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Machame Route |
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| On the Machame Route, accommodation is in tents carried by your porters. There is no running water at the campsites - although warm water is provided for washing. Nonetheless, the spectacular views on this route more than compensate for any minor discomfort.
If you are comfortable with camping, sleeping in the tents only adds to the amazing experience on the mountain.
Please email us if you have any questions.
|  | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - DAY 1
| | | | | | | | | Day 1 on the Machame Route starts with a short bus ride from the hotel in Moshi to the Machame Gate. Here you sign in and give your gear to the porters. All you need to carry is what you need for the day - waterproofs, camera, water bottle and a packed lunch.
We walk through the rainforest, on fairly well maintained paths for around 6 hours to the Machame Huts at 3000m.
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| | | | | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - DAY 2
| | | | | | | | On Day 2, we move above the rainforest into the Moorland area. Here the vegetation gradually becomes more sparse as we move higher. After around 5 or 6 hours of walking, we will eventually reach the Shira Hut at 3840m where we spend the night.
| |  | | | | | | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - DAY 3
| | | | | | | | Day 3 climbs through exposed rocky terrain and can be very hot on a sunny day. Many people find this day difficult as you reach 4600m at Lava Tower, so it is best to take it slow. You should reach Lava Tower after around 5 hours. If you are fit and feeling OK, climbing to the top of Lava tower gives magnificent views. From here it is 3 hours downhill to Barranco Camp at 3950m. Having been to 4600m, sleeping lower will help with your acclimatisation.
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[click to enlarge]
| | | | | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - DAY 4
| | | | | | | | Day 4 takes us from Barranco Camp to the Karanga Valley. This is an additional day on the regular Machame itinerary which we recommend for acclimatisation. The day starts with a very steep scramble up the Barranco wall. This may take around 2 hours. However, this is followed by a far easier easy walk to the Karanga Valley, where only the last 200m into the camp is steep.
Here we spend the night at approx 4100m.
| |  | | | | | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - DAY 5
| | | | | | | | Day 5 is a fairly short day that takes us from the Karanga Valley to the Barafu Camp at 4600m. This is our base camp for the summit attempt tonight, and the same altitude as Lava Tower on Day 3. Hopefully the extra days spent walking around from Lava Tower have enabled you to acclimitise. You will probably arrive around lunch time, giving you plenty of time to rest before attempting the summit tonight.
| |  | | | | | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - SUMMIT NIGHT
| | | | | | | | Your guide will wake you up at around 11pm for a quick bite to eat before preparing to leave for the summit. You should walk very slowly tonight to maximise your chances of reaching the summit without feeling too sick from the altitude.
This is definitely the most challenging part of the mountain, particularly the last 200m to Stella Point on the rim of the volcano crater. You should reach Stella Point at around sunrise for a truly spectacular view.
From here it is another hour to the highest part, Uhuru Peak at 5895m. It can be windy and very very cold (-10C or lower), so it is important to have good equipment to keep you warm.
After a few photos at the summit, you head back down to Barafu Camp before continuing the long walk to Mweka Hut at 3100m. By now it may be 6pm, making it a very long day, but a day you will always remember.
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| | | | | | | | MACHAME ROUTE - DAY 7
| | | | | | | Day 7 is the final trek down the mountain to the Mweka Gate. You will be driven from here back to the hotel in Moshi. Don't forget to tip your guides and porters! | | | | | | | Please email us if you have any questions at all.
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Machame Route
