Climb Mount Kilimanjaro: 7 Days Machame Route

Moshi to Machame Camp

The first day trekking begins at Machame Gate normally one hour’s drive from Moshi lies the gate to the Machame route. At the Gate you will meet your trekking crew, your guide, porters and cooker. There will be a flurry of activity as porters assemble gear for the trek, where we complete park formalities. The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rainforest. This path is less well-trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot.

Machame Camp

Machame Camp to Shira Camp

The trek is relatively steep as you enter the low alpine zone which is characterized by moorlands and grasslands. Shira Camp 2 sits on a plateau which provides you with the first views of Kibo in the North-West and Mount Meru in the East.

Shira Camp

Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), Although you end the day at a very similar elevation to when you started from Shira Camp, it is arguably one of the most important days on your trek as it gives you a chance to climb high and sleep low which is important for proper acclimatization.

Barranco Camp

Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Day four starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m.

Karanga Camp

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Day five is summit night (and day)! We start off at around midnight. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope.

Barafu Camp

Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak

We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. Before finally heading down to Mweka Camp for a long well-earned rest.

Mweka Hut