Kilimanjaro: Machame Route

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Conquer the highest peak in Africa – Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro

Trek the amazing Machame Route to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest point. At high altitude, it’s a challenging journey through uniquely varied terrain. Camp out at night and enjoy incredible scenery along the way. Then at the very top of Uhuru Peak, rising 5,896m above sea level, feel the exhilaration of achievement and marvel at the incredible views.

Highlights

Size up mighty Mt Kilimanjaro from the lush tropical surrounds Marangu
Travel with a group of experienced guides and porters with 1 guide for every 2 passengers
Spy hiding monkeys and colourful bird species flitting through the rainforest
Spend a night camped out on the Shira plateau
Marvel at the Hiem, Kersten and Rebmann glaciers
Catch a dazzling sunrise from Stella Point on your way to summit Africa’s highest mountain peak
Intrepid are an official partner of IMEC’s Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP). This means all Intrepid climbs have been assessed and scored based on a number of criteria, all of which are designed to ensure the proper treatment of porters on the Mountain.

Itinerary

Day 1: Marangu
Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your hike begins in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Marangu. The hotel is a short walk from the village’s bustling market and some excellent coffee shops, if you arrive early, perhaps check out the beautiful waterfalls and ancient Chagga caves located nearby. This evening, fuel up on a hearty dinner and get a good night’s rest ready to start your climb tomorrow. (D)

Day 2: Machame Camp
Meet your guides and porters after breakfast and take the opportunity to organise your gear before setting off on a 1-hour transfer by road to the Macheme Gate – the south western entrance to the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. On the way, stop into one of the clothes lending offices of Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Projects and learn how their program, supported by the Intrepid Foundation, is assisting porters. Each hiker has a personal porter and there are extra porters for the food, etc. Begin your walk around lunch time, starting with a pleasant stroll through the rainforest, where many species of brightly coloured birds can be seen, before setting up camp at Machame in the mid-aftenoon ready for your first night on Kilimanjaro. The huts fell into disrepair some years ago, so with the help of the porters you will set up tents for the night. Enjoy an evening meal prepared by the porters and savour the first night of sleeping outdoors. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Shira Camp
Your second day on the mountain takes you out of the rainforest and up a steep ridge into moor land. Watch as the vegetation grows sparser as you ascend along the path to the Shira Plateau – soon, several distinct species, including the giant groundsel and lobelia, will be the only plants dominating the harsh landscape. Spend the night camping on the edge of the plateau and be treated to a golden sunset over the snow-dusted peaks of Kibo. (B, L, D)

Day 4: Barranco Camp
Enjoy a fantastic walk as you continue through the rolling landscape and deep river valleys. The undulating landscape offers a great chance to acclimatise and as you ascend to the more rugged areas of the mountain, there are great views of the Kibo Massif and its magnificent surrounds. Tonight is spent at Barranco Camp. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Karanga Valley
Today is an important acclimatisation day as you’re only going to be walking during the morning. First, climb the Barranco Wall (not a technical climb) and then follow the Kibo South Circuit. If the weather is clear, you can expect to have some magnificent views of Kibo’s southern glaciers. Arrive at your camp around lunchtime and rest your legs as you enjoy great views by the river in the Karanga Valley. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Barafu Camp / Uhuru Peak
From Karanga, head up to the intersection of the South Circuit and the Mweka route where you’ll start climbing up a ridge to Barrafu Hut. Barrafu is Swahili for ‘ice’ – it can be very cold here at night!

You should arrive at Barrafu around late lunchtime, allowing plenty of time to rest before the final summit attempt. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Uhuru Peak / Millennium camp or Mweka camp
At around midnight you’ll be woken by the guides with some hot tea and biscuits to give you energy before the long, difficult ascent up scree, and sometimes snow, to Stella Point (5780 metres). Pass the giant Rebmann Glacier en route and hopefully arrive at Stella Point in time for sunrise and superb views of the crater, the glacier glistening in the morning sun, and maybe even of the world around. From Stella it’s a further 1-hour hike along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5896 metres), the highest point in Africa. From the summit, take in unforgettable views of the crater, the ice fields and the vast and distant East African plains below. After photos and back-patting, begin your descent. Back at Barafu Camp, enjoy a well-earned lunch and much thicker air! After lunch, continue on to Mweka Camp for the night and have a well-deserved rest. (B, L, D)

Day 8: Marangu
Today you’ll continue to descend the mountain, traversing alpine meadows and rainforest to the Mweka park gate. From Mweka Camp to the Mweka gate, trek for 10 kilometres (approximately 3-4 hours) descending a total of 1300 metres (4300 feet). Enjoy some lunch after checking out of the park and then transport back to the hotel for a relaxing shower – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days! Tonight, gather with your trekking companions for one last meal and relive and share your experiences of the past six days on the mountain. (B, L, D)

Day 9: Marangu
You are free to depart at any time today after breakfast. (B)

Inclusions

Meals: 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners
Transport: Minibus
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities) (6 nights), Hotel (2 nights)

TIN-YKXA

Images courtesy of IntrepidGroup

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Kilimanjaro: Machame Route

Conquer the highest peak in Africa – Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro

Highlights

Itinerary

Inclusions

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