6 Days Trek – Umbwe Route

SUMMARY :

The Umbwe route has a well-deserved reputation of being the most challenging route on Mount Kilimanjaro. Approaching from the south, the Umbwe route is a short, steep and direct climb. After reaching Barranco Camp, the trail follows the southern circuit to the summit. The descent is done via the Mweka route. Major reason that Umbwe route considered to be very difficult is its steepness in the first two days and its short time of acclimatisation. This route is attempted by strong hikers who are also confident of their ability to acclimatise to altitude.

ROUTE MAP :

Package Includes:

Park fees, camping fees & Rescue fees

All Taxes/VAT

Double layered Sleeping Mats

4 Season big sleeping mountain tents

Transportation to & from the mountain gate

3 meals daily while on the mountain

Filtered water throughout the trek

Hot Water For Wash

Portable toilets and toilets tents.

Professional mountain guides and porters

Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)

Does not Include:

International flights (from/to home)

Tips to mountain crew

Travel insurance and medical repatriation

Services not mentioned in the program

Items of a personal nature

Tipping Recommendation:
( for group sharing)

Guide $15 – $20/guide/day

Cook $10 – $15/day

Porters $8 – $10/porter/day.

ITINERARY :

Day 1 : Umbwe gate (1800m) - Umbwe Cave (3000m)

Umbwe Cave
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
Approx. time taken: 6hours – 7hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 2 : Umbwe Cave (3000m) to Barranco Camp (3960m)

Barranco Camp
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
Approx. time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 3 : Barranco Camp (3960m) to Karanga Camp (3963m)

Karanga Camp
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 acclimatisation trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.

Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi
Approx. time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 4 : Karanga Camp (3963) to Barafu Camp (4640m)

Barafu Camp
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
Approx. time taken: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 5 : Barafu Camp (4640m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) & down to Mweka Camp (3100m)

Uhuru Peak
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
Approx. time taken: 13hours – 15hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 6 : Trek Mweka Camp (3100m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)

Mweka Gate
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
Approx. time taken: 3 hours
Hotel: Bed &Breakfast