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The Umbwe ruten is the shortest, steepest and hardest Kilimanjaro route. It’s not ideal for most trekkers, as it doesn’t give your body much time to acclimatise to the increased elevation. We explain the pros and cons of the Umbwe route.
The Umbwe ruten has a reputation for being the most challenging route on Kilimanjaro. And rightly so. It’s the shortest and steepest of the Kilimanjaro routes, and accordingly has a poor acclimatisation profile. For this reason its summit success rate is low and its one of the least used trails on the mountain. The Umbwe approaches the summit from the south and camping is the only available accommodation option. Pre-acclimatisation is recommended for those who choose to trek this route.
Umbwe route up Kilimanjaro is the steepest and least used trail on Kilimanjaro. It is a quiet route as a result but has a very rapid ascent making it suited only to experienced climbers. The route through the forest is also steep and along the route are sections up steep narrow ridges.
As with most other routes on Kilimanjaro, you sleep tents overnight on Umbwe. Then the route heads directly to Barranco Camp where it meets up with Lemosho, Shira and Machame Routes. It heads from Barranco Camp up Barranco wall through the Karanga Valley before climbing towards Barafu Hut. A good idea is to tag on a further day at Karanga Camp to acclimatise better.
While Umbwe route is a non-technical climb, it does offer steep ascents and requires trekkers to scramble over rocks and tree roots at certain points.
Descent is made via the Mweka route
The Umbwe route has a well-deserved reputation of being the most challenging route on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Approaching from the south, the Umbwe route is a short, steep and direct climb.
After reaching Barranco Camp, the trail follows the southern circuit to the summit. The descent is done via the Mweka route.
Umbwe is considered to be very difficult, taxing route – one that should only be attempted by strong hikers who are also confident of their ability to acclimatize to altitude.
Day | Start | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | Finish | Altitude (m) | Altitude (ft) | TIme | Distance | Distance |
1 | Umbwe Gate | 1,600 | 5,249 | Umbewe Camp | 2,900 | 9,514 | 5-7 | 11 | 7 |
2 | Umbewe Camp | 2,900 | 9,514 | Barranco Camp | 3,976 | 13,044 | 4-5 | 6 | 4 |
3 | Barranco Camp | 3,976 | 13,044 | Karanga Camp | 3,995 | 13,106 | 4-5 | 5 | 3 |
4 | Karanga Camp | 3,995 | 13,106 | Barafu Camp | 4,673 | 15,331 | 4-5 | 4 | 2 |
5 | Barafu Camp | 4,673 | 15,331 | Uhuru Camp | 5,895 | 19,341 | 7-8 | 5 | 3 |
Uhuru Camp | 5,895 | 19,341 | Mweka Camp | 3,068 | 10,065 | 4-6 | 12 | 7 | |
6 | Mweka Camp | 3,068 | 10,065 | Mweka Camp | 1,640 | 5,380 | 3-4 | 10 | 6 |
The Umbwe route is our least favourite of the Kilimanjaro climb routes. Given its steep ascent, it doesn’t offer much time to acclimatise and so has a low summit success rate. In our view, other Kilimanjaro routes such as the Lemosho route are much better choices. We recommend the Umbwe route only be attempted by strong hikers who are confident in their ability to acclimatise quickly to high altitude.
The 7 day version of the Umbwe Route includes an acclimatisation day at Barranco where guests can walk up and visit Arrow Glacier before heading back to Barranco Camp. Generally recommended for more fit and adventurous types, this route is very steep in the first 2 days. For those that want more of a challenge with less crowds this is a good choice.
Then, 6 day Kilimanjaro hike starting at Umbwe Gate and ascending via Stella Point. Note that it joins the Machame route in the Barranco Valley, and hence has similar levels of people on trail as the Machame Route thereon. There is a night time ascent to the summit and descent is via Mweka Route.
This route is highly recommended for scenic value and has a medium to high success rate, especially if you choose the 7 day itinerary.
The six-day options is not recommended for first-time trekkers.
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