Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Elevation: 1,800m to 3000m
Distance: 10 km
At 9am, we leave Arusha to Machame Gate, where you will meet the porters, guides, and cooks that will spend 6 days trekking with you up 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 Traversing Africa Guides registers your climb and the porters and guides make final preparations.
Your first day’s destination is Machame Camp. Each day, porters and cooks will walk very early to set up the camp for your arrival. On the first day, hike through the moss-covered trees of Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. The forest will thin at the end of the hike and vegetation will change to include heathers, tall grasses and wildflowers. If the weather is clear, view the surrounding area and your ultimate destination, Kibo Peak.
Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Elevation: 3000m to 3840m
Distance: 7km
Although considered to be the easiest day on the Machame Route, today’s trek includes several uphill sections. Carry plenty of drinking water, as the exposed hike can be hot on a clear day. There are several viewpoints from which you can see the plains and forests below and Kibo and Mawenzi peaks above.
As you gain altitude, notice the change in vegetation. The trees diminish in size, giving way to Kilimanjaro’s famous high altitude plants. After lunch, climb the Shira Plateau, created when Kibo’s lava flows filled the Shira crater. Continue to Shira Camp, where you will relax for the rest of the day.
Day 3: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp
Elevation: 3840m to 3950m
Distance: 10 kilometers
Although this up and down day ends with an elevation gain of only 110 meters, by early afternoon you will have climbed 690 meters to a height of 4,530 meters before beginning your descent to Barranco Camp. This day is crucial for acclimatization.
After breakfast, hike east on the Shira Plateau before reaching the junction for the Shira and Lemosho Routes. Continue on through the barren landscape before stopping for lunch. Shortly after lunch, reach the highest point of the day before descending quickly to Barranco Camp.
Faster hikers can take a detour via Lava Tower, a 300-foot lava formation jutting out of the mountainside. Barranco Camp, set among stands of Senecio kilimanjaro, is considered to be the most scenic campsite on the Machame Route.
Day 4: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation: 3950m to 4600m
Leave Barranco Camp after an early breakfast to begin the long hike to Barafu Camp. The day begins with an hour and a half scramble up the Barranco Wall. This is the hardest part of the day and in some places you will have to use your hands to pull your body up.
After reaching the top, you will make a short descent into the greener Karanga Valley before continuing on to Barafu Camp. On the way to Barafu, view several of Kibo’s glaciers as well as the junction that connects the descent route, Mweka, with the Machame trail.
During day four, hike by the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. Although the way to Barafu is bleak, alpine desert with little vegetation, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks, and Rebmann Glacier. Try to sleep as soon as you finish dinner as you will be waking up at midnight for your summit hike.
Day 5: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp
Elevation: 4600m to 5895m to 3100m
Around midnight, begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. For the next six hours, hike by the light of your headlamp. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point.
The hike from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes approximately one hour. Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos of your guide and group at the peak before beginning the descent to Mweka Camp. On the way down from Uhuru, enjoy 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 6: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Elevation : 3100m to 1500m
After breakfast, finish the trek with a descent to Mweka Gate. Your last hike on Kilimanjaro is a beautiful one, passing through Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. Watch your step during the descent, as the trail can be slippery. Traversing Africa vehicles will be waiting at the lower station of Mweka Gate to take you back to Arusha/ Moshi.
