Day 1
The climb starts from Machame Gate (1,800 m.) Shortly after the gate the path follows a ridge through dense montane forest. On sunny days, and especially in the dry season, this section is very lush and beautiful.
We have lunch at Halfway Clearing, a small opening in the trees, and continue climbing steadily. Our camp for the night is near the ruins of Machame Hut (3,000 m.). We may get our first closer look at the glaciated dome of Kibo if the evening clouds permit. [6-8 hours walking]
Day 2
A shorter day that begins by climbing up a steep ridge to reach a small semi-circular cliff known as Picnic Rock. We camp near Shira Hut (3,840 m.) which has some of the most stunning views on Kilimanjaro; close to the huge volcanic cone of Kibo, the spectacular rock formations of Shira Plateau, and looking across to Mt. Meru floating on the clouds. [4-6 hours walking]
Day 3
A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views walking on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4,550 m.) we descend to the bottom of the Great Barranco Valley (3,900 m.), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below. [5-7 hours walking]
Day 4
A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and there is only a short distance to Karanga camp (4,100 m.). After lunch at Karanga we head down through the Karanga valley. [4 hours walking]
Day 5
A short but steep climb out of Karanga, and an easy path on compacted scree with wide views, we then climb steadily to reach the Barafu campsite (4,600 m.). The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent before an early night. [3 hours walking]
Day 6
We will start our ascent by torchlight at about 1 a.m. so that we can be up on the rater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (5,735 m.), in about five or six hours.
We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the two hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m.).
The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshment, we continue to descend to reach our final campsite at the edge of Mweka Forest (3,100 m.). [11-15 hours walking].
Day 7
A sustained descent through lovely forest with lush undergrowth takes us to the National Park gate at Mweka (1,650 m.) [4-6 hours walking]
