ITINERARY OVERVIEW
Umbwe Route is the steepest, shortest and the most direct route on Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is dubbed as the most challenging route on Kilimanjaro.Umbwe Route is the least crowded route on the mountain. Umbwe due to its steep, constant and straight climb to the top makes the chances of success on this route very low.
The route is recommended for professional hikers or climbers who have the ability to acclimatize quickly to altitude.However, the route with few trekkers, untouched forests and walking distances makes it a perfect trekking option for fit trekkers.
Day 1:Machame gate for permit (1790m) – Umbwe gate (1800m) – Umbwe Cave (3000m)
The climb starts from Umbwe Gate, where the path follows a ridge between two deep valleys up through the dense montane forest. The camp is perched between huge trees and thick undergrowth. There is no water available at this campsite, so we must carry from the gate all the water needed for drinking, food preparation and cleaning.
Distance covered: 9.5km / 6.7mi
time taken: 6- 7hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 2:Day 2: Umbwe Cave (3000m) to Barronco Camp (3960m)
The path gets steeper on this section, as you get out of the forest along the Umbwe ridge the route descends slightly to the Barranco camp situated in the valley. In this camp you will meet with other trekkers from Machame route and Lemosho route. Therefore the population will be bigger.
Distance covered: 7.5km / 4.9mi
time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 3:Barranco Camp (3960m) to Karanga Camp (3963m)
Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.
Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi
time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 4:Karanga Camp (3963) to Barafu Camp (4640m)
Our day starts by descending into the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical, but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley, which is our last stop for fresh water before the summit. Scree now forms the terrain as we walk through arid and desolate land towards Barafu camp.
Distance covered: 3km / 1.9mi
time taken: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 5:Barafu Camp (4640m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) & down to Mweka Camp (3100m)
We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Mweka Camp for a long well-earned rest.
Distance covered: 16.4km / 9.6mi
time taken: 13hours – 15hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 6:Trek Mweka Camp (3100m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)
A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower then celebrate with cold drinks. Overnight at your arranged Hotel.
Distance covered: 9.1km / 7.5miles
time taken: 3 hours
Hotel: Bed &Breakfast
Our package is inclusive of:
- Two nights accommodation in Moshi or Arusha bed and breakfast.
- Transportation from Arusha to the starting point on the mountain and return to Arusha or Moshi and airport transfer
- National park gate fees, hut/camping fees
- Rescue fees, tents and sleeping mattress
- Guides salaries porters salaries & all meals on the mountain
- Guides porters, cook accommodation and entry fees on the mountain
Our package is exclusive of:
-
- Flights or overland transfers to Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha town if approaching from Nairobi
- visas
- Tips to the mountain staff
- Additional nights beyond the two standard hotel nights included
- Hotel upgrade costs if you decide to request an alternative hotel to the standard
- Items considered to be non-essential, such as alcohol, beverages, cigarettes, snacks, etc
Tips for guides, porters, and cook :
- Guide between 15$-20$ per Day,
- Assistant Guide 10$-$15 per Day,
- porters 5$-7$ per porter per day
- Cook/chef 5$-$8 per Day.