Overview

The Umbwe route begins in the South and is regarded as the difficult and most demanding route to the summit of Kilimanjaro. It is ideal for hikers and mountaineers looking to challenge untouched and secluded parts of Africa’s highest mountain. Despite being shorter than the other trails, the walk can occasionally be very steep. Pre-acclimatization is strongly advised because your chances of acclimatization are quite low here. You should be in decent physical shape and have prior experience climbing at altitude in order to complete this climb. The benefit of this walk is that, due to the challenging terrain, there aren’t many other hikers to contend with along the way.

Day 1 :

Umbwe Gate (1,800M/5,905FT) to cave bivouac camp (2,850M/9,350FT)

After breakfast drive to the Umbwe, Kilimanjaro National Park Gate (45 minutes) for registration. Then proceed a 4-6 hours (7km) ascending through the rainforest to Cave Bivouac Camp located at 2,850Mm9,350ft where you will stay for overnight. The forest will thin later in the hike and heathers, tall grasses and wildflowers will come into view.

Day 2 :

Cave Bivouac (2,850m) to Barranco Camp (3,950m)

After breakfast, you head out towards Barranco Camp for 5-7hours for camping and dinner. This day's hike involves climbing a somewhat steep woodland slope along a jagged ridge before the trail levels off just before Barranco. It is strongly encouraged to walk slowly up this relatively short and steep portion of the ascent, which has an incline of 1000m, to prevent altitude issues. Barranco is generally regarded as the most scenic campsite on the Umbwe Trail as it’s surrounded by giant senecios and lobelias.

Day 3 :

Barranco Camp (3,950m) to Karanga camp (3995m)

This hiking will be very short to allow you to acclimatize. After breakfast, start hiking to Karanga Valley from Barranco Camp for just 3-5 hours. You will then descend into Karanga valley from the top of the wall after traversing a number of hills and valleys. You will arrive at Karanga Camp after one more challenging climb. Here, you can unwind for the afternoon before dinner and an overnight stay. Dinner and overnight stay at Karanga Camp.

Day 4 :

Kranga Valley (3995m) to Barafu Camp (4600m)

Once you've had breakfast, you will start walking for 3-5 hours from Karanga Camp and arrive at the intersection with Mweka Trail and Machame trail. You will then continue along the rocky ridge negotiating Barafu Camp. Although the trail to Barafu passes through alpine desert with little vegetation, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. After dinner, have some time to relax before getting ready to leave for the summit at midnight.

Day 5 :

Barafu Camp (4,600m) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) to Mweka Camp (3,100m)

Around midnight, begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak. The following six hours will be spent hiking by headlamp. The ascent to the crater rim is the most difficult portion of the whole walk. Prior to reaching Stella Point's crater rim, the walk is extremely steep. As far as hikes go, it's not particularly challenging to get from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak because it's a gentle ascent. The altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes approximately one hour. Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos of your guide and group at the peak before beginning the descent to Mweka Camp. On the way down from Uhuru, enjoy views of the mountain, crater, clouds and glaciers. Breakfast will be taken while taking a brief break at Barafu Camp. At Barafu Camp, eat breakfast and take a short break. You still have another three to five hours to go before reaching Mweka Camp

Day 6 :

Mweka Camp (3,100m) to Mweka Gate (1,500m)

After breakfast, complete the trek with a hike through the forest to Mweka Gate for about four hours. The trail may be slippery following rain. You will be picked at the lower station of Mweka Gate to take you back to Moshi.

6 DAYS KILIMANJARO-UMBWE ROUTE

Overview

Itinerary

Overview

Itinerary

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