6-Day Machame Route Kilimanjaro Trek to Uhuru Peak

Distance: About 18 km

Habitat: Montane forest.

• Start your day early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910 m) to Machame village (1490 m). The guides and porters will prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it may be possible to drive from the village to Machame Gate; if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete.

• Register at the gate office, then begin your ascent as you enter the rainforest. You will receive a lunch pack at the gate, and you can also drink bottled water purchased at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi. Rain is possible in the forest, which can make the trail very soggy, muddy, and slippery. 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.

Distance: About 9 km

Habitat: Moorland

• Rise early at Machame Camp and, after breakfast, climb for about an hour to the top of the forest, then continue for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone.

• Take a short lunch and rest.

• Continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau. By now, you will be able to see the Western Breach and its stunning glaciers to the east. You are now due west of Kibo, and after a short hike, you will reach Shira Camp at 3840 m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will be even colder than the previous one, with temperatures dropping well below freezing.

Distance: About 15 km

Habitat: Semi-desert

• Today, the route turns east into a semi-desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you will reach an altitude of 4600 m after about a 5-hour walk.

• Lunch is served in a designated area before you ascend the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4600 m). This is the most challenging day so far. It is usually at this point that, for the first time, some climbers begin to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches.

• Descend again by almost 680 m to the Barranco camping area. After reaching the high altitude of 4600 m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. The descent to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and offers excellent opportunities to take beautiful photographs of the Western Breach 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. Here, you will wait while dinner is prepared and then stay overnight at Barranco Campsite.

Distance: About 13 km

Habitat: Alpine desert

• Ensure you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid accidents. Exposed to the ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. The summit is now a further 1345 m above, and you will make the final ascent the same night.

• Prepare your equipment, ski stick, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should include replacing your headlamp and camera batteries, and making sure you have a spare set available as well. It is wise to carry your water in a thermal flask to prevent freezing.

• Go to bed at around 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep for no more than 5 hours.

Barafu Camp (4550 m)-Uhuru Peak (5895 m)-Mweka (3100 m)

Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 7/8 hours to descend to Mweka

Distance: About 7 km ascent - 23 km descent

Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit.

• Rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits, shuffle off into the night. You will head northwesterly and ascend through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim. For many climbers, this 6-hour walk to Stella Point is mentally and physically the most challenging part of the route.

• Stop at Stella Point (5685 m) for a short rest and be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see, weather permitting. From Stella Point, you will typically encounter snow on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here too long, as it will be tough to start again because of the cold and fatigue.

• Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life.

• Begin the walk back to Barafu from the summit, which takes about 3 hours. Here, you will have a well-earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear before heading down to Mweka Camp (3100 m) for dinner and your overnight stay.

Distance: About 15 km

Habitat: Forest

• Eat breakfast, and from Mweka Gate, continue down into Mweka village, which is usually a muddy and long 1-hour walk.

• Drive from Mweka village to Springlands Hotel, where you will be served a delicious hot lunch.

• Proceed to drive back to Moshi for a long-overdue hot shower.

Overnight at Springlands Hotel. Tips will be highly appreciated at the end of the trip and can be given to the guide at the Springlands Hotel. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reach Stella Point (5685 m) are issued green certificates, and those who reach Uhuru Peak (5895 m) receive gold certificates.