8 Days Umbwe Route

Overview

Tour highlights

• Steep forest ridge on Kilimanjaro’s south side
• A full acclimatization day at Barranco Camp
• Hands-on scramble up the Barranco Wall
• Night ascent to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m
• Fewer climbers on the lower slopes
• Hotel nights before and after the climb

1. Day 1 Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport – Moshi

   Your driver meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and takes you to your hotel in Moshi, the busy town at the foot of the mountain. Later in the day your mountain guide sits down with you to walk through the route, answer questions and check your boots, layers and sleeping bag, so anything missing can be sorted before you leave. If your flight lands early, there is time to stroll through Moshi’s market and stop at one of its coffee shops. Dinner and an early night at the hotel.

2. Day 2 Umbwe Gate – Umbwe Cave Camp Distance 9.6km / 6miHiking 6-8hrsZone Rainforest

   After breakfast the crew loads the gear and you drive to Umbwe Gate. Once the park permits are signed, the trail heads straight uphill along a ridge between two deep valleys. The forest here is thick and damp, with tree roots for steps, moss on every branch and the calls of birds and monkeys in the canopy. It is a hard first day with a big gain in height, so walk slowly and drink often. Camp sits among tall trees near the rock overhang that gives Umbwe Cave its name.

   Elevation

   1651m/5417ft to 2944m/9659ft

   Altitude gained

   1293m

3. Day 3 Umbwe Cave Camp – Barranco Camp Distance 4.75km / 3miHiking 4-6hrsZone Moorland

   The forest thins out quickly this morning, giving way to giant heather and then open moorland on a narrow, rocky crest. On clear days the ridge gives wide views down to the plains, and the glaciers on Kibo come into sight ahead. The path eventually drops a little into the Barranco Valley, where camp is pitched among giant groundsels below the Breach Wall. You are now about 1,000 m higher than this morning, which is why the next day is a rest.

   Elevation

   2944m/9659ft to 3986m/13,077ft

   Altitude gained

   1042m

4. Day 4 Rest and Acclimatization Day at Barranco Camp Zone MoorlandElevation 3986m/13,077ftAltitude change none, rest day

   No packing up today. After two days of steep climbing, a second night at Barranco gives your body time to adapt to the thinner air. Sleep in, enjoy a slow breakfast and spend the day reading, resting and taking photos of the valley and the southern glaciers. If you feel well, your guide may take you for a short walk a little higher and back down again, which helps the adjustment. Your guide also checks your pulse and oxygen readings with an oximeter.

5. Day 5 Barranco Wall – Karanga Camp Distance 5.2km / 3miHiking 4-5hrsZone Alpine Desert

   The day opens with the Barranco Wall, a steep rock face climbed on a well-worn path. You will use your hands in a few places, but no ropes or climbing gear are needed, and your guide shows you where to step. Watching the porters cross it with loads on their heads is part of the show. From the top the trail rolls up and down across ridges and gullies in the alpine desert before dropping into the Karanga Valley, where you spend the night.

   Elevation

   3986m/13,077ft to 4034m/13,235ft

   Altitude gained

   48m

6. Day 6 Karanga Camp – Barafu High Camp Distance 3.3km / 2miHiking 3-4hrsZone Alpine Desert

   A short but steady climb over bare, rocky ground brings you to the junction with the Mweka trail and on up to Barafu Camp on an exposed ridge. Lunch is waiting when you arrive. The afternoon is for rest: lay out your warm clothes, charge your headlamp and fill your water bottles. Your guide gives a final briefing on the night ahead, dinner is served early, and you try to get a few hours of sleep before the wake-up call.

   Elevation

   4034m/13,235ft to 4662m/15,295ft

   Altitude gained

   628m

7. Day 7 Summit Night: Barafu – Uhuru Peak – Mweka Camp Distance 4.86km / 3mi up; 11.5km / 7.1mi downHiking 5-7hrs; 5-6hrsZone Glaciers, Snow Capped Summit

   You leave Barafu around midnight, walking by headlamp in slow, steady steps up the scree between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. Dawn usually arrives near Stella Point on the crater rim. From there it is roughly another hour along the rim, often over snow, to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. After photos you head back down to Barafu for a rest and a meal, then continue down the Mweka trail to Mweka Camp at 3,106 m (10,190 ft), about 2,789 m below the summit.

   Elevation

   4662m/15,295ft to 5895m/19,341ft

   Altitude gained

   1233m

8. Day 8 Mweka Camp – Mweka Gate – Arusha Distance 9.1km / 5.7miHiking 3-4hrsZone Rainforest

   The last walk takes you down through the forest to Mweka Gate. The lower path is often wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles earn their keep. Before you set off, take a moment to thank the crew who carried, cooked and cheered you up the mountain. At the gate you sign out of the park and collect your summit certificate, then drive to your hotel in Arusha for a hot shower and a proper bed. A transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport follows the next morning.

   Elevation

   3106m/10,190ft to 1633m/5358ft

   Altitude lost

   1473m

Questions about this climb