Reach Africa's highest point, the top of Kilimanjaro, together with the guides team and local porters of Congema, on this 6-day ascent via Machame Route.
East African Mountains
6 Days
Jan - Mar, Sep, Oct
High
Intermediate
This 6-day Kilimanjaro ascent via Machame Route is a demanding program for those of you who want to complete this amazing trip in 6 days!
The Machame route is also known as the Whiskey route and is now the most popular route to reach Kilimanjaro's summit. It approaches the mountain from the southwest and descends using Mweka route, which is a faster way to go down.
This route is scenically beautiful and varied. The days are longer and you'll have to endure steeper walks compared to other routes, but you'll be rewarded by the amazing views of the expansive Shira Plateau.
I'll pick you up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and take care of everything. During our journey, my staff will prepare all the meals and they'll have the tents set up for us when we arrive at the campsites. You'll enjoy a good sleep in our tents and have a dining tent available for dinner.
Another reason to go through this Machame Route is that we'll go through stunning terrains and over five different climatic zones. This will be a challenging trek to do in 6 days, but you'll never forget this experience.
So send me a request to make this 6-day Kilimanjaro ascent via Machame Route happen!
And if you want to check the Kilimanjaro ascent via another route, I can also offer you these routes: Rongai Route, Marangu route and Lemosho Route.
Read about an Explore-Share user who reached the Kilimanjaro summit via the Machame route. And check out his awesome photos!
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Transport during the trip
- Permit and entrance fees
- Porters
Arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and meeting with my representative who will pick you up and drive you to Silver Palm Hotel for your overnight.
Transfer from the Hotel by car until the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. We sign up at the Park’s office, at the gates of the Park. Then we get ready to start climbing. We go by a rain forest, a winding trail takes us up on a ridge until Machame Camp, our camping site for tonight.
*Altitude change: from 1800 m to 3000 m (+1200 m)
*Distance: 11 km
*Time: 5-7 h
*Environment: Montane Forest
We have breakfast and then start our walk, during which we leave behind the rain forest. We continue ascending, traversing a valley and going up a rocky ridge, quite steep and covered in heath. Then we turn west, to the river’s gorge. We end the day at the Camp Shira, where we have dinner and spend the night.
*Altitude change: 3000 m to 3850 m (+850 m)
*Distance: 9 km
*Time: 4-6 h
*Environment: Moorland
Today is crucial for acclimatisation, our bodies are getting prepared for the summit day. It’s an intense day and you may feel the altitude symptoms. We ascend until Lava Tower (4600m), where we have lunch and rest. Then we go down to Barranco campsite, where we will sleep. This camp is located in a beautiful valley under the Breach and the Great Barranco Wall. and the sunset here is memorable! It’s a special place to photograph.
*Altitude change: 3850 m to 4600 m to 3950 m (+750 m)
*Distance: 12 km
*Time: 6-7 h
*Environment: Semi-desert
The day begins with a fun scramble, quite short, until the top of Great Barranco Wall. Then we cross over the scree to Karange Valley (3930 m), located under the icefalls of Kersten, Heim and Decken Glaciers. We reach Karanga camp and continue to the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail for descent. Then we continue until the Barafu Hut. This marks the completion of the Southern Circuit. From here there are views of the top from different angles. We will camp, rest and enjoy some dinner. From here we can clearly see the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.
*Altitude change: 3950 m to 3930 m and 3930 m to 4600 m (+670 m)
*Distance: 13 km
*Hiking Time: 7 h
*Environment: Alpine Desert
We will wake up at 11:30PM, quickly have some tea and cookies and start the hike. The destination is the summit located between the Ratzel and Rembman glaciers. Heading to the north-west, we go up through scree to Stella Point, on the rim of the crater. This is probably the most challenging portion of the hike, both physically and mentally. At the Stella Point (5732 m) we have a short stop to rest, and the sunrise here will likely be the most marvellous you have ever seen, if the weather permits. At the Uhuru Peak (5895 m), we reach the culminant point both of Mt Kilimanjaro and of Africa.
It can get really cold during the night. But it’ll be very warm at the end of the day of hiking. From the peak, we go down until the Hut Mweka campsite, via Barafu, where we have lunch. We need trekking poles for the loose gravel heading down to Camp Mweka (3100 m). Later in the day, we enjoy the last dinner on the mountains and a well-earned rest.
*Altitude change: 4600 m to 5895 m (+1295 m) (and down to 3100 m)
*Distance: 7 km ascent /23 km descent
*Time: 6-8 h ascent /6-7 h descent
*Environment: Stone scree, ice-capped summit / Alpine desert.
We go down until the Mweka Park Gate where you receive the summit certificate. At lower altitudes it may be muddy and wet. Gaiters and trekking poles will be helpful. It’s convenient to have t-shirts and shorts for this part, but keep your rain gear and warmer clothes at hand.
