September 17, 2025
Kili team at the Machame Camp (Max Bond)
Max Bond reports the team had a great first day on the trail. They left the hotel on schedule in the minibus to Machame Gate, winding up through the coffee, tea and banana farms on the slopes of the mountain for about an hour. Then, at the Gate, they got checked in with the National Park and met their porters and camp crew.
Kili climbers and monkeys in the forest (Max Bond)
Finally, after all that travel and duffel shuffling, it was time to start the climb! The day was spent predominantly in the forest, with some peekaboo views along the way (including monkeys in the trees!) as the team moved steadily higher. Machame Camp is at about 9300 feet, right at the treeline between the forest and the moorland zone. After a comfortable night at the camp they will enter the moorlands tomorrow, on their way to the Shira Plateau camp. All’s well on Kilimanjaro!