7 DAYS MACHAME ROUTE MOUNT KILIMANJARO CLIMB

Pre day: Arriving in Tanzania All trekkers need to organize their own flight to Kilimanjaro international Airport [JRO]. From JRO you will be met by our staff and transferred to Moshi in the peaceful surrounds of our comfortable pre and post trek accommodation from where there are great views of the mountain. You can relax by the pool before your briefing with the Guides, who will provide the essential information for your trek to the roof of Africa. The Hotel we are using is between these 1. Parkview inn Hotelhttp://www.pvim.com/ 2. Panama Garden resort https://panamagardenresort.co.tz/ 3. Weruweru River Lodge http://www.weruweruriverlodge.com/ Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp The drive from Moshi to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate takes about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. After finishing registration, we now leave the park gate and walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp for overnight. •Elevation (ft): 5,400ft to 9,400ft •Distance: 11 km •Hiking Time: 6-7 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest -Transport: Private -Accommodation: Camping -Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp After breakfast, we leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. Time for rest, dinner, and overnight at the Shira campsite.It will be colder tonight than the previous night with temperatures possibly falling below freezing. •Elevation (ft): 9,400ft to 12,500ft •Distance: 5 km •Hiking Time: 5-6 hours •Habitat: Moorland -Accommodation: Camping -Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner Day 3: Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day. •Elevation (ft): 12,500ft to 13,000ft •Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 6-8 hours •Habitat: Semi Desert -Accommodation: Camping -Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner Day 4: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp A short but fun and meant for acclimatization, day starting with a scramble to the top of the Great Barranco wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley [390M] beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at Karanga Campsite •Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 13,100ft •Distance: 5 km •Hiking Time: 4-5 hours •Habitat: Alpine Desert -Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner -Accommodation: Camping Day 5: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp After breakfast, we leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position. •Elevation (ft): 13,100ft to 15,300ft •Distance: 4 km •Hiking Time: 4-5 hours •Habitat: Alpine Desert -Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner Accommodation: Camping Day 6: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point (18,600 ft), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep. •Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft) •Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent •Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent •Habitat: Arctic -Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner -Accommodation: Camping Day 7: Mweka Camp to Moshi After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). A vehicle will meet you at Mweka gate to drive you back to hotel in Moshi. •Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft •Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 3-4 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest -Meals: Breakfast -Accommodation: Hotel