RONGAI ROUTEl MACHAMEl
UMBWEl LEMOSHOl
MARANGUl SHIRAl ALL TRAILS 6 DAYS
MACHAME ROUTE.
Duration: 6
Days.
Total hiking
distance: About 100 km.
This is
probably the most beautiful route up Kilimanjaro. All your
equipment
and supplies are carried by porters and a cook prepares all your
meals.
Where accommodation on the Marangu route is in huts, the Machame
route offers strictly tents only. This makes Machame (also referred
to as the "Whiskey route") better suited to the slightly more
adventurous hiker, rewarding him with a scenic splendours such as not
seen on the Marangu route. From late afternoon sunsets at Shira, to
the misty revelations of Kibo at the great Barranco Wall, the
Machame route offers the adventurous hiker a stunning scenic "slide
show" over 6 days. The Machame route is normally completed in a
minimum of 6 days. .
There is an
added benefit to this, as you are afforded the most valuable
commodity on the mountain - acclimatisation. The Machame route takes
you high to Lava Tower (4630m) on the day 3 and brings you down by
nearly 700m for an overnight at Barranco camp (3950m). This is the
secret to successful acclimatisation..
6 Days/5
Nights Itinerary for the Machame route.
The Machame
route can also be completed in 5 days. On day 3 on the itinerary
below, you go directly to Kibo with an overnight at the Arrow
Glacier camp, with your final summating attempt on day 4. An
extremely physically and mentally demanding option, not recommended
for the average climber..
Day 1:
Transfer from Arusha,
Machame Gate
(1490m) - Machame camp (2980m).
Hiking time: 7
hours.
Distance:
About 18 km's.
Habitat:
Montane forest.
Your day
starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and about 1 hour
45-minute drive from Arusha to the Machame village (1490m). The
guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment
in the village. You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy
mineral water in the village. Depending on the condition of the
road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate,
but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete.
After registering at the gate office, you 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 soggy, 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 erected your
tent 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 already
drop to freezing point at this campsite..
Day 2:
Machame camp
(2980m) - Shira camp (3840m).
Hiking time: 6
hours
Distance:
About 9 km's.
Habitat:
Moorland.
You rise early
at Machame camp and after breakfast you climb an hour or so to the
top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler 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, 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 3 840m. The porters will boil
drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this
exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with
temperatures dropping to well below freezing.
Day 3:
Shira (3840m)
- Lava Tower (4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m).
Hiking time: 7
hours
Distance:
About 15 km's
Habitat: Semi
desert.
The route now
turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava
Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours
walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the
rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely, the toughest day
so far. It is normally around this point, where for the first time,
some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness,
irritability and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost
680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high
altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of
this day becomes clear. This 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
should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the
preparation of your dinner.
Day 4:
Barranco camp
(3950m) - Barafu camp (4550m).
Hiking time: 7
hours
Distance:
About 13 km's
Habitat:
Alpine desert
After spending
a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first),
you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end
normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out
just below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how beautiful
Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga
Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with
the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit,
so remember it. Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so,
you reach Barafu Hut.
The last water
stop on the route is the Karanga Valley, as there is no water at
Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for "ice" and 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 familiarise yourself with the
terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a
further 1345m up and you will make the final ascent the same night.
Prepare your equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your
summit attempt. This should include the replacement of your headlamp
and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as
well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry your water in a
thermal flask. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to get some
precious rest and sleep.
Day 5:
SUMMIT
ATTEMPT, Barafu camp (4550m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m)-Mweka (3100m).
Hiking time: 8
hours to reach Uhuru Peak.
7/8 hours to
descend to Mweka.
Distance:
About 7 km's ascent - 23 km's descent.
Habitat: Stone
scree and ice-capped summit.
You will rise
around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits 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, mentally and
physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella Point
(5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the
most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather
permitting). From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow all
the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. 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 and a day to
remember for the rest of your life. The walk back to Barafu from the
summit, takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well earned but
short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to
Mweka hut (3100m). The 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.
Day 6:
Mweka camp
(3100m) - Mweka Gate (1980m).
Hiking time: 3
hours.
Distance:
About 15 km's
Habitat:
Forest
After an early
and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike
back to the Park gate. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details
in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their
summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m)
are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak
(5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will
continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour)
hike. In the Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot
lunch!!
At the Mweka
Gate, meet Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Officials gives you the
Certificate of Achievement.
You now drive
back to Arusha for a long over due hot shower, dinner,
celebrations!!
and Overnight
Extra days Kilimanjaro climb through Machame
route can as well be arranged to suit your preferences.
I TANZANIA I
KENYA I ZANZIBAR I
MAFIA I
KILWA I MOMBASA
l DAR l
ARUSHA l
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