Kilimanjaro Umbwe route

Umbwe route is regarded as one of the hardest routes of Mt Kilimanjaro, precarious, steep and short. This route is considered for great experienced and fit climbers who want a new challenge in their lives. The success of the Umbwe route is very low compared to other Kilimanjaro routes due to its short acclimatization time during climbing. The route has only one acclimatization point that is at Karanga which has around 32 kilometers sharp ascent accompanied by more 21 kilometers downwards.

Umbwe Route is the least used trail of all the Kilimanjaro trails, and the trail needs patients and physical endurance. The route is considered a life-threatening route without proper acclimatization. It has a bad record of altitude sickness with over 60% of the climbers who succumb to this hence failing to reach the summit. The common altitude sickness is Nausea and headache which start as low as 4000 meters. The Umbwe Route is the most direct route to the summit but most breathtakingly the spectacular climb.

One can reach the summit in two ways when using the Umbwe route, i.e. one through the Western breach which is the most dangerous due to rock fallings, as in the middle after reaching the South Circular Route, trekkers can choose to either continue to the Northwest approaching Kibo from the West or can use the Southern Circular approaching Barafu on the East. This route joins the other three Kilimanjaro routes at Barranco and Barafu. The Umbwe route starts an altitude of 2800 meters where the climbers will be driven by 4×4 car up to the gate through the edge of the rainforest. It takes more than 6 hours for the hiker to reach the first camp where they will have their dinner and overnight from. One can view the great scenic view of the Western Breach and Barranco wall while hiking higher.