MACHAME GATE - MACHAME CAMP: 10.75k /7mi | 5-6 hrs | Rainforest Elevation: 1811m/5942ft to 3021m/9911ft. Altitude
2-3 hours Moshi to Machame Gate
Your Kilimanjaro climb begins today. After an early breakfast in Moshi, transfer to Machame Gate (1,811m) where rangers register your team and porters divide the loads. Begin climbing through dense montane rainforest alive with Colobus monkeys and giant tree ferns. The trail ascends steeply through a green tunnel of canopy, moss hanging from every branch. The summit dome is hidden above the clouds but its presence is felt in every step upward.
Continue the steady climb through the forest zone, crossing wooden bridges over rushing mountain streams. As altitude gains, the canopy begins to thin and giant heather appears at the forest margins. After 5-6 hours covering 10.75km, arrive at Machame Camp (3,021m) in the misty moorland. Your cook team has arrived ahead and a hot lunch awaits. Rest and hydrate aggressively this afternoon.
Dinner at Machame Camp as clouds roll in from below and the summit catches the last alpenglow above. Your guide conducts altitude checks. The temperature drops sharply after dark. Tomorrow you enter the dramatic moorland zone.
