Machame Route

Register at Machame Gate (1,800m) and start climbing through dense montane rainforest on a well-graded trail. The forest thins gradually as you gain altitude, and you’ll likely hear colobus monkeys overhead before you see them.

Leave the rainforest behind and climb onto the moorland zone, with heather and giant lobelia replacing the trees. Kibo’s summit comes into view for the first time on a clear day, alongside sweeping views back over Mount Meru.

A ‘climb high, sleep low’ acclimatization day: you’ll trek up to the Lava Tower (4,630 m) for lunch and thinner air, then descend to Barranco Camp for the night, which helps your body adjust to altitude ahead of summit night.

A short but exciting day that opens with the Barranco Wall, a steep but non-technical scramble that’s more fun than difficult. From the top, alpine desert stretches out ahead as you cross toward Karanga Valley.

A shorter, steady climb across open alpine desert to Barafu (‘ice’ in Swahili) Camp, your base camp for the summit push. The afternoon and evening are for resting, eating, and an early night before a very early wake-up call.

Wake around midnight for the summit push, climbing switchbacks by headtorch to reach Stella Point at sunrise, then Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) itself, the roof of Africa. After time at the summit, descend all the way down to Mweka Camp in the forest, a huge and rewarding day.

A final descent through the rainforest back to Mweka Gate, where you’ll receive your summit certificate. Warm, humid air and birdsong replace the cold of the summit zone.