Kilimanjaro - Umbwe Route.
The roof of Africa, the summit of your soul.
Kilimanjaro
- 7 Days
- 16 Age
- Hiking & Adventure
Adult: $ / person,
Experience the most challenging hike on Kilimanjaro
> Pure adventure
> Incredible sunrise views from Uhuru Peak (5,985m)
Although the Umbwe Route is considered the most challenging route, not many hikers do it. This trek is only suitable for experienced hikers, so you won’t have to share Tanzania’s stunning scenery with many others.
Hike through the mossy trees of Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. As we continue our walk the forest lightens and we see heather, tall grass and wildflowers. After leaving the forest behind, we continue hiking through open wilderness until we reach Barranco Camp. This campsite is generally considered to be the most scenic in Umbwe as it is surrounded by giant Senecio and Lobelia. We will be walking the Umbwe Route for 7 days so we will take a rest day here to get acquainted with this inspiring landscape.
Departure/Return Location Hotel/Lodge
Departure Time Please arrive by 7:15 AM for a departure at 7:30 AM
Return Time Approximately 7:30 PM
Dress Code The key to dressing for Kilimanjaro is layering. This approach allows you to adjust your clothing based on varying temperatures throughout the climb.
Included
- Private transport to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your hotel
- Transportation to and from the Kilimanjaro gate
- Four Season Mountain tents
- Double Layered Sleeping Mats
- Hot meals daily while on the mountain
- Treated and filtered water
- Hot water for washing
- Altitude Sickness & First Aid Kit
- KINAPA Rescue Fee
- Park fee, camping fee, VAT and other taxes
- Fair salary, food, insurance, and accommodation for guide and porter(s)
- Your team of porters and guides.
Not – Included
- Flights to and from Moshi
- Personal expenses
- Travel Insurance Including Repatriation
- Tipping
- Portable flush toilet
- A portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is available for USD 70 for the entire trek.
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1: Umbwe Gate (1,800m/5,905ft) to Cave Bivouac Camp (2,850m/9,350ft)
At 8am leave Moshi for Umbwe Gate where you will meet our porters, guides, and cooks who will spend the next six days trekking with you to Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa. After arriving, wait at the gate while we register your climb and the porters and guides make final preparations. Your first day’s destination is Cave Bivouac Camp, approximately 6 hours from the gate. The trail is steep and can be slippery in some places.
Hike through the moss-covered trees of Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest. The forest will thin later in the hike and heathers, tall grasses and wildflowers will come into view. Porters and cooks will walk ahead to set up the camp in time for your arrival.
Elevation Gain:1,050 meters, 3,445 feet
Hiking time: 4 to 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Accommodation: Tents
Day 2: Cave Bivouac (2,850m/9,350ft) to Barranco Camp (3,950m/12,960ft)
The first section of the trail continues following the ridge. After leaving the forest, continue through open moorlands until reaching Barranco Camp. Barranco is generally regarded as the most scenic campsite on the Umbwe Trail as it’s surrounded by giant senecios and lobelias. As Barranco is in a valley, the sun rises later than at the other camps.
Total Elevation Gain: 1,100 meters, 3,610 feet
Hiking time: 5 to 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Accommodation: Tents
Day 3: Barranco Camp (3,900 m/12,800 ft)
Extra Day for Acclimatization. Adding this day will ease your effort, and amplify your acclimatization.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Accommodation: Tents
Day 4: Barranco Camp (3,950m/12,960ft) to Karanga Valley (4,200m/13,780ft)
Leave Barranco Camp after breakfast for Karanga Valley. The day begins with a 1.5 hour scramble up the Barranco Wall. This is the hardest part of the day and in some places you may have to use your hands to aid your climb. After reaching the top, hike through fairly level terrain before making a short but steep descent into the green Karanga River Valley.
Elevation Gain: 250 meters, 820 feet
Distance: 7 Kilometers
Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Accommodation: Tents
Day 5: Karanga Valley (4,200m/13,780ft) to Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft)
After breakfast, begin the hike to Barafu Camp. On the way to Barafu, view several of Kibo’s glaciers as well as the junction that connects the descent route, Mweka, with the Machame trail. During day four, hike by the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. Although the trail to Barafu passes through alpine desert with little vegetation, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Try to sleep after finishing dinner as you will wake before midnight for your summit hike.
Elevation Gain: 400 meters, 1,320 feet
Distance: 6 Kilometers
Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Accommodation: Tents
Day 6: Barafu Camp (4,600m/15,100ft) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m/19,340ft) to Mweka Camp (3,100m/10,170ft)
Around midnight, begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak. Hike by the light of your headlamp for the next six hours. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point.
The hike from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes approximately one hour. Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos of your guide and group at the peak before beginning the descent to Mweka Camp. On the way down from Uhuru, enjoy views of the mountain, crater, clouds and glaciers.
At Barafu Camp, eat breakfast and take a short break. You still have another three to five hours to go before reaching Mweka Camp.
Elevation Gain: 1,295 meters, 4,240 feet
Elevation Loss: 2,795 meters, 9,170 feet
Hiking time: 6 hours to the rim, 1 hour to Uhuru, 3 to 4 hours back to Barafu, 4 hours to Mweka
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Accommodation: Tents
Day 7: Mweka Camp (3,100m/10,170ft) to Mweka Gate (1,500m/4,920ft)
After breakfast, finish the trek with a hike through the forest to Mweka Gate. The trail may be slippery following rain. Our vehicles will meet you at the lower station of Mweka Gate to take you back to Moshi.
