6 Days Machame Route

DAY 1:  MACHAME GATE TO MACHAME CAMP 
Elevation (m): 1800m to 3000m, Distance: 11km, Time: 5-7 hours, Habitat: Montane Forest.

We begin this 6 days Machame Route itinerary with a drive to the starting point of our trek, the Machame gate. The Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate is a short drive from your hotel. When you arrive at the park gate, check-in at the park office and make any last-minute preparations for the climb. Our route leads us through the rain forest and along a hill to Machame Camp, where we will spend the night.

DAY 2: MACHAME CAMP TO SHIRA CAMP 
Elevation (m): 3000m to 3850m, Distance: 9km, Time: 4-6 hours, Habitat: Moorland.

We start hiking after breakfast, leaving the rainforest behind and continuing our trek up a steep rocky ridge covered in heath, passing a tiny valley and up to a high rocky ridge covered in heath. Our path now heads west across a river gorge. At the Shira campground, it’s time to recover, eat, and sleep.

On the stoves, our chef will prepare supper/dinner.

DAY 3: SHIRA CAMP VIA LAVA TOWER TO BARRANCO CAMP 
Elevation (m): 3850m to 4600m to 3950m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 6-7 hours, Habitat: Semi-desert.

This is a critical day for acclimatization, and it will aid your body’s preparation for summit day. This will be our most difficult day so far, and you may begin to experience altitude effects. To acclimate, we will go to Lava Tower (4600m) and eat our lunch there. We next descend to Barranco campground, where we will spend the night. The Western Breach and Breach Wall provide excellent picture opportunities. While you wait for your meal, the camp is located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which will present you with a magnificent sunset.

DAY 4:  BARRANCO CAMP TO BARAFU CAMP 
Elevation (m): 3950m to 4600m, Distance: 13km, Time: 6-7 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert

A quick and enjoyable climb to the summit of the Great Barranco Wall after breakfast! We next climb through scree hills to the Karanga Valley (3930m), which lies beneath the Heim, Kersten, and Decken Glaciers’ icefalls. Our trail ascends to Barafu Camp (4600m) after rising out of the Karanga Valley.

DAY 5: BARAFU CAMP TO SUMMIT TO MWEKA HUT
Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m (and down to 3100m) , Distance: 7km ascent / 23km descent , Time: 6- 8 hours ascent / 6-7 hours descent, Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit/Alpine desert.

Day 5 on the mountain is summit day for our 6 day Machame Route trek. At 23:30, you will be awoken with some fast tea and snacks. Between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers, we begin our ascent to the top. We’ll take a north-westerly route to Stella Point on the crater rim, ascending via hard scree. This is the trek’s most psychologically and physically demanding section. We’ll take a short break at Stella Point (5732m) and be rewarded with one of the most spectacular sunrises you’ll ever witness (weather permitting). We will have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa at Uhuru Peak (5895m). At these heights, it may get pretty chilly at night, but by the end of the trekking day, it will be fairly warm.

We descend from the peak to the Mweka Hut camp site through Barafu for lunch. The rough gravel on the way down to Mweka Camp will necessitate the use of trekking poles (3100m). Later that evening, we’ll have our final meal on the mountain before getting some well-deserved rest.

DAY 6:  MWEKA CAMP TO HOTEL
Elevation (m): 3100m to 1800m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Montane Forest.

We return to Mweka Park Gate to get your summit certificates marking the end of this 6 day Machame Route itinerary. It might be muddy and damp at lower levels. The use of gaiters and trekking poles will be beneficial. T-shirts and shorts will suffice (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).