Today is a rest and time zone adjustment day at the hotel. We’ll conduct a gear check to make sure that you have everything you need to be successful on the mountain. In the evening we’ll have a discussion and presentation on the geology and volcanology of Kilimanjaro.

We’ll have an early breakfast at the hotel and then will be picked up and driven to the Machame Village. Depending on road conditions, we’ll either continue driving the 3 kilometers or walk to the Machame Gate at 1490 meters. Our porters will organize and pack everything for the trek while our team registers with the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA).

Our first day’s trek will be into the rainforest. Be on the lookout for wildlife, especially for monkeys! Halfway up the trail, we’ll stop to eat a packed lunch. We plan to arrive at Machame Camp (2980 meters) in the late afternoon or early evening. After getting settled and getting some rest in the tents, we will have a hot dinner and turn in for the night.

After an early morning breakfast, we will trek through the rainforest and then into what’s called the “moorland” zone, home to unique vegetation like giant groundsels that tower overhead. We’ll have some time to explore them up close.

After a few stream crossings and crossing a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau, we will arrive at Shira Camp (3840 meters). From here we’ll have an amazing view of the Western Breach and its glaciers. We’ll chat geology and glaciology from this viewpoint. If the weather is good, we’ll break out a telescope.

Following an early morning breakfast, we will leave the moorland environment and enter a rocky and desert landscape. After 5 hours of walking, we will arrive at the Lava Tower (4630m), where we’ll have lunch and an opportunity for geological exploration and climbing.

After lunch, we descend from Lava Tower (4630m) to the Barranco campsite (3950m), located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall (“Breakfast Wall”). Climbing high and sleeping low will aid in acclimatizing our bodies to these high altitudes.

After an early morning breakfast, we will trek the Great Barranco Wall, a class 2 hike. At the top of the wall, we will have views of the Heim glacier and have an opportunity to take photos. The trail then winds up and down the Karanga Valley before arriving at Karanga camp at 3950 meters for the night.

Following breakfast, we leave Karanga camp and intersect the Mweka Route, which is the trail we will use for our descent. After an hour of hiking, we reach the Barafu Hut for a break and some geology. The word “barafu” in Swahili means “ice” and Barafu camp is located on a rocky, exposed ridge. Tents will be exposed to wind and rocks so familiarization with the campsite before dark will be crucial. An early dinner will be served so we can rest before attempting the summit the next morning. If you can’t sleep, we’ll have the telescope out!

Today we wake in the early morning (e.g., 2 or 3 AM, depending on weather conditions) to begin our summit attempt. The route heads northwest and requires hiking over scree. After 6 hours, we reach Stella Point (5685m), located on the crater rim. From there, it is about another 2 hours on a trail to Uhuru Peak (5895m). We’ll have time to explore one of the summit glaciers, as well as collect snow and ice samples for further analysis at our lower camp. The hike down to Barafu camp takes about 3 hours. At camp, we will enjoy a hot meal. Depending on how the group is feeling, we can continue down to Mweka Hut (3100m).

Today, transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for the flight back home*.

*We recommend budgeting 1 – 2 extra days in Arusha in case of delays on the mountain – e.g., bad weather.

Please contact us for more information if interested in adding a short excursion to the beaches of Zanzibar or a wildlife safari, post-climb!