Kilimanjaro Trek

Kilimanjaro Trekking Itinerary

5 Day Kilimanjaro Trek - Marungu Route
6 Day Kilimanjaro Trek - Machame Route
7 Day kilimanjaro Trek - Lemosho Route

Safari Itineraries

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3 Day Safari
4 Day Wildlife Safari
4 Day Safari - Option 2
5 Day Safari & Massai Tribe Village Cultural Tour
6 Day Wildlife Safari & Maasai Tribe village Cultural Tour
6 Day Walking Safari & Maasai village Camel Riding Tour

6 Day Kilimanjaro Trek - Machame Route

Duration: 6 Days

Total hiking distance: About 100 km's

This is probably the most beautiful route up Kilimanjaro. All your equipment and supplies are portered and a cook prepares all your meals. Where accommodation on the Marangu route is in huts, the Machame route Offers strictly tents. This makes Machame (also referred to as the "Whiskey route") better suited to the slightly more adventurous hiker, However, the hiker is rewarded with a scenic splendor such as not seen on the Marangu route.

Glacier, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania From late afternoon sunsets at Shira, to the misty revelations of Kibo at the great Barranco Wall, the Machame route offers the adventurous hiker a stunning scenic "slide show" over 6 days. The Machame route is normally completed in a minimum of 6 days. There is an added benefit to this, as you are afforded the most valuable commodity on the mountain - acclimatization. The Machame route takes you high to Lava Tower (4630m) on the day 3 and brings you down by nearly 700m for an overnight at Barranco camp (3950m). This is the secret to successful acclimatization.

Day 1: Machame Gate (1490m) - Machame camp (2980m)
Hiking time: 7 hours Distance: About 18 km
Habitat: Montane forest

Your day starts early with a briefing from the tour organizer and the guides,followed by a 70-minute drive from Your Hotel (910m) to the Machame village (1490m). In the village the guides and porters prepare and pack your equipment and the supplies. You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy mineral water in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 1 km walk will take about 30 minutes to complete. After registering at the gate office, 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 foggy, 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.
Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent prior to your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner. Night temperatures can drop to freezing point at the Machame campsite.

Day 2: Machame camp (2980m) - Shira camp (3840m)
Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: About 9 km's
Habitat: Moorland

Sleeping Tent on Mount Kilimanjaro
Click image to enlarge 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 3840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will be even colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing.

Day 3: Shira (3840m) - Lava Tower (4630m) - Barranco camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 15 km
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 a 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. 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 descend again by almost 680m to the Barranco Camping area. After reaching the high altitude of 4600m - at Lava Tower - the true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear. The 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 and overnight at Barranco Camp site.

Day 4: Barranco camp (3950m)- Barafu camp (4550m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 13 km
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 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 you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. Looking down from Mount Kilimanjaro

The summit is now a further 1345m up and you will make the final ascent on 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 1900 hours and try to get some precious rest and sleep for not more than 5 hours.

Day 5: SUMMIT ATTEMPT
Barafu camp (4550m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) -Mweka Camp(3100m)
Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak 7-8 hours to descend to Mweka
Camp distance: About 7 km ascent - 23 km's descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

At the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Uhuru Peak, Africa's highest point at 5895m You will rise around 2330 hours 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 short but well earned 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 and drinking water will be prepared. Soft drinks, chocolates, and beer are available from the camp office!!

Day 6: Mweka camp (3100m) - Mweka Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours

Picked up and transfered to your hotel in Arusha, or to your destination.

Contact us for more information: info@focusinafrica.com


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