life of EASE......spirit of ADVENTURE
Sample Itinerary:
Kilimanjaro Machame via Western Breach with Crater Night & Excursion
(Seven days)
Day 1
Breakfast at your hotel is served from 0700. Please ensure that you have packed your bags before breakfast, have signed over your extra luggage that will not be required on the mountain to reception, and have deposited your valuables into the hotel’s safe.
Transfer and Registration. You will normally be collected at 0730 from your hotel. Climbers should have their passport numbers for their registry entries but are advised to have kept their passports and valuables in the hotel safe (excluding the amount they will budget for tipping their crew). Please also note that following any transfer it is customary to tip the driver, $5 - $10 per group is usual.
Trek from Machame Gate (1828m) to Machame Camp (3020m). The distance is 10.8km, over 1200m of elevation gain.
Day 2
Trek from Machame Camp to Shira Camp (3847m) on southern edge of Shira Plateau. Distance is 5.2km.
Day 3
We trek from Shira Camp to Lava Tower (4642m). If the weather’s good you can ask your guide to lead you to the summit of the Lava Tower (4688m) where the views are excellent. Lunch is normally taken at the foot of the tower. Distance from Shira Cave Camp to Lava Tower is 6.6km. Afternoon acclimatisation excursions from Lava Tower to Arrow Glacier Camp before returning to Lava Tower Camp to overnight.
In the event that your guide feels spending tonight at 4642m would not help your acclimatisation, he may choose for you to descend to Barranco Camp (3965m) to overnight. Distance from Lava Tower to Barranco is 3.7km.
Day 4
Trek from Lava Tower Camp (or Barranco Camp if used) to Arrow Glacier Campsite (4871m). Though only a short distance is covered today - 2.5km, taking approximately 1.5 hours, the walk is still exhausting. Afternoonacclimatisation excursions on the Western Breach Assault route. You probably won’t feel like eating or drinking at this point, but please try to do so as your body needs the fuel now. You are advised to get all your gear ready for the summit bid before you go to sleep as you may feel disoriented when awoken for the assault at 0500.
Day 5
Around 0530 (your guide will judge the time that is optimal for you based on your pace thus far) quit camp for the assault via the Western Breach / Crater rim (5725m) to the summit. The Western Breach assault route to the summit, while the shortest, time wise, is also the steepest. This morning is very difficult and you’ll need to draw on inner strength to help you achieve the crater rim.
When you reach the crater rim you will sit, rest and admire the views out to the west, and the Furtwangler Glacier to your immediate east. Here you are only 170 vertical metres short of the summit, the journey from here is much less steep, and you have plenty of time for short rest stops.
From Crater Camp, it is only a short climb (max 1 hour) via the zig-zag track to the summit, passing Furtwangler Point at 5894m .
On the summit your guide will advise how much time you can spend there in consideration of your condition, your timings, and the weather. The brain does not always function very well at this altitude so please remember to take many photographs in all directions to be sure you record your memories.
From the summit you will have the option to continue to press eastwards towards Stella Point (5752m) with the massive Southern Icefield, including Rebmann and Decken Glaciers, 100m to your right before descending to Crater Camp, or to descend direct to the Crater Camp returning the way you arrived at the summit.
Having settled and enjoyed refreshments at Crater Camp you have the option of requesting that your guide accompany you to the top of the Breach Wall to watch the sunset over the Shira Plateau.
Distances on Summit Day:
Arrow Glacier Camp to Crater Camp: 3.5km
Crater Camp to Summit: 0.7km
Summit to Crater Camp = 0.8km.
Optional evening excursion to top of Western Breach (5725m) for sunset views over Lava Tower and the Shira Plateau. Excursion distance = 1.7km.
Day 3
This morning, provided climbers are feeling strong and motivated and are judged by the guide to be in good health, we rise up from Crater Camp towards the very centre of Kibo and the Reusch Ash Pit viewpoint at 5845m. From here views are enjoyed towards the summit and into the centre of the volcanic cone where fumeroles and sulphur emissions can often be seen. Strength permitting, we continue to circumnavigate the Ash Pit towards the Eastern Icefields and Stella Point, where we begin the descent to Barafu Camp, this time moving left of our ascent route into the Southeast Valley, descending via its loose scree slopes. There is clear logic is descending a loose scree slope; it is far easier on the knees and as the ground collapses underfoot if you take short quick strides it’s easy to maintain momentum. We do short bursts and take regular rests, pausing to photograph the Saddle beneath us and Kenya to our left. At Barafu Camp we have a short refreshment break before continuing to Mweka Camp 3090m where we overnight again.
Distances on Day 6:
Depending on which features are incorporated a crater excursion will cover from 4.3km to 6.2km. Stella Point to Barafu Camp: 3.3km
Barafu to Mweka Camp: 6.3km
Day 7
This morning we descend from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (1641m) where we sign the summit register and you will be awarded your certificate of Achievement.
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Distance from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate is 8.5km.
Typical tips for mountain crew tend to average some 10-15% of climb cost. All climbers’ contributions are usually added together and the total amount is presented to the chief guide at Mweka Gate. Our guides always divide these tips fairly amongst their crew according to a customary scale that is determined by the responsibilities and experience of each staff member
PLEASE NOTE: Your safety is our business. All our Mountain Guides are highly trained in guiding at altitude and hold relevant, current First Aid Qualifications. In all matters of safety the decision of the Chief Guide is final.