8 - Days Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via Machame Route

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1:

  Arrival

  

  All adventurers need to sort out their own trips to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). From JRO WildReality Safari will organize a private transport to your lodge/ hotel. That evening or promptly the following morning you will meet Wild Reality Representative and have a full pre-climb preparation. Transport: Private transfer (40 km)

• day 2:

  From Machame Gate to Machame Camp

  

  Breakfast then transfer to Machame Gate (1815 m) at the foot of Kilimanjaro. Registration formalities at the park rangers office then departure for our first day of ascent. The progression is made through a dense forest of giant ferns, rubber trees and ficus trees which gradually give way to tall grass and giant heather. Arrival at the Machame Camp bivouac (3050 m). Transfer: approximately 2 hours. Walking time: about 5 hours. Positive elevation gain: + 1188 m. Overnight: machame camp in the tent with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

• day 3:

  Machame Camp - Shira Camp (3840m)

  

  Continuation towards Shira Camp by a steep path through a savannah of tall grass and volcanic stones. Vegetation is scarce. It is the reign of heather and giant groundsel, ghostly landscapes of lava, caves and streams. If the weather is clear, an extraordinary first sight of Kilimanjaro (Uhuru in the local language) will come across the horizon… Both marvellous and impressive! The track goes along the south-west flank and arrives at the end of the afternoon on the large plateau of Shira (3,840 m). Walking time: around 4.5 hours. Positive altitude difference: + 874 m. Negative drop: - 103 m. Shira camp in the tent with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

• day 4:

  Shira Lava Tower Pass (4600 m) - Barranco Camp (3950 m)

  

  Progress towards Barranco camp via the Lava Tower pass (4,600 m). Here we leave the vegetable ground to enter the mineral kingdom. This is a key step that serves as acclimatization to the altitude. The glacier is above our heads. Then descend to the gigantic canyon of Grand Barranco (3950 m). The giant ragworts are very numerous here, benefiting from the water of the countless surrounding waterfalls. Walking time: about 7 hours. Positive elevation: + 827 m. Negative drop: - 653 m. Barranco camp in the tent with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

• day 5:

  Barranco Camp - Karanga Camp (3995 m)

  

  Progression on a steep ground to the attack of the great wall of Barranco. Without difficulty, we put our hands here and there; the landscapes are superb and you can see the impressive peaks of Kibo and Pointe Mawensi. Arrival in the wild valley of Karanga in a grandiose and lunar landscape due to the many lava flows that Kilimanjaro let escape. Walking time: about 4 hours. Positive elevation: +430m Negative elevation: -350m. Karanga camp in the tent with full board(breakfast, lunch and dinner)

• day 6:

  Karanga Camp - Barafu Camp (4600m)

  

  Then climb up the glacial moraine to Barafu camp (4600 m). This bivouac is installed on the spur which makes the junction with the Marengu and Rongaï routes… It is a real high altitude bivouac strategically well located for the final assault. The views of the Mawensi crater (5149 m) are absolutely spectacular. Walking time: about 3 hours. Positive elevation: +600 m. Barafu camp in the tent with full board(breakfast, lunch and dinner)

• day 7:

  Barafu camp - Summit of Kilimanjaro - Mweka camp (3100 m)

  

  Departure around midnight to arrive at the foot of the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers and embark on a steep climb between these two hanging glaciers; the atmosphere is unreal. At the first light of dawn, arrival on the edges of the crater between the points Stella and Hans Meyer, junction point with the trekkers coming from the Marangu route. You will still have to progress for about an hour, on the often snow-covered ridge of the volcano, to reach the Roof of Africa (5895 m) and contemplate the sunrise. Unique moment, full of emotion and victory.! Then descend to the Barrafu refuge for a rest period, do not stay too long at altitude. you must descend as low as possible… then continue towards Mweka camp (3,100 m). Walking time: around 13 hours. Positive elevation: + 1458 m. Negative drop: - 2929 m. Mweka camp in the tent with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

• day 8:

  Mweka camp - Mweka Gate - Arusha

  

  Descent through the dense equatorial forest towards Mweka Gate (1800 m). Superb descent where you can see colobus monkeys and blue monkeys swinging from vine to vine… arrival at Mweka Gate, graduation if you have successfully climbed then transfer to Moshi town or Arusha and end of trip.