Mountain Climbing Safari

Machame route also known as whisky rout is one of the most scenic routes. From Machame gate walk about 3 hours through dense forest of figs and rubber trees. Stop for a picnic lunch on the way and continue. Note that you will be walking along a ridge on the left the Semira river and the left the Weru Weru. Depending with your pace the ETA is around 6pm at your first campsite

On this and subsequent mornings, the wake-up call is at around 6:00 AM for tea. Trek through a savannah of tall grasses, volcanic rock, and bearded heather. You will encounter giant groundsels as you hike through a ghostly landscape of volcanic lava, caves, and foamy streams. Lunch will be taken just below the Shira Plateau. The hike to the next campsite takes approximately six hours and you should arrive between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM.

Wake up to the view of Meru and Shira Needles. A steady walk takes you up to the pass at Lava Tower (15,000 ft), stop to have lunch. Crossing the Bastains stream, you will begin to descend towards Barranco Camp. The descent takes you along an immense canyon called Grand Barranco. Along the way, you will see numerous waterfalls, which are fed by streams coming from the mountain, converging here to form the Umbwe River. Your camp is set at almost the same altitude as the night before. Today’s trek lasts for about six hours, and arrival at camp is between 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM..

You begin your hike via Karanga Camp. You will encounter a bit of a climb at Barranco Cliff and spend the rest of the trek climbing up and down the slopes of the mountain, most of the way to camp. The climbing is not considered difficult, and you should arrive in time for lunch (approximately 1:00 PM), having trekked for about four hours. In the afternoon, you have to hike in the Karanga Valley, where giant senecios and lobelia grow; then continue with the scenic climb to Barafu, which is mostly on a moraine with a view of Mawenzi peak to the right, and overhead, Kibo peak. The alpine desert terrain encountered and the ETA is 3:30 PM. Make sure to go to bed early.

Wake up at midnight and, after a light breakfast, start climbing. It is at this stage that the climb becomes much more difficult. Carry as little as possible on this portion of the climb. Temperatures will range from -4° to 5° Fahrenheit. Making your way up a path that is flanked by the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers, you will climb for about six hours before reaching the edge of the crater, between Stella and Hans Meyer points. Another hour of climbing brings you to the summit. Uhuru stands at 19,340 feet and is the highest point on the continent of Africa. The track around the edge of the crater is rocky and icy. Concentrate on your feet, and follow your guide very closely for this portion of the journey. The descent is no easier than the ascent. You will reach Kibo Hut after about three hours (around 11:30 AM) rest and have some refreshments before continuing on to Mweka Camp for the night. Arriving at camp at around 5:00 PM, The trek today will be around thirteen hours.

On the final day of the journey, descend from Mweka camp to the base. The descent to the gate will take approximately 4 hours, arriving before noon. Upon arrival at the gate, you will be rewarded with certificates attesting to your success at climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Later transfer back to Arusha.