Kilimanjaro Climb Umbwe Route 6 Days & 5 Nights

Uumbwe Route, Kilimanjaro

Duration

6 Days

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Group Size

Unlimited

Languages

English

Overview

The Umbwe route is one of the shortest routes to the Southern Glaciers and the Western Breach. It is probably the most scenic, non-technical route on Kilimanjaro. It is quite taxing, primarily due to the relatively fast ascent to the higher altitude, but the rewards are plentiful. Fewer people, pristine forest and shorter walking distances make it a great option for fit hikers. Add to your experience – overnight on the crater floor!! Be one of a few fortunate people to spend a night in Africa’s largest volcano. This option is highly recommended, as this will be the only opportunity to get close to the beautiful and fascinating glaciers of Kilimanjaro and to be able to visit the ash pit.

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Itinerary

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Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), where you will meet our company representative (Guide or Driver), and transfer to Masailand Safari Lodge. The hotel will provide all the essentials for a comfortable stay: cosy rooms, hot water, and Internet access. In the evening, there will be a briefing with our Kilimanjaro mountain guides, who will also make sure you are ready to begin the climb.

Elevation: 1660m/5450ft to 2850m/9350ft
Distance: 11km/7mi
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest

After breakfast you will be driven to the Umbwe Gate at 1660m, passing through villages with coffee and banana plantations. On arrival at the Parks Gate, your guide and porters will meet you. Sign the register before you enter the park for your first step to accomplishing a life-long dream. The air is thick with moisture and the path is usually muddy. The route initially follows a forestry track winding up through the natural rain forest. It then narrows and steepens to climb the ridge between the Lonzo and Umbwe rivers, with huge trees surrounding you. The path offers some spectacular views of deep gorges and if you are lucky, glimpses of Kilimanjaro towering above you in the distance. The camp is perched between huge trees and thick undergrowth.

Elevation: 1660m/5450ft to 2850m/9350ft
Distance: 11km/7mi
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest

Shortly after leaving the camp the forest starts thinning and is replaced by rockier terrain, sparser undergrowth and straggly, moss-covered trees. The path continues along a narrow, but spectacular ridge. As you gain higher altitude, catch glimpses of Kilimanjaro rising majestically ahead of you – etched against the blue sky. The path flattens as you approach Barranco Valley. From the Umbwe ridge, the route descends slightly to the Barranco camp. The camp is situated in the valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while your dinner is being prepared.

Elevation: 4000m/13,000ft to 4050m/13,250ft
Distance: 5km/3mi
Hiking Time: 34 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail.

Elevation: 4050m/13,250ft to 4700m/15,350ft
Distance: 4km/2mi
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

We continue up to the Barafu Camp. You have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day.

Elevation: 4700m/15,350ft to 5895m/19,340ft Down to 3090m/10,150ft
Distance: 5km/3mi up / 13km/8mi down
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours up / 5-6 hours down
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), you will continue your way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point, you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will want a clothing for both extremes with you. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.

Elevation: 3090m/10,150ft to 1680m/5500ft
Distance: 10km/6mi
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Forest

From Mweka Camp you continue the descent down to the Mweka Gate. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). At the Mweka Gate summiting climbers receive their summit certificates. Our driver will meet you at the gate and transport you to your Arusha/Moshi hotel (depending on availability, overnight stay included in our packages.

Our packages include departure day services. Enjoy breakfast and a morning sightseeing in the city or join us for one of our Safari Adventures. If you are returning home our driver will bring you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to catch your flight home.

Included/Excluded

All Park Fees, including the 18% VAT
Airport transfers
Transport to and from the hotel and the trailhead/gate,
Tents on the mountain.
All meals while you are on the mountain (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Salaries for guides, cooks and porters
Oxygen
Portable Chemical Toilet
Hotel accommodation in Arusha the night before and the night after the climb (Bed and breakfast)

Airfare to Tanzania
Tips for guides, porters and other staff
Sleeping bags, sleeping pads and other personal gears,
Lunch or dinners at the hotel in Arusha,
Soft drinks, beer and items of a personal nature
Laundry,
Visas,
Travel Insurance and Medical Insurance

Tour's Location

Uumbwe Route, Kilimanjaro

FAQs

You are expected to carry your own day pack, with only things which should be able to sustain you until you reach the next camp at the end of the day. You do not need to carry your personal backpack/ duffel pack - It will be carried by our porters.

No worries about that - this is a common concern. It is much better for your body if you proceed slowly and guides will permanently remind you about this (“pole-pole” - which means “slowly slowly”). By walking slowly, your body will much better acclimatize to high altitude.

There is plenty of time allocated each day for the treks, even for those who like to go very slowly.

Some climbers may fall short of reaching the summit, but not at the expense of their overall experience. Even for those who never reached the top, the experience of the wonders of Kilimanjaro is very rewarding.

If one or more members of the group decide they cannot continue, or if a guide deems it unsafe for an individual (or a group) to continue, they are escorted to the most convenient campsite or hut.

Our guides intimately know the network of shortcuts to escort climbers to safety, and they are trained to act quickly and calmly under any circumstance.

For Umbwe route, you will sleep in 3 dome-style Tents, two people each. The Tents are modern and have an outer flysheet and large vestibules keep equipment from the elements. They are set up, broken down and carried- along with everything else- by our porters.

There will be dining tents with chairs and tables where all meals will be served. Before any meal, we will provide soap and hot water for washing your hands.

For each trek on the Mountain, a dedicated cook will be part of the logistical team. They are professional chefs and have the ability to prepare different kinds of dishes.

You shouldn't worry- You are in safe hands. Our guides are professionally trained to handle all sorts of distress and respond quickly and accordingly. They all have Wilderness First Aid Responder qualification and they will all time bring you to safety. They will directly call for an emergency evacuation if the situation worsens.

The tours are scheduled to start in Arusha, departing on Daily basis. However, circumstances like clients’ arrival time, activities to be done and the client’s preference could affect the program. Our company is flexible for such arrangements and adjustments. Normally the program starts around 7:30 AM

The tours are scheduled to End in Arusha. However, our travel specialists will need to know your specific drop-off point prior to the hike to get aligned with the program.

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