6 Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing, Trekking, Hiking Umbwe Route

This 6-day Kilimanjaro climb follows the Umbwe route, the least traveled, shortest and steepest trail. The trek through Umbwe is a 44.9 kilometer available only as a 6-day program. Recommended only to experienced hikers in good physical shape.

Umbwe is probably the most scenic, non-technical route on Kilimanjaro. However, it is quite taxing, primarily due to the relatively fast ascent to higher altitude, but the rewards are plentiful. Very steep route best suited to experienced trekkers.

The trek is shorter and much more direct than the other trails, however, should not be attempted by novice climbers. Difficulty rating: Extremely challenging. Previous trekking experience is highly recommended, as the days will feature 6-8 hours hiking with daily ascents of 900m to 1,000m, perhaps with the odd day ascending around 1,100m to 1,200m.

You need complete confidence in your ability to trek for many days over difficult terrain. The success rate of the route is between 60% and 70%, with higher chances of reaching the summit if you give yourself extra time for acclimatization.

The tour begins from Arusha with a 50-minute drive to Machame Gate where registration formalities will be completed. We then transfer through villages and coffee and banana plantations to Umbwe Gate. Umbwe starts from the southern part of Kilimanjaro and presents trekkers with a steep climb and travels below the Southern Ice Field before eventually summiting from Barafu.

In the first two days, you will gain over 4,000′ of elevation up to 13,000 at Barranco. From there, your options are 13,200 at Karanga camp, or if your guide deems safe, skip it and go direct to Barafu camp at 15,000′.

Your final summit bid will most likely be very early in the morning when you battle the effects of altitude, lack of appetite, and a strenuous 4,000′ climb to the summit of Uhuru Peak. Very worthwhile, and be ready for a long, descent from the summit (10,000′ down at least). There are two possible camps on the descent, which are very busy due to the only decent route (Millenium, and Mwenka).

Frequently asked questions

The questions and answers below are specific to the Umbwe Route.

 How difficult is the Umbwe Route?

The Umbwe route is one of the shortest routes to the Southern Glaciers and the Western Breach and its the most challenging route on Mt Kilimanjaro. Approaching from the south, the Umbwe route is a short, steep and direct climb. It is probably the most scenic, non-technical route on Kilimanjaro. It is quite taxing, primarily due to the relatively fast ascent to higher altitude, but the rewards are plentiful.

Due to the fast ascension to high altitude, this route does not provide the necessary stages for acclimatization. Although the traffic on this route is very low, the chances of success are also low.  Good level of fitness is highly recommended.

What is the distance of the Umbwe Route and how many days does it take?

The exact trekking distance for the Umber Route is 53km or 32 miles. The shortest number of days required for the Umbwe Route is 5 days, It’s a Shorter ascent with strenuous trekking days. By the time you have added on arrival and departure days it is 9 or 10. However, as it’s considered one of the Shortest and steepest routes on the mountain it is strongly recommended to be very well prepared and acclimatized to increase your chances of success.

What is the Umbwe Route Summit Success Rate?

The Umbwe Route is one of the shortest routes up Kilimanjaro which has a very poor chance for acclimatization due to it’s steepness and days spend in the mountain. Whilst there are no official statistics, the average success rate across all operators is 70%. However, We have a summit success rate of over 90% for the Umbwe Route!

What is the Scenery like on the Umbwe Route?

The first two days of the Umbwe Route trek are through tree plantations and then beautiful and rich rain forest, before continuing into the steep Western Breach and Arrow’s Glacier path, scramble up to the Reutsch Crater (5,800 meters) where trekkers spend the night near one of Kilimanjaro’s last remaining glaciers, Furtwangler Glacier.

From Crater Camp, one can take an optional one-hour hike to Reusch Crater, or simply explore the areas around Furtwangler Glacier. Reusch Crater is a magnificent sight. It is almost perfectly circular and the ash pit measures 400 feet (120 m) deep and 1,300 feet (400 m) wide. This is rarely seen by tourists.

When is the best time to Trek Umbwe Route?

July-September is the best time to trek the Umbwe Route, as the weather is most stable during this period and encountering rain is less likely. That said, since it is close to the equator it is possible to climb the mountain at any time of the year. April and May is the rainy season so this period is best avoided.