Umbwe Route 6 Days Itinerary, Prices, Hiking Dates

The Umbwe Route 6 Days Itinerary, Prices, Hiking Dates.

The less traveled Umbwe route is an underappreciated gem. This path was thought of being treacherous in bygone days. The trail is still manageable for many walkers, despite the fact that it gets steeper in the beginning. It starts on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro and meets up with the Machame and Lemosho routes three days before reaching the Barranco Wall. The fact that you won’t see many other hikers on the first two days is a defining feature of Umbwe. Itineraries can be either six or seven days long; newcomers who haven’t acclimatized yet should go for the seven-day option. In sum, it’s a beautiful path that will take you through every climate zone of Kilimanjaro, letting you explore the mountain’s distinctive flora and fauna up close.

Detailed Umbwe Route 6 Days Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), a representative from The Kilimanjaro Trekking Services Company will be waiting to drive you to your accommodation at no additional cost. All the necessities for a pleasant stay will be provided by the hotel: warm rooms, running water, friendly personnel, a pool, and Internet connection. You will be briefed by our management in the evening, and they will also ensure that you are prepared to start the ascent.

Transfers from and to the airport are part of most private trip packages. Adding more than one person to a transfer will incur additional fees. Get everyone in your company to agree on the same arrival and departure hours to save money.

Day 2: Trekking from Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Camp

In the morning, your climbing guide and support staff will show up at your accommodation. Before your drive to the Umbwe Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, there will be an introduction and a final, brief equipment check. You will begin your trip at this entrance, which is about 1,800 m /5,904 f above sea level. Registration and finalization of permits for search and rescue services will be handled by the chief guide.

If all goes according to plan, you should reach Umbwe Camp for your first night of camping on the first day of your walk. Finding and maintaining the correct pace for the entire group is essential when ascending to an altitude of 2,850 m (9,348 f). Bring your raincoat because this section of the Umbwe route is through tropical rainforest, where it is very likely that it will rain. The camp and meals will be ready by the time you get there, thanks to your support crew.

PLEASE NOTE: You should pay close attention to the following instructions from now on because this is your first day at this altitude:

Throughout the day, slowly yet steadily consume more than four liters of bottled water;

You might want to think about taking a high-altitude assistance medication as a preventative step in case you have symptoms of altitude sickness. Before setting out on their climb, many mountaineers take these medications to alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness. Along with your vacation plans, our managers will give you additional particular information. We advise that you address any possible allergies or health issues with your doctor before the trip.

Because your breathing pattern slows down at night, your body receives less oxygen than during the day, which might lead to pain as you acclimate to the high altitude. Because of the high altitude, you can feel nauseous and have a headache. If you experience any signs of altitude sickness, it is important to listen to your body and inform your guide immediately.

Trekking time: 5-7 hours
Distance: 11 km

Day 3: Trekking from Umbwe Camp to Barranco Camp

Your crew will begin their journey to Barranco Camp with an early breakfast and an early wake-up call. Quickly, you’ll leave the rainforest behind and enter moorland; on a clear day, you might even catch a glimpse of Meru Volcano. The rather long day’s trek should get you to Barranco Camp (3,900 m /12,792 f), tucked inside a massive volcanic rift, about midday. Here you will have lunch and the chance to unwind for the remainder of the day, which will greatly help with acclimatization.

Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Distance: 6 km

Day 4: Trekking from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Once again, your group will have an early breakfast and wake up early this morning before beginning to climb Barranco Wall. You should get out of camp as early as possible so you can beat the throng and other groups that will be there to slow you down. It takes about an hour to hike up the gorge wall, and it’s not hard at all. Take a break and snap some shots in front of Kibo after your ascent.

