Umbwe route is steep, tough, and is suitable for a fit individual used to walking in mountain areas. Because of the route’s steepness, it is seldom used, and trekking poles are useful on the steep, slippery slopes in the rainforest.
All your equipment and supplies are carried by porters and a cook prepares all your meals. Unlike the Marangu Route where you sleep in huts, on the Umbwe you sleep in tents (tents are included), and the porters will pitch your tent for you. Meals are served in a dinner tent or on a blanket outside. You can add an extra day to your itinerary to explore or relax along the route (best taken at the Barranco Camp).
Umbwe is the most spectacular and direct way to reach Uhuru Peak. You pass through strange landscapes as you climb through five climate zones ranging from rainforest to the summit’s glaciers. The route follows a forested ridge to the moorlands, then traverses below the southern icefields to reach the Machame Route, which you follow to the summit.
Itinerary summary
Day 1: Arrive at Moshi
Day 2: Moshi to Umbwe gate to Bivouac camp
Day 3: Bivouac camp to Barranco camp
Day 4: Barranco Camp to Lava Tower to Arrow Glaciers camp
Day 5: Arrow Glaciers to Crater
Day 6: Crater to the summit to Mweka camp
Day 7: Mweka camp to Mweka gate
Day 8: International departures or proceed to safari
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Itinerary summary
Day 1: Arrive at Moshi
Day 2: Moshi to Umbwe gate to Bivouac camp
Day 3: Bivouac camp to Barranco camp
Day 4: Barranco Camp to Lava Tower to Arrow Glaciers camp
Day 5: Arrow Glaciers to Crater
Day 6: Crater to the summit to Mweka camp
Day 7: Mweka camp to Mweka gate
Day 8: International departures or proceed to safari
Itineraries
Day 1
Time : 2:00 am
Arrive at Moshi
Our Kilimanjaro adventure starts the Moment you land at Kilimanjaro international Airport, You will be met by our staff at the airport and transferred to our partner lodge in Moshi in the peaceful surrounds of our comfortable pre and post trek accommodation in Honey Badger, or Q wine hotel. Guide will perform a gear check for you after dinner so that next morning you will be ready for your tour start.
Day 2
Time : 7:00 am
Umbwe Gate (1800m) – Bivouac Camp (2940m)
Habitat: Montane forest
Hiking time: 5 hours
After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from Moshi and driven to the Umbwe Gate. Here you can buy mineral water and will receive a packed lunch. At this time, the porters will organize and pack the belongings for the hike while you and your guide register with the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA). You will then begin your ascent into the rainforest. During this section of the hike, you should expect rain, mud, and fog. Also, be on the lookout for wildlife, including Colobus monkeys! About halfway up the trail you will have a lunch break and you will reach the Bivouac Camp (2940m) in the late afternoon or early evening. The porters and chef, who move very fast up the mountain, will reach camp before you and set up your tents, boil drinking water, and prepare snacks for your arrival. After washing up, a hot dinner will be served. For overnight, mountain temperatures may drop to freezing so be prepared!
Day 3
Time : 7:00 am
Bivouac Camp (2940m) – Barranco Camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 6 hours
Habitat: Moorland
After an early morning breakfast, you will start your ascent leaving the rain forest and entering the heathland moorland vegetation. In the moorland, you will spot exotic plants, including giant lobelia and groundsel. As you ascent, the trail provides a spectacular view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The trail then flattens then descends into the Barranco Valley until you reach Barranco Camp. At this campsite, you will be next to a stream and have a spectacular view of the Western Breach and the Great Barranco Wall in the East. Similar to the first night, your tents will be set up prior to arriving at camp and the porters will prepare drinking and washing water for you. You will enjoy evening snacks then dinner prepared by our chef. Be prepared for a cold night as temperatures drop below freezing at this exposed camp.
Day 4
Time : 8:00 am
Barranco Camp (3950m) – Lava Tower (4630m) – Arrow Glacier Camp (4800m)
Habitat: Moorland/Semi desert
Following an early morning breakfast, you will leave the moorland environment and enter the semi desert and rocky landscape. After 5 hours of hiking east, you will be come face to face with the Lava Tower (4630m). Packed lunches are served at the Tower and hikers have the option of climbing the massive Lava Tower weather permitting. At this point of the hike, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects from the altitude including headaches and shortness of breath.
