MACHAME ROUTE

Your first night in Arusha will be spent at Planet Lodge. If you chose to be picked up from
Kilimanjaro International Airport, you’re The Africa Safaris driver will be waiting to greet you
and take you to your Arusha lodge to relax after your flight.

After an early breakfast (07.00), we leave the hotel one hour later to arrive at the Machame
Gate around 10.00, passing by the village chief's house en route. We arrive in good time for
registration and the start of our journey.
As the porters load up your equipment and you meet the trekking team who will accompany
you up the mountain, your excitement grows. The Machame-Mweka Route (commonly
referred to simply as the Machame Route) approaches the mountain from the south-western
side. Your first day of walking will begin at an altitude of 1800 meters and end at a height of
over 3000 meters, covering a distance of 11 kilometers and taking approximately 4.5 to 5 hours
of actual walking time. Cloud forest trees can grow to heights of more than 25 meters. Around
13.00, a picnic lunch is enjoyed, water bottles can be refilled, and then our journey continues.
As you approach heathland and the forest thins out, the iconic giant heathers appear. At around
17.00, you get your first glimpse of Kibo peak. The abundance of birdlife here will astound
you. Dinner is served at 19.30 p.m. at Machame Camp.

You'll get used to the early breakfast at 07.00, and we'll leave the camp at 08.30 today. We
have another 800 meters of ascent to complete the day at 3800 meters, and while the overall
distance is short (5km), we will spend approximately 4.5 to 5 hours walking.
Today's path is dusty, narrow, and steep. The vegetation is initially composed of heather
forests, but we will soon encounter the first of the giant groundsels. The ascent prior to our
midday picnic lunch is steep, but there are then great views to the south and to Kibo to enjoy
while you eat. With today's early start and short distance, we should arrive at the camp by
14.00, having encountered the moorland lobelias and Shira Plateau reached for the first time.
Once at the camp, you'll have plenty of time to admire sights like the Shira Cathedral, Klute
Peak, and Mount Meru before dinner at 18.00 and overnight at Shira 2 camp.

Today's journey is longer than yesterday, but our overall elevation gain is modest. Starting at
3800 meters, we will only be 140 meters higher by the time we arrive at camp this afternoon,
though in between we will climb up to the base of the famous Lava Tower at 4627 meters
before descending to our camp.
Today's benefits for acclimatization are enormous, as you climb high and then descend for the
overnight stop. We will walk for approximately 6.5 to 7 hours, excluding breaks, due to the
overall distance of approximately 10km. Our day will start with breakfast at 07.00 and end at
08.30, when we will begin our trek across the stony landscape of Shira Plateau. At first, the
vegetation is sparse, with only a few hardy lichens to admire. You make your way to the Lava
Tower and eat your picnic lunch at 13.00. We descend to the Barranco Camp after passing the
day's highpoint, the Lava Tower. Once at camp, which we expect to arrive at around 16.00,
you should take some time to admire the views of Kibo's southern face as well as the Heim
Glacier. Barranco Camp is where you'll spend the night and eat dinner.

Today, we ate breakfast at 7:00 a.m., anticipating a long day. We have a total distance of 9 km
to cover and an elevation gain of 660 meters, with a total walking time of 6.5 to 7 hours.
Our departure time today is 08.00; a hot lunch is planned for midday at Karanga, and we hope
to arrive at Barafu by 16.00 for dinner at 18.00. We begin with a difficult scramble up the nearvertical face of the Barranco Wall (also known as the 'Breakfast Wall' because the climb comes
right after breakfast!). Views of the Heim Glacier can be had from the summit. We then descend
to the gully below and into the cold, beautiful Karanga Valley before continuing up a steep
series of zig-zags until we reach Karanga for lunch. Today's stage continues steadily ascending
through barren, rocky terrain, with the Decken and Kerstin glaciers visible to the left. The
landscape remains desolate as you descend into a valley and catch your first glimpse of another
glacier, Rebmann. At the end of the day, you will spend the night and eat dinner at Barafu
Camp.

Today is the most difficult day, but hopefully it will end with a great sense of accomplishment
from reaching your goal – the summit of Kilimanjaro! Our 'Summit Day' agenda is, of course,
very different. We get up at 23.00 and have tea and biscuits (23.30) before our midnight
departure.
The day begins with a long, difficult climb from Barafu at 4600 meters to Stella Point at 5745
meters; some of this will be done on screen, making the trek more difficult. From there, it's
another 150 meters uphill and a 45-minute walk to the summit. Our goal is to reach the summit
by 07.00, then celebrate by taking precious photos and enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime
experience. We return to Barafu after the summit for a couple of hours take after a hot lunch,
we will depart at 13.30 p.m. to continue our descent to Mweka Camp (3100 m), where we will
spend the night. We'd like to arrive at 17.00 and eat dinner at 19.00. (Today, we walked about
17 kilometers in about 13 hours.)

Still ecstatic about your accomplishment, breakfast is served at 07.00, and at 08.00, you have
the opportunity to reward your trekking team at the 'Tipping Celebration.'
Departure is at 09.00, and you will descend to Mweka Gate at an altitude of 1640 meters, where
you will be served a hot lunch and presented with your well-earned certificate at midday. Your
transportation will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi, where you
can relax – or celebrate!

After a good night's sleep at your lodge, you'll eat breakfast and be ready to check out by 10
a.m. (If you wish to stay in the hotel during the day, please notify us when booking your trip,
and we will inform you of the cost for a day room that ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the
booking on your behalf.)
If you have booked an airport transfer, you will be picked up from your hotel and dropped off
at the airport. For those who have reserved a safari, our The Africa Safaris guide will meet you
in the evening to provide you with a briefing.