The next day, you’ll set off on a more challenging journey to Karanga Camp. The trail is riddled with multiple climbs and descents, but fear not—our guides are pros at determining the best group pace. Warm lunch will be provided to you once you reach the camp. Following a couple of hours, you’ll need to ascend 200 meters (656 feet) before descending back to Barafu Camp for an acclimatization hike.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to hasten the process of acclimatization, the acclimatization hike is a leisurely walk that involves a small ascent in elevation. The ascents to acclimate should be a top priority for you. They mitigate the effects of altitude sickness and improve your odds of reaching the peak of Kilimanjaro.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Karanga Camp (3,995 m /13,107 f)
Destination point en route to Barafu Camp (4,270 m /14,009 f)
Hiking distance: 2.5 km
Hiking time: 1-2 hours
Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Distance: 5 km

Day 5: Trekking from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Your ascent to Barafu top Camp (4,673 m /15,327 f), the base camp from which you will reach the night top of Uhuru Peak (5,895 m /19,336 f), will commence immediately following breakfast this morning. Before your arrival, our crew will prepare a camp for you, complete with sleeping bags and tents, so you can unwind right away. Once you’ve recovered enough, it’s time to start the acclimatization climb to the intermediate Kosovo Summit Camp (4,870 m /15,974 f). After you reach the summit, you’ll be led down to Barafu Camp for a nice dinner. Prior to the night summit, it is recommended to spend the rest of the day sleeping and relaxing.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Barafu Camp (4,673 m /15,331 f)
Kosovo Camp (4,870 m /15,977 f)
Hiking distance: 2 km
Hiking time: 1-2 hours
Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Distance: 6 km

Day 6: Ascent to Uhuru Peak and Descent to Millennium Camp

At about midnight, the party departs from Barafu Camp. Uhuru Peak, at 5,895 meters (19,336 feet) in altitude, is at the summit of Kilimanjaro, which you will reach tonight. Even light exercise feels like a struggle at this high altitude, even though the hike isn’t very challenging. We assign a personal guide to each group of two climbers for the last summit, and that person is responsible for keeping a closer eye on the climbers’ emotional and physical health. Once you reach Uhuru Peak, you have the option to hike to one of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro. The next stop will be in Barafu Camp for a 2-hour break before continuing on to Millenium Camp, which is 3,950 m (12,956 f) below sea level.

Be advised that while descending does alleviate the effects of high altitude, it is also the phase in which the vast majority of accidents and injuries (up to 90%) occur. Just be careful not to trip and break a bone or injure your toenails; it’s that simple.

Trekking time: 8-12 hours
Distance: 15 km

Day 7: Descent from Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate

The rainforest is the setting for Millennium Camp. A nice night’s sleep is yours for the taking thanks to the lower altitude and the satisfaction of having accomplished your objective. After breakfast, the party will begin the final ascent to Mweka Gate, the exit from the national park (1,640 m /5,379 f). This is your final chance to reminisce about the climb with your leaders and porters. Before being taken back to your hotel, you will be presented with your certificates of completion in our offices.

Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Distance: 12 km

Day 8: Departure

Have a night’s sleep before your transfer to the airport.

PLEASE NOTE: Time to check out of the hotel is 11:00 AM. You can choose to prolong your hotel stay for an additional cost if you require a late check-out due to an evening flight.

End of the Umbwe Route 6 Days Itinerary

Umbwe Route – Summit Success Rate

After more than a decade of leading trips to the peak of Kilimanjaro, we at Kilimanjaro Trekking Services Company have amassed extensive statistics on the percentage of climbers who successfully complete each route. We have recently added a 7-day option to the Umbwe trip, which was previously only offered in 6-day itineraries. See this for the summit success rate of the Umbwe route:

Umbwe route 6 days – Uhuru Peak: 97.1% ; Crater Rim: 97.8%

Umbwe route 7 days – N/A. Very likely to be even higher.

Umbwe 6’s summit success rates are really mind-blowing, aren’t they? A word of caution, though: this path has a reputation for being difficult, therefore only the strongest trekkers who can overcome any obstacle usually choose it. While Machame 6 has a success rate of around 90%, the typical climber may have a somewhat lower percentage. The good news is that we have introduced a new 7-day route that will have easier transitions and a more gradual acclimatization profile.

Very few operators can claim to have achieved such high summit success rates, both theoretically and in reality. In the event that any of our clients become ill due to the high altitude, our Wilderness First Responder-certified guides are on call 24/7 to provide medical attention. Your acclimation will be as safe and comfortable as possible thanks to our extensive medical kits, detailed safety measures, and the largest stockpile of oxygen tanks in the region. Because the high altitude is the most difficult aspect of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, it is crucial to find a Kilimanjaro operator that will put your health first, increasing the likelihood that you will reach the peak.