Elevation Loss: 1,600 meters, 5,250 feet
Hiking time: 4 hours
Meals: Breakfast Included
Accommodation: Tents
Kilimanjaro: A silent giant, a majestic peak. It stands as a testament to the power of dreams, a challenge whispered on the wind. Reaching its summit demands strength, resilience, and unwavering belief. But the view from the top? A breathtaking panorama of achievement, a reminder that even the highest goals are within reach with courage and determination. Let Kilimanjaro inspire you to climb your own mountains, whatever they may be.
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An unforgettable adventure! - We did a one-day safari with Plex Africa Safari. From the first communication everything went smoothly. The questions we asked for the organization of our day trip were answered quickly... read more and correctly. Everything was well organised, from the pick-up at the hotel, the safari and the return journey to our hotel. The safari was amazing. Jafari was our amazing guide and took our wishes into account. He answered all of our questions and was very patient when we took photos. Jafari also had a lot of knowledge of the animals that live in Nyerere and told us all about them with lots of enthousiasm. Breakfast at the Baobab tree was super nice and lunch was very tasty. We would definitely recommend this day trip and our guide to any nature lovers.
Wander435482
November 7, 2024Unforgettable! - My family and I spent an amazing day at Nyerere national park with our excited and knowledgeable guide Jafari. He taught us a lot about the bigger and smaller animals... read more living inside of the national park and made the experience unforgettable. I would highly recommend this experience and guide to anyone who loves nature!
Count S
November 7, 2024Wonderful experience - What am amazing experience our 2 day safari was. I spent ages researching and was pleased to choose Plex. Edward, was great in responding really quickly to any questions... read more I had, all the staff were so friendly and helpful from Morris who dropped and collected us to the airport, to our safari guide Jafari, our drivers Eugenio, G and captain Kasimi in the boat they all ensured we had the best experience. All arrangements were stress free and were seamless.
The safari day inside the park was one we’ll never forget, we saw Giraffes, Antelopes, Impalas, Warthogs, Wilderbeast, Zebras, Hippos , Crocodiles, Baboons and our favourite Elephants. Our driver Eugenio was fantastic at taking us off the main roads to have the best chance of seeing so many animals and Jafari our guide was very knowledgable and informative. All the food was delicious and drinks were provided on the jeep. We were met at 8.30am off the plane and were dropped at the Selous lodge at 6.30pm, it was a whole day driving vast distances around the park, and the scenery and animals were fantastic. The Selous lodge was lovely, with a pool so a wonderful place to unwind. All the staff again were so friendly and helpful. Day 2 Jafari picked us up again and we went on a boat safari seeing hippos, crocodiles, and lots of wonderful birds, followed by a village tour to get a feel of local life in Tanzania and a school visit with lots of wonderfully curious children keen to show us their English and counting skills.
We had such an amazing experience, the Plex staff really did do their utmost to ensure we had a fantastic time. We felt it was good value for money. Just bear in mind the extra tips for the drivers, guide, captain etc It’s been the highlight of our holiday and an experience we’ll never forget. Thanks Plex!waders10
August 15, 2024 -
Amazing experience seeing wild animals up close - Plex Africa arranged everything 100% perfect. We were in a two day trip in Nyerere National Park. Communication was smooth, taxi drivers were right in time for pick up, speak... read more good English and are polite and professional. We travelled with two heavy luggage full of diving gear. The luggage was too big to take in the small plane so our driver Morris offered to take them to his home and picked us up next day from the airport with the luggage and drove to our hotel. In Nyerere our guide Songoro went over and beyond for finding the best spots to see animals and action up close during the game drive. I can highly recommend!
Sightsee19279404172
October 16, 2024Fantastic one-day safari to Mikumi National Park from Zanzibar - We booked a one day safari to Mikumi National Park from Zanzibar. Communication with Eddy beforehand was excellent, and everything was really well-organsed. The guides were great, really well-informed, and... read more we saw a good variety of wildlife, including lions. We would highly recommend Plex Africa Safaris.
Anna B
November 4, 2024Great First Safari Experience! - What differentiated Plex from the other companies for us was their responsiveness during the booking process, also in the run-up to the safari starting and the transfer arrangements before and... read more after. Eddy always provided the required information and reassurance exactly when we needed it, regarding all of the key arrangements.
When we arrived in Neyere we were met off the plane by the Guide (Omary) and Driver (Keresa) and the safari began almost immediately as we drove into the National Park and began to observe a wonderful array of animals. Omary was extremely knowledgeable regarding their identification and behaviour (which included the stunning birdlife). He was also flexible and adapted to what we wanted to see (this included the wonderful old Baobab trees that he knew I loved). He also has great observational skills and was able to identify highly camouflaged rare birds from a long distance (e.g. Nightjar).
We stayed at the Selous Safari Lodge which we would also highly recommend. The staff were fantastic and made us feel so welcome. The rooms are well equipped and comfortable and we enjoyed swimming in the pool. Breakfast and dinner were also of a high standard.
Overall we had a great experience with Plex and would have no hesitation in recommending them to other people who are looking for a great African safari experience!BARRY L
November 18, 2024
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