6 Days Machame Kilimanjaro Trakking

Description

A physically demanding route through a variety of landscapes. The hike is steeper than other routes but the extra day offers a perfect way to acclimatize. This is our most popular route and accommodation is in tents.

Details

>>>The Machame Route is approximately 62 km/ 37 miles from gate to gate.
>>>It is more suitable for those who are considered to be fit.
>>>Machame Route initiates from the southern part of the mountain.
>>>The route offers a good success that is around 85%
>>>The trail goes through all the 5 climatic zones Kilimanjaro.

PRICE INCLUDE & EXCLUDE

INCLUDE

>>> Private transport from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your accommodations in Moshi.
>>> Kilimanjaro Park rescue team fees.
>>> Government taxes.
>>> 3 freshly-prepared delicious meals daily on the mountain prepared by professional cooks who are happy to accommodate your dietary needs.
>>>3-4 liters of mineral/treated water per person per day.
>>> Hot drinks on the mountain and hot water for washing.
>>> Private transport to and from the hotel to the Kilimanjaro Park Gate.
>>> National Park entry fees and hut fees.
>>> Portable oxygen tanks, ox meter and emergency first-aid kit.
>>> Porter’s Cook’s and Guide’s Salary.
>>> 2 nights of accommodation at Hotel Moshi.
>>> Friendly and highly qualified mountain guides, assistant guides and professional cooks.
>>> Enough Porters to carry camping gear and additional baggage.
>>> Accommodation in Huts/camping.

EXCLUDE

>>>Lunches, dinners and drinks at your hotel in Moshi before climb and after climb.
>>> Personal items and toiletries.
>>> Tips for guides, porters and cook (this is a guide to tipping on the mountain.

Tipping on Kilimanjaro from the trekking group (not per climber):

>>> Guides: US $15/day/guide.
>>> Cook : US $10/day.
>>> Porter: US $8/day/porter.
NOTE: Our Guides, cooks and Porters are always satisfied with your thanks giving (tip) you have and not beyond your ability.

Map of Machame Route

MOUNT KILIMANJARO TREKKING EQUIPMENTS

Day 1: MACHAME GATE – MACHAME CAMP

Distance : 10.75k/7mi

Walking Time : 5-6 hrs

Altitude gained : 1210m

Departing from Moshi a 45-minute drive will take you through the Village of Machame to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. We will patiently wait for our permits to be issued while watching the hustle and bustle of operations as many crews prepare for the journey ahead Enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and windy trails while your guide tells you about the local flora and fauna and natural wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and quite slippery. We highly recommend gaiters and trekking poles here.

Day 2: MACHAME CAMP – SHIRA CAMP

Distance : 5.3km/3mi

Walking Time : 4-5 hrs

Altitude gained : 818m

After a nights sleep and a hearty breakfast, we emerge from the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the valley along a steep rocky ridge. The route now turns west onto a river gorge until we arrive at the Shira campsite. Temperatures begin to drop.

Day 3: SHIRA CAMP – LAVA TOWER – BARRANCO CAMP

Distance : 10.75km/6mi

Walking Time :5-6hrs

Altitude gained :147m

Although you end the day around the same elevation as when you began, this day is very important for acclimatization. From Shira Plateau we continue east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the Kibo peak before we then continue, South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth” (elev. 4650m/15,250ft). Shortly after the tower, we come to a second junction, which leads to the Arrow Glacier. We then continue to descend to overnight at Barranco Camp.

Day 4: BARRANCO CAMP – KARANGA CAMP – BARAFU CAMP

Distance : 8.5km/5mi

Walking Time : 6-8hrs

Altitude gained : 676m

After breakfast, we continue on a steep ridge up to the adventurous Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction, which connects, with the Mweka Trail. This is one of the most impressive days to see the power, agility, and strength of your crew zip over this wall with what appears such ease. We continue up toward Barafu Camp, and once reached you have now completed the South Circuit, which offers a variety of breathtaking views of the summit from many different angles. An early dinner and rest as we prepare for summit night. Overnight at Barafu Camp.

