Climb Mount Kilimanjaro through Machame Route

Climb Mount Kilimanjaro through Machame Route

Machame route is one of the scenic routes for those climbers climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Machame route starts from Machame village at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Machame route is also known as Whisky route due to its beautiful scenic as well as its land escarpment.

Those people climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through Machame route feels prestige as this (Machame route) is one of the harder route in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Though the Machame route is harder there is no technical climb when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro using Machame route. Machame route start from Machame gate to Machame Camp and

proceed to Shira camp, lava tower camp, Barranco camp,Karanga valley camp, Barafu camp, Uhuru Peak and descending through Millennium camp, Mweka camp and thereafter to Mweka gate.

Itinerary

Day 1: MOSHI TOWN TO MACHAME GATE (1490M) - MACHAME CAMP (2980M)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Early in the morning the guide of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be with you for briefing after breakfast around 9:00 am drive to Machame gate which takes about 40 to 45 minutes. With your picnic lunch climbers will do registering at the gate office, thereafter 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. Tents and other belonging will be take care by porters and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro guide. Most of the time porters and cook happens to reach to the camping site before you for preparation of meals as well as erection of tents for your accommodation. Sometime weather condition in the night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at Machame campsite.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: MACHAME CAMP

Day 2: MACHAME CAMP (2980M) - SHIRA CAMPSITE (3840M)

Stop At: Machame Camp, Tanzania
Early in the morning after breakfast, the day is spent to reach Shira campsite (3840 m) with our picnic lunch. The night at this bare camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing. The trail take us for an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for about two hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a picnic lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. Hiking to this point you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its spectacular glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: SHIRA CAMPSITE

Day 3: SHIRA (3840M) - LAVA TOWER (4630M) - BARRANCO CAMP (3950 M)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Tanzania birding safarisThe route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a four 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 acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about two 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.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: BARRANCO CAMP

Day 4: BARRANCO CAMP (3950M) - BARAFU CAMP (4550M)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Early in the morning after breakfast at the Great Barranco Wall you will appreciate how beautiful climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via Machame route really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route.

Tanzania birding safarisAfter 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 Karanga 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.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: BARAFU CAMP

Day 5: SUMMIT ATTEMPT, BARAFU CAMP (4550M) - UHURU PEAK (5895M) - MWEKA (3100M)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
Tanzania birding safarisYou will wake up around 2330hrs, and after some tea and biscuits you start climbing to Uhuru peak 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 walks 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 life. 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.
Duration: 13 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: MWEKA CAMP

Day 6: MWEKA CAMP (3100M) - MWEKA GATE (1980M)

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 00255 Tanzania
After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. 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. At the Mweka Gate, meet Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Officials gives you the Certificate of Achievement. After sign out to the park gate you will be transferred to a hotel in Moshi for hot shower probably dinner and overnight or otherwise in the evening you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport to connect with your flight back home.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Selig Hotel