Tour Details
The Umbwe route is considered to be the most difficult route due to its relatively extreme nature. Umbwe route starts off from the east of the mountain. It goes through a very steep terrain! For that reason, there are generally less people than all the other routes – This route gains around 1,000 meter for the first two days and thus, not that friendly for altitude mountain sickness and thus, we wouldn’t recommend it for newbies. However, the trail joins the famous Machame and Lemosho route at Barranco Camp and proceed to the summit via Barafu and Stella Point!
LET'S Trip
TOGETHER
You will be picked up from the Airport (JRO) and transferred to your hotel in Moshi, where you will meet your mountain guide and office representative for meet & greetings followed by your pre trek briefing and kit check. This day, our team will be answering any question about your upcoming adventure to make sure everyone is ready to go!
You will be picked up at your hotel at around 08:00am and transferred to the Umbwe gate to kick off Day 1 of your 6 day adventure on Kilimanjaro. After a drive through farmland and plantations we reach the Umbwe Gate on the south-eastern side of Kilimanjaro. We will climb steadily through the forests through a steep, and sometimes muddy and slippery terrain, enjoying our packed lunch on the way before reaching Umbwe cave (2880m). Porters will assist throughout the trek carrying your main bag.Night Camp: Umbwe Cave (2,880m/ 9,449ft).
- Altitude Change: ↑1,080 m/ 3,543ft
- Trekking Distance/ Time: 12 km/ 7.4 miles (6-7hr)
Today we ascend from the forest zone into the heath zone walking through some very steep sections. Keeping a slow pace is very essential to give time for your body to acclimatize. A picnic lunch is taken midday and then in the afternoon we arrive at Barranco camp in time to relax for a while before dinner. The views of the Barranco wall and Western Breach pertain to events some 60,000 years ago when this whole part of the mountain collapsed! Night Camp: BarrancoCamp (3,960m/ 12,992 ft)
- Altitude Change: ↑1,080 m/ 3,543ft
- Trekking Distance/ Time: 7 km/ 4.3 miles (5-6hr)
We set off to conquer what the locals call ‘breakfast wall’ – the Great Barranco Wall! It is a scramble using our hands and feet, (not technical like rock climbing) but certainly adds to our adventure. Once we take in our achievements at the top, we will be able to witness stunning views across the mountain towards the Barranco Valley and will be able to spot our previous night’s campsite. We continue undulating through the green valley until we reach our camp at Karanga Valley. Night Camp: Karanga Camp (4,035m/ 13,944 ft)
- Altitude Change: ↑ ↓500 m/ 1,640 ft
- Trekking Distance/ Time: 6km/ 3.7 miles (4-5 hr)
We push on with our challenge and start with a short, but steep ascent across the barren landscape but will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Decken Glaciers. We will be keeping our pace to a slow rhythm as we need to conserve as much energy as we can for the summit attempt later this evening. We reach our camp then it’s an early dinner before getting our heads down, as we will be woken at 11pm for our summit attempt! Night Camp: Barafu camp (4,640m/ 15,223 ft)
- Altitude Change: ↑605 m/ 1,985 ft
- Trekking Distance/ Time: 4km/2.5 miles (3-4 hr)
We aim to leave camp at 12am using our head torches to light the way. The next 4 hours are spent trekking to Stella Point (5,750m) over scree and rock, where we will be rewarded with magnificent and spectacular views of the ice cliffs which surround us, and the majestic views to the Mawenzi Peaks – trekking just does not get any better than this! We now make regular rest stops every 15 minutes or so, to aid our chances of reaching Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m/ 19,341 ft. We push on to the summit with the sun rising over the stunning Mawenzi Peaks and aim to reach the summit by about 6 or 7 am. We start our long descent via Stella Point and back to Barafu Camp, where we will enjoy some lunch and a good rest. Our descent then continues down to Millennium or Mweka Camp (3,730m) – today is a very long, emotional day, but at the same time, so memorable and exhilarating. Night Camp: *Mweka Camp (3,080m/ 10,105ft).
- Altitude Change: ↑1,255 m & Then, ↓ 2,815 m
- Trekking Distance/ Time: 19 km/ 12 miles (12-14 hr)
Our final descent start with a nice breakfast followed by tipping ceremony; thenwe continue trekking for about 4 hours to make the 1,880 meters descent back to Mweka gate (1,680m/ 5,512 ft). Lunch will be served either at Mweka gate or at your hotel in Moshi. We take the vehicle transfer back to our Lodge in Moshi for a well-deserved hot shower or cool soak in the pool! This evening, we meet as a group to contemplate our achievements with aGreat Dinner at yourLodge.
- Altitude Change: ↓1,400m/ 4,593 ft
- Trekking Distance/ Time: 10 km/ 6.2 miles (3-4 hr)
After breakfast there may be some free time to relax at the lodge or go shopping in Moshi and then leave your hotel for your transfer to the airport to catch your departure flight
Safari and Zanzibar add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania.
- Conservation Fees, Camping fees & Rescue fees
- All government taxes
- Camping equipment: =>Terra Nova/ Vaude/Northland mountain tents, =>Vaude double layer Sleeping mats/ Trek & Hide Foam mattress
- Airport transfers – JRO to Moshi, 2 ways
- Transport to and from the Kilimanjaro National Park
- Guide, assistant guides, porters Meals + mountain chef while on the mountain
- Water throughout the trek
- Hotel Accommodation: =>2 Nights in the Hotel – i.e. Pre & Post climb hotel accommodation in Moshi; on half board basis
- VHF ICOM Radio Communication
- Portable Oxygen tank (1.8L canister).
- Pulse Oximeter – for monitoring your body performance while on the high altitude
- Fair wages paid to our mountain crew (porters, cook and guides) as part of our responsibility to the Community and Fair Treatmentof our mountain Crew – our practices conform with our partners in responsible travel including Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Porters Association (KPA) as well as Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)
- Sleeping bag
- Snacks, personal hygiene kit and personal medication
- Extra acclimatization day – An extra day can be added while on the mountain and each extra day costs extra US$ 220 per person and this amount will be paid at our main office after the climb.
- Water purification tabs
- Portable manual flush toilet (except for the Marangu route) – available for hire for extra $150 per toilet tent
- Personal mountain clothing & trekking gear – some of the kit is available for hire in Moshi
- Flights and Tanzania entry visa
- Health requirements (Yellow Fever vaccination is recommended depending on your flight route on entering Tanzania; vaccination for Meningitis & Hepatitis A optional)
- Optional Travel and medical insurance is but highly recommended