Climb Kilimanjaro via Umbwe Route
6-7 days + 2 nights hotel | From $1,500
The Umbwe Route is a challenging, steep and direct climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, known for its beautiful, dense forest and stunning views. It is only meant for extremely fit individuals who want to challenge themselves and know what they are getting into.
What you can expect on the Umbwe Route
MOST CHALLENGING
The Umbwe route is deservedly considered most challenging because of the fast direct ascent to high altitudes. It does not provide the time needed for acclimatization, which leads to altitude sickness.
NON-TECHNICAL CLIMB
Despite its difficulty, the Umbwe route is a non-technical climb. It offers steep ascents and requires trekkers to scramble over rocks and tree roots at certain points.
FANTASTIC VIEWS
The early days of this path have arguably the best views of any part of the mountain, save perhaps the summit itself. At times, there are stunning vistas to be seen to both the left and the right as you make your way up the trail.
LOW SUCCESS
Because of it’s steep, direct approach, the success rate on Umbwe route is lower than some of the other routes.
LEAST CROWDED
Because of its reputation as a difficult climb, very few people actually walk this trail, leaving it open and relatively untouched.
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About Umbwe Route
Being a short, steep and direct route, Umbwe is considered to be very difficult and is the most challenging way up Mount Kilimanjaro. Due to the quick ascent, Umbwe does not provide the necessary stages for altitude acclimatization. Although the traffic on this route is very low, the chances of success are also low. It is recommended to very strong hikers who are confident in their ability to acclimatize.
Umbwe Route Itinerary
The itinerary below describes the 5 nights/6 day Kilimanjaro climb via the Umbwe route. Popote Africa offers Umbwe as a 7-day private climb. The 7 day variation adds an acclimatization day on day three at Barranco Camp.
Day 0
Arrival in Tanzania
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your arranged hotel in Moshi town. You will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Gear which is missing can be rented on this day.
- Driving distance: 55 km
- Driving Time: 1 hour
Day 1
UMBWE GATE – UMBWE CAVE CAMP
The climb starts from Umbwe Gate, where the path follows a ridge between two deep valleys up through the dense montane forest. The camp is perched between huge trees and thick undergrowth. There is no water available at this campsite, so we must carry from the gate all the water needed for drinking, food preparation and cleaning.
- Distance: 11km/7miles
- Hiking Time: 5-7hours
- Elevation: 5,249 ft – 9,514 ft
- Vegetation: Rain Forest
Day 2
UMBWE CAVE CAMP – BARANCO CAMP
The path gets steeper on this section, as you get out of the forest along the Umbwe ridge the route descends slightly to the Barranco camp situated in the valley. In this camp you will meet with other trekkers from Machame route and Lemosho route. The camp will be so busy due to the joining with other three famous route.
- Distance: 6km/4miles
- Hiking Time: 4-5hours
- Elevation: 9,514 ft – 13,044 ft
- Vegetation: Heath
Day 2
UMBWE CAVE CAMP – BARANCO CAMP
The path gets steeper on this section, as you get out of the forest along the Umbwe ridge the route descends slightly to the Barranco camp situated in the valley. In this camp you will meet with other trekkers from Machame route and Lemosho route. The camp will be so busy due to the joining with other three famous route.
- Distance: 6km/4miles
- Hiking Time: 4-5hours
- Elevation: 9,514 ft – 13,044 ft
- Vegetation: Heath
Day 3
BARANCO CAMP – KARANGA CAMP
Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night.
- Distance: 5km/3miles
- Hiking Time: 4-5hours
- Elevation: 13,044 ft – 13,106 ft
- Vegetation: Alpine Desert
Day 4
KARANGA CAMP – BARAFU CAMP
After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp, we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.
- Distance: 4km/2miles
- Hiking Time: 4-5hours
- Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft
- Vegetation: Alpine Desert
Day 5
BARAFU CAMP – UHURU – MILLENNIUM CAMP
We start at midnight and climb steeply to the summit glaciers. After 4 to 5 hours on scree, we gain significant height and enjoy spectacular views. We reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the sun rises, with stunning ice cliffs and views of Mawenzi Peak. Another hour of walking takes us to Uhuru Peak (5895m). We then descend back to Stella Point and continue down the scree slope to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before heading to Mweka Camp for a well-earned rest.
- Distance: 5km/3miles and 7km/4mile
- Hiking Time: 6-8 hours and 2-4 hours
- Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341ft and 12,434 ft
- Vegetation: Arctic to Heath
Day 4
KARANGA CAMP – BARAFU CAMP
After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp, we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.
- Distance: 4km/2miles
- Hiking Time: 4-5hours
- Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft
- Vegetation: Alpine Desert
Day 5
BARAFU CAMP – UHURU – MILLENNIUM CAMP
We start off at around midnight and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Mweka Camp for a long well-earned rest.
- Distance: 5km/3miles and 7km/4mile
- Hiking Time: 6-8 hours and 2-4 hours
- Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341ft and 12,434 ft
- Vegetation: Arctic to Heath
Day 6
MILLENNIUM CAMP – MWEKA GATE
A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower then celebrate with cold drinks. Overnight at your arranged Hotel
- Distance: 12km/7miles
- Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
- Elevation: 12,434 ft – 5,380 ft
- Vegetation: Rain forest
Umbwe Route Prices
We do no compromise on safety and quality, so our prices are not the cheapest. However, they are also not unreasonably high like some other companies. We take a lot of pride in the value for money we provide to each and every client. The per person prices below are based on how many people are booking the trek together.
7-DAY ROUTE PRICE
1 person – $3,535
2-5 persons – $3,155
6-10 persons – $3,095
11+ persons – $3,039
6-DAY ROUTE PRICE
1 person – $1,860
2-5 persons – $1,680
6-10 persons – $1,590
11+ persons – $1,500
FAQs for Umbwe Route
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE UMBWE ROUTE?
The Umbwe route is a steep and direct climb to the Uhuru peak. It offers the least time for the body to acclimatize to the rising altitudes. That combined with the physical exertion on this trek makes it the most difficult route to hike up Kilimanjaro.
HOW LONG IS THE UMBWE ROUTE?
The short Umbwe Route is approximately 52kms (32miles) from start to finish. It is usually done over 6 days, but a shorter 5-day itinerary is also possible. The average daily altitude gain is about 840m per day, with the summit day gain of 1200m from Barafu camp to Uhuru peak.
WHAT IS UMBWE ROUTE'S SUMMIT SUCCESS RATE?
The Umbwe Route is one of the shortest routes up Kilimanjaro which has a very poor chance for acclimatization due to it’s steepness and days spend in the mountain. Whilst there are no official statistics, the average success rate across all operators is 70%. However, we have a summit success rate of over 90% for the Umbwe Route!
HOW IS THE SCENERY ON THE UMBWE ROUTE?
The first two days of the Umbwe Route trek are through tree plantations and then beautiful and rich rain forest, before continuing into the steep Western Breach and Arrow’s Glacier path, scramble up to the Reutsch Crater (5,800 meters) where trekkers spend the night near one of Kilimanjaro’s last remaining glaciers, Furtwangler Glacier.
