Machame route begins on the southern west side of the mountain, the trail passes through some of the mountain finest features including cloud forest of Kili southern slopes, the dry and dusty Shira Plateau and the delightful senecio clad Barranco campsite. We have opportunity to summit at this two side western breach route and Barafu trails and descend in Mweka gate.

Machame is the most beautiful route in Kilimanjaro which was the nicknamed whisky route but you must be physically fit enough to walk about 62 km. This is a tent experience; a more benefit for this route is valuable commodity on the mountain acclimatization. The hiker(s) is rewarded with exquisite scenic wonders, from late afternoon and to sunsets at Shira to the mist revelation of Kibo at the great Barranco wall.

Day 1 – Machame Gate 1800 m – Machame Camp 2835 m

Vegetation Zone: Montana Forest
Distance: 11 km
Hiking Time: 5-6hrs

Pick up in your hotel after getting breakfast and drive from Moshi to Machame gate 1hr. After registration in the gate, porters, cook or chef and guides prepare and pack the supplies youre your equipment and measure to the scale of national park (KINAPA). You start to ascend and enter to the Montana forest where it is likely to rain and make the trail muddy and soggy, after lunch stop in the half way continue to the 3000 m in Machame camp area where your camping crew team and porters arrived before you do will have erected your tent. In the evening the chef will serve you boiled water, dinner, before you retire to your tent for night. Night temperature can already drop to freezing point at this camp site.

Day 2 –Machame Camp 2835 m – Shira Camp 3750 m

Vegetation Zone: Heather Moorland
Distance: ~5 km
Hiking Time 5-6hrs

You wake up early at Machame camp and after getting a breakfast you start to go to Shira Camp. This day is too short but more steep climb north up through forest as slanted. Ahead of you in a distance a lip of Shira plateau 3848 m is seen in the western part. After you continue to the lunch point in the half way you proceed to go 1.5hrs up to the Shira camp. At the Shira camp the chef, porters and camping crew are ready to direct you to the tent and for you to wait for the dinner.

Day 3 –Shira Camp 3750 m via Lava Tower 4600 m – Barranco 3900 m

Vegetation Zone: Alpine Desert & Moorland
Hiking Time: 7-8 hrs

After climbing/trekking through to Alpine desert ascend in the rock, scream path to the lava tower to an altitude of 4600 m at this point of the tough day some climbers start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headache after lunch at the lava tower descent again by almost 680 m to the Barranco Camping area. This is the opportunity to take some beautiful photograph of the western Breach and Breach wall. The camp is situated in the valley by Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner. This is day for acclimatization

Day 4 –Barranco Camp 3900 m – Barafu Camp 4673 m

Vegetation Zone: Alpine Desert
Distance: 10 km
Hiking Time: 7-8hrs

After spending a night at Barranco you are now making your way up, this is an awesome looking obstacle which in the normally turns out easier than what you anticipated Topping out just below the Heim Glacier. You now appreciated just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley, the last water point on the route over intervening ridges and valleys before it joins up with the Mweka, the preferred route down the summit.

Barafu is a Swahili word which means ice and you ascend up to ridge to 4673 m high Barafu camp to spend the night exposed to the over present gates in tents pitched on narrow and stony ridge.

Day 5 –Barafu Camp 4673 m – Uhuru Peak 5895 m – Mweka 3100 m

Vegetation zone: Scree and Ice-Capped Summit
Hiking Time: 5-6 hrs to Uhuru Peak / 4hrs to Mweka

Leaving around midnight 23.00 23.30 to ascend through heavy scree to Stella Point (5568 m) on the crater rim, stop for a short rest and weather permitting to experience the most magnificent sunrise you are very likely to see. Then start your summit attempt ascending for about 2hrs to Uhuru Peak 5895 m, the highest point in Africa. Enjoy stunning views of ice wall, and then descend back to rest before heading down to Mweka camp (3100 m) to overnight in the upper rain forest.

Day 6 –Mweka Camp 3100 m – Mweka Gate 1640 m

Vegetatio Zone: Forest
Distance ~10 km
Hiking Time: 3hrs

After an early and well deserved breakfast follows a short 3hrs and scenic hike back to Mweka Park gate. It is strongly recommended to pay tips to the porters and guide(s) as you were requested by KiliSmile Trails.

Those who reached Stella Point and Uhuru Peak are awarded with Certificates. Then transfer back to your hotel for a long overdue and hot shower with time to relax.

This will be the end of your lemesho route 6 days experience. We welcome you to review our safari packages.