Machame Route – A Popular and Well Profiled Kilimanjaro Route - Africa Natural Tours ( africanaturaltours.com )
Machame
Route – A Popular and Well Profiled Kilimanjaro Route:Africa Natural Tours
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Machame
Route is one of the most popular routes on Mount Kilimanjaro.According to
statistics from Kilimanjaro National Park approximately 50% of trekkers use the
Machame Route to ascend Kilimanjaro. The route is very scenic, providing hikers
with incredible views and varying landscapes.
The
Machame route is relatively difficult as climbers need to be able to ascend the
Barranco
Wall on day four and contend with a
steep incline up Kibo on summit night. That being said, there are no parts on
the route that require any technical climbing skills.
The
total Machame route distance is approximately 62 kilometers from gate to gate.
One
can complete the Machame route on a 6 or 7 day itinerary. Both options include
a climb high, sleep low acclimatisation day.
Day-by-day Machame Route Itinerary
Day 1 – Machame Gate (1,640 meters) to Machame Camp (2,835
meters)
Distance: ~11km / 7 miles
Trekking time: 5-7 hours
Zone: Rainforest
The
first day trekking begins at Machame Gate (1,640 meters). Typically you will
drive from the town of Moshi or Arusha to the gate, which takes approximately
an hour for the former and two hours for the latter. On the way you will get to
see subsistence farming and the town of Machame. At the Gate you will meet your
trekking crew – your guide, porters and cook.
There will be a flurry of activity as porters assemble gear for the trek;
weighing packs to ensure they don’t exceed 20 kilograms. You, your guide and
climbing team will in the meantime begin the ascent through the stunning
rainforest that covers the South-West of the mountain. The first day trek on
the Machame Route is a long one (~11km / 7miles) and takes approximately 5-7
hours to complete. Most tour operators will provide a packed lunch on route and
2-3 litres of bottled water. This is the only bottled water you will receive.
From here on porters will collect water from mountain streams. The day’s
trekking ends at Machame Camp (2,835 meters) which sits near the border of the
rainforest zone and the low alpine zone. By the time you arrive your porters
will have already setup your camp and tents, and dinner will be served.
Day 2 – Machame Camp (2,835 meters) to Shira Camp 2 (3,850
meters)
Distance: ~5km / 3 miles
Trekking time: 4-6 hours
Zone: Rainforest / Low Alpine Zone
On
day two you will rise early, pack your gear and prepare for the trek from
Machame Camp to Shira Camp 2 (3,850 meters). The trek is relatively steep as
you enter the low alpine zone which is characterised 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. Day two takes
approximately 4-6 hours and covers a distance of 5km / 3miles.
Day 3 – Shira Camp 2 (3,850 meters) to Lava Tower (4,600
meters) and then Barranco Camp (3,900 meters)
Distance: ~11km / 7 miles
Trekking time: 5-7 hours
Zone: Low alpine zone / High alpine zone
Day
three is a long and tough trek East off the Shira Plateau through the ‘Garden
of the Senecios’, up to Lava Tower and the Shark’s Tooth rock formation at
4,600 meters and then back down via the Southern Circuit (see map above) to Barranco
Camp (3,900 meters). The route is approximately 11km / 7 miles in length and
takes 5-7 hours to complete. 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 acclimatisation.
Day 4 – Barranco Camp (3,900 meters) to Karanga Camp (3,960
meters) (and then Barafu Camp – 4,680 meters)
Distance: ~9.5km / 6 miles
Trekking time: 8-10 hours
Zone: High alpine zone
Day
four on the Machame Route begins with a steep traverse up the Barranco
Wall; a 257 meter rock face that
requires basic scrambling skills to the top of the Karanga Valley. The path
then follows a series of inclines and declines to Karanga Camp (3,960 meters).
If you are on a six day trek you will stop for lunch at Karanga Camp and then
continue on along the Southern Circuit until it joins the Mweka Trail up to
Barafu Camp (4,680 meters). For six day trekkers, day 4 takes approximately
8-10 hours to complete and covers 9.5km / 6 miles. When you arrive at Barafu
around mid-afternoon you will be served an early dinner and encouraged to get
some shut-eye as the summit trek commences around 24:00 that night. Note:
Trekkers on the seven day route spend the night at Karanga Camp before
continuing on to Barafu. This additional day is beneficial in terms of acclimatisation.
Day 5 – Barafu Camp (4,680 meters) to Uhuru Peak (5,895
meters) and then Mweka Camp (3,100 meters)
Distance: ~4.5km / 3 miles ascent and then 11km / 7 mile
descent
Trekking time: 6-8 hours to the summit and then 5-8 hours to
Mweka
Zone: Glacial zone and the all preceding zones
Day
five is summit night (and day)! You will be awoken around 23:30 with hot tea
and biscuits. Hopefully you have managed to get a few hours’ sleep; don’t worry
if you haven’t as most people struggle to sleep before summit night. Do however
make sure that all your kit, including warm clothes, headlamp, insulated water
reserves and snacks are ready for a sharp departure at 24:00. The trek up Kibo
is steep and slow. The trick is to keep your momentum moving forward, one step
at a time. It takes about 6-8 hours to reach the top of the crater rim where
you will see the sign for Stella Point (5,739 meters). This is not the summit
of Kilimanjaro. You still have another 156 meters of altitude to walk around
the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters). We recommend resting briefly at
Stella Point and potentially having some hot tea or hot chocolate. Dawn should
be approaching. Take a moment to savour where you have got to and then dig deep
for the energy to push for the summit. Over 60% of climbers stop at Stella
Point but most can make it to the summit if they muster the metal strength to
push through. Obviously if you are experiencing severe AMS symptoms you should descend immediately.
After reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, a 4.5km / 3 mile ascent, you still
have an 11km / 7 mile descent to Mweka Camp (3,100 meters)! The descent can be
very gruelling on your joints. It is recommend you use trekking poles and
potentially wear gaiters to avoid fine glacial scree getting into your boots. Mweka
is situated in the upper part of the rainforest zone. The richness of oxygen
and moisture in the air will be a very welcome surprise.
Day 6 – Mweka Camp (3,100 meters) to Mweka Gate (1,640
meters)
Distance: ~9km / 5.5 miles
Trekking time: 3-5 hours
Zone: Rainforest
Day
six is the final day of trekking on the Machame Route. By now you will be
exhausted and probably only thinking about a hot shower. The trek is a pleasant
one through the lower rain-forested slopes and down to Mweka Gate (1,640
meters). Although you cover 9km / 5.5 miles, the trek only takes 3-4 hours.
Assuming you successfully reach Stella Point or Uhuru Peak you will be
presented with official certificates – a green certificate for the former and a
gold certificate for the latter. It is customary to tip
your trekking crew before being transported back to your hotel
in Moshi or Arusha.
For more information visit www.africanaturaltours.com
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