After eating lunch at Lava Tower, hikers will scramble up the steep Class 2 trail to the Arrow Glacier Camp (4800m). Vegetation at Arrow Glacier is sparse and hikers are surrounded by stone scree. Snacks, dinner, and washing water will be provided, as hikers stay warm in their tents at this camp.
Day 5
Time : 7:00 am
Arrow Glacier (4800m) – Crater (5700m)
Hiking time: 5 hours
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped glacier
After an early morning breakfast, hikers will continue to scramble up the Class 2 trail on rocks. During the rainy season, an ice ax and crampons are required due to icy conditions. Hikers slowly ascend up the Western Breach to the Crater (5700m). Upon reaching the top of the crater, you will be amazed by the Northern Ice fields of Kilimanjaro with the Furtwangler Glacier directly in front of you. At the campsite, you have the option of completing a day hike to the infamous Ash Pit (1.5 hour) of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The ash pit is 340m across and 120m deep. After hiking, you will enjoy a warm dinner and be one of the few and fortunate hikers to stay at the inner, snow-covered crater of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Day 6
Time : 9:00 am
Summit Attempt
Crater (5700m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: 2 hours to Uhuru and 7-8 hours to Mweka
Distance: Approximately 7 kilometer ascent and 23 kilometer descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
Your guide will wake you around 0400 for tea and biscuits. You will then begin your summit attempt. During the ascent, many hikers feel that this is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the climb. For about 2 hours, you will hike on a snow-covered trail to Uhuru Peak (5895m). Reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is a lifetime accomplishment! You will be able to spend a short time on the summit taking photographs and drinking tea before the descent to Barafu begins. The hike down to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours.
At camp, you will rest and enjoy a hot lunch in the sun. After eating, you will continue descending down to Mweka Hut (3100m). The Mweka Trail will lead you through the scree and rocks to the moorland and eventually into the rain forest. Mweka Camp (3100m) is located in the upper rain forest, so fog and rain should be expected. You will have a dinner, wash, and rest soundly at camp.
Day 7
Time : 4:00 am
Mweka Camp (3100m) – Mweka Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours
Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers
Habitat: Forest
Following a well-deserved breakfast, your staff will have a big celebration full of dancing and singing. It is here on the mountain that you will present your tips to the guide, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters. After celebrating, you will descend for three hours back to Mweka Gate. The National Park requires all hikers to sign their names to receive certificates of completion. Hikers who reached Stella Point (5685m) receive green certificates and hikers who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. After receiving certificates, hikers will descend into the Mweka village for 1 hour (3 kilometers). You will be served a hot lunch then you will drive back to Moshi for long overdue showers and more celebrations.
Attention please: Safety conditions or weather may cause the itinerary to change without warning. Hike times are estimated, calculated to form a comfortable pace throughout the ascent. The itinerary above serves only as a guide. You can add an extra day if you so wish. You can summit Mt Kilimanjaro via Arrow Glacier or Barafu Camp with Umbwe Route.
Day 8
Time : 2:00 am
International flight or proceed to safari
Transfers:
- Pick-up and drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport;
- Transfer to the trailhead - entry gate to Kilimanjaro National Park;
- Pick-up at the exit from Kilimanjaro National Park and transfer to the hotel;
Entry fees:
- All park fees are collected by the Kilimanjaro National Park ( conservation fees, camping fees, crew fees, vehicle fees, rescue fee,s and all other fees collected by the Tanzania National Parks Authority).
Accommodation:
- One night at 3* hotel (Honey Badger, AMEG Lodge or Park View Inn) before the expedition and one night after; The hotels have everything for your comfortable stay - caring staff, nice rooms, reliable Wi-Fi, restaurant and swimming pool);
- Tented accommodation on Mount Kilimanjaro (modern, comfortable 4-Season tents
Please note:
All accommodation is on sharing basis (i.e. you will be sharing with your travel companion a twin/double room in the hotel and a tent during the hike. If you travel alone, we will match you with a same-sex adventurer).
Meals:
- Breakfast in the hotel before and after the hike;
- All meals on the hike. Our Kilimanjaro diet includes energy-rich and highly nutritious meals prepared by our professional high-altitude cooks. A typical diet on Kilimanjaro includes different soups, garnishes, several types of fish and meat, fresh fruit and vegetables; vegetarian/gluten-free/halal options are available at no extra cost;
- All drinks on the hike (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and water).
Hiking and safety equipment
- 4-inch (10-cm) thick and comfortable sleeping mats;
- All group equipment (spacious and comfortable dining tent, camping table and chairs, crockery and cutlery);
- Oxygen cylinders and oximeters;
- GPS-tracking service;
- Complete medical kits.
