Climb Mount Kilimanjaro: 7 Days Machame Route

The first day trekking begins at Machame Gate normally one hour’s drive from Moshi lies the gate to the Machame route. At the Gate you will meet your trekking crew, your guide, porters and cooker. There will be a flurry of activity as porters assemble gear for the trek, where we complete park formalities. The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rain forest.

The trek is relatively steep as you enter the low alpine zone which is characterized by moorlands and grasslands. Shira Camp 2 sits on a plateau which provides you with the first views of Kibo in the North-West and Mount Meru in the East.

Day three starting, walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), Although you end the day at a very similar elevation to when you started from Shira Camp, it is arguably one of the most important days on your trek as it gives you a chance to climb high and sleep low which is important for proper acclimatization.

Day four starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m.

We continue up to the Barafu Camp. You have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day.

Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit. From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. Once at Uhuru Peak you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa! From the summit we begin our descent by continuing straight down to the Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You may want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. We arrive at Mweka Camp and enjoy our last evening on the mountain.

Final day of trekking on the Machame Route. A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, Overnight at your arranged Hotel.