Machame Route – Duration: Six Days
Day 1: Machame Gate (1490m) to Machame Camp (2980m) Gain 1490m
Hiking time: 7 hrs
Distance: Approximately 18 kms
Habitat: Montane forest
Depart Moshi town after breakfast for a 45 minute drive to Machame Village (910m) where your/porters and guides will pack your supplies. Weather and terrain allowing, you can drive up to the Machame Gate. Otherwise a one hour trek to the gate starts here. At the gate you will register and start ascending. This part is usually muddy. You will have lunch mid-way and reach Machame camping area late afternoon where porter will have arrived and erected tents. Overnight at Machame Camp. Night temperatures can drop to freezing point. Therefore ensure you have warm layers.
Day 2: Machame Camp (2980m) – Shira Camp (3840m) Gain 860m
Hiking time: 6 hrs
Distance: Approximately 9 km
Habitat: Moorland
After breakfast, trek for an hour to the forest rim and another 2 hours on a gentle gradient to the moorland where you will have your lunch and rest before continuing across the rocky ridge to Shira Plateau. Overnight at the Shira Campsite (3840m). The camp is more exposed and can even be colder than Machame camp.
Day 3: Shira (at 3840m) to Lava Tower (at 4630m) Gain 790m then to Barranco Camp (at 3950m) lose 680m
Hiking time: 7hrs
Distance: Approximately 15 km
Habitat: Semi-desert
So far this is the toughest day and most clients start to feel the effects of altitude at this stage and thus the need for ascending and descending to allay any symptoms.
The route turns east into a semi desert and rocky terrain around the Lava Tower. After about 5hrs walk with lunch in between and a short rest you start to descend by 680m to the Barranco camping area. The camp is situated in a valley and this is one of the most scenic spots on the climb.
Evening at ease. Dinner and overnight at Barranco Campsite.
Day 4: Barranco camp (3950m) – Barafu camp (4550m) – Gain 600m
Hiking time: 7hrs
Distance: Approximately 13 km
Habitat: Alpine desert
After the night at scenic Barranco you make your way up and below the Heim Glacier. At this point the sight is just breath taking. The route now goes down through the Karanga Valley across intervening ridges and valleys and then joins the Mweka route. Mweka route is mostly the preferred route from Uhuru Peak (summit). On the left up the ridge and for another hour you reach Barafu Hut. Barafu is Swahili for ice and the night weather is a bit hostile most of the time.
From the Barafu tents the summit is another 1345m up and the final summit ascent is on the same night. On this night clients go to bed early and get up at midnight for the final ascent.
Day 5: (Summit attempt) Barafu camp (4550m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Gain 1345m and down to Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: 8hrs to reach Uhuru Peak, 7 – 8hrs to descend to Mweka
Distance: Approximately 7 km ascent – 23 km descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit.
Wake up at 2330hrs and after tea and biscuit, start a 6 hour ascent to Stella Point (5685m). For most climbers this is the most challenging part of the climb. On a good day, sunset greets you at the Stella and it is the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. After Stella Point you will encounter snow during the 2 hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. At this point you will have conquered the Kili! Do not stay for too long at the summit due cold and fatigue! The walk back to Barafu takes about 3 hours. You will have a short rest, collect your gear and trek down through the easier Mweka route to the Mweka Camp (3100m).
Day 6: Mweka camp (3100m) – Mweka Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3hrs
Distance: Approximately 15 km
Habitat: Forest
After breakfast start an easy 3 hour scenic hike back to the park gate. Sign and receive your certificates for those who summited and those who reached Stella Point. From Mweka Gate you have one final trekking hour to Mweka Village where you will be served hot lunch and be driven back to Moshi or Arusha for a well-deserved rest.
Congratulations!
Marangu Route – Five Days , Four Nights
For normal physically fit persons, Marangu is generally the most popular and common route. It is the only one with permanent huts. Accommodation on other routes is mainly camping in mountain tents.
Day 1: Marangu Gate, 6,069.5ft (1850m) to Mandara Hut, 8,858ft (2,700m)
Arrive at Marangu Gate by private transfer from Arusha. Introduction to your guide/porters. Park registration before starting your trek for approximately three to four hours through the rain forest. Enjoy picnic lunch along the route to Mandara. Leisure time with hot refreshments upon arrival. Late afternoon walk to the Maundi Crater for acclimatization followed by dinner and overnight at the Mandara Hut.
