JamboBookings: Machame route

8 days - Machame route

price from

$2,635

per adult
min person: 1
days: 8

Includes

All Kilimanjaro National Park fees and rescue fees
All guides (WFR qualified) and porters
All food on the mountain with services of dedicated cook
Transfers from Arusha to Mount Kilimanjaro and back to Arusha
All safety equipment (including oxygen)
All camping equipment
All camping and hut fees
All communication techniques (mobile phones)
Packed lunch on the first day and last day
Sleeping mats, stools, a mess tent and hot water for washing are provided on the mountain
Bed and breakfast only at Hotel in Arusha on the first day of arrival and the last day

Excludes

All costs associated with obtaining any necessary passports, visas and permits
All costs associated with obtaining any necessary immunization, inoculation and medication
Personal nature and services not specified above.
Tips to the guides & Porter
International flight, Visas, Airport tax .

Itinerary

Day: 1

Arrival at kilimanjaro international airport

Kilimanjaro international airport Arrive at jro and meet with our staff who will take you to the equator hotel for overnight bed and breakfast.

Day: 2

Machame gate (1,800m/5,905ft) to machame camp (3,000m/9,840ft)

Machame gate At 9 am, leave arusha for machame gate, where you will meet the tanganyika ancient routes porters, guides, and cooks that will spend the next seven days trekking with you to uhuru peak, the roof of africa. The drive-through coffee farms and villages to machame gate takes about 1.5 hours. Once you arrive, wait at the gate while tanganyika ancient routes register your climb and the porters and guides make final preparations. Your destination this day is the machame camp and porters and guides accompanying you will walk ahead to set the camp to receive you. The trail on the first day is a hike through the dense rainforest. As you continue to ascend the forests gives way to the heather moorlands. After you have reached the camp and settled down with warm refreshments enjoy the breathtaking views of kibo from machame camp.

Day: 3

Machame camp (3,000m/9,840ft) to shira camp (3,840m/12,600ft)

Machame camp Todays trek is a shorter one and although considered easy there are some steep sections to negotiate. Hydrate yourself well and carry water along as the hot unbuffered son will bake and drain you. The trails have many vantage points which offer sights of the plains and forests at the lower elevations and the twin peaks of kibo and mawenzi above. As you gain altitude, notice the change in vegetation. The trees diminish in size, giving way to kilimanjaros famous high altitude plants, scenecio kilimanjaro, and lobelia deckenii. After eating lunch, climb the shira plateau, created when kibos lava flows filled the shira crater. Continue to shira camp, where you will relax for the rest of the day. Kibo lies to the west and mount meru to the east.

Day: 4

Shira camp (3,840m/12,600ft) to barranco camp (3,950m/12,960ft)

Shira camp This a day dedicated to acclimatization with only an elevation gain of 110 meters to show at the end of major ascents and descents. By afternoon, you would have gained an elevation of 4530 meters before descending into to barranco camp. After breakfast, we continue the hike eastwards on the shira plateau to merge with the shira and lemosho routes. The hike continues on the barren landscape before making a brief stop for lunch. After lunch, we continue hiking before descending into the barranco camp. Those with a little more fuel in the tank and imbued with a sense of adventure can continue climbing to the lava tower before their descent. Barranco camp is a scenic stopover en route to the summit on the machame route.

Day: 5

Barranco camp (3,950m/12,960ft) to karanga valley (4,200m/13,780ft)

Barranco camp The journey from barranco to karanga valley sets off after breakfast with a 1.5hour scramble atop the steep barranco wall. This is a tough trek that will require you to use your hands to pull yourself to the top. After reaching the top you will make a short descent into the greener karanga valley. We generally camp on the ridge above the valley as it allows for better acclimatization.

Day: 6

Karanga valley (4,200m/13,780ft) to barafu camp (4,600m/15,100ft)

Barafu camp After breakfast, we ascend on a rising trail on to the barafu camp. Its a picturesque trail with spectacular views of kibo and mawenzi as well as well as the junction that connects the descent route, mweka, with the machame trail. The trail to barafu camp makes it way through the desolate alpine desert characterised by sparse vegetation. After reaching the camp you will have your dinner and rest before beginning your push to the uhuru peak at midnight.

Day: 7

Barafu camp (4,600m/15,100ft) to uhuru peak (5,895m/19,340ft) to mweka camp (3,100m/10,170ft)

Mweka camp The final ascent to the uhuru peak begins at midnight. The challenging and taxing ascend on a steep trail continues in dark with the help of headlamp till you reach the crater rim at stella point. The trail from stella point to the uhuru peak is a gradual hike with only the altitude making it exhausting. Finally, you make it to the uhuru and are rewarded with stunning sunrise atop the roof of africa. Pull out your camera and click the photos with your guide and team for posterity. After that its a steady descent to mweka camp accompanied by scenic views of the mountain, crater, clouds, and glaciers. At barafu camp, eat breakfast and take a short break. You still have another three to five hours to go before reaching mweka camp.

Day: 8

Mweka camp (3,100m/10,170ft) to mweka gate (1,500m/4,920ft)

Mweka gate After breakfast, the descent continues to mweka gate making its way through the clouded rainforest of kilimanjaro. The trail here is slippery so watch your steps. Tanganyika ancient routes vehicles will be waiting at the lower station of mweka gate to take you back to arusha. You will be able to buy t-shirts and sodas at the gate. Late transferred to the hotel in arusha for overnight, washing and get rest after the climb. Stay at equator hotel bed and breakfast.