KilImanjaro Hike
Machame Route
Hanna McClintock and friends in Tanzania
Kilimanjaro Hike with Safari Option
Hanna McClintock and Friends
October 2019
Often called the “Whiskey Route,” this trail is scenically beautiful, longer and much gentler than Umbwe or Marangu (the “Coca Cola Route”). This itinerary provides valuable acclimatization by having extra, but shorter walking days during the trek.
Day 1
Meals: D
Arusha Arrival
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport. After clearing customs and Immigration formalities you will meet your driver and transferred to Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort for an overnight stay.
Overnight Iliboru Lodge
Day 2
Meals: B | L | D
Arusha Free Day
We recommend including a free day in Arusha to allow for any travel mishaps such as lost luggage, flight delay, etc.
Overnight Iliboru Lodge
Day 3
Meals: B | L | D
Arusha – Forest Camp
We depart after an early breakfast for transfer to Lemosho Gate, an arduous three-hour journey through the colonial grazing lands between Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro. This area is now inhabited by Maasai families and has spectacular scenery. We complete formal registrations at Londorossi Gate before continuing onto the trailhead. We enjoy a packed lunch as the team inspects and co-ordinates luggages and then set off on our hike.
FOREST CAMP
Hike Details: 4.1 km, Start Elev. 2350m, Finish Elev. 2790m, 3-4 hours
Day 4
Meals: B | L | D
Forest Camp – Shira One
We set out from camp this morning through magnificent forest areas to emerge onto Shira Plateau, the initial area where the volcanic activity of Kilimanjaro began. The scenery opens up to a more open savannah grassland and our view across to our goal on Kibo is superb. We will enjoy a packed lunch at a scenic point along the trail.
SHIRA ONE CAMP
Hike Details: 7.1 km, Start Elev. 2790m, Finish Elev. 3490m, 5-6 hours
Day 5
Meals: B | L | D
Shira One – Moir
Our focus today, begins after a hearty English style breakfast along with fresh fruits and breads and we begin to cross the plateau area, passing Shira Cathedral. The ‘cathedral’ area was an ancient sacrificial area for the Chagga tribe of Kilimanjaro and demonstrates the commitment the tribe had to the traditional god. We once again enjoy lunch enroute as we make our way across a sparsely vegetated habitat.
MOIR CAMP
Hike Details: 10.6 km, Start Elev. 3490m, Finish Elev. 4150m, 6-7 hours
Day 6
Meals: B | L | D
Moir – Barranco
An excellent opportunity for acclimatisation today as we make our way up and over into the Barranco area – facing a more challenging hike with volcanic matter underfoot. It is an exciting day, taking in spectacular views once again as we near our summit departure point.
BARRANCO CAMP
Hike Details: 8.8 km, Start Elev. 4150m, Finish Elev. 4635m-3955m, 7-8 hours
Day 7
Meals: B | L | D
Barranco – KarangaValley
Today’s hike takes us through some rugged and awesome terrain – especially after breakfast as we ascend the gruelling Wall of Barranco. As we reach the top, we are able to view over our footsteps so far, which is great motivation to continue on our trekking adventure. We enter Karanga Valley after lunch and set up camp away from the chilly winds that occur at this altitude.
KARANGA VALLEY CAMP
Hike Details: 5 km, Start Elev. 3955m, Finish Elev. 4020m, 4-5 hours
Day 8
Meals: B | L | D
Karanga Valley – Barafu
Hike: 3.4 km 4020m-4600m 3-4 hours Our departure from the sheltered cliffs of Karanga, we begin to reach the open volcanic flats towards Barafu. The landscape that now surrounds us is made up of lunar surrounds with the landscape beyond showing the peak of Kibo and above.
BARAFU CAMP
Hike Details:
Day 9
Meals: B | L | D
Barafu – Summit - Mweka
From midnight, we slowly make our way up the Crater wall and reach StellaPoint for a stunning sunrise over the African continent. We struggle at times catching our breath and with the volcanic scree underfoot but we are so close now and we look forward to reaching Uhuru. We are lucky enough to see the snows of Kilimanjaro, stunning glaciers and if we are lucky enough, an uninterrupted view across to Mt Meru and the surrounding plains. We only enjoy our triumph momentarily before we return down to Barafu and beyond to our last camp on Kilimanjaro.
