They did an amazing job, took care of my every need, and got me up the mountain in style. Big shout out to my guide Rama, my chef Kuruwa, and my porters Muhammad Ali, Sariri, Rezwan (Numba D), Moyo, and Salim.
Trekking and HikingClimbing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Tent, Hotel, Hut
Age Range
7-85 yrs
Operated in
english, french, german, spanish
Destinations
Kilimanjaro Machame route, Kilim
Kilimanjaro Machame route, Kilimanjaro, Moshi, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, Machame Camp, Shira Camp, Barranco Camp, Barafu Camp, Mweka Camp, Mweka Gate
The Machame route, also known as the “Whiskey” route, is now the most popular ascent route on Mt Kilimanjaro.
Compared with the Marangu route, the walking days on the Machame route are longer and the walks are steeper. However, the scenery is spectacular and landscape interesting. The Machame route is considered a more challenging route, and is better suited for those with some hiking or backpacking experience.
The Machame route is scenically beautiful and varied. Because it is a popular route there are increased numbers of trekkers. It approaches the summit from the southwest and descends using the Mweka route, rewarding climbers with views of the expansive Shira Plateau, an optional scramble up Lava Tower, a climb up the Great Barranco wall, and a traverse underneath Kilimanjaro’s southern ice field.
Climbers sleep in supplied tents at designated campsites, and eat meals either outdoors (when it is warm outside and the sun is up) or inside a large dining tent, depending on weather conditions. Our staff will prepare all meals and set up and take down the tents.
The Machame route is a highly successful route to the summit as you climb high and sleep lower because of position of the campsites. The climb high sleep low approach aids acclimatization and increases your chance of getting to the summit.
After arrival at your accommodation in Moshi, you will have the opportunity to rest. Later there will be a meeting with the tour guides for a briefing about the trek and Mt Kilimanjaro. Importantly we also run an equipment check to ensure that every participant is as well prepared as possible. If you have any important gear missing, you can rent it from us.
For those who only have six days to climb Kilimanjaro, this climb through the Machame route is the best choice because of its acclimatization profile.
Compared to the other six day routes, the Machame route exposes the climber to higher elevations quicker (day three) which kickstarts the body's adaptation to altitude. However, this route requires that a person is in good shape to be able to tackle the challenging elevation gains and losses.
In particular, day four combined with day five makes for a very challenging schedule. Day four is a full day of hiking from Barranco to Barafu. Then after dinner and a partial night's sleep, the very long and exciting summit day begins around midnight.
To find out more about day-by-day activities, please see the itinerary.
