Mount Kilimanjaro
Machame Route
Trek Kilimanjaro
‘Climb The worlds highest freestanding mountain’
For a challenge of a lifetime climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania – The worlds highest freestanding mountain. Its 19,340ft at the summit, and to climb to the top is one of life’s great experiences. Of the 5 possible summit bound routes, the Machame Route allows the best opportunity for acclimatization and therefore has the highest success rate. It is a challenging route offering breathtaking (quite literally!) views of the mountain and the surrounding area.
Day 1: London Heathrow – Kilimanjaro
Depart London Heathrow early morning for your flight to Kilimanjaro. On arrival into Kilimanjaro International airport you will be met and transferred (approx 1 hour) to your hotel in time for a late dinner, welcome briefing and overnight.
Overnight: Hotel, Moshi (L,D)
Day 2: Machame Gate to Machame Hut.
After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast you set off, ready in your trekking gear, for Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. The journey passes through the village of Machame, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain and after approx 1 hour you reach the park gate. It is here you meet the crew and make the necessary preparations for the climb. The trek today takes you on a winding trail through the rain forest heading towards Machame Huts, the location of your camp for the night. Enjoy your first dinner, briefing on what to expect the following day and overnight in the great outdoors.
Trekking Distance: 9kms approx 6-7 hrs
Altitude at Machame Camp: 2,980m–Altitude gain 1140m (BLD)
Day 3: Machame Hut to Shira Hut.
After breakfast, you leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge (covered with heather) until the ridge ends. From here the route turns west into a river gorge and towards Shira Huts, your campsite for the night.
Trekking Distance: 7kms approx 5-6 hrs
Altitude at Shira Camp: 3,840m– Altitude gain 890m (BLD)Day 4: Shira Hut to Barranco Hut.
This morning you trek from the Shira Plateau, continue to the east, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you continue, the direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the Sharks Tooth! Shortly after the tower, you come to the second junction, which brings you up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 4,876 metres. The views are spectacular as you descend to your camp at Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3,860 metres.
Trekking Distance: 10kms approx 6-7 hrs
Altitude at Barranco Camp: 3,950m-Altitude gain 700m down 600m (BLD)Day 5: Barranco Hut to Karanga Valley.
After a leisurely breakfast, leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall into Karanga Valley (4200m). Today is an important day for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
Trekking Distance: 6kms approx 3-4 hrs
Altitude at Karanga Camp: 3,963m-Altitude gain 250m down 250m (BLD)Day 6: Karanga Valley to Barafu Hut
From Karanga Valley and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail, you continue slowly to Barafu Hut - located at an altitude of 4,600 metres. Here you have completed the South Circuit, which offers incredible views of the summit from many different angles. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can also be seen from this position. Arrive at camp nice and early today with plenty of time to relax and prepare for your final challenge – the summit!!
Trekking Distance: 4kms approx 3-4 hrs
Altitude at Barafu Camp: 4600m-Altitude gain 600m (BLD)Day 7: Barafu Hut to Summit and Mweka Hut.
The ultimate challenge! It’s hard to find words to explain today as for many it will be one of the toughest but most rewarding things you will do. It is a long but truly incredible day. Setting off in the early hours of the morning the light of the full moon will help guide you along your path as you make your way slowly but surely to Stella Point (higher than any other point in Africa). For those who want to continue, its onwards and upwards to the summit of Uhuru Peak at 5,985 metres. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. The climb takes about 8 hours. From the summit, you make your descent, continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut campsite at 3,100 metres. This part of the descent takes about 6 hours. In the evening enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a much needed sleep!
Trekking Distance: 19kms approx 12-14 hrs
Altitude at Mweka Camp: 3,100m-Altitude gain 1295m down 3045m (BLD)Day 8: Mweka Hut to Moshi.
After breakfast, continue the descent, through the rainforest, down to the Mweka Park Gate. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive back to the hotel for a well earned celebration dinner.
Trekking Distance 10kms approx 3-4 hrs
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi – Descend 1050m (BLD)
Day 9: Kilimanjaro – London
Enjoy breakfast at your Hotel and time at leisure before leaving in the afternoon for Kilimanjaro International airport for your return flight back to the UK (B)
Day 10: London
Flight arrives early morning into London Heathrow.
B = Breakfast L= Lunch D = Dinner
N.B This is a complicated itinerary and is subject to change. Therefore timings will be confirmed daily by the Expedition Leader Trekking duration will also vary accordingly to group’s ability. Flight timings/airlines are provisional.
Challenge Grade: Extreme
(see DESTINATIONS homepage for a general guide)
This challenge is graded as ‘extreme’ and although you do not need any technical climbing experience for Mount Kilimanjaro, the trek is demanding and a good level of fitness and the body's ability to acclimatise are key factors to your success. The days leading up to the final ascent are fairly manageable with a sound level of fitness however the final ascent to the peak will probably be one of hardest tests of endurance you will ever experience, both physically and mentally but at the same time the most rewarding.
It is Altitude that makes Kilimanjaro an ‘extreme’ challenge so it is important that you understand the effects. In brief it is the lack of air pressure that causes tiredness and breathing difficulties. Reduced amounts of oxygen in the blood starve the brain, causing headaches, nausea and in extreme cases – death. To minimise these effects it is important to give the body time to acclimatise (indeed we have chosen the Machame route for this reason as it allows us to include an additional acclimatisation day at Karanga valley).
The golden rule throughout the trek is to take your time. If you begin to feel sick, come down. As long as you are prepared to heed the warnings of your own body, you are unlikely to come to any harm.
For more information on the effects of Altitude please refer to www.traveldoctor.co.uk
You will be trekking for 7 consecutive days through rain forest, rugged terrain, high valleys and finally up steep ash fields to the Summit of Kilimanjaro. You will not only be trekking up through them, but also down them. Over the course of the week you will trek for approximately 46hrs, covering a distance of 63km with a combined altitude gain and loss of 9340m – you can confidently reassure your sponsors this is not a holiday!
