6 Days Kilimanjaro Climb – Machame Route + 5 Days Camping Safari

6 Days Kilimanjaro Climb - Machame Route + 5 Days Camping Safari

Day 1: Machame Gate (1790m) – Machame Camp (3010m)

After breakfast, you will be collected from Stella Maris Lodge and taken to the Kilimanjaro National Park – 1 hour drive. While your guide is registering, you can watch the mountain team preparing – it is always impressive ‘what’ and particularly ‘how’ everything is carried up the mountain. Once this is all packed up, your adventure will begin; after a few minutes you will be deep within the forest with ancient trees, ferns, mosses and black and white colobus monkeys frolicking in the treetops. After 5 – 6 hours you will reach – Machame Camp –situated just above the forest line at 3000m. Arriving here, the porters have already set up your tents and warm water for washing is ready. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Machame Camp (3010m) – Shira Camp (3845m)

After an early morning start, the path steepens and the vegetation changes into a moorland with shrubs such as hardy Ericas. Today’s stage is shorter than the previous day and by mid-afternoon, you will arrive at the campsite at the Shira Plateau. From the camp you will have breath-taking views of the mountain and evening light on the rock face and glacier of Kibo as the sun sets. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Shira Camp – Lava Tower Hut (4640m) – Barranco Camp (3950m)

Today will be a day for ups and downs. You will ascend almost 700m but descend again after reaching the imposing Lava Tower (4640m). This will help with acclimatisation as you will reach a height of over 4 500m. You will move through different vegetation zones. After reaching Lava Tower the path traverses Barranco Valley dotted with the weird-looking senecios. Barranco Camp is reached after 6 – 7 hours. Considered the most beautiful camp on the mountain, the camp is situated just below the imposing Barranco Wall. Rest and refuel tonight. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Barranco Camp (3960m) – Barafu Camp (4640m)

The first section of today’s route is to scale the ‘Barranco Wall’. Use your hands and feet. Safety is paramount and you will be secured if necessary, but it looks more daunting than it actually is. The trail continues with many up and down sections, crossing a few streams, winding and climbing stopping for lunch in the Karanga Valley. After lunch there will be another 2 – 3 hours climb before you reach Barafu Camp (4640m). Tonight, drink a lot of fluids, try to eat and go to bed early to rest enough before tomorrow’s summit trek. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Barafu Camp – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Mweka Camp (3080m)

You will be woken in the midnight hours with a cup of tea and a biscuit. Dressed warmly and geared with a headlight and your daypack you will set off in the darkness. After 5 – 7 hours of ‘pole pole’, you will reach the rim of the crater, Stella Point. Another one to two hours of going slowly along the crater’s edge and you will arrive at the summit – Uhuru Peak (5895m). Looking down over the surrounding landscape below in the early morning light, will make you feel on top of the world. You have now reached the ‘Roof of Africa’. The descent should be easy but dusty, as the volcanic ash will now have defrosted. Returning on the same route you should arrive at Barafu Camp within a few hours where the porters are waiting with food and tea. Resting for an hour or two, you will continue down to reach Mweka Camp (3080m) for your overnight stay. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Mweka Camp (3080m) – Mweka Gate (1630m) – Moshi

Last day on the mountain. After breakfast, the crew will celebrate your achievement with a traditional song as part of their farewell ceremony. You will present them with their tips. Setting off and descending into the moist green forest, it should take about three hours to reach the gate. Back to Kindoroko hotel for hot shower and cold beers wait. There you can revive yourself and celebrate your achievement. Breakfast

Day 7: Tarangire National Park

After breakfast drive to Tarangire National Park which is famous for its Baobab trees and large herds of Elephants. 6 hours of game driving before camping at Mto Wa Mbu (mosquito creek) just outside the park, BLD

Day 8: Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is our destination today, en-route we stop at Oldupai Gorge to visit the ‘Cradle Of Mankind’ We shall pass through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on our way to the entrance at Nabbi Gate and make our way across the short grass plains to our campsite in the heart of the Serengeti not far from the Seronera river, and arrive in time to set up our tents and enjoy our evening meal to the sounds of the African night. BLD

Day 9: Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park – A full days game driving, in this the most famous of all animal sanctuarys. However we too shall take a tip from the wildlife and take a break from the midday heat and return to our camp to take lunch and to relax. After lunch game driving until dusk, when we return to camp in the midst of the African wildlife.

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater

In the Serengeti National Park we rise at dawn, taking a tip from the wildlife that use this time to hunt. PM: En-route to Ngorongoro Crater. Tonight we camp at 2.300m on the rim of the crater. It can be chilly! BLD

Day 11: Departure

Ngorongoro Crater is a world heritage site! We spend the maximum of six hours allowed game driving in this worlds largest Caldera (collapsed volcano) among the circa 30,000. Resident animals. Late afternoon drive back to Kindoroko Hotel in Moshi town.