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The Machame Ruten is a beautiful Kilimanjaro route and we love taking clients up the mountain via this trail. We explain all you need to know about the route, including the different duration options.
The Machame Ruten is the busiest of the seven Kilimanjaro routes, with about 50% of Kilimanjaro climbers using it each year. It’s also one of the most scenic Kilimanjaro routes. It offers breathtaking views and a rich variety of terrain throughout. The route approaches from south and has a high success rate, especially for climbers who choose the Machame route seven-day option.
There are several trekking routes to the summit, and among them, the Machame Route (also called the Whiskey Route) is the most popular, with its fantastic scenery and high success rate (85% on average and above 90% for our trips). It is also great for acclimatisation, allowing you to walk high and sleep low every day naturally. Its downside is that everybody likes it (about 50% of all climbs are done via the Machame Route), so in peak periods it can be quite busy. While the ascent does not involve any technical climbing, the Machame Route is demanding, and a sound level of fitness is an essential pre-requisite.
Our standard Machame Ruten itinerary is 8 nights (7 trekking days, 9 days total). As all our departures are private, we can be quite flexible and on request, we can adapt the itinerary and make it shorter or longer to suit your preferences and stamina.
Trek Overview
The 7 day Machame route approaches Kilimanjaro through forest and moorland from the south-west, and joins the Shira route before traversing beneath the southern icefields of Kibo. The rainforest is extremely beautiful and there is a tangible sense of ‘wilderness’ once the higher elevations are reached. The views of Mt. Meru floating on the clouds are simply unforgettable, and we make our final ascent to the summit by the stunning Barafu route. The seven day itinerary gives maximum possible acclimatisation, and also gives us plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent scenery.
Day | Start | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | Finish | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | TIme | Distance | Distance |
1 | Machame Gate | 1,640 | 5,380 | Machame Camp | 2,850 | 9,350 | 5-7 | 11 | 7 |
2 | Machame Camp | 2,850 | 9,350 | Shira 2 Camp | 3,810 | 12,500 | 4-6 | 5 | 3 |
3 | Shira 2 Camp | 3,810 | 12,500 | Lava Tower | 4,630 | 15,190 | 4-5 | 7 | 4 |
Lava Tower | 4,630 | 15,190 | Barranco Camp | 3,976 | 13,044 | 2-3 | 3 | 2 | |
4 | Barranco Camp | 3,976 | 13,044 | Karanga Camp | 3,995 | 13,106 | 4-5 | 5 | 3 |
5 | Karanga Camp | 3,995 | 13,106 | Barafu Camp | 4,673 | 15,331 | 4-5 | 4 | 2 |
6 | Barafu Camp | 4,673 | 15,331 | Unhuru Camp | 5,895 | 19,341 | 7-8 | 5 | 3 |
Unhuru Peak | 5,895 | 19,341 | Mweka Camp | 3,068 | 10,065 | 4-6 | 12 | 7 | |
7 | Mweka Camp | 3,068 | 10,065 | Mweka Gate | 1,640 | 5,380 | 3-4 | 10 | 6 |
We really like the Machame route because of its beauty, variety of scenery, and great acclimatisation profile. The one possible downside of this route is that it can get quite crowded. Whilst it’s undeniably a very beautiful Kilimanjaro climb, we usually recommend the Lemosho route over the Machame route. This is because the Lemosho is just as beautiful, yet less crowded.
These two Kilimanjaro routes do, however, join together on the morning of Day 3, so it’s actually only the first couple of days that are different. You can climb Kilimanjaro via the Machame route in six days, though we don’t recommend this for first-time trekkers as it diminishes your acclimatisation period. Rather climb it over seven days.
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