Machame Route – One Of Kilimanjaro’s Most Popular Routes To The Summit

• Distance:  About 11km, or 7 miles
• Trekking time: 5 to 7 hours
• Change in elevation: 1,195 meters
• Landscape: Rainforest

The first day of trekking begins with a drive from either Moshi or Arusha to Machame Gate, where trekkers will be introduced to their crew, which includes guides, porters and cooks. Packs are weighed to ensure they don't exceed 20 kilograms, and the porters arrange all the gear needed for the days ahead. Beginning at Machame Gate (1,640 meters), trekkers ascend through a stunning rainforest growing on the southwest face of the mountain. A long day of trekking (5 to 7 hours) ends at Machame Camp (2,835 meters) on the border of the rainforest and the alpine region higher up the mountain. Trekkers arrive to the welcome sight of a fully-assembled camp, and dinner is served.

• Distance:  About 5km, or 3 miles
• Trekking time: 4 to 6 hours
• Change in elevation: 1,015 meters
• Landscape: Rainforest; Low Alpine

Day Two sees trekkers making their way from Machame Camp (2,835 meters) to Shira Camp 2 (3,850 meters). The path takes you through scenic low alpine meadows and moorlands. At Shira Camp 2, trekkers are rewarded with their first views of the Kibo summit, and Mount Meru is visible in the East.

• Distance:  About 11km, or 7 miles
• Trekking time: 5 to 7 hours
• Change in elevation: 750 meters ascent, 700 meters descent
• Landscape: Low Alpine; High Alpine

On Day Three, a long and arduous hike is in store. Ascending from Shira Camp 2 (3,850 meters) to Lava Tower (4,600 meters) in the morning, this is a likely day to begin feeling the effects of the altitude. In the second part of the hike, the trail loses almost all of the altitude gained in the morning before ending at Barranco Camp (3,900 meters). The landscape drifts between low and high alpine zones, which are characterized by grassy moors and barren fields of volcanic rock, respectively.

• Distance:  About 9.5km, or 6 miles
• Trekking time: 8 to 10 hours
• Change in elevation: 780 meters
• Landscape: High Alpine

First thing in the morning on Day Four, trekkers are faced with an arduous scramble up the Barranco Wall, a 257 meter rock face which leads into the Karanga Valley. Once over the wall, the trail meanders towards Karanga Camp (3,960 meters). Eight-day trekkers will stop here for the night, gaining another valuable opportunity for acclimatization before their summit attempt. Trekkers on the six-day and seven-day routes will stop in Karanga Camp for lunch, then continue on towards the Mweka Trail and Barafu Camp (4,680 meters).

• Distance: About 4.5km (3 miles) ascent and 11km (7 miles) descent
• Trekking time: 6 to 8 hours to the summit, followed by 5-8 hours of hiking to Mweka
• Change in elevation: 1,215 meters ascent, 2,795 meters descent
• Landscape: Glacial at the summit, and all preceding zones on the descent

It's summit day! However, you start hiking promptly at midnight. This is the most challenging portion of the entire route. Scrambling up a scree field in the pitch dark, many trekkers find that this is the point in the hike where they really begin to feel the effects of altitude. (It's very important that if you show serious symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness, get help and descend as quickly as possible.) After 6-8 hours of hiking with a headlamp, you should reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5,739 meters). This is not the summit, but it is a good place to stop for some tea and to watch the sunrise. Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro, is another 156 meters higher. To reach it, you must traverse around the rim of the caldera. Keep going, you've already finished the hard part! Once you've taken a few photos on the highest point in Africa, it's time to get going on the descent, which takes you another 7 miles(!) down to Mweka Camp (3,100 meters). To relieve stress on your knees, trekking poles can be very handy on the descent. At the end of the day, the rainforest surrounding Mweka Camp will be welcome relief from the inhospitable environment at the summit.

• Distance:  About 9km, or 5.5 miles
• Trekking time: 3 to 5 hours
• Change in elevation: 780 meters
• Landscape: Rainforest

During the last day on the Machame Route, you will descend gradually through a lush rainforest to Mweka Gate (1,640 meters). If you've reached Stella Point or Uhuru Peak on the previous day, you will be presented with an official certificate at the park gate. It is customary to tip your crew at this point, before your trip back to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha.