Machame Route

After breakfast at your lodge, you will be picked up to Machame Gate, the drive to the gate takes about 2 hours. Once you arrive, there will be registration process for your climb and the guide and porters will be doing final preparations. Each day, porters and a cook will walk a head to set up the camp before the time of your arrival. On the first day, you hike through Kilimanjaro’s lush, fertile, Montane rainy forest. As you might expect a bit of precipitation, the trails may be steep and slippery, so trekking poles are advised, and your rainy gears should be packed in your day pack in case of a serious rainfall. This section of climb habitats are absolutely beautiful, so be on the lookout for wildlife, including Colobus Monkey, and if the weather is clear you will be able to view Kibo Peak. Lunch will be served at one of the picnic sites on the way to the camp.

Although this day is considered to be the easiest day on the Machame route, the trek includes several uphill sections. You will start your ascent leaving the rainy forest and entering Moorland and Heather. This area is dominated by few plants and animal species, including groundsels, lobelias, and tree moss. You will cross many streams and walk over a rocky ridge onto a Shira plateau that leads to Shira camp. Shira camp offers spectacular views of the Western Breach and its glacier in the East. The distance for today’s trek is short so when you get the camp you will relax for the rest of the day.

Following early morning breakfast, you will leave Moorland habitat and enter the semi desert and rocky landscape. After five hours of walking East you will reach Lover Tower (4630m) where you will have hot lunch and you will have the option of climbing the massive Lava Tower if the weather will be friendly. Although this is up and down day, by climbing all the day up to Lava Tower, you will have the advantage of elevation gain of 110 meters. This is crucial for acclimatization! At this point of the hike, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects of altitude sickness. After lunch, you will descend from Lova Tower (4630m) to Barranco (3950m).The descent to the camp takes about 2 hours. Barranco Camp is considered to be the most scenic campsite on the Machame Route.

Leave Barranco after breakfast for Karanga Valley, the hike begins with you the ultimate challenge for you to conquer the Great Barranco Wall! You will have a 1.5 hour scramble up 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 of the wall , you will have a view of Heim Glacier . The trails then winds up and down in the Karanga Valley. This is an ideal hiking day for acclimatization.

After breakfast, you will leave Karanga Valley (3959). The trails to Barafu intersects with the Mweka route, which is the trails used to ascend on the final two days. As you continue hiking for an hour, you will reach Barafu Camp. The word “Barafu” in English means “Ice”, this camp is located on the rocky, expose ridge. Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi Peaks. Today you guide will wake up around 23:30 for breakfast. At mightnight we will begin our summit attempt. This will allow us to be near the crater rim at sunrise and on top of Kilimanjaro (Uhuru Peak) a few hours later. After a few victorious photos and (with luck) glorious morning view, we will begin long descent back to Barafu Hut and on down to Mweka camp.

A final descent of 4500 ft brings you down to Mweka Gate, on the way to the gate you will go through the moorland, rain forest zones and enjoy the last views of the mountain. At the gate you will say goodbye to our mountain stuff before heading to Lake Duluti for scrumptious and fresh lunch by the beautiful lake itself. Lake Duluti is a volcanic formed lake located some Kilometers away from Arusha town. The beautiful lake is a paradise for birds and reptiles. After lunch we will be proceed to the lodge near/in Arusha for a farewell dinner and either overnight or day room and departure.