7 DAYs MACHAME ROUTES      

Overview    

Known as the “Whiskey route”, Truly Machame route is the most popular route and has a very high success rate of making it to the top. It offers beautiful and natural features of landscape. It starts with a nice day of walking through the rainforest and has a nice steady altitude increase each day. The accommodation on the way up and down is strictly camping (movable tents) only. The Machame Route takes you high to Lava Tower on day 3 then brings you down for an overnight at Barranco Camp. This intermediate ascent and descent is the secret to a successful acclimatization and is the reason that this route has a high success rate. The Machame route is normally completed in a minimum of 6 days/5nights on the mountain.

ITINERARY  

Arrive in Tanzania

Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be meet with Boko Explorers representative, picked up there and transfer to hotel in Moshi town. Then you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Gear which is missing can be rented on this day.

Hotel: Bed & Breakfast

Day 1: Machame Gate (1800 m) to Machame Camp (2835 m)      

Hiking time: 7 hours      

Distance covered: 11 km

Habitat: Montane Forest

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included      

After breakfast you will be picked up at the hotel around 8:00 am and transferred to Machame gate. On the way you will see coffee and banana plantations grown by Chagga people. After arriving at Machame gate you will go through some park formalities such as registration then you will start your Mount Kilimanjaro climbing at the Machame gate. Your first day hike is through a tropical rain forest up to Machame camp (2835 m). On the route you will have a picnic lunch. Overnight at Machame camp.

Day 2: Machame Camp (2835 m) to Shira Cave Camp (3750 m)      

Approx. hiking time: 3 hours      

Distance covered: 5 km      

Habitat: Moorland      

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included      

You start to hike around 8:00 am. You will climb an hour to the top of the forest and then 1 hour at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch (snacks) and break, you continue up a rocky ridge, the Shira plateau. At this point you will be able to see an eastern direction, the western breach with its stunning glacier. Overnight at Shira Campsite (3750 m).

Day 3: Shira Cave Camp (3750 m) to Baranco camp (3900 m)      

Approx. hiking time: 6 hours      

Distance covered: 10 km      

Habitat: Alpine desert

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included      

To take advantage of acclimatization, we will hike to high altitude and then descend to a lower altitude. The trek will take us into alpine desert up to lava tower (4600 m) before descending to Baranco Camp (3900 m). This descent to Barranco Camp takes about 3 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful pictures of the Western Breach and Barranco wall. The campsite is situated in a valley below the Barranco wall which should provide you a memorable sunset while waiting for dinner. Overnight at Barranco Camp (3900m). 

Day 4: Barranco Camp (3900 m) to Karanga Camp (4000m)      

Approx. hiking time: 4 hours      

Distance covered: 6 km

Habitat: Alpine desert

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included      

After breakfast we continue up a steep ridge to the great Barranco wall, then you climb this imposing obstacle which turn to be easier than it looks. Topping out just below the item 6 lacer you can now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. With Kibo glaciers soaring overhead, you descend into the lush Karanga Valley camp site. From the camp you can look east and see the jugged peaks of Mawenzi. After a hot lunch in camp, your afternoon is at leisure for resting. This short day is very important for you acclimatization since your summit push is about to start.

Day 5: Karanga Camp (4000 m) to Barafu Camp (4640m)      

Approx. hiking time: 3 hours

Distance covered: 4 km      

Habitat: Alpine desert

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included      

After breakfast you will start hiking to Barafu Camp (4640 m). On the way you will have a good view of the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. After arriving at the campsite, we have lunch and a long rest waiting for long-night and a day ahead. Dinner will be early and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up around midnight to start climb to the summit

Day 6: Barafu Camp (4637 m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) then down to Millennium Camp (3900 m)      

Approx. hiking time: 12-15 hours      

Distance covered: 15 km

Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included      

We will wake up very early, at around 00:00, some light tea with cookies will be ready for you. We will climb scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The view is spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella point (5756 m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Then it will take us 1 hour form Stella point to Uhuru peak (5895 m) were you take some photos for a few minutes before we start descending to Barafu Camp for lunch and some rest, and then walk down to Millennium Camp (3950 m) for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Millennium Camp (3950m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)      

Approx. hiking time: 5 hours

Distance covered: 14 km

Habitat: Montane Forest

Meal: breakfast and lunch included      

After breakfast you continue the final descend, it’s a couple of hours further now from Millennium Campsite to Mweka Gate, where you will collect your certificates. After complete park formalities and receiving the certificates, a private car will take you back to your hotel where you can have a warm shower. It’s definitely time to celebrate!      

End of The Trip