Journey report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.
I hiked Kilimanjaro February 2026 on the Machame Route organized by Eric Hanson.
Eric is without doubt one of the high mountaineering YouTubers. He’ll be documenting our journey in coming weeks.
Within the meantime, I’m posting some images right here.
We had 22 hikers. 18 of us made each summits. That’s about typical for the Machame Route. It went properly for me. My 3 weeks coaching & acclimatizing in Ecuador previous to this journey was a good suggestion.
Age & health matter a lot lower than the flexibility to acclimatize to altitude.
It took me 68-years to lastly get to Kilimanjaro. The eldest my African information acquired to the summit was 79.
We had one other in our group age-66.
Actually spectacular is certainly one of our assistant guides who’s been to the summit over 200 occasions over 31 years. He’s age 64.
Right here we’re — clear & eager — initially of the 7 day journey.
In reality, it was a celebration from the beginning as many who had hiked with Eric up to now joined for Kili. I used to be merely an addition to a big group, many who knew each other. This can be a very social journey ➙ shared struggling.
Eric was our American information. Freddy our African information. Each accountable for holding us protected. It was these two who’d make the choice whether or not or not you had been wholesome sufficient to maintain climbing.
Those that determined to go down had been unable to acclimatize rapidly sufficient. We had every day blood oxygen exams.
Three determined to stroll out. One took a helicopter, hoping she’s going to recoup the $4100 price by means of insurance coverage.
New to me on a path was the singing and dancing. Continuous. To the highest.
Oddly, all 7 days we had the identical climate. Some form of micro-climate.
Morning clear. Sunny to begin the mountaineering day. Snow, sleet, and hail within the early afternoon. Clearing by meal time. Clear skies at night time. Kili summit clear at daybreak.
We added and eliminated layers continuous through the day.
Every day we spent a while mountaineering by means of clouds.
We largely had clear skies at night time. The iPhone 16 Professional is terrific at night time images on a tripod.
I’d paid just a little additional to have a tent to myself. It was pretty snug — although lots of our tent websites had been removed from stage. 😀
Kili is a monstrous lump of a mountain. A lot larger than it seems on the horizon.
I’d signed up for Kili in 2020 with Dave and Kraig — cancelled as a result of Covid.
Once I heard in 2025 that Eric Hanson was internet hosting a climb, I signed up immediately.
His spouse was coming so I knew it will be a top quality journey. 😀
Meals was plentiful and primary. Particularly SOUP and potato dishes.
We noticed little or no animal life. 4-striped grass mouse. And one thing like a shrew.
Birds aplenty, nevertheless. We lived side-by-side with aggressive White-necked Ravens in each camp.
And we did see one Auger Buzzard.
We had been comfortable to see two sorts of monkeys. However each had been at decrease slopes, near the beginning and ending gates.
Baboons and velvet monkeys have been noticed, however hardly ever.
This chook took a dump in my backpack. 😀
Vegetation was far more fascinating as we climbed by means of so many various ecological zones.
I do love thistles.
We had nice views over to close by Meru volcano. While you see hikers posed like this, you understand they’re looking for line-of-sight cell phone reception. 😀
The Machame Route was crowded once I was there. We regularly had lengthy strains of hikers & porters.
Camps are crowded and littered.
Personally, I felt the transportable bathrooms offered weren’t nice. I most popular squatting over a gap within the concrete within the everlasting bathroom buildings.
Hygiene will not be high of thoughts for any of the guiding firms. Particularly, I used to be stunned alcohol gel was not consistently offered.
That stated, no one in my group acquired sick from water or meals.
CRUX of Kilimanjaro is summit night time. One of many hardest mountaineering days any of us may recall. I felt excellent. No ache. No issues … when beginning.
Wake at midnight. Scorching drinks 12:30pm. Begin up at 1am.
It was a gradual, chilly trudge till daybreak.
We had an excellent view of the altering mild.
Method above the clouds.
We lastly reached the primary summit peak. And on maybe one other 35 minutes to the best peak.
I took a LOT of images and video up there. Most spectacular had been the odd, receding glaciers.
That was the FUN half.
Guides hustled us down as rapidly as doable to keep away from altitude illness. We climbed down 8000 ft, not moving into low camp till 6pm or so. I ascended & descended for 16 hours, grabbing 1 hour sleep round midday.
Sore knees. Sore toes. And cramping quads.
Spotlight?
Most would agree that the porters, guides, and workers had been essentially the most spectacular takeaway from this journey. We in all probability had over 100 workers taking good care of us over the week. And these people will do positively something you request.
Again on the resort, we celebrated with alcohol and devoured a full roast goat. Scrumptious.
A hiker died on Kilimanjaro whereas I used to be there. Reported coronary heart assault.
On December 24, 2025, a rescue helicopter crashed, killing all 5 folks on board. Two had been hikers being evacuated.
10–20 deaths yearly out of 30,000+ climbers.
I wrongly thought Kilimanjaro could be straightforward for me. It wasn’t.
