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The Roof of Africa · 5,895m
Machame
The most popular route on Kilimanjaro — rainforest, the Shira Plateau, Lava Tower and the Barranco Wall in one climb. Run it in seven days, or add the Karanga night and move your odds from 92% to 98%.
- 7 or 8 day options
- Private groups from 1
Tanzanian-Owned Operator
Fair Porter Treatment
Based In Arusha & Moshi
Book Direct, No Middlemen
The Barranco Wall
THE SCRAMBLE THAT
From Barranco Camp the wall rears up 257m and looks impossible. It is not. It is a hands-on scramble on good rock with no ropes and no exposure that will frighten a reasonable person.
Go early, before the crowds stack up at the Kissing Rock, and you will be at the top inside ninety minutes wondering what the fuss was about.
- No technical skill, ropes or harness required
- We start early to beat the queue at the narrow sections
- Daypack only — your duffel goes round with the porters
Day by day
THE ITINERARY
Altitudes, distances and walking hours for every day on the mountain.
Price from
$2,580
per person, private group
8 Days
On the mountain
1
Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Register at the gate at 1,800m and climb all afternoon through dense montane rainforest. Colobus monkeys overhead, mud underfoot.
- 1,800m to 2,835m
- 11km
- 5-7 hrs
2
Machame Camp to Shira 2 Camp
The forest ends abruptly and the landscape opens into giant heather and moorland, with the first full views of Kibo’s glaciers behind you.
- 2,835m to 3,850m
- 5km
- 4-6 hrs
3
Shira 2 to Lava Tower, down to Barranco
Climb to 4,630m at Lava Tower for lunch, then descend 670m to sleep at Barranco. Classic climb-high, sleep-low.
- 4,630m high point
- 10km
- 6-8 hrs
4
Barranco Wall, Karanga, on to Barafu
The long push. Scramble the Barranco Wall at first light, cross the Karanga Valley and keep going all the way to Barafu High Camp. You arrive tired and start summit night the same evening.
- 3,960m to 4,673m
- 13km
- 9-11 hrs
5
Summit Night: Barafu to Uhuru Peak, down to Mweka
Wake at 23:30 and walk into the dark by headlamp. Six hours of scree to Stella Point, the crater rim at sunrise, then Uhuru Peak at 5,895m.
- 5,895m summit
- 17km
- 12-14 hrs
6
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate, back to Arusha
Three hours down through the rainforest to the gate at 1,640m. Sign the register and collect your summit certificate.
- 3,100m to 1,640m
- 10km
- 3-4 hrs
7
Departure or safari connection
Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, or carry on to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Zanzibar.
- Arusha
- Transfer included
1
Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Register at the gate at 1,800m and climb all afternoon through dense montane rainforest. Colobus monkeys overhead, mud underfoot.
- 1,800m to 2,835m
- 11km
- 5-7 hrs
2
Machame Camp to Shira 2 Camp
The forest ends abruptly and the landscape opens into giant heather and moorland, with the first full views of Kibo’s glaciers behind you.
- 2,835m to 3,850m
- 5km
- 4-6 hrs
3
Shira 2 to Lava Tower, down to Barranco
The most important day for acclimatisation. You climb to 4,630m at Lava Tower for lunch, then descend 670m to sleep at Barranco.
- 4,630m high point
- 10km
- 6-8 hrs
4
Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp
Scramble the Barranco Wall at first light, then a short day into Karanga, arriving by early afternoon with the rest of the day to rest and eat.
- 3,960m to 3,995m
- 5km
- 4-5 hrs
5
Karanga Camp to Barafu High Camp
A short, steady climb across the alpine desert to Barafu at 4,673m. You sleep in the afternoon, eat at 17:00 and are woken just before midnight.
- 3,995m to 4,673m
- 4km
- 3-4 hrs
6
Summit Night: Barafu to Uhuru Peak, down to Mweka
Wake at 23:30 and walk into the dark by headlamp. Six hours of scree to Stella Point, then the crater rim at sunrise and a final hour to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m.
- 5,895m summit
- 17km
- 12-14 hrs
7
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate, back to Arusha
A last three hours down through the rainforest to the gate at 1,640m. Sign the register and collect your summit certificate.
- 3,100m to 1,640m
- 10km
- 3-4 hrs
8
Departure or safari connection
Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, or carry straight on to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Zanzibar.
- Arusha
- Transfer included
The last hour
UHURU PEAK,
From Stella Point the gradient finally eases and you walk the crater rim with the Rebmann and Furtwängler glaciers on your left, lit orange by a sunrise happening below you. Forty-five minutes along that ridge is the sign at Uhuru Peak.
You get about fifteen minutes up there. The air holds roughly half the oxygen you are used to, so your guide will start moving you down before you want to go.
- Highest point in Africa and the world's tallest free-standing mountain
- Sunrise summit timed so you are on the rim as the light comes up
- Guides carry oxygen and will descend with anyone who needs to
No surprises
WHAT'S IN,
Included
- All park gate, camping and rescue fees
- WFR-certified lead guide, assistant guides, cook and porters
- Three hot meals a day, cooked fresh at camp
- Four-season tents, sleeping mat and heated dining tent
- Twice-daily pulse-oximeter checks and emergency oxygen
- Airport transfers plus two nights' hotel in Arusha
- Filtered drinking water and a summit certificate
Not included
- International flights and Tanzania visa
- Travel and high-altitude medical insurance
- Personal trekking gear — rentals from $10 in Moshi
- Crew tips, budgeted together at your briefing
- Drinks, snacks and souvenirs
- Anything not listed under Included
Make it yours
WORTH ADDING
Small upgrades that make a real difference at 4,600m.
Private Toilet Tent
A clean, private chemical toilet carried and serviced at every high camp by a dedicated crew member.
$150 / group
Extra Personal Porter
A dedicated porter carrying up to 15kg of extra gear or camera equipment, so your daypack stays light.
$140 / trek
Oxygen & WFR First Aid
Portable emergency oxygen cylinders and pulse-oximeters travel with every KissRock group as standard.
Included
Zanzibar Flying Safari
Skip the long drive — fly direct from Seronera or Kilimanjaro Airport straight to Stone Town.
$280 / person
Safety assured
THE MOUNTAIN IS SERIOUS.
Twice-Daily Health Checks
Pulse-oximeter and lung checks every morning and evening, logged by your guide.
Emergency Oxygen
Portable oxygen and a full first-aid kit travel with the crew from gate to summit.
WFR-Certified Guides
Every lead guide holds a current Wilderness First Responder certificate.
Four-Season Camps
Weatherproof tents, insulated mats and a heated dining tent at every camp.
Before you ask
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
How cold does it get on summit night?
Expect −10°C to −20°C at Uhuru Peak with wind chill. A −10°C-rated down jacket, thermal base layers, warm gloves and a balaclava are not optional. All of it can be hired in Moshi.
What is the food like on the mountain?
Three cooked meals a day prepared fresh at camp by our own cook. Vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten-free are all straightforward — tell us when you book.
How heavy is my daypack?
Porters carry your main duffel, capped at 15kg. You carry a 25–30L daypack with water, snacks, a rain shell, a warm layer and a camera — usually 5–7kg.
Will there be phone signal and charging?
Signal is patchy but present on most of the mountain. There is no mains power, so bring a power bank and sleep with it in your sleeping bag — cold drains batteries fast.
Machame Route
YOUR WINDOW IS
Send your dates and group size. We confirm availability, send a full kit list and hold your place with a $200 deposit.