Climbing crew:
- Professional guides, licensed by Kilimanjaro National Park. All our guides are the holder of Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness First Aid certifications. All our guides have 7+years of successful mountaineering experience;
- Dedicated support crew (assistant guides, camp master, porters, cooks, etc.).
- Airline tickets;
- Visa fee;
- Lunch and dinner at the hotel (before and after the ascent);
- Personal gear rentals;
- Tips for the mountain crew
- Mountaineering insurance.
Lemosho route is around 70 kms or 42 miles whether you opt for the 7 or 8 day version. It joins up with the Machame Route between Shira and Barranco so the terrain is very similar.
Barranco Wall Mt Kilimanjaro – A Steep Climb But Totally Doable. The Barranco Wall on Mount Kilimanjaro forms part of your early morning exercise on day 4 for climbers on the Machame, Shira, Umbwe and Lemosho Route. ... You need no technical climbing skills to be able to scale the Barranco wall.
Mount Kilimanjaro can be a dangerous mountain to climb. Nearly 1,000 rescues and ten deaths on the mountain occur each year. While climbing the mountain itself is dangerous, the Barranco Wall is a portion of the climb that does not require technical skills to navigate.
Lemosho has the highest summit success rate of all route! Machame is the second most popular route on Kilimanjaro
The Lemosho route is a good eight day hike for those who have not trekked much at high altitudes, with an effective extra day's acclimatization, giving a better success rate. Experienced and already acclimatized mountaineers may opt for the more difficult 7 day ascent along the Lemosho route
There are public toilets at every camp stop on a Kilimanjaro trek. You're going to need to lower your expectations though. Forget porcelain loos with lockable doors, marble sinks with soap dispensers, hot water and hi-tech hand driers.
Technically speaking, Mount Kilimanjaro is also relatively safe compared to other mountains of similar altitude and the risks are low compared to other mountains. ... The main reason why climbers do not reach the summit is altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), caused by the high elevation.
At the summit, Uhuru Point, the night time temperatures can range between 20 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 to -29 degrees Celsius).
As we mentioned before, Kilimanjaro is suitable for beginners; they do very well. The best advice is for everyone to arrive in great shape. Don't underestimate the climb because you know someone did it who you believe was not fit. Train for the adventure.
By far, the reason people have to abandon their Kilimanjaro attempt is due to altitude sickness. At high elevations, nearly everyone will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness. Mild levels of altitude sickness include a headache, nausea, lack of appetite, dizziness, and lethargy. This is normal.
Why? Because winds carry moisture from the ocean. When they hit large objects, like mountains, they rise, cool and condense, forming clouds and precipitation (i.e. rain and snow). There are two main winds that drive weather patterns on Mount Kilimanjaro – the South-east trade winds and Northeast anti-trade winds.
Kilimanjaro is an achievement many hikers, athletes, and nature lovers have set their eyes on. But towering 19,341 feet, with a nearly 50% fail rate, reaching the peak takes a hefty amount of work against significant odds. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is absolutely worth it.
How long does it take to train to climb Kilimanjaro? If you aren't already active each day (hiking, walking, or running several miles), if you aren't in great shape it's recommended that you take at least 8 weeks (or 2 months) to train.
The short answer is “Yes”. You may get a phone signal all the way through the summit. Over the years, the mobile network coverage on Kilimanjaro has improved greatly. Nearly everyone who treks nowadays brings Electronic Gadgets On Kilimanjaro, especially smartphones
Here are some common animals that you have a chance of seeing on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Blue Monkey. ...
White Necked Raven. ...
Colobus Monkey. ...
Four Striped Mouse. ...
Bush Baby.
200,000 years ago
How to minimize your chances of suffering from altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro:
Acclimatize prior to the climb. ...
Start the climb in the best possible health and with an excellent level of physical fitness. ...
Take it easy on the trail and in camp. ...
Drink plenty of fluids. ...
Eat well. ...
Sleep well. ...
Relax.
The fact that there are still glaciers is due to the prolonged 'cold snaps', or ice ages, that have occurred down the centuries, allowing the glaciers to regroup and reappear on the mountain.
The best time to climb Kilimanjaro are the months of January through early-March and June through October. The clear skies, great views, and the sunshine makes it the best comfortable hiking conditions. However, there is always the possibility of weather changing dramatically, regardless of the season.
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