The Umbwe Route is steeper and shorter than the Machame Route. Once at the Barranco Hut you continue on with the other Machame hikers. The descent is down the Mweka trail.
Since it is a very short and direct route, it is not recommended for people with little altitude experience.
If you have opted for the optional airport transfers, we will pick you up from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha airport and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi.
Pre-trek briefing at your Moshi hotel. You should be planning to arrive atleast one day before the start of the trek. Today we will spend in having a pre-trek briefing. We will also review your equipment and rent any equipment which is needed.
Drive from Moshi to the Umbwe Gate (about 1 hour). Commence the climb through the rain forest with packed lunch on route.
- Elevation: 1660m/5450ft to 2850m/9350ft
- Habitat: Montane Forest
- Meals: Lunch and Dinner
- Distance: 11km/7mi
- Hiking Time: 5-6 hour
After breakfast, we leave the glades of the forest and follow an ascending path on the open moorland to Barranco Camp.
- Elevation: 2850m/9350ft to 4000m/13,000ft
- Habitat: Moorland
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Distance: 5km/3mi
- Walking Time: 4-5 hours
Extra Day for Acclimatization. Adding this day will ease your effort, and amplify your accli
- Elevation: 3850m/12,600ft to 4000m/13,000ft
- Habitat: Semi-desert
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Distance: 10km/6mi
- Walking Time: 5-6 hours
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail.
- Elevation: 4000m/13,000ft to 4050m/13,250ft
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Distance: 5km/3mi
- Climbing Time: 3-4 hours
We continue up to the Barafu Camp. 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.
- Elevation: 4050m/13,250ft to 4700m/15,350ft
- Down to 3090m/10,150ft
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Distance: 4km/2mi
- Climbing Time: 3-4 hours
Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. 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 you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit.
From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. Once at Uhuru Peak you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa!
From the summit we begin our descent by continuing straight down to the Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You may want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. We arrive at Mweka Camp and enjoy our last evening on the mountain.
- Elevation: 4700m/15,350ft to 5895m/19,340ft
- Down to 3090m/10,150ft
- Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Distance: 5km/3mi up / 13km/8mi down
- Hiking Time: 5-7 hours up / 5-6 hours down
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. Rioba Safaris vehicle will meet you at Mweka gate to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 30 minutes).
- Elevation: 3090m/10,150ft to 1680m/5500ft
- Habitat: Forest
- Meals: Breakfast
- Distance: 10km/6mi
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
