At 7:30 a.m., we’ll transfer to the Machame Park Gate (5,950 ft. / 1,815 mt.). After registering with the park authority, we’ll begin our climb through the lush forest. Trekkers will likely hear the many exotic birds in the canopy above, and many even see black & white colobus monkeys and sykes monkeys as they hike along the knotted roots and mud on the forest floor. We’ll continue on to some heath land before reaching our overnight camp at Machame Camp (9,850 feet, 6-7 hours of walking), just above the forest zone. The trek is quite long, but not steep.

Today’s segment of the ascent will continue across beautiful heath land and alpine moorland with magnificent views of Kilimanjaro Peak. We begin up the steep track through a savannah of tall grasses, and trees of Giant Heather and Erica. Scramble around large boulders as you enter the moorland zone, marked by lobelia and senecio plants, and volcanic rocks draped with lichen beards, which protect wild alpine flowers growing at their bases. We’ll overnight at Shira Camp (12,600 feet, 5-6 hours of walking).

We’ll draw nearer the peak as we get closer to the Lava Tower. The trek becomes a bit more strenuous as the trail steepens on the approach to the lava Tower, a 300 foot tall volcanic plug which marks an exposed pass at 15,000 feet. In the afternoon, descend the steep track into the Great Barranco Valley. Barranco Camp is set on a cool (flat area) enclosed on three sides with steep valley walls and the Kibo massif itself. Hanging glaciers glint in the sunshine above, amidst the eerie landscape of plants such as the giant groundsels (Senecio Kilimanjaro), and the uniquely endemic Giant Lobelia. Then we slowly ascend to our overnight stop at Barranco Camp (12,950 feet, 5-6 hours of walking). This day and the following day will be your acclimatization day.

Acclimatization day

We’ll trek up through the Karanga Valley; the trail turns steadily uphill, following the lava ridge to the Barafu camp. The temperature will grow colder and the landscape more sparse as we near Barafu Camp. Barafu Camp is set on a small exposed flat area on a ridge, acting as a base camp from which you will make your summit attempt at midnight this night. Barafu camp (15,200 feet, 6-7 hours of walking).

Just after midnight we start on a challenging trek (12-17 hours of trekking). You begin trekking at 12:30 to 1am, passing between the Rebmann and Tarzel glaciers to the rim at Stella Point. The temperatures range from just below freezing at midnight, to between 10 deg. F (-12 deg. C) to –10 F. (-23 deg. C) just before dawn at the summit. As dawn nears, we’ll summit at Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet. Uhuru will be the culmination of – and the reward for – 6-7 hours of strenuous hiking. We’ll then descend back to Barafu Camp, resting for a while before continuing our descent to Mweka Camp (9,840 feet, 3-4 hours of walking on the descent).

We’ll make our final descent to the park gate, a walk of about 3 or 4 hours. After bidding our farewells to our guide and porters, we’ll drive to Arusha. Dinner and overnight at Out Post Lodge (HB)