Day 5: BARAFU CAMP – SUMMIT| | – MWEKA CAMP

Distance : 4.86km /3mi up | 13km /8mi down

Walking Time : 5-7hrs Up | 5-6hrs Down

Altitude gained : 1233m

Altitude lost : 2789m

Excitement is building as morning comes with an early start between midnight and 2 a.m. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
We continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers trying to stay warm and focused on the amazing sense of accomplishment that lies ahead. With a switchback motion in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. You will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise during your short rest here. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit. From here on your remaining 1 hour ascent to Uhuru Peak, you are likely to encounter snow all the way.
Congratulations, one step at a time you have now reached Uhuru Peak the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa!
After photos, celebrations and maybe a few tears of joy we take a few moments to enjoy this incredible accomplishment. We begin our steep descent down to Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch and a very brief rest. We strongly recommend gaiters and trekking poles for uncooperative loose gravel and volcano ash terrain. Well-deserved rest awaits you to enjoy your last evening on the mountain. Overnight Mweka Camp.

Day 6: MWEKA CAMP – MWEKA GATE – MOSHI |

Distance : 9.1km/6mi

Walking Time : 3-4hrs

Altitude gained : 1473m

After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation and team bonding with your crew, it’s time to say goodbye. We continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. As the weather is drastically warmer, the terrain is wet, muddy and steep and we highly recommend Gaiters and trekking poles.
From the gate, a vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 30 minutes). Enjoy a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!!

MOUNT KILIMANJARO INFORMATION

People can climb the mountain throughout the year, however there are times which are more convenient to climb due to different weather conditions. Bad weather conditions like rain makes it difficult to climb hence low summit success rate.

There are main two seasons for climbing Kilimanjaro. They are dry(June to October) and wet seasons (April to June). The dry season is referred to as the peak season.

During peak season, the weather is usually good with warm conditions making it easy for climbing Kilimanjaro and higher summit success rate. However being peak season is not because of weather but because the time coincides with American and European summer holiday.

Alternative time for climbing is from January to March where the weather is neither cold nor wet. The timing is best suitable for hikers who prefer less crowds of people.

Month	Low (F)	Average (F)	High (F)	Humidity (%)	Rain Fall (in)
January	64	78	92	58	1.4
February	64	78	92	57	2.0
March	66	78	90	63	4.7
April	67	76	85	73	13.8
May	65	72	79	77	9.3
June	62	70	78	69	1.0
July	60	69	78	69	1.0
August	60	60	80	69	0.7
September	60	71	83	61	0.6
October	62	75	88	57	1.0
November	64	76	86	57	2.5
December	64	77	90	60	2.1

ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Sometimes called “mountain sickness,” altitude sickness is a group of symptoms that can strike if you walk or climb to a higher elevation, or altitude, too quickly.

WHY IT HAPPENS?

The pressure of the air that surrounds you is called barometric pressure. When you go to higher altitudes, this pressure drops and there is less oxygen available. If you live in a place that’s located at a moderately high altitude, you get used to the air pressure. But if you travel to a place at a higher altitude than you’re used to, your body will need time to adjust to the change in pressure. Any time you go above 8,000 feet, you can be at risk for altitude sickness.

TYPES:

There are three kinds of altitude sickness:

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the mildest form and it’s very common. The symptoms can feel like a hangover – dizziness, headache, muscle aches, nausea.

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is a buildup of fluid in the lungs that can be very dangerous and even life threatening.

High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) is the most severe form of altitude sickness and happens when there’s fluid in the brain. Its life threatening and you need to seek medical attention right away.

SYMTOMS

You might have:

Headache

Dizziness

Nausea

Vomiting

Fatigue and loss of energy

Shortness of breath

Problems with sleep

Loss of appetite

Symptoms usually come on within 12 to 24 hours of reaching a higher elevation and then get better within a day or two as your body adjusts to the change in altitude. If you have a more moderate case of altitude sickness, your symptoms might feel more intense and not improve with over-the-counter medications. Instead of feeling better as time goes on, you’ll start to feel worse. You’ll have more shortness of breath and fatigue. You may also have:

Loss of coordination and trouble walking.

