnight.

Shira Campsite to Barranco Campsite Elevation: 3800m to 3950m. Distance: 13km Hiking time: 5-7 hours Habitat: Moorland. This is long and important acclimatization day so you will be having an early breakfast then continue trekking east to a junction leading to Lava tower rock 4600m for acclimatization, you will have lunch here at Lava tower and Afterwards you will continue down to Barranco camp. The camp location is in the bottom valley of Barranco wall where you will stop for dinner and overnight.

Barranco Campsite to Karanga Campsite Elevation: 3950m to 3900m Distance: 6 km Hiking time: 3-4 hours. Habitat: Moorland Today is short day walk. In the morning you will start climbing Barranco wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga campsite for hot lunch. After lunch you will have a bit of rest and get another acclimatization of trekking up the scree slopes towards the southern ice field. You will then return to the camp for supper and overnight.

Karanga Campsite to Barafu Campsite Elevation: 3900m to 4620m. Distance: 8 km. Hiking time: 3-4 hours. Habitat: Alpine Desert. On this day, the trek up to the Barafu ridge campsite is tough because of altitude. The walk take few hours because of the short distance but it is steep thus needs a slow pace to avoid fatique. You will trek across an alpine desert. Chances are that a strong, cold wind will be blowing from Kibo peak and its ice. You will have dinner at the elevation of 4620 meters then rest until midnight when you will attack the summit.

Barafu Hut Campsite / Uhuru Peak / Mweka Campsite Elevation: 4620m to 5895m to 3100m Distance: 15km Hiking time: 10 – 12 hours Habitat: Desert and ice. Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. The trails is a series of switchbacks up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 5 AM. At this point you will be having the views of the fabled crater and its glaciers facing you. Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak. Here you will spend some times for taking photo’s but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities done, you will descend back to the Barafu campsite, for lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka campsite.

Mweka Campsite to Mweka Gate. Elevation: 3100m to 1700m Distance: 9km Descending time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Montane forest. Today is your last day on the mountain. After breakfast you will descend down to Mweka park gate walking across Montane forest. This descent will take 3-4 hours. Here at the gate you will sign out and get ready to board the vehicle ready for the transfer back to the hotel for your certificate presentation and a well deserved celebration.

Transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to your journey home or Wildlife safari to Serengeti National Park or a relaxing trip to Zanzibar.