The Umbwe Route provides the shortest route, and toughest, to the Southern Glaciers of Kilimanjaro and Western Breach of Kibo. An ascent of Kibo by Umbwe route is one of the finest non-technical mountaineering expeditions. It is a challenging route, unsuitable for the solitary or the inexperienced, and a route off the beaten track.

DAY 01: UMBWE GATE (5,900 ft) - UMBWE CAVES CAMP (9,500 ft)
Today you will be transferred from your Moshi hotel to Umbwe Gate to begin your ascent. The rough trail cuts through a dense rainforest and the six to 7seven hour trek through this tropical forest leads you to the wooded campsite at Umbwe Caves.

DAY 02: UMBWE CAVES CAMP - BARRANCO CAMP (13,000 ft)
An early start this morning, for a stimulating walk up the steep trail to Barranco Camp. This part of the trail takes between six and seven hours, ascending through the forest and edging along a thin ridgeline with cliffs that drop away on either side of the trail.

DAY 03: BARRANCO CAMP - KARANGA CAMP (13,000 ft)
From the steep descent into the bottom of the Great Barranco Valley to the climb up the almost vertical Barranco Wall, this section is truly an adventure. Walking for approximately four to five hours, climbers on this route are overlooked by Kibo’s shining glaciers and Mawenzi’s proud peak.

DAY 04: KARANGA CAMP - BARAFU CAMP (15,200 ft)
This five to six hour day takes place on a trail which turns steadily uphill. The temperatures drop and the landscape grows more barren as you approach Barafu Camp, set on an exposed ridge and acting as a base camp from which you will make your final assault on the summit around midnight.

DAY 05: BARAFU CAMP - SUMMIT - MWEKA CAMP (10,200 ft)
A midnight start, with a hard scramble up the scree to reach Gilman’s Point just as the sun rises. Continue for 2 to 3 hours along the lip of the crater to reach Uhuru Peak - the rooftop of Africa and its highest point. Stand proudly among the sparkling glaciers and ice cliffs in the early morning light – you made it! Enjoy your descent to Mweka Camp; a descent which you will find relatively easy (buoyed up as you are after your successful summit attempt).

DAY06:MWEKACAMP-MWEKA--GATE
Enjoy once again the hike from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate, which can take anything from two to five hours, depending on trail conditions (rain can occur at any time of year at this elevation and a muddy trail calls for a very slow pace). Now it is time to collect your Certificate of Achievement, say goodbye to your new mountain friends and join your driver for the trip back to town