A severe headache that doesn’t get better with medication

A tightening in your chest.

If you develop a severe form of altitude sickness like HAPE or HACE, you might have:

Confusion

Shortness of breath even at rest

Inability to walk

A cough that produces a white or pink frothy substance

Coma.

WHO GETS TO?

Anyone can develop altitude sickness, no matter how fit, young, or healthy they are -- even Olympic athletes can get it. In fact, being physically active at a high elevation makes you more likely to get it. Your chance of getting altitude sickness depends on a few other things: how quickly you move to a higher elevation, how high you go up, the altitude where you sleep, and other factors. Your risk also depends on where you live and the altitude there, your age (young people are more likely to get it), and whether you’ve had altitude sickness before Having certain illnesses like diabetes or lung disease doesn’t automatically make you more likely to develop altitude sickness. But your genes could play a role in your body’s ability to handle higher elevations.

TREATMENT

If you get a headache and at least one other symptom associated with altitude sickness within a day or two of changing your elevation, you might have altitude sickness. If your symptoms are more severe, you’ll need medical attention. Your doctor might listen to your chest with a stethoscope or take an X-ray of your chest or an MRI or CT scan of your brain to look for fluid. Knowing the symptoms of altitude sickness will help you seek treatment early, while the condition is still mild. The most important treatment for any level of altitude sickness is to go down to a lower elevation as soon as possible while remaining safe. If you have severe altitude sickness, you’ll need to be taken down to a lower elevation right away -- and it must be lower than 4,000 feet. You’ll have to see a doctor as soon as possible and you may need to go to the hospital. If you have HACE, you might need a steroid called dexamethasone. If you have HAPE, you will need supplemental oxygen and may need medications, as well as moving to a lower altitude.

PREVENTION

The best way you can lower your chance of getting altitude sickness is through acclimatization. That means you let your body slowly get used to the changes in air pressure as you travel to higher elevations. You’ll want to climb to higher altitudes gradually. Going slowly helps your lungs get more air through deeper breaths and allows more of your red blood cells to carry oxygen to different parts of your body.

Some of the basic guidelines for acclimatization are:

Start your journey below 10,000 feet. If you have to fly or drive somewhere that’s higher up, stop at one destination that’s lower for at least a full day before going any higher.

If you walk, hike, or climb over 10,000 feet, only go up an additional 1,000 feet per day. For every 3,000 feet you climb, rest at least a day at that height.

“Climb high and sleep low”: If you have to climb over 1,000 feet in a day, make sure you come back down to a lower altitude to sleep.

Drink 3-4 quarts of water every day and make sure about 70% of your calories are coming from carbs.

Don’t use tobacco, alcohol, or other medications, such as sleeping pills.

Know how to identify the first signs of altitude sickness. Immediately move to a lower elevation if you start to develop these symptoms.

Kilimanjaro Climbing Packing List

Kilimanjaro climbing is one of the adventurous tour activity that one shouldn’t miss. However to make it more entertaining, it’s required to pack the right and necessary equipment.
The following list will be of a great help:-

Clothes

Waterproof pants

1-2 Long Sleeve Trekking Shirts

1 Pairs of hiking pants

1 Fleece Jacket

1 Insulated Winter Jacket

2 pairs synthetic warm weather trekking socks

4 pairs heavier synthetic or wool blend socks

Top and Bottom Base Layer

3-4 Short Sleeve

Water/Windproof mittens

Lightweight gloves

Lightweight Rain gear

1 Pair of hiking boots

Balaclava

Trekking Equipment

A day pack

Headlamp with extra batteries

1 Sleeping bag

1 Duffel bag

A pair of trekking poles

Accessories

Backpack cover

Water bottle

Sunglasses

Electronic devices

Camera/Smartphone

Extra batteries/Power bank