Kilimanjaro Hike - Umbwe Route

A fully inclusive 6 day hike up Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain.

The Umbwe route is one of the least hiked routes up Kilimanjaro. It's a short difficult route, but the Umbwe Route is one of the most beautiful trails up Kilimanjaro. It is important to note that the route is significantly shorter than the other routes while still having good acclimatisation time. By choosing this route it also makes the distances covered between overnights at altitude shorter and as a result avoids a lot of the crowding experienced in some sites in season. 

An uncrowded and scenic Kilimanjaro Hike, well worth the challenge!

Kilimanjaro Hike Overview

If you are flying into Kilimanjaro Airport you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in Moshi or Arusha, generally speaking its best to have one rest day before starting your trek. If you are transferring from Nairobi the transfer will be on your rest day. There are plenty of things to do in Arusha and Moshi but it is advisable to take things slow before your hike.

You will be met by your guide the evening before for a full briefing and you will be expected to separate you luggage at this stage and take only on bag up the mountain with you and extra luggage can be stored in your hotel. Most hotels do not charge anything for this service.

The next morning after breakfast you will be transferred from your accommodation to the trekking office. Depending on the route you take, the drive to the trail head can take up to one hour and is generally bumpy! ( Rongai, Lemosho, and Shira routes the drive is four plus hours). You will need to bring along enough water for your first days hike.

Final preparations for the climb are made on reaching the park gate you will also need to sign the national park registration book. At this stage you will see the Porters arranging packs containing the food, water, and other equipment. You must make sure you have all your day pack items with you as the porters move quickly! In general it will take about an hour to get signed in with the national park and get all your equipment ready.

For most days you will start between 8-9am and you will hike for around 5 to 6 hours, you will be expected to walk very slowly and the distances you will hike each day are therefore very moderate. This will allow you to acclimate a little at a time. Your guides will continually repeat "pole pole" (po-ly, po-ly), which means "go slowly" in Swahili.

The lower terrain at the beginning is wonderful and fascinating and the views get better and better the higher you go up. At the campsites there is not a whole lot to do so remember to take absorb the scenery and take photos regularly as there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

On the summit day you will hike to the top around midnight depending on the route you're opted for, and the speed of your group. You will be allowed to go as high as you feel fit. Some people in your group will stop at the crater rim, while others will continue to the very highest point on the mountain.

Once you have reached the summit your guides will take you down as quickly as possible to minimize any altitude problems. You will continue past your last campsite to the next one where you will then spend the night.

At the end of your trek, you will be picked up at the trail head and taken back to your hotel.

Kilimanjaro Tour Itinerary

Pre Departure

Moshi
815m / 2670ft

Book into your hotel in Moshi or Arusha for overnight and briefing by your guide.

DAY 1: Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Camp

1800m to 2800m
5900ft to 9200ft
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest

Drive from Moshi to the Umbwe Gate. Commence the climb through the rain forest with packed lunch on route. Dinner and overnight at the first encampment at 2800 meters (9186 ft).

 DAY 2: Umbwe Camp to Barranco Camp

2800m to 3900m
9200ft to 12,800ft
Walking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Semi-desert  

After breakfast, we leave the glades of the forest and follow an ascending path on the open moorland to the Barranco Hut located at 3900 meters (12,795 ft). Dinner and overnight at the campsite.

DAY 3: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

3860m to 4200m
12,700ft to 13,800ft
Distance: 7 km
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite.

DAY 4: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

3860m to 4600m
12,700ft to 15,100ft
Distance: 13km
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Karanga and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, through the Karanga Valley (4200m / 13,770 ft), and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue to the Barafu Hut. 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. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.

DAY 5: Barafu Camp to Kilimanjaro Summit to Mweka Hut

4600m to 5895m (and down to 3100m)
15,100ft to 19,300ft (and down to 10,200ft)
Distance: 7km ascent / 23km descent
Hiking Time:6- 8 hours ascent / 7-8 hours descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point (5685m / 18,652 ft), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting).

From Stella Point, you will encounter snow all they way on your 2-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, we have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit.

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 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. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.

Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep. Beer and soda may be available for purchase at the Mweka Hut -- the only location on this route.

DAY 6: Mweka Camp to Moshi

3100m to 1830m
10,200ft to 6000ft
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Forest

After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).

From the gate, continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to hotel in Moshi.

Tips for guides and porters on Kilimanjaro

The typical tip is $20/day for guides, $15/day for assistant guides and cooks, $10/porter/day for porters. These tips are from the whole group, not per hiker.

Expect 1 guide per 2 hikers, 1 assistant guide per 3 hikers, and 1 cook per 8 hikers.

Porters as follows:

-2 porters per hiker on the 5-day Marangu Route. (minimum of 4 porters)
-3 porters per hiker on a 6 or 7-day trek (minimum of 5 porters)
-4 porters per hiker on the 8-day Lemosho Route (minimum of 8 porters)

Sometimes extra porters are required based on the weight of the luggage.

Budget $300 per hiker for tips for a 6-day trek if hiking in a group of 4 people.

We recommend that you leave your valuables and your tip money in a safe deposit box at the hotel in Moshi. After your trek, give your tips to the office staff in Moshi with a list of which staff receive which amount, and the tips will be distributed to your guides and porters accordingly. You can use U.S. dollars, Euros, TZ shillings, or a combination of these.

You can hand over your tip money personally if you prefer. If you are going to do this, it's best to do so at camp the morning of the last day of the trek. Place your tips in small envelopes and use small bills.

Gifts: Guides and porters also appreciate your warm clothing, shoes, and packs. You may want to bring some older clothing items for this purpose.

Celebration: You are also welcome to invite your guides back to your hotel for dinner (on you) as a thank-you in addition to their tip.

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