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Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Climbing Kilimanjaro - Africa's highest mountain via Machame Route
A photo report with 6 chapters and 50 pictures
 

Kilimanjaro home page

1  Machame Gate (1800m) - Machame Camp (3000m)

Machame Camp (3000m) - Shira Plateau Camp (3800m)

Shira Plateau Camp (3800m) - Lava Tower (4400m) - Barranco Valley Camp (3900m)

Barranco Valley Camp (3900m) - Karranga Valley - Barafo Camp (4600m)

Via Stella Point (5732m) to the summit Uhuru Peak (5895m)

Descend via Millennium Camp (3800m) and Mweka Camp (3000m) to Mweka Gate (1800m)

 
 

Starting at Hotel Protea Aishi
in Machame (1200m)
driving to Machame Gate (1800m).

If you consider hiring a car and driving yourself: Mind the number of spare
wheels.

     
 

Machame Gate (1800m)

Our group of 9 tourists was catered for by 28 porters, 2 cooks and 4 guides.

This January morning at least 10 other teams were starting their climb. Machame Route is regarded as one of the less frequented routes. It seems to become more and more popular as it is described
as the most beautiful one albeit more strenuos.

     
 

The gate is guarded by armed National Park Rangers. Outside many young men
are waiting to be hired as a porter.

     
 

Nobody will be able to say that he didn't know.

Big signs warn the hillwalkers of the dangers of the mountain and its height.

There is no helicopter rescue provided.
An emergency descend can get very painful.

     
 

Times are gone, when the first leg was to be covered along narrow and muddy paths. The new and comfortable track reminds of walking in a Kent garden, if it wasn't in the mid of a tropical laurel wood which grows up to the height of 2700 meters.

     
 

Machame-Hut (3000m)

The porters' loads are weighed at every hut. Porters are allowed to carry a maximum of 15kg. The rule is supposed to safe their health and also make for more jobs.

The accident rate is much higher with porters than with tourists.

     
 

Walkers are registered not just at the
start and the finish, but also at every camp. Name, home address, age, profession, passport number, all your dates get archived for the posterity.

     
 

Machame Camp is a green place and offers enough space for all the groups.

We sleep in the yellow tents designed for 2. The pointy grey tent is the kitchen. To the very right our dining-room can be spotted.

 

Kilimanjaro home page

1  Machame Gate (1800m) - Machame Camp (3000m)

Machame Camp (3000m) - Shira Plateau Camp (3800m)

Shira Plateau Camp (3800m) - Lava Tower (4400m) - Barranco Valley Camp (3900m)

Barranco Valley Camp (3900m) - Karranga Valley - Barafo Camp (4600m)

Via Stella Point (5732m) to the summit Uhuru Peak (5895m)

Descend via Millennium Camp (3800m) and Mweka Camp (3000m) to Mweka Gate (1800m)

 


 

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