Machame Route : A popular Kilimanjaro Hiking Route : The Machame path is certainly the busiest on the mountain due to its high success rate and attractiveness. You have an amazing trek over the course of 7 days and a great chance of summiting successfully.
The ascent starts at Machame Gate, 1800 meters above sea level, with an approach to the mountain’s south-west. On the first day, it travels through a magnificent rainforest before continuing upward to Shira Camp, where the Lemosho route connects from the west. From here, you must travel around the mountain’s southern flank to Barranco via the Lava Tower before ascending the Great Barranco Wall to reach Barafu Camp. Instead of going back the way you came, you will take the Mweka trail down once you’ve reached the summit.
The Machame route is known as the “Whiskey Path” because it is seen as being more challenging than the Marangu route, which is known as the “Coca Cola Route.” In actuality, it is longer and, at some points, steeper than it is technically challenging. A considerably better chance of acclimatization is provided by the longer distance and the chance to “walk high, sleep low,” which leads to a very high success rate, Machame Route : A popular Kilimanjaro Hiking Route
For people who haven’t hiked much at high elevations, the Machame route is a decent seven-day trip with an effective extra day of acclimatization, improving success rates. Mountaineers with experience and acclimatization may choose the more challenging 6-day ascent along the Machame route.
The legendary Lava Tower and Shira Plateau are only two of the famous Mount Kilimanjaro sites that trekkers passing over the Machame Route visit while traveling. The trail meanders up and down a number of valleys and ridges, adding some difficulty to the trek but rewarding hikers with some of the mountain’s best vistas. Because it offers varied and distinctive scenery to pass through each day, the Machame route is sometimes cited as the most scenic of all the routes up Mount Kilimanjaro.
The Barranco Wall, a steep rock face that might appear fairly frightening upon first approach, is one of those obstacles that is the biggest and most imposing. Barranco isn’t quite as scary or challenging as it first appears, but you will need to be cautious and may need to use your hands for extra leverage when scrambling over some areas. The ascent normally takes an hour to an hour and a half, but it’s worth it for the view once you get there.
The Machame Route’s drawback is that it occasionally gets congested. It is a popular alternative for Kilimanjaro hikers since it is so gorgeous and provides a few more days to adapt, which may make the trail and campsites very congested, especially during the high season.
The Machame route Safari tips and highlights
- An extra day for acclimatization
- High summit success rates (over 90%)
- A high ratio of guides to clients
- Open and private treks are available.
THE MACHAME ROUTE ITINERARY: MACHAME ROUTE 7-DAY HIKING SAFARI ITINERARY OVERVIEW
Starting from Machame Gate, ascending to the top, and returning by Mweka Gate. The normal hiking safari itinerary for a 7-day Machame Route is as follows:
DAY 01: MACHAME GATE (1,640M) TO MACHAME CAMP (2,835M).
Machame Gate marks the start of the first day of hiking (1,640 meters). It usually takes an hour or two to drive from the towns of Moshi or Arusha to the gate. You will pass by the village of Machame and see subsistence farming along the road. You will meet your trekking team at the gate, which includes your guide, porters, and cook. There will be a frenzy of activity as porters prepare the trek’s equipment and weigh packs to make sure they don’t weigh more than 20 kilograms, Machame Route : A popular Kilimanjaro Hiking Route
While waiting, you will start your ascent with your guide and climbing team through the breathtaking rainforest that envelops the mountain’s southwest. On the Machame Route, the first day’s walk is a long one (around 11 kilometers or 7 miles), taking 5-7 hours to accomplish. The majority of tour companies offer a packed lunch and 2-3 liters of bottled water for the journey.
The day’s hiking comes to an end at Machame Camp (2,835 meters), which is located close to the boundary between the low alpine zone and the rainforest zone. Your camp and tents will already be set up when you get there, and dinner will be ready.
- Distance covered: 11 kilometers (7 miles)
- Trekking time: 5-7 hours.
- Zone: rainforest
DAY 02 – THE MACHAME CAMP (2,835 METERS) TO SHIRA CAMP 2 (3,850 METERS)
The second day will begin with an early start as you prepare for the journey from Machame Camp to Shira Camp 2. (3,850 meters). As you enter the low alpine region, characterized by moorlands and grasslands, the trip becomes rather difficult. Shira Camp 2 is located on a plateau from where you can see Mount Meru in the east and Kibo in the northwest for the first time. Day two covers a distance of 5 kilometres (3 miles) and takes about 4-6 hours.
- Distance covered: 5 kilometers (3 miles)
- Trekking time: 4-6 hours.
- Zone: low-alpine zone
DAY 03: SHIRA CAMP 2 (3,850 METERS) TO LAVA TOWER (4,600 METERS) AND THEN BARRANCO CAMP (3,900 METERS).
