6 Days Mount Kilimanjaro Umbwe Route

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.

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). After eating lunch at Lava Tower, hikers will scramble up the steep Class 2 trail to the Arrow Glacier Camp (4800m).

After an early morning breakfast, hikers will continue to scramble up the Class 2 trail on rocks. During the rain 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.

Wake up at around 0400hr for tea and biscuits. You will then begin your summit attempt. For about 2 hours, you will hike on a snow-covered trail to Uhuru Peak (5895m). 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). 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.

Following a well-deserved breakfast, 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 Arusha for long overdue showers and more celebrations.