8 Days Climb Kilimanjaro - Summiting the Machame Route
Ascend Africa's tallest mountain and the world's highest free-standing peak on the Machame Route, crossing lava-forged landscapes from rainforest to glacier to stand on Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m. A once-in-a-lifetime goal.
- Duration
- 8 days
- Route
- Moshi → Machame Gate → Shira → Barranco → Karanga → Barafu → Uhuru Peak → Mweka
- Best for
- Hikers, Adventure travellers
- From
- US$2,950 pp
Highlights
- Summit Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the roof of Africa
- Scenic Machame 'Whiskey' Route
- Barranco Wall and Shira Plateau
- Climb high, sleep low acclimatisation
- Gold or green summit certificate
- Destinations
- Kilimanjaro Mountain
- Minimum group
- 1 person
Day-by-day itinerary
Arrival in Arusha, Tanzania (Kilimanjaro Airport)
Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be met at the airport and transferred to the Springlands Hotel in Moshi for your overnight stay.
Moshi – Machame Gate (1800 m) to Machame Camp (3010 m), distance is about 11 km. hiking time 6 hours
Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 45 minutes’ drive from Moshi (910 m) to the Machame Park Gate. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rain-forest. You will receive a lunch pack at the gate and you can also drink bottled water you bought at Springlands hotel in Moshi. There is a possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at Machame Camp.
Machame Camp (3010m) to Shira Camp (3840), distance is about 5 km, hiking time: 4-5 hours
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 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 Camp at 3,840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing.
Shira Camp (3840 m) to Barranco Camp (3960 m), distance is about 15 km
The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630 m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630 m). 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 680 m to the Barranco Camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600 m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco Camp is about 2 hours and offers a great opportunity to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Branch 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.
Barranco Camp (3960 m) to Karanga Camp (4035 m), distance is about 6 km
The morning starts with a scramble up the almost vertical Barranco Wall to an altitude of about 4200 m and after approximately 3 hours, the path now crosses through the southern slopes to reach the Karanga Valley.
Karanga Camp (4035 m) to Barafu Camp (4640 m), distance is about 5 km
After breakfast, you continue in a southeasterly direction to the junction before turning north to reach Barafu Camp (4600 m) after about 4 hours. Here you take a long rest and prepare for the midnight ascent to the summit.
Barafu Camp (4640 m) to Uhuru Peak (5895 m) – 3090 m, distance is about 17 km
At around midnight, you’ll head in a northwesterly direction up the southeast valley towards Stella Point on the crater rim. The 6 hours long walk to Stella Point is a mental and physical challenge with the steep face just below Stella posing the ultimate challenge. The time you spend on the summit is determined by the weather and wind conditions. The walk back to Mweka Camp from the summit can take over 7 hours.
Mweka Camp | Mweka Park Gate | Moshi. Altitude: 3,090 m – 1,650 m hiking distance: 10 km hiking time: 4 – 5 hours
After breakfast, from the Mweka Gate, you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a long hour walk. In the Mweka village drive to Springlands Hotel and you will be served a delicious hot lunch and a long overdue hot shower. Overnight at Springlands Hotel. It is recommended and tips are highly appreciated at the end of their trip. Tips can be given to the guide at Springlands Hotel. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5,685 m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) receive gold certificates.
What's included
- Kilimanjaro National Park, camping and rescue fees
- Certified mountain guide, assistant guides, cook and porters
- All meals and drinking water on the mountain
- Quality tents and camping equipment
- Hotel nights in Moshi before and after the climb
- Kilimanjaro Airport transfers
- Summit certificate
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel and evacuation insurance
- Tips for the mountain crew
- Personal hiking gear and sleeping bag
- Drinks and personal expenses
Prices are per person based on two travellers sharing and depend on season, lodge choice and group size. Solo travellers, families and groups are welcome; ask us for an exact quote. Itineraries can be changed to suit you.
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