KILIMANJARO MACHAME ROUTE, VIA BARAFU CAMP 7 DAYS 6 NIGHTS ON THE MOUNTAIN

DAY 1 MACHAME GATE (1,815 mt.) ~ MACHAME CAMP (3,000 m)

Departure from Arusha will be at around 8am for the Machame Gate, about 1.5 hours drive. Upon completion of entry formalities, begin walking through the mist on a 4 x 4 track for about an hour into the forest. The track ends, and the trail continues up through the dripping, verdant forest. Trekkers will likely hear the many exotic birds in the canopy above, and many even see black & white colobus monkeys and sykes monkeys as they hike along the forest floor. 

 DAY 2 MACHAME ~ SHIRA CAMP ( 3,840 m)d

Wake early to a steaming cup of tea of coffee served in your tent, and then after breakfast, begin up the steep track through a savannah of tall grasses, and trees of giant Heather and Erica. Scramble around large boulders as you enter the moorland zone, marked by the bizarre lobelia and senecio plants, and volcanic rocks draped with lichen beards which protect wild alpine flowers growing at their bases.

 DAY 3 SHIRA ~ BARRANCO CAMP (13,950 m)

Proceed steadily upward over long ridgelines of high desert about 4 hours, and break for lunch at about 14,500 feet (4,420 mt.). After lunch, continue to Lava Tower, a 300 foot-tall volcanic plug which marks an exposed pass at 15,000 feet (4,600 m). In the afternoon, descend the steep track into the Great Barranco Valley. .

 DAY 4 BARRANCO ~ KARANGA CAMP (3,995 mt.)

Today we trek to Karanga Valley Camp, at 13,000 feet (3,950 mt.), between Barranco and Barafu Camps. This day has proven to be very important for acclimatization.. Kibo’s glaciers loom above to your left and the jagged peaks of Mawenzi jut into the African sky at just under 17,000 feet straight ahead. We reach the Karanga Valley after 3-4 hours of trekking for a hot lunch. 

 DAY 5 KARANGA ~ BARAFU CAMP (4,630 mt.)

From here the trail turns steadily uphill. The temperature will grow colder and the landscape more sparse as we near Barafu Camp. Barafu Camp is set on a small, exposed flat area on a ridge, acting a base camp from which you will make your summit attempt at midnight tonight. Total trekking time is 4-5 hours.

 DAY 6 BARAFU ~ UHURU PEAK(1/5,895 mt.) ~ MWEKA CAMP (3,110 m)

The steaming hot drink will arrive very early on this momentous day. A midnight wake-up call is the start of a juggernaut (12-17 hours of trekking). You begin trekking at 12:30 to 1am.

 DAY 7 MWEKA CAMP ~ MWEKA GATE (1,830 m)

Descend straight to the gate (2-3 hours), where you’ll have lunch and will be awarded climbing certificates.