Barafu Camp

Barafu Camp is the summit base camp on Kilimanjaro’s Machame and Lemosho routes, set on an exposed rocky ridge. It is where climbers rest briefly before the midnight push to Uhuru Peak.

Facilities are minimal – rocky tent ledges, shared long-drop toilets and a ranger cabin – with no water on site. The ground is solid rock, so tents are weighted with boulders, and nights are freezing.

Water is carried up from Karanga and meals are prepared by the trekking crew. This is a severe high-altitude camp, not a comfortable one, and is best described honestly as a summit staging point.