Day three is a lengthy and challenging hike via the “Garden of the Senecios” and the Shira Plateau, up to Lava Tower and the Shark’s Tooth rock formation at 4,600 meters, and then back down via the Southern Circuit to Barranco Camp (3,900 meters), Machame Route : A popular Kilimanjaro Hiking Route
The course is around 11 kilometers (7 miles) long, and it takes 5-7 hours to finish. Even though you start the day in Shira Camp and end it at an elevation that is fairly comparable, it is perhaps one of the most significant days of your journey because it allows you to climb high and sleep low, which is crucial for appropriate acclimatization.
- Distance covered: 11 kilometers (7 miles)
- Trekking time: 5-7 hours.
- Zone: Low-alpine zone/High-alpine zone
DAY 04: FROM BARRANCO (3,900 METERS) TO KARANGA (3,960 METERS).
The Barranco Wall, a 257-meter rock face that needs basic scrambling skills to reach the summit of the Karanga Valley, is the first strenuous ascent of the Machame Route’s Day Four. The route then ascends and descends a succession of hills to reach Karanga Camp (3,960 meters). On the fifth day of the seven-day journey, trekkers spend the night at Karanga Camp before moving on to Barafu. This extra day is advantageous for acclimatization.
If you’re on a six-day hike, you’ll stop at Karanga Camp for lunch before continuing on the Southern Circuit until it connects with the Mweka Trail and ascends to Barafu Camp (4,680 meters). Day Four of a six-day journey takes about 8 to 10 hours and covers 9.5 kilometres (about 6 miles). You will be given an early dinner when you get to Barafu about midday and advised to get some rest since the summit trek won’t start until after midnight that night.
- Distance covered: 12 kilometers (7.5 miles)
- Trekking time: 6-7 hours.
- Zone: high-alpine zone
DAY 05: FROM KARANGA CAMP (3,960M) TO BARAFU CAMP (4,680M).
The fifth day is a brief and simple day. Starting at Karanga Camp, the trail connects with the Mweka Trail and ascends to base camp, Barafu, at 4,680 meters. You should take advantage of the easy trekking to unwind and be ready for the summit push, Machame Route : A popular Kilimanjaro Hiking Route
- Distance covered: 6 kilometers (4 miles)
- Trekking time: 3 hours.
- Zone: high-alpine zone
DAY 06: BARAFU CAMP (4,680 METERS) TO UHURU PEAK (5,895 METERS), FOLLOWED BY MWEKA CAMP (3,100 METERS).
The Summit night (and day) is on day six. Around 23:30, you’ll be awakened with hot tea and snacks like biscuits. Though most people find it difficult to fall asleep before peak night, don’t panic if you weren’t able to get any sleep. However, be sure to have everything you need, such as warm clothing, a headlamp, insulated water supplies, and food, ready for a prompt departure at 0:00. The ascent of Kibo is gradual and arduous. Maintaining forward momentum while taking one step at a time is the key. Reaching the top of the crater rim, where you can view the Stella Point sign, takes roughly 6 to 8 hours (5,739 meters), Machame Route : A popular Kilimanjaro Hiking Route
This is not the Kilimanjaro summit. To reach Uhuru Peak, you must ascend 156 more meters by walking around the crater’s rim (5,895 meters). Stella Point is a good place to take a little break and possibly have some hot tea or hot chocolate. It should be dawn soon. Take a minute to appreciate where you are, and then find the strength to push toward the top. More than 60% of climbers give up at Stella Point, yet the majority can reach the peak if they have the willpower to continue. Obviously, you should descend right away if you have severe AMS symptoms.
After climbing 4.5 kilometers (three miles) to the peak of Kilimanjaro, there is still an 11-kilometer (seven mile) drop to Mweka Camp (3,100 meters). Your joints may have a very difficult time descending. It is recommended that you bring trekking poles and, if possible, gaiters. Mweka is located in the zone of the jungle that is higher up. It will be a really pleasant surprise to find that the air is rich in oxygen and moisture.
- Distance covered: 4.5km (3 miles) ascent, followed by a descent of 11km (7 miles).
- Trekking time: 6-8 hours to the summit and then 5-8 hours to Mweka
- Zones include the glacial zone and all preceding zones.
DAY 07 – MWEKA CAMP (3,100 METERS) TO MWEKA GATE (1,640 METERS).
The final day of the Machame Route trip is day seven. You will likely only be considering taking a hot shower at this point due to exhaustion. The journey to Mweka Gate over the lower slopes of the rain forest is delightful (1,640 meters). Despite covering 9 km (5.5 miles), the journey only requires 3–4 hours. If you succeed in reaching Stella Point or Uhuru Peak, official certificates will be given to you—a green certificate for the former and a gold certificate for the latter. It is traditional to tip your trekking staff before being driven back to your accommodation/hotel in Moshi town or Arusha city.
- Distance covered: 9 kilometers (5.5 miles)
- Trekking time: 3-5 hours.
- Zone: rainforest