*Altitude change: 3100 m to 1800 m
*Distance: 8 km
*Time: 3-4 h
*Environment: Montane Forest.
More info
Tips: The typical tip is $15-20 day for guides, $10-12 day for assistant guides, $10-12 day cooks, $6-10 day porter This is from the whole group, not per hiker.
Meeting point
5.0
(4)
Mountain Leader
Please get in touch with me if you are interested by coming to Tanzania, for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or any other exiting adventure you wish to experience !
Our company was established with the aim of promoting both local and global tourism. May I say that nowhere else will you feel really in Tanzania than at our organisation. Years of experience have taught us to prepare special programs that take you off the beaten tracks (eg. Rubondo National Park, Gombe National Park, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Crater Highland, Lake Natron, Oldonyo Lengai mountains, Longido Mountains and Monduli Mountains).
This of course, is in addition to the already popular places of Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro in the North, and Selous, Mikumi, Ruaha and Udzungwa in the South. Last but not least beach holidays on the islands of Zanzibar, Mafia and Pemba are also among our programs. Some National Parks extension trips in Kenya and Gorilla tracking Safaris in Uganda and Rwanda are coordinated as well.
We have something to satisfy anyone's budget, from single seats on a vehicle safari, to exclusive safaris, incentive tours, educational and cultural safaris, ecological tours, and face-to-face safaris. You have the option to choose our basic "Canvas Safaris" or let us arrange a stay at luxury 5-star hotels.
Languages
English
5
CONGEMA has a wonderfull team with great talent, knowledge, highly experienced staff, helpfull, reassuring (which pretty good when you are going to live this kind of moment)... They won't stop to motivate you, and give you clear status of the situation. They are well trained, and adapt perfectly to the group. Climbing the Kilimanjaro was by far one of the most profound, intense, rewarding, hard, extraordinary JOURNEY of my life and CONGEMA will surely be one of the best tour you can climb with.
5
My husband and I and five other friends just did the Mt Kili climb in August and it was an amazing experience, more so with the team from Congema. The whole team of 3 guides and 24 porters worked together to make our 7 days an unforgettable experience. From Victor the lead guide, assistant guides Izack and Joseph, the chef Kassim and his assistant Moondy, Ronald who's in charge of our toilet, cheerful Adam the singer and always the first one to greet us just before reaching camp, to the rest, all of them carried our their responsibilities and duties to ensure that we were safe and properly taken care of. Every day as we trek to the next camp, they are there to encouraged us and enquire how we are doing. Summit day was extra challenging, not just the steep 5km to the peak but we faced an extremely strong and bitter cold wind throughout! We would not have make it to the summit if not for their encouragement, esp with Victor's advice "if you feel cold, it'll only be for six hrs till sun rise, then it won't be cold any more" and the perpetual 'pole pole'! They did not give up on us or even once asked us to turn back! I would strongly recommend Congema to anyone who intends to climb Mt Kili, they are an excellent team and very professional!
5
Me and my friends had a wonderfull experience doing with Congema the Kilimandjaro summit and some safari days. All of the staff guys were very profesional, friendly and nice people. Special mentions for Alain (he was always very reactive and precise when I asked a lot of information during the preparation of the trip), Paul and Josef (our guides for the summit for their advices and permanent support and help), Kassim and Benson (the cook and his assistant for their delicious food), the 12 porters (for their good mood and friendly behaviour), George and Roman (our drivers during the safari days). Congratulation to Constantin (The Boss) to have a such nice Staff !
Sebastien
5
Nous sommes parti faire l'ascension du Kilimandjaro du 30 aout au 5 septembre 2017 avec le support d'Explore-Share qui nous a déjà accompagné il y a 2 ans pour l'ascension à ski de l'Elbrouz. Cette aventure sur le plan physique, sur la découverte de nouveaux paysages montagneux totalement différents des Alpes, des montagnes Européennes auxquels nous sommes un peu habitués (je précise que nous sommes 2 amis de longues dates, Alain : guide de haute montagne et moniteur de ski, et moi Sébastien : pilote de ligne et moniteur de ski), fut fabuleuse, et exceptionnelle sur le plan humain. Nous étions accompagnés par toute une équipe de guides, cuisinier, et porteurs tout au long de ces 7 jours; et ces personnes furent le mets exquis de ce voyage, toujours souriants, encourageants, tellement gentils dans le plus noble et beau sens du terme. Je tiens à remercier tout particulièrement l'ensemble des porteurs, le guide Elly qui a mené cette belle ascension, l'agence Congema, et son responsable Constantine qui a géré l'administratif, et bien sûr Explore-Share avec Gauthier Poncelet qui nous a permis une nouvelle fois de vivre une semaine, et un voyage merveilleux gravés dans nos mémoires.
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