Machame Route, 6 days

Altitude, day by day

Heights in metres above sea level. Uhuru Peak is 5,895 m.

Watch the climb

3:56

The climb

1. Day 1

   Machame Gate to Machame Camp

   1,800 m → 3,000 m

   A long, steady walk through thick rainforest to the first camp.

2. Day 2

   Machame Camp to Shira Camp

   3,000 m → 3,850 m

   Out of the forest onto the Shira Plateau, with views west to Mount Meru.

3. Day 3

   Via Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

   3,850 m → 3,960 m

   Up to Lava Tower at 4,630 m and back down to Barranco to sleep. The key acclimatisation day.

4. Day 4

   Barranco Wall to Barafu Camp

   3,960 m → 4,673 m

   Scramble the Barranco Wall, cross Karanga Valley and climb to Barafu Camp, the camp our company is named after.

5. Day 5

   Summit, then down to Mweka Camp

   4,673 m → 5,895 m

   Midnight start via Stella Point to Uhuru Peak at dawn, then the long descent to Mweka Camp.

6. Day 6

   Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

   3,100 m → 1,640 m

   Down through the forest to the gate and back to your hotel.

A seventh day, sleeping at Karanga Camp, raises your chance of reaching the summit. Most of our Machame climbers take it.