Ascent of Kilimanjaro by the Machame route

Description

Considered the most accessible route, thanks to its gentle progression and typography adapted to good acclimatization, the Machame route is certainly the most popular route but also the most beautiful and most attractive route to discover. Prepare yourself for beautiful landscapes such as the rainforest and Moorland and see the famous impatience of Kilimanjaro (endemic flower of the region)

During the ascent, luggage is taken to the bivouacs by porters. It is possible to store some of your travel effects at the hotel in Arusha.

Concerning altitude, we are equipped with a hyperbaric chamber during the ascent, but check that you have no contraindications to a stay at high altitude. Do not leave without consulting a doctor especially if your state of health requires regular treatment.

This holiday can be easily coupled with a few days safari and / or climbing Mount Meru if you wish to acclimatize.

Program

D1: Arrival in Kilimanjaro international airport.
Transfer to your hotel in Arusha where you will be met. In the evening, you will be given a briefing to prepare for the climb and check your equipment.

D2: Machame Gate (1811m) - Machame Huts (3021m).
Altitude gained: 1210m.
Distance: 10,75km.
The day begins with a 2 hour drive to get to the park entrance. You then go to the village of Machame and you will see various plantations, mainly banana and coffee.
After the arrival, the registration with the guide and the sorting of the luggage by the porters, the ascension will begin. The hike lasts 5 to 6 hours through the forest.

D3: Machame Huts (3021m) - Shira Cave (3839m).
Altitude gained: 818m.
Distance: 5,3km.
After breakfast, the hike slowly continues with the famous "Pole Pole" to Shira Cave.
3 to 4 hours of walking on a short path but a little difficult where vegetation is more rare.

D4: Shira Cave (3839m) - Barranco Huts (3986m).
Altitude gained: 147m (788m up to Lava Tower then 641m descent to Barranco).
Distance: 10,75 km via Lava Tower.
The day is punctuated by a trail that goes up and down regularly through the dry lands of Moorland. After 4 hours of walking, the 4627m of Lava Towers are reached and it is the moment of acclimatization. 1 hour stop before the descent to the Barranco Valley.

D5: Barranco Huts (3986m) - Karanga Valley (4034m).
Altitude gained: 48m.
Distance: 5,1km.
The Great Barranco Wall more commonly called Breakfast Wall, the steepest part of the day, occurs right at the breach, with a next to upright scramble in some places where you may have to use your hands to pull your body up to the top of the Great Barranco Wall (4219m). Sit on the bare rock, enjoy the views of the great glaciers and of the southern icefield that appears on the left. After rest, enjoy the view of the fairly gentle descent into the attractive gully and cross the small stream that flows through a flat gravel area. Cover up and down the Karanga Valley floor stream (3946m), a very sharp ascent on up to the Karanga Valley Campsite.

D6: Karanga Valley (4034m) - Barafu Camp (4662m).
Altitude gained: 628m.
Distance: 3,4km.
It's the last day before the final climb. After only 4 hours of walking you will arrive at Barafu Camp where you will be able to admire for the first time Mawenzi Peak.
After registering at Barafu Camp, the meal will be served quickly. It will then be nap time.
The last meal will be served at 5pm so that you can go to bed early before your hike to the summit.

D7: Barafu Camp (4662m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Mweka Camp (3106m).
Altitude gained: 1233m.
Distance: 4,86 km.
The final step begins just about midnight, the technique to the peak starts from Barafu by scrambling more the small rock face at the northern end of the camp in the steepest part of the trek. Passing through Kosovo Camp (4863m), the trail ascent to a gravel rim initially walked before taking a sharp left to defeat it and pace along its spine, push to the Stella Point and the crater rim, followed by 45minutes trek up to Uhuru Peak the highest point in Africa. Take few minutes to take pics with the group or your friends, what goes up must come down: that include you, the pathway back is little more than a retracing of your steps of the earlier night, through there is a little faster descending from Stella Point. The whole descent takes about two hours from Stella Point on returning to Barafu Camp. Eat prepared brunch, and take a short break, not more than an hour, then down again for a 6,64km descent to Mweka Huts.

D8: Mweka Camp 3106m - Mweka Gate (1633m).
Altitude lost: 1473m.
Distance: 9,1km.
After breakfast, let's go for a descent to Mweka Gate. After you begin walking down, you will discover yourself in the cloud forest, the boundary with giant heather forest, walking on a fine point between two valleys around the trees grown in height, About two hours after leaving the Camp you will be walking on the start of the roadway for 45 minutes down to Mweka Gate. Mweka is the only descending rout for the Machame, Lemosho, Shira and Umbwe routes. Vehicles will be waiting at the lower station of Mweka Gate to take you back to Arusha.

D9: Arusha - transport to airport.
At any time, depending on your return schedule, a driver will take you back to the airport.

The price includes

• Return transfers from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your hotel.
• Return transfers from the hotel to the park gate.
• 2 nights hotel.
• Meals from D1 dinner to D9 lunch.
• Local supervision: cooks, drivers, porters and guide.
• Collective camping equipment (tents for 2 people + foam mattress).
• Safety equipment: hyperbaric chamber, oxygen tanks and pulse oximeter.
• Entrance, accomodation and rescue fees in Kilimanjaro Park.

Number of people	1	from 2 to 3	from 4 to 7	8 or more
Price per person	3020US$	2290US$	1990US$	1850US$

The price does not include

• Tanzanian visa.
• Flights tickets.
• Airport transfers if you can not get to Kilimanjaro JRO.
• Tips on site.
• Drinks during meals at the restaurant.
• Personal expenses and equipment.
• Optional insurance.
• Bank charges for international tranfers.
• Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".

Accommodation

• Nights in undeveloped bivouac on the slopes of Kilimanjaro.
• Mobile toilet, installed on the camp at your arrival and reserved for your group.
• All the necessary equipment is included (except sleeping bag): cutlery, comfortable foam mattress and igloo tents for 2 people.

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