Umbwe route 6 days 5 nights
Day 0: Arrival Day
You will meet our driver and pick you up from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha airport and transfer you to your hotel. Pre-trek briefing at your hotel. You should be planning to arrive at least 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
Day 1: Hotel to Umbwe Cave Camp
Drive from Arusha to the Umbwe Gate about 2 hour. Commence the climb through the rain forest with packed lunch on route.
Distance: 11km
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest
Day 2: Umbwe Cave Camp to Barranco Camp
After breakfast, we leave the glades of the forest and follow an ascending path on the open moorland to Barranco Camp.
Distance: 6km
Walking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Semi-desert
Day 3: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
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.
Distance: 5km/3mi
Hiking Time: 34 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 4: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
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.
Distance: 4km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 5: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Camp
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 a 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.
Distance: 5km up / 13kmi down
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours up / 5-6 hours down
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
Day 6: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Moshi hotel
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 A vehicle will meet you at Mweka gate to drive you back to your hotel in Arusha
Distance: 10km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Forest
INCLUSION
- All transfers to the mountain and back to your Moshi hotel
- Professional, experienced, mountain guides
- Guides, Porters, Cook salaries and park fees
- Quality, waterproof, four-season mountain sleeping tents (on twin sharing basis)
- Sleeping Mattress
- Emergency Oxygen Cylinder
- All meals while on the Mountain
- Quality Mess tents with table and chairs
- Clean, purified drinking water
- Conservation fees (part of park fees)
- Camping or Hut fees (part of park fees)
- Rescue fees (part of park fees)
- VAT (18% charged by the Government)
- Kilimanjaro summit certificate
EXCLUSION
- Tanzania Visa
- International and domestic flights
- Personal trekking equipment such as sleepings bags, hiking boots, clothes, etc (available for renting)
- Tips and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Personal Expenses (e.g. laundry, telephone, beverages, etc.)
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Liquors, beers and bottled beverages