07 DAYS KILIMANJARO MOUNTAIN TREKKING VIA MACHAME ROUTE

Today after breakfast, leave the hotel and drive to Machame gate. After paper work at the gate, start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very foggy, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a welcome lunch stop about half way and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon. Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have your tent set up on your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can drop to freezing at this Machame campsite. Be prepared for this. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast climb an hour or so to the top of the forest. Next there will be a 2-hour gentle uphill gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction. This will be a view of the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, and then serve dinner. The night at this exposed camp will be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding the “Lava Tower” where you reach an altitude of 4630m after a 5-hour walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). This will be the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point where some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches. After lunch you descend almost 680m to the Barranco camping. As this camping area is lower than the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, you will experience acclimation benefits. This is a proven method to help climbers adjust to the altitude of Kilimanjaro. The descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which could provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner and overnight at Barranco Camp site. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall, you will proceed to make your way up this awesome looking obstacle. Hikers find that in the end this normally turns out easier than anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you will now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley crossing the last water point over intervening ridges and valleys and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, Overnight at Karanga Valley Camp. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

After breakfast at the Karanga valley camp, you will walk a ridge and enter a cold desert for about 4 hours and then reach the Barafu Hut. Crews will collect water from the last water stop at Karanga Valley in morning, as there is no water at Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice” as it is a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents as this is a dangerous area. The summit is now 1345m above you, and you will make the final ascent tonight. Prepare your equipment, ski stick, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. Make sure and replace the batteries in your headlamp and camera and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing, it would be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed around 7 PM and try to get some good. Try not to sleep more than 5 hours. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

You will rise around 11:30 PM and have some hot tea and biscuits before you shuffle off into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella point is for many climbers the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trip. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you will witness in your lifetime (weather permitting). From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow to Uhuru Peak (2-hour ascent). The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment as this is a day to remember for the rest of your life. The walk back to Barafu from the summit will take about 3 hours. Here you will have a well-earned but short rest. You will then collect the rest of your gear before heading down to Mweka Camp (3100m). This route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared. Drinking water, soft drinks, chocolate, and beer is available from the camp office if you so desire. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

After Hot breakfast from in Mweka Campsite you will start walking slowly towards the mountain gate the walk takes about 3hours to get to the Mweka campsite where our driver will pick you and transfer you to Arusha for overnight at Gold Crest Hotel for an overnight. Meal plan: Bed, and Breakfast Included.

THE PRICE ABOVE INCLUDES

• All the park fees

• Transfers from the airport

• 02 nights’ accommodation (BB) before and after the trekking

• Camping fees

• All meals and accommodation as per itinerary

• Camping facilities tents, table, chairs, mess tent

• Rescue fees

• Guiding fees

• Porters’ salaries

• Cook allowances

• Conservation fees

• Local government taxes

• Transfers to and from the mountain gate

• clean water daily

THE PRICE ABOVE EXCLUDES

• International airfare & Visa fees

• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages

• All items of a personal nature e.g., telephones

• Sleeping bags

• Personal trekking gears

• Tipping and gratuities to the safari guide

• Travel insurance