Today we start the journey of conquering Africa’s highest mountain. Tupae adventures climbing support team will meet you at your hotel ready for the ride to Machame gate, which is the starting point.
With the help of your head guide, you will finalize all registration for the trek at Machame gate then start the trek immediately.
You will have a packed lunch on this day; your guide will find a nice spot along the way for a bush lunch.

Today’s trail is through a thick tropical forest where you will be able to spot some wild animals. Today’s final destination is Machame hut where you will have your hot dinner. In the afternoon you should have stopped somewhere and had a packed lunch.

Distance: 11km

Trekking time: 5-7 hours

Zone: Tropical Rainforest

Altitude gain: 1035 meters

After breakfast at the camp, you will start this trek towards Shira Camp 2, leaving the tropical rainforest zone and enter the low Alpine desert zone. Today’s trek is relatively steep which will take you through the Shira plateau. You will have your first great view of Kibo peak and Mount Meru.

Distance: 7km

Trekking time: 4-6 hours

Zone: Tropical Rainforest then Low Alpine Desert zone

Altitude gain: 1015 meters

After breakfast, you will start a long and tough trek leaving the Shira plateau towards the Barranco Camp. Before reaching the Barranco camp, you will pass the well-known Shark’s Tooth formation called Lava Tower. Along the way, you will see giant groundsels plants also Senecios Kilimanjari.

Notice climbing high to 4600 meters then going to sleep at Baranco camp 3900 meters will allow you to acclimatize.

Distance: 11.5 km

Zone: Low Alpine Desert zone/ High Alpine Desert zone

Altitude gain: 750 meters then attitude loss of 700 meters

Trekking time: 5-7 hours

Today you will climb the Great Barranco Wall to reach the top of Karanga Valley. The 257 meters rock face may look intimidating but climbing it is easier than you may think. You will need to be extra careful as you scramble towards the top of the wall. You need neither technical skills nor any special trekking gear to climb the Barranco Wall.

Once you reach the top of the Barranco Wall you will be welcome with great views, it is time to pause and take great photos before you start trekking through a series of inclines and declines to Karanga Camp (3,960 meters).

Distance:  6 km

Trekking time: 4-5 hours

Zone: Moorlands

Altitude gain: 95 meters

After breakfast at Karanga Camp, you will start the trek to finish the Southern Circuit. You are likely to meet people on their way down to Mweka at the Mweka Trail junction. From the junction, you will continue towards your final destination of the day, Barafu Camp.

At Barafu Camp, which is the base camp, you will have an early dinner before you rest to prepare yourself for the summit attempt. You will have great views of Mawenzi peak and Kibo peaks at Barafu camp.

Distance:  4 km

Trekking time: 4-5 hours

Zone: High Alpine desert zone

Altitude gain: 678 meters

This is the day you have been waiting for. Your mental and physical stamina are going to be tested to the limit. You will start summit night at around 11:00 PM or 12:00AM depending on how your head guide sees it fit. Important tip, put your snacks and bottle of water under your first layer jacket. After you have checked that you are well dressed and have all trekking gears for the summit attempt, you will start the steep slope in a pole pole style (slowly slowly). Your big stopping point is at Stella Point (5756 meters) where you can have snacks and hot tea.

After a short rest at Stella Point (not more than 5 minutes), you will continue hiking to Uhuru summit. After the Uhuru summit, a tough descent will be waiting for you. You will descend to the base camp, rest a little bit, then descend further to Mweka Camp. We chose to descend to Mweka Camp(3100 meters) so as to give you a chance to relax well and have enough oxygen unlike the other option of resting at Millenium Camp (3950 meters) which is still higher compared to Mweka Camp.

Distance:  Total 10 km to the summit and back to the base camp, then from base camp to Mweka Camp it will take approximately 11 km

Trekking time: 6-8 hours to the summit, then another 6-7 hours back to the base camp. From base camp to Mweka Camp you may spend 5-8 hours.

Zone: Glacial zone and all preceding zones.

Altitude gain: 1222 meters, altitude loss: 2795 meters.

After your breakfast at Mweka Camp, you will start a final descend to the exit gate. The walk on this day is through a tropical rainforest. At the Mweka Gate, you will have to sign out and be handed certificates of completion. If you successfully reach Stella Point you will be handed a green certificate. If you successfully reached Uhuru peak, a gold certificate will be handed to you. After all administrative procedures have been completed at Mweka Gate, you will be transported to your hotel.

Distance:  Total 10 km

Trekking time: 3-4 hours.

Zone: Moorlands at Mweka Camp then descending to Montane forest zone at Mweka gate.

Altitude loss: 1460 meters