Machame Route

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The Machame Route, also called the Whiskey Route, is definitely the most popular among climbers using experienced guides. It is always done in either 6 or 7 days, and the 7-day version is recommended for everyone because the extra day to acclimatize will increase your chances of making the summit and enjoying it in the process. 6 days can be done, but it’s not recommended and you will have a couple days of 10 hours of trekking.

Unlike the infamous Marangu Route (but similar to all the others), the Machame Route involves sleeping in tents each night with no snack bars along the way to spoil the vibe. It’s obviously longer than Marangu, but also much more scenic and interesting. Another advantage to Machame is that climbers make a relatively quick rise to elevation in the first few days, which makes acclimatization easier and gentler, and helps greatly preparing for the brutal summit day. In almost all cases groups will actually descend on the separate Mweka Route, which is quicker and offers different scenery during the day and a half on the way down. About 40 percent of people who climb Kilimanjaro use this route.

You’ll begin by checking in at the Machame Gate office, and then either walk or be driven about 2.5 kilometers to the official trailhead depending on road conditions, which are often too muddy for vehicles.

Here is the itinerary for the recommended 7-day climb on the Machame Route, with a note about the 6-day version below:

Day 1: Machame Gate (1,634 m/5,363 ft) to Machame Hut (2,834 m/9,300 ft)
Hike time: 7.5 hrs
Elevation change: +1,200 m/+3,937 ft
Estimated distance: 10km/6.21 miles
Final elevation: ,3100 m/10,170 ft

• You begin in a rain forest and you’ll likely be climbing in rain and mud most of this day before arriving at Macheme Camp in late afternoon. This day is fairly steep and already gets you to an elevation where your body will begin to acclimatize to the altitude.

Day 2: Machame Hut (2,834 m/9,300 ft) to Shira Hut (3,749 m/12,300 ft)
Hike time: 7 hrs
Elevation change: +800 m/+3,000 ft
Estimated distance: 6km/3.75 miles
Final elevation: 3,800 m/12,467 ft

• You leave the rain forest early and spend most of your day in the moorlands before reaching the famous views of the Shira Plateau and later the Shira Camp. The climb on this day is not as steep, but this night is likely to be even colder than the first night - probably well below freezing.

Day 3: Shira Hut (3,749 m/12,300 ft) to Barranco Hut (3,901 m/12,800 ft)
Hike time: 5 hrs
Elevation change: +100 m/+328 ft
Estimated distance: ?
Final elevation: 3,900 m/12,800 ft

• The morning climb is somewhat steep on this day as you climb to Lava Tower at 4,600 meters at midday before descending again on the scenic route to Barranco Camp. This is a great example of the climb high/sleep low rule that helps people acclimatize safely.

Day 4: Barranco Hut (3,900 m/12,800 ft) to Karanga Valley (3,963 m/13,000 ft)
Hike time: 3.5 hrs
Elevation change: +100 m/+328 ft
Estimated distance: 4km/2.5 miles
Final elevation: 3,963 m/13,000 ft

• You climb the Great Barranco Wall, which looks more intimidating than it really is, and down into the Karanga Valley. This day has many ups and downs and crosses many small streams before crossing the Karanga River just before camp.

Day 5: Karanga Valley (3,963 m/13,000 ft) to Barafu Hut (4,600 m/15,091 ft)
Hike time: 3.5 hrs
Elevation change: +600 m/+1,968 ft
Estimated distance: 4km/2.5 miles
Final elevation: 4,600 m/15,091 ft

• You climb through rocky and otherwise barren terrain on your way to Barafu Camp. The camp is in another cold and windy area, but you’ll only be sleeping from around 7 p.m. until 11: 30 p.m. or so because you’ll be starting the summit climb at midnight.

Day 6: Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,091 ft) to the Summit (5,896 m/19,343 ft) and then to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft)
Summit time: 7 hrs
Elevation change: +1,300 m/+4,265 ft
Estimated distance: 5km/3.2 miles
Final elevation: 5,896 m/19,343 ft
Descent time: 5 hrs
Elevation change: -2,800 m/-9,186 ft
Estimated distance: 12km/7.5 miles
Final elevation: 3,100 m, 10,170 ft

• You’ll start at midnight with by far the most challenging 6-hour section of entire climb as you reach Stella Point around sunrise. After a short rest you’ll probably be walking in snow for the next two hours until you reach Uhuru Peak, AKA the summit! After enjoying the moment briefly you’ll begin your descent to the Mweka Camp back in the rain forest, which takes about 8 hours including a quick rest in the middle.

Day 7: Mweka Hut (3,100 m/10,170 ft) to Mweka Gate (1,828 m/6,000 ft)
Descent time: 4 hrs
Elevation change: -1,250 m/-4,101 ft
Estimated distance: 10km/6.21
Final elevation: 1,828 m/6,000 ft

• After the previous day you’ll deserve this short and very scenic descent of about 4 hours down to the Mweka Gate, where you’ll sign the register to make your climb official.

The 6-day version

On 6-day climbs on the Macheme Route they combine days 4 and 5 from above into one more challenging day. Again, as macho as it might sound to go up as fast as possible, the experienced guides recommend taking the extra day. It not only lets you enjoy the scenery longer, but statistics show climbers have a better chance of safely reaching the summit with the extra day to acclimatize. Read 6 Day Machame Route - Is It Smart?

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