Mountain Trekking 
Umbwe Route
The shortest, steepest route on Kilimanjaro: a direct climb up a forested ridge for experienced, well-acclimatised trekkers.
Days6–7
Distance53 km
DifficultyStrenuous
SleepingCamping
CrowdsQuiet
About the route
Umbwe climbs straight up a narrow ridge on the southern side of the mountain, gaining height faster than any other route. The forest section is steep, with tree roots for steps, and by the second evening you are already at Barranco Camp, where Umbwe joins the southern circuit.
That speed is also its weakness: there is little time to acclimatise, so Umbwe is best for those who have recently been at altitude, for example after climbing Mount Meru. We add an extra day at Barranco with an acclimatisation walk to the Lava Tower.
Good for: strong, experienced trekkers who want a quiet, dramatic trail and are already acclimatised.
Highlights
- Few other climbers
- Dramatic ridge walking through cloud forest
- Joins the Barranco Wall and southern circuit
- Ideal after a Mount Meru climb
Map
Map of the Umbwe Route
Press a camp on the map or in the list below to see its altitude.
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Trail lines and camps: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Altitudes from park signposts where available.
Altitude profile
Day by day
The Umbwe Route in 6 days
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Day1
Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Cave Camp
From Umbwe Gate (1,800 m) a forestry track gives way to a steep path up a ridge between two river gorges, through some of the mountain's densest forest.
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Day2
Umbwe Cave Camp to Barranco Camp
The ridge narrows and the forest gives way to heath as you climb, with the Kibo glaciers ahead, before dropping into the Barranco Valley.
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Day3
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
The day opens with the Barranco Wall, a 250-metre scramble on good holds that looks harder from below than it is. Above it the trail rolls across ridges and valleys under the glaciers of the southern icefields to Karanga, the last water point before base camp.
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Day4
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
A short, steady climb onto the rocky ridge of Barafu, the base camp for the summit. You arrive by lunchtime, eat early, check your kit and sleep for a few hours before the summit attempt.
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Day5
Summit day: Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
You leave Barafu around midnight and climb by headtorch up the scree to Stella Point (5,756 m) on the crater rim, reaching it around sunrise. Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) is a gentler hour along the rim, past the glaciers. After photos you descend to Barafu for a rest and a meal, then continue down to Mweka Camp in the heath zone.
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Day6
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
A last walk down through the rainforest, often with colobus monkeys in the trees, to Mweka Gate, where you sign out and collect your summit certificate before the drive back to Moshi or Arusha.
Our climbs
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Guided climbs on fixed itineraries, each one tailored to your dates and pace.
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