Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route
8-day Machame Route climb is a highly recommended, scenic, and successful approach to Kilimanjaro, allowing for superior acclimatization compared to shorter itineraries.
Starting in Moshi/Arusha, this “Whiskey” route takes climbers through rainforests, the Shira Plateau, and Barranco Wall, with the main summit attempt on Day 6.
The Machame route climb on Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Machame Route 8 Days Tanzania
*The Machame Route is tent camping.
The Machame Route is one of the best options for climbing Kilimanjaro and reputed to have the highest success rate and features a tented camping experience..
The next morning it’s about an hour drive to the park gate where you will begin the trek. . The trek continues on the second day through increasingly sparse trees and bushes into moorlands and finishes at Shira Camp.
The Machame route climb on Kilimanjaro
The vegetation has disappeared completely by the time you reach Barafu and you’re a presented with a barren volcanic plain.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – Moshi
On arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, met and assisted. Transfer to Dual Mountain Lodge for an overnight rest on bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2: 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.
After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately.
You will have a welcome lunch stop about halfway and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon.
Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent on your arrival.
Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite, B,L,D.
8 Days Mount Kilimanjaro Machame Route
Day 3: 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. Temperatures dropping to well below freezing, B,L,D.
Day 4: 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 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.
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.
8 Days Mount Kilimanjaro Machame Route
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, B,L,D.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route
Day 5: 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 familiarize 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.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route
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, B,L,D.
Day 6: 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 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).
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route
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, B,L,D.
Day 7: 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. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register.
This is also where successful climbers receive their summit 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 overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!! Overnight at Keys Annex Hotel, B,L.
Day 8: Departure
Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back home or continue with your safari schedule. End of services.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route
Tour price includes:
-Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
-Machame route trek as the itinerary depicts
-Full board accommodation whilst on the trek.
-Meal plan as clearly detailed: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner
-Accommodations at SG Resort for 2 nights on bed and breakfast
-Accommodations in huts on the mountain as per the itinerary
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English-speaking professional Mountain guide on the mountain, porters and skilled cook
-All services begin and end at Kilimanjaro Airport as per the itinerary
-Treated water on the trek
-Return airport transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Airport
-Chemical toilet/s on the mountain
-Mountain rescue fees
Excluded:
– Items not mentioned as included