Kilimanjaro trek - a climb to the roof of Africa

Views and Vistas
Mount Kilimanjaro rises majestically from the high Tanzanian plains and with an elevation of 5895 metres or 19,000 feet from its base; it is the tallest "free-standing mountain rise in the world". The mountain top provides a dramatic view of the surrounding plains.

Kilimanjaro - the dormant volcano
This immense, dormant volcano stands as a silent sentinel keeping watch over the fauna of East Africa. "Kili" is in fact made up of three different craters:

• The little Shira in the west
• Mawenzi in the east and
• The enormous cone of Kibo, in the centre. The summit of the Kibo is Uhuru Peak (19,000 feet).

This peak, set in a spectacular background of hanging glaciers, is the goal of all climbers.

Choosing the pathway to the top
The Marangu route is the easiest and most classic climb but unfortunately, it is also the most frequented.

For this reason, we propose Machame route, a more natural and less crowded route of roughly the same level of difficulty as the normal route.

The Machame route offers many advantages:

• Six days of actual climbing - which means climbers acclimatise better;
• Different routes for climbing and descending offering a change of scenery and finally;
• Wilder and more varied scenery.
• As there are no huts on this route, the accommodation is under canvas. The advantage is that climbers do not find themselves in overcrowded dormitory style huts.

Furthermore, veteran climbers who have done both routes, maintain that they got a complete feeling of accomplishment when doing the Machame route as compared to the Marangu route.

Welcome to the experience of trekking to the Roof of Africa -

Machame Route - 6 Days/5 Nights on the mountain.

Climbing on this route does not present any particular technical difficulty. However, compared to Marangu, this route is slightly more difficult as the daily treks are somewhat longer and the nights are spent under canvas instead of huts. This route is more scenic and a lot less crowded than Marangu.

Reaching the top of the summit should not pose difficulties for people who are physically fit and mentally prepared.

The itinerary is as follows:

Stage I - Arusha - Machame. Ascent to Machame Camp at 10,000 feet
On Day One, you will leave in the morning at around 0800 hours for Machame village where the climb commences. From the village, you will walk up to the park entrance and then walk for approximately six hours through the dense forest of rubber trees and giant fig trees. Along the way, you will also see begonia flowers and other tropical vegetation. After a while, the tropical forest gives way to tall grasses and giant heather. Your camp will be set up near the old metal huts which were once used for shelter.

Stage II - Machame - Shira. Ascent to Shira Camp at 12,200 feet
On Day Two, you will be woken up in the morning with a steaming cup of tea or coffee at around 0600 hours. When the weather is good, you will be able to see the Uhuru peak in all its glory. The day's trekking will take you through a steep track through the Savannah of tall grasses, volcanic rock and bearded heather.

You will then encounter giant groundsels, tall and majestic - seemingly guarding untouched treasures! The steep path will lead you through a ghostly landscape of volcanic lava, caves and foamy streams framed by the giant groundsels. You will reach the Shira plateau three to four hours later. The camp is at roughly 13,000 feet. By the time you reach Shira Camp, you would have walked for about six hours.

Stage III - Shira - Barranco, Ascent to Barranco Camp 12,500 feet
On Day Three, once again you will awaken to a hot beverage and bracing atmosphere. Below you lies the entire Shira plateau. The day's walk will take you steadily up to the pass at Lava Tower (at 15,000 feet). You then descend towards Barranco Camp. The descent will take you along an immense canyon called the Grand Barranco, where you will encounter the groundsels once again. There are numerous tiny waterfalls, fed by streams coming from the mountain, which converge here to form a river. The camp is set up here at almost the same altitude as the night before. The day's trek is again about six hours.

Stage IV - Barranco - Barafu., Ascent to Barafu Camp 15,200 feet
Day Four: This is yet another six-hour walk leading you to the Barafu Camp which is almost at the same level as Lava Tower. At Stage Four, you will begin to do some real climbing at the Barranco Cliff (it is not difficult) and your trek will generally be up and down on the slopes of the mountain most of the way. You will stop for lunch at the Karanga Valley and then from there to the camp, it will be mostly a climb with a view of the Mawenzi peak towering majestically to their right and Kibo peak overhead seemingly just out of reach. This is a good day for climbers to turn in early as the next day's climb is the longest one.

Stage V - Barafu-Summit-Mweka, Descent to Mweka Camp at 10,200 feet
Day Five will begin very early. You will be woken up at midnight to begin your ascent at around 0100. The temperatures range between -15 to -20° C. You will make your way up along a winding path flanked by the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers. The walk between these glaciers is truly surreal. After about six hours of walking, you will approach the edge of the crater, between Stella and Hans Meyer points. The Summit will be reached after a further hour. You are now atop the tallest peak in Africa, over 19,000 feet. Enjoy this moment.



After savouring the mountain peak, you will begin to descend for about three hours until you reach the Kibo Hut where you will have that well earned rest and refreshments. Then you move onwards to Mweka camp for the night. The total trekking time on this day is about 13 to 16 hours.

Stage VI - Mweka -Gate - Arusha
From the camp to the gate, is a four to five hours' walk. You will walk through the same kind of forest as the one you encountered on the way up. On arrival at the gate, you will have lunch and then will be transferred to Arusha.

Now you are back at your hotel and at the end of the Kilimanjaro trekking experience.