MWEKA CAMP
Hike Details: 17.6km, Start Elev. 4600m, Finish Elev. 3075m, 14-16 hours
DAY 10
Mweka – Arusha
We enjoy a more leisurely morning and are able to take a final glimpse at Kibo peak before disappearing into the forest for our final descent the National Park gate at Mweka. We complete our signing out formalities and say good-bye to our team before embarking our awaiting vehicle for the return journey to Arusha for your flight home or begin your safari extension.
Breakfast, Lunch
Hike Details: 8.8 km, Start Elev. 3075m, Finish Elev. 1645m, 2-3 hours
Optional Safari Extension
Day 10
Meet in Arusha after trekking and transfer to your hotel for
resting, dinner and overnight.
ILIBORU LODGE (HB)
Day 11
Arusha - Tarangire
After breakfast we drive to the Tarangire National park for game drives and lunch. Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest National Park in Tanzania, located slightly off the main safari route, Tarangire National Park is a lovely, quiet park in northern Tanzania. It is most famous for its high population of elephants and its rich birdlife. Furthermore, the park is rich of plants and other animals such as the Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) which can not be found in any other National Park.We continue to explore this wilderness as we learn animal behavior and natural habitats from local experienced guides. This is the period where animals move southern to Tarangire where they find lots of fresh water.So during the time you can expect to see large herds of thousands
of zebra, wildebeest and cape buffalo in Tarangire. Other common resident animals include waterbuck, giraffe, dik dik, impala, eland, Grant's gazelle, vervet monkey, banded mongoose, and olive baboon. After enjoying our game driving we transfer to our Camp located inside the park for dinner and overnight.
TARANGIRE NDOVU TENTED CAMP (FB)
Day 12
TARANGIRE - SERENGETI
We depart after breakfast to the endless plains of the Serengeti, via exploration of the Ndutu plains area. We enjoy a picnic lunch en-route. Upon entering the Serengeti, we are able to game drive all the way to our special camp area. This camp is located in Central Serengeti and the camp option is recommended as it allows drive in clients as well as game package clients to explore the resident and Migratory wild game all year around.
NAONA MORU CAMP (FB)
Day 13
SERENGETI
Early morning game drives within Serengeti provide the perfect opportunity to get up close to Africa’s incredible animals. We are luck to experience the migration and to spot a great variety of wildlife
including cheetah,bat eared fox, black rhino, Maasai giraffe, lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, zebra, rhino, crocodile, elephants and others. We get the chance to learn and to understand about the animals behavior. In the afternoon, we set off to see the nocturnal animals beginning their night's before returning to our intimate camp for the evening.
NAONA MORU CAMP (FB)
Day 14
SERENGETI - NGORONGORO CRATER.
After our continental breakfast we drive back across the grasslands and up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro is collapsed volcano - an incredible natural amphitheatre, 25 km across and is home to a large assortment of animals including zebra,
buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, hippo and elephants; and an amazing population of predators - lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the elusive leopard. We descent into the crater for spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. Approximately 2.5 million years ago, the Ngorongoro crater was a huge volcanic mountain, rivalling Kilimanjaro in size. This changed when the top of the mountain collapsed in on itself, creating the biggest volcanic caldera in the world and teeming with all of the African big game. Afterwards we get out of the park and continue to JRO for our flight departure.
Price quoted includes:
All transport - 4WD Land Rovers or safari vehicles
Accommodation as detailed - 3 person tents shared by two people when camping
Camping equipment (except sleeping bags and insulation mats)
Services of guides and porters
All National Park entrance and camp site fees
All food - breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals
Donations and payments to local community project
Prices quoted exclude:
International flights
Travel and personal accident insurance
Visa, passport, vaccinations, medicines
Tips
Expenditure on personal bar bills (including all additional drinks) drinks, souvenirs, personal items
Optional excursions/activities not detailed in itinerary
Any additional services requested
