Zamunda Tours & Safaris

The most Picturesquare & Diverse route on Kilimanjaro.

Machame Route.

Kilimanjaro mountain
Mount Kilimanjaro
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Kilimanjaro trekking

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Kilimanjaro Trekking

Explore the Machame route rich beauty.

Hike to the highest peak in Africa.

Africa's Highest Peak

Machame Route

Here is a description of the Machame route. Usually, it takes six or seven days to hike the entire trip.

The Machame route’s swift ascent to relatively high heights (about 10,000 feet, or 3,000 meters) and quick ascent to the Lava Tower site (around 15,000 feet, or 4,600 meters), before descending back t to Barranco Camp (around 12,700 feet), are advantages (3,900 m)

The Machame route ascends through the montane rainforest, which is characterized by dense vegetation, a muddy track, and brief steep climbs, beginning at Machame Gate. Right after the thick tree cover, in an area with lower but still heavy bushlands, lies the first campground, Machame Camp.

The second day proceeds into moorlands across increasingly few trees and bushes. Shira Camp is located on a small plateau in the high moorlands and offers magical views of Mount Meru to the east and Kibo to the northwest. The Shira Caverns are a collection of tiny caves that are close to the campsite.

The alpine desert which has less trees and more rocks, will be reached after the third trekking day. The trail ascends to its highest point at the base of the Lava Tower before descending into the Barranco Valley. This area has much more vegetation, especially in the campsite area. Many of the gigantic senecios plants may be seen in this area, which is known as the “Garden of the Senecios.”

The fourth day starts with the climb to the top of the Barranco Wall, which is referred to as a scramble in climbing terms. The trail goes with numerous uphill and downhill stretches, crossing tiny creeks and rivulets, and finally crosses the Karanga River and the camping there.

The summit is usually attempted (around midnight). The Umbwe route also uses Barafu as a summit camping. Using headlamps and cold weather gear, trekkers often ascent in between five to seven hours.

It may not be required to use a headlamp if you perform the ascent during or just after a full moon. Stella Point (18,652 feet (5,685 m), which lies on the crater rim, is the first checkpoint and is typically reached shortly after sunrise.

The trek continues for about an hour before reaching the summit of Uhuru Peak after Stella Point.

The descent to Barafu takes around four hours. Some trekkers scree slide, which includes sprinting or skidding down the slope’s loose gravel at a medium speed. After a brief break, hikers usually continue on from Barafu through the alpine desert and subsequent moorlands to Mweka Camp.

Trekkers continue through the montane to Mweka Gate on the seventh and last day of the trek. In the thick forests, groups of black-and-white colobus monkeys can be seen.

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