Day 2: Mandara Hut, 8,858ft (2,700m) to Horombo Hut 12,139ft (Alt. 3,700m)
After breakfast, start climbing through the Giant Savannah semi-rainforest and lobelias for approximately four to five hours with picnic lunch along the route to Horombo Hut. Arrive late afternoon. Enjoy refreshments with later evening walk along the Mawenzi Route to as far as you wish for acclimatization purposes. Descend back to Horombo Hut for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Horombo Hut, 12,139ft (3,700m) to Kibo Hut, 15,420ft (4,700m)
After breakfast, start climb with picnic lunch along the route through the semi-desert areas and small glaciers, experiencing sunny and windy conditions for approximately six to seven hours. Arrive at the Kibo Hut for dinner and short night sleep (approximately 12:00 midnight.) Wake-up call and final preparation for ascent to the summit.
Day 4: Kibo Hut, 15,420ft (4,700m) to Gilman’s Point, 18,373ft( 5600m) or to Uhuru Peak, 19,340.5ft (5895m).
For final ascent of six to seven hours start as early as 01:00am trekking in a zig-zag pattern through the thick glaciers and sandy areas up to Gilman’s Point. If you wish to continue to the Uhuru Peak (the highest Peak in Africa) trek approximately two more hours. After signing and a short rest, begin slow descent to Kibo Hut for breakfast and rest for approximately one hour. Descend slowly down to Horombo Hut for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: After breakfast, final descent via Mandara Hut for a hot lunch arriving at the Kilimanjaro Park Gate (Marangu Gate) between 12:00noon and 16:00pm. After saying goodbye to your guide/porters, transfer to Arusha.
NOTE: A six day climb is often booked for those wanting to acclimatize. Accommodation for this extra night is at Horombo Hut on the way up.
Lemosha Route – Duration: 6 Days
The Lemosho route up the Shira plateau is a remote and little used route. On this route, you might be accompanied by an armed guard on the first day as the forest may have buffaloes, elephants and other grazers.
Day 1: Drive from Moshi town (910m) to Londorossi Gate (2100m)
Forest trek to and through the Lemosho glades (2100m) with packed lunch en route to the Mti Mkubwa campsite (2750m). The trek takes 3 hours, arriving late afternoon.
Rest, dinner and overnight at the Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) Campsite.
Altitude gain: 650m.
Day 2: After breakfast at the Mti Mkubwa Camp (2750m), trek for about an hour to the forest edge into the steeper moorland zone. Cross several streams across the Shira Plateau. This day you trek for about 6 hours gaining an altitude of 1090m. Camp near a stream at the Shira 2 Camp (3840m). Rest, dinner and overnight at the Shira 2 Campsite. Temperatures can fall to below zero C.
Day 3: Start day after breakfast from Shira Camp (3840m) and enter into a dry and rocky terrain to an altitude of 4650m. Approximately 5hrs trek. Lunch is served a short distance from the Lava Tower (4650m) before descending by 680m for acclimatization after having gained 810m. This is the toughest day so far and signs of altitude may be witnessed. The descent helps alleviate any symptoms. The descent to the Barranco Camp takes about 2 hours and is very scenic. The camp is located in a valley (3950m). Watch the beautiful sunset as you relax in readiness for dinner and overnight.
Day4: After breakfast at the great Barranco Camp(3950m), trek to the alpine desert vegetation and across the Heim Glacier through the Karanga Valley crossing valleys and ridges to the junction that joins the Mweka route – the preferred route down. Karanga Valley is the last water spot as you ascend to the Barafu (ice) Camp at (4550m). At the Barafu Camp you will have gained 600m after about a 7 hour trek. The exposed camp is a challenge. Ensure you familiarize with the terrain. The summit is about 1345m from there. You will need to sleep as early as 1900 hrs to wake at midnight for the final ascent.
Day 5: Start at midnight from the Barafu Camp (4550m). Trek in the night for 6 hours to Stella Point (5685m) on the crater rim in time for a magnificent view of sunrise, weather permitting. Catch a short rest here after a physically and mentally exhausting climb. Start another 2 hour final ascent to the peak through snow! Enjoy your accomplishment so far at achieving 5895m. Don’t stay too long at the summit due to cold and fatigue. You will need the energy for the next 23kms descent to Mweka Hut. The walk back to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours. Get some rest as you pick up your gear for the descent to Mweka Hut (3100m) at the upper forest.
Day 6: After a restful night and breakfast, take an easy 3 hour trek down to the gate, sign your names and get your certificates – green certificates for reaching Stella or gold for Uhuru peak! From the gate you continue another 1 hour down to the Mweka village for lunch and drive back to Moshi/Arusha. You will have conquered the highest point in Africa!
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