If only 6 days are available to climb, and climbers understand that there is a likelihood of discomfort at Barranco with the headaches and nausea associated with mild AMS, and that they will not arrive at Barafu with much time to sleep and rest before the assault begins, we have no criticisms of the route and recommend it as the most cost-effective use of 6 days, and with the greatest likelihood of summit success after TK 6 Rongai. We are however, critical of the standard 7 day route as a poor and wasteful use of the additional day and have found over the past few years there is little advantage in spending three consecutive nights at around 4,000m - as occurs on the standard 7 day route - and that a more intelligent use of the additional day is to work harder on day 4 by pushing onto Barafu, and thereby affording a decent night’s sleep at Barafu with the option of a less crowded daytime assault (particularly appreciated by otherwise sleepy children and by those wanting to photograph the assault), or else a pre-assault excursion and rest day prior to summitting. To date, and to our knowledge, we are the only company that uses this methodology and are pleased to report that the advantages afforded by it are most successful. We are able to incorporate both the Western Breach assault into the Machame Route and can also arrange a crater night and excursion - even if the assault is led via Barafu.