Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro Via Umbwe Route : The Kilimanjaro Mountain is the world’s free-standing mountain that is located in the northern part of Tanzania. The standing majestic Kilimanjaro Mountain elevates 5,895 meters above the sea level, this Africa’s tallest peak has seven summit one of worlds seven summits. Hiking up Kilimanjaro Mountain has many routes and one of them being the Umbwe route, which is sometimes considered as the most challenging and yet the best route with the most rewarding sceneries.
The Umbwe route has the most challenging terrains and it requires the exercise and physical experiences. It’s a perfect route for the professional hikers who are in search of the intense adventure. For a successful hiking of Kilimanjaro Mountain, you need to spend minimum of 6 days, the more days you spend on hiking, the higher the chances of reaching at the peak of this Africa’s pride.
Let’s see through 6 days hiking Kilimanjaro Mountain through the Umbwe route.
Day 1. Umbwe gate to Umbwe Camp.
We will all begin hiking from the Umbwe gate which is found on the southern part of the Kilimanjaro Mountain. The hiking towards the Umbwe camps is highly characterised with walking through the lush rainforests that are surrounded by the unique flora and fauna. You will have the chance to explore the wildlife, the birds as well as the different unique plant species. Slowly the elevation increases as you approach the Umbwe camps that are found in 2,940 meters above the sea level. The Umbwe camps are nested in the heart of the Kilimanjaro mountain forest.
Day 2. Umbwe camps towards the Barranco camps
The Barranco camps are found in the elevation of 3,967meters, which will be your next stop and you will spend a night at this camp. The elevation becomes steeper, slowly you will start laving the deep forest behind and start to witness the landscape transformation and you reach above the treeline.
Day 3. Barranco camp to Karanga camp
The most challenging part of this point is hiking through the famous Barranco walls, hiking through this wall very challenging and requires a lot of determination and skills. When you pass through this challenging part, the hiking towards the Karanga camps becomes gradual and simple. The Karanga camps is found in the elevation of 3,995 meters. The most amazing part of this camp is the most rewarding views of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro.
Day 4 Karanga camp to Barafu camp
The Barafu camp is found in the elevation of 4,673 meters, this is the final camp before reaching the Africa’s highest peak. You will arrive early at this point, so that you can have enough rest before reaching to the most challenging and yet the most rewarding point of this whole hiking. At this point his attitude becomes high and you need time for your body to adjust with this altitude.
Day 5 Uhuru camp to Mweka camps
The journey towards the Uhuru peak usually begins in the early morning. With the steep climbs to Stella point which is 5,685 meters which is in the crater rim, your almost there! The final steps lead you towards the Uhuru peak, which is highest peak where you will have the perfect chance to witness the sunrise. You can’t be prouder and have the sense of accomplishment after reaching this point. You will have few minutes to enjoy your success before descending to the Mweka camps.
Day 6 Mweka Camps to Mweka gate
Descending the Kilimanjaro Mountain is a lot easier, after having the best time and the life time experience. The Mweka camps are located in the 3,100 meters descending, as you move down the mountain you will notice the dramatic change in temperature, altitude and vegetation. You will see get into the lushly heavy forest, reaching the 1,640 meters at the Mweka gate reaches the end of our unforgettable journey.
Why choose the Umbwe route.
The Umbwe route offers the perfect sceneries of the mountain, the change in the landscape and unforgettable moments. This route is highly recommended for the professional hikers, or if you want to use this route, your need to have enough exercise in weeks before hiking. The Umbwe route is less crowed, it’s one of the hard routes while hiking the Kilimanjaro Mountain, hence most of the visitors do not prefer hiking through this route.
