Kilimanjaro Umbwe Route has a reputation for being the most challenging route on Kilimanjaro.
It’s the shortest and steepest of the Kilimanjaro routes, and accordingly has a poor acclimatization profile.
Pre-acclimatization is recommended for those who choose to trek this route.
The Umbwe approaches the summit from the south and camping is the only available accommodation option.
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met and transferred for overnight accommodation. Your head guide will meet you for your briefing, gear check and arrange for you to hire any equipment you may need.
Pick up with our vehicle from the hotel, driving to Machame gate for registration and then heading to Umbwe gate (registration is done at Machame gate). Here after completing the gate registration procedures, the trek starts through the rainforest to Umbwe cave campsite where you will find all tents already set up then stop for dinner and overnight. Today you will walk across ridges and valleys into a really thick forest.
This day after breakfast you will trek through the remaining forest to the moorland and heath zone and you will be enjoying some wonderful views of Barranco valley and ice cap on top of the mountain. Then you will arrive to Barranco Camp for dinner and overnight.
Today you will be having a short day walk and in the late morning you will start climbing Barranco Wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga campsite for hot lunch. After lunch you will have a short rest and get another acclimatization of trekking up the screed slopes towards the Southern ice field, then you will return to the camp for dinner and overnight.
Today trek up to the Barafu ridge campsite is tough because of altitude. The walking hours is few because is steep, so it needs slowly walk to avoid fatigue as well as high altitude sickness. You will walk across alpine desert with strong cold wind blowing because there are no trees around as well as getting closer to the Kibo glaciers. You will have lunch and early dinner, then rest until midnight when you start the summit climb.
The day starts around midnight with a light breakfast, and then last preparations for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12:00, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,861m between 4 and 5am. At this point, you will have views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you and all spectacular area surrounding you. Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak. Here you will spend some time for taking photos. After your summit activities done, descend back to the Barafu Huts campsite, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue your walk down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka Huts campsite, then dinner and overnight at Mweka hut campsite.
Today is your last day on the mountain so you will descend down to Mweka park gate walking across Montane forest this descent will take 3-4 hours. Then here at the gate you will sign out and get ready to board the vehicle ready for the transfer back to the hotel for certificate presentation and a well-deserved celebration.
After a much-needed night’s rest we will bid you goodbye. If you have arranged airport transfers with us or a safari / Zanzibar trip, we will collect you from the hotel for your onward journey.
1 Pax
2 Pax
3 Pax
4 Pax
5 Pax
6 Pax
7 Pax
8 Pax
USD2,720
USD2,190
USD2,052
USD1,959
USD1,899
USD1,800
USD1,750
USD1,700
When it comes to trekking and safari, Tanzania really does have it all. It is the kind of place which experienced safari and trekking hands could easily visit for or five times, but it also makes for a fantastic first-time Safari.
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