9-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Machame Route Trek to Uhuru Peak

• Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport.
• Pick up and transfer to Kizumba House or a similar property for an overnight bed and breakfast stay.

Overnight at Kizumba House (bed and breakfast) or similar.

• Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast.
• Drive for about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Arusha to Machame Park Gate.
• Receive a packed lunch box at the gate. Bottled water is available for purchase at Kizumba House in Arusha.
• After registering at the gate office, begin the ascent by entering the rainforest.
• There is a possibility of rain in the forest, which can make the trail soggy, muddy, and slippery.
• In the evening, the porters will boil drinking and washing water.
• The cook will prepare dinner before you retire to your tent for the night.
• Night temperatures can drop to freezing point at Machame Camp.

Altitude: 1,800 m - 3,100 m

Hiking distance: 11 km

Hiking time: 6 hours

• You rise early at Machame Camp.
• After breakfast, climb for an hour to the top of the forest.
• Experience a gentler gradient through the moorland zone for about 2 hours.
• After a short lunch and rest, continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau.
• From here, you can see the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers to the east.
• Now due west of Kibo, after a short hike, you will reach Shira Camp at 3,840 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 night, with temperatures dropping well below freezing.

Altitude: 3,100 m - 3,840 m

Hiking distance: 5 km

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

• The route turns east, exposing you to a semi-desert and rocky landscape around Lava Tower.
• Reach an altitude of 4,630 m after about a 5-hour walk.
• Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4,600 m).
• This will be the toughest day so far. Some climbers may start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches around this point.
• After lunch, descend by almost 680 m to the Barranco camping area.
• The true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear after reaching the high altitude of 4,600 m at Lava Tower.
• The descent to Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and provides great opportunities for beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall.
• The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, offering a memorable sunset while you wait for dinner and your overnight stay at Barranco Camp.

Altitude: 3,840 m - 3,940 m

Hiking distance: 11 km

Hiking time: 7-8 hours

• After breakfast, leave Barranco Camp and hike up the Barranco Wall, which takes about an hour.
• Continue on to Karanga Camp, which translates to "Peanut camp".
• This path includes varying ascents and descents, providing a perfect opportunity for an afternoon hike and acclimatization to your new surroundings.

Altitude: 3,940 m - 4,035 m

Hiking distance: 6 km

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

• Totally exposed to ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge.
• Familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid accidents.
• The summit is now a further 1,345 m up, and you will make the final ascent the same night.
• Prepare your equipment, ski sticks, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt.
• This should include replacing your headlamp and camera batteries, and ensuring you have a spare set available.
• To prevent freezing, it is wise to carry your water in a thermal flask.
• Go to bed at about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep, but remember not more than 5 hours of sleep.

Altitude: 4,035 m - 4,670 m

Hiking distance: 4 km

Hiking time: 3-4 hours

• Rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits, begin the ascent into the night.
• Head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through the heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim.
• This 6-hour walk to Stella Point is often the most mentally and physically challenging on the route.
• At Stella Point (5,685 m), take a short rest and enjoy a magnificent sunrise, weather permitting.
• From Stella Point, encounter snow all the way on a 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak.
• The time spent on the summit depends on weather conditions. Do not linger too long due to the difficulty of starting again in the cold and fatigue.
• Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life.
• The walk back to Barafu from the summit takes about 3 hours. Have a well-earned but short rest at Barafu before collecting the rest of your gear.
• Head down to Mweka Camp for dinner and overnight.

Altitude: 4,670 m - 5,895 m - 3,100 m

Hiking distance: 17 km

Hiking time: 15+ hours

• After breakfast, continue down to Mweka Gate and then into Mweka village, typically a muddy 1-hour walk.
• From Mweka village, drive to Kizumba House, where a delicious hot lunch will be served and you can enjoy a long-overdue hot shower.
• Overnight at Kizumba House.
• Tips are recommended and highly appreciated at your discretion, and should be given to the guide at Kizumba House.
• This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those who reached Stella Point (5,685 m) receive green certificates, and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) receive gold certificates.

Altitude: 3,100 m - 1,800 m

Hiking distance: 10 km

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

• After an early breakfast, transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your departure flight back home.