Itinerary

1. Day 1: Machame Gate (1800 m) - Machame camp (3000 m)

   Distance: About 12 km

   Habitat: Montane forest.

   • Start your day early with a briefing, breakfast, and a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and equipment in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete.

   • Register at the gate office, and you start your ascent and enter the rainforest. You will receive a lunch pack at the gate, and you can also drink the bottled water you bought at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi. There is a possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience. In the evening, the porters will boil drinking and washing water, and the cook will prepare dinner before you retire to your tent. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at Machame campsite.

2. Day 2: Machame camp (3000m) - Shira camp (3840m)

   Distance: About 7 km

   Habitat: Moorland

   • Rise early at Machame camp, and after breakfast, you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone.

   • Take a short lunch and rest.

   • Continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now, you will be able to see, in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo, and after a short hike, you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to below freezing.

3. Day 3: Shira (3840m)-Lava Tower (4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m)

   Hiking time: 7 hrs

   Distance: About 15 km

   Habitat: Semi-desert

   • Begin hiking. The route now turns east into a semi-desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk.

   • Savour lunch served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). The toughest day so far. It is normally at this point, where for the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches.

   • The true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear, descending again by almost 680m after lunch to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers excellent opportunities to take beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait to prepare your dinner and overnight at Barranco Campsite.

4. Day 4: Barranco to Karanga Valley - Barafu camp (4650m)

   Hiking time: 7 hours

   Distance: About 13 km

   Habitat: Alpine desert

   • Ensure you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid accidents. Exposed to the ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. The summit is now a different 1345m up, and you will make the final ascent the same night.

   • Prepare your equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries, and make sure you have a spare set available as well. It will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask to prevent freezing.

   • Go to bed at around 1900hrs and try to get some precious rest and sleep for not more than 5 hours.

5. Day 5: Summit/Descent Attempt

   Barafu camp (4650m)-Uhuru Peak (5895m)-Mweka (3100m)

   Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 7/8 hours to descend to Mweka

   Distance: About 7 km ascent - 23 km descent

   Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit.

   • Rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. You will head northwesterly and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. For many climbers, this 6-hour walk to Stella point is mentally and physically the most challenging on the route.

   • Stop at Stella Point (5685m) for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you typically encounter snow on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here too long, as it will be tough to start again due to cold and fatigue.

   • Enjoy your accomplishment at Uhuru Peak and a day to remember for the rest of your life.

   • Walk back to Barafu from the summit, which takes about 3 hours. Here, you will have a well-earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear before heading down to Mweka Camp (3100m) for dinner and overnight.

6. Day 6: Mweka camp (3100m)- Mweka Gate (1680m)

   Hiking/Descend time: 3 hours

   Distance: About 15 km

   Habitat: Forest

   • Eat breakfast.

   • Continue from the Mweka Gate down into the Mweka village, usually a muddy and long hour walk. In the Mweka village, drive to Springlands Hotel, and you will be served a delicious hot lunch!!

   • Drive back to Moshi for a long overdue hot shower. It is recommended, and tips are highly appreciated at the end of their trip. Tips can be given to the guide at the Springlands Hotel. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reach Stella Point (5685m) are issued green certificates, and those who reach Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates.

   Overnight in Springlands Hotel.