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7 Days Kilimanjaro Climb Umbwe Route
5 Star Rated
Best Local Tour Operator
Best Local Tour Operator
7 Days
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Int. Airport
$ 2,275/ Person
The Umbwe route is short, steep and direct. It is considered to be very difficult and is the most challenging way up Mount Kilimanjaro. Due to the quick ascent, Umbwe does not provide the necessary stages for altitude acclimatization. Although the traffic on this route is very low, the chances of success are also low. The route is offered at a minimum of six days, though seven days is recommended when attempting this route. The Umbwe route should only be attempted by those who are very strong hikers and are confident in their ability to acclimatize. However, overall, the Umbwe route is not recommended and we discourage its usage for our clients.
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
At 8am leave Moshi for Umbwe Gate where you will meet our porters, guides, and cooks who will spend the next six days trekking with you to Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa. After arriving, wait at the gate while we register your climb and the porters and guides make final preparations. Your first day’s destination is Cave Bivouac Camp, approximately 6 hours from the gate. The trail is steep and can be slippery in some places.Hike through the moss-covered trees of Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. The forest will thin later in the hike and heathers, tall grasses and wildflowers will come into view. Porters and cooks will walk ahead to set up the camp in time for your arrival.
Elevation Gain:1,050 meters, 3,445 feet
Hiking time: 4 to 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
The first section of the trail continues following the ridge. After leaving the forest, continue through open moorlands until reaching Barranco Camp. Barranco is generally regarded as the most scenic campsite on the Umbwe Trail as it’s surrounded by giant senecios and lobelias. As Barranco is in a valley, the sun rises later than at the other camps.
Total Elevation Gain: 1,100 meters, 3,610 feet
Hiking time: 5 to 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Extra Day for Acclimatization. Adding this day will ease your effort, and amplify your acclimatization.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Leave Barranco Camp after breakfast for Karanga Valley. The day begins with a 1.5 hour scramble up the Barranco Wall. This is the hardest part of the day and in some places you may have to use your hands to aid your climb. After reaching the top, hike through fairly level terrain before making a short but steep descent into the green Karanga River Valley.
Elevation Gain: 250 meters, 820 feet
Distance: 7 Kilometers
Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
After breakfast, begin the hike to Barafu Camp. On the way to Barafu, view several of Kibo’s glaciers as well as the junction that connects the descent route, Mweka, with the Machame trail. During day four, hike by the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. Although the trail to Barafu passes through alpine desert with little vegetation, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Try to sleep after finishing dinner as you will wake before midnight for your summit hike.
Elevation Gain: 400 meters, 1,320 feet
Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Around midnight, begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak. Hike by the light of your headlamp for the next six hours. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point.
The hike from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes approximately one hour. Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos of your guide and group at the peak before beginning the descent to Mweka Camp. On the way down from Uhuru, enjoy views of the mountain, crater, clouds, and glaciers.
At Barafu Camp, eat breakfast and take a short break. You still have another three to five hours to go before reaching Mweka Camp.
Elevation Gain: 1,295 meters, 4,240 feet
Elevation Loss: 2,795 meters, 9,170 feet
Hiking time: 6 hours to the rim, 1 hour to Uhuru, 3 to 4 hours back to Barafu, 4 hours to Mweka
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
After breakfast, finish the trek with a hike through the forest to Mweka Gate. The trail may be slippery following rain. Our vehicles will meet you at the lower station of Mweka Gate to take you back to Moshi.
Elevation Loss: 1,600 meters, 5,250 feet
Hiking time: 4 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Moshi town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport.
*Safari, Zanzibar and other add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania.
Meals: Breakfast Included
Camping on Mount Kilimanjaro offers adventurers a unique immersion into the awe-inspiring landscape of Africa’s tallest mountain. As trekkers ascend through diverse ecosystems, from lush rainforests to alpine deserts, camping sites become sanctuaries amidst the rugged terrain. Beneath star-studded skies, tents are pitched on designated platforms, providing respite and a sense of camaraderie among fellow climbers.
Each evening, as the sun dips below the horizon, campfires flicker, illuminating tales of the day’s journey and anticipation for the challenges ahead. With each night spent under the vast canopy of Kilimanjaro, campers forge unforgettable memories amid nature’s grandeur, making the ascent not just a physical feat, but a deeply enriching adventure of the spirit.
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.
On the Marangu Route, there are simple basic Huts. The first 2 Huts sleep four people each and the last Hut is a dome-style with bunk beds. On all the other routes, you will sleep in 3 dome-style Tents, two people each. The Tents are modern and have an outer flysheet and large vestibules to keep equipment from the elements. They are set up, broken down, and carried- along with everything else- by our porters. There are public toilets set up at every campsite, but portable toilets are available upon request at the cost of $ 100 per group for the whole tour. Hot water is provided for each person every morning but No showers during the trek 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 Mount a dedicated cook will be part of the logistical team. They are professional chefs and can prepare different kinds of dishes. Please see a sample page for Dietary Menu.
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.
Arrange your trip in advance – book this amazing tour now!
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