Kenya Camping Tours
UMBWE
ROUTE ITINERARY
DAY 1:
Arrive Tanzania and
transfer to the hotel.
DAY 2
Umbwe Gate (1800m) -
Bivouac (first) camp
(2940m): After breakfast
you will be driven to
the Umbwe Gate at 1800m,
passing through villages
with banana and coffee
plantations. On arrival
at the Parks Gate your
guide and porters will
meet you. You will have
to sign the register
before you enter the
park. As you head into
the forest, temperature
scan rise to about 35
degrees C, but as you
quickly rise in
altitude, they will
progressively drop, by
about 1 degree for each
200m climbed. The paths
can also be quite muddy.
The route initially
follows a forestry track
winding up through the
natural rain forest. It
then narrows and becomes
steeper as you climb the
ridge between the Lonzo
and Umbwe rivers, with
huge trees surrounding
you. The path offers
some spectacular views
of deep gorges and if
you are lucky, glimpses
of Kilimanjaro towering
above you in the
distance. The camp is
perched between huge
trees and thick
undergrowth.
DAY 2: Bivouac (first)
camp (2940m) - Barranco
camp (3950m):
Shortly after leaving
the camp the forest
starts thinning and is
replaced by rockier
terrain, sparser
undergrowth and
straggly, moss-covered
trees. The path
continues along a
narrow, but spectacular
ridge and as it ascends
through the heath, the
idge narrows and
sharpens quite quickly.
As you gain higher
altitude, you will note
how quickly the various
vegetation zones change.
Sighting of Lammergeyer
are quite common. The
path flattens as you
approach Barranco Valley
. From the Umbwe ridge
the route descends
slightly to the Barranco
camp.
The camp is situated in
the valley below the
Breach and Great
Barranco Wall, which
should provide you with
a memorable sunset.
DAY 3:
Acclimatization This day
will be spent at
Barranco camp to aid
with acclimatisation.
You can spend the day
walking around to
explore the surrounding
areas such as up to the
Barranco wall, take in
sights of the
magnificent Scenecio’s,
or just rest.
Day 4: Barranco camp
(3950m) – Barafu Camp
(4600m): After
breakfast you will begin
the scramble up the
Great Baranco Wall and
then begin the traverse
over the scree towards
the Karanga Valley at
4000m. It is here that
you will get the
incredible views of the
Heim, Kersten and Decken
glaciers. After leaving
the Karanga Valley , you
will continue along the
trail to Barafu Hut. You
will now find yourself
completely in the alpine
desert of crushed stone
and scree. The campsite
is very cold and gets
buffeted by the wind.
Day 5: Barafu –
Kilimanjaro Summit
(5895m) to Mweka:
You will wake around
23h00 and after a cup of
tea and a biscuit,
shuffle off into the
night for the summit of
Kilimanjaro. The route
heads up between the
Rebmann and Ratzel
Glaciers towards Stella
Point and then on to
Kilimanjaro Uhuru Peak
where you will enjoy the
magnificent views and a
well deserve photo
opportunity.
You will then descend
back down to Barafu camp
from the summit, which
takes about 3 hours. The
route is not difficult
and will take you down
the rock and scree path
into the moorland and
eventually into the
forest. Mweka camp is
situated in the upper
forest and mist or rain
can be expected in the
late afternoon. Dinner,
and washing water will
be provided as well as
drinking water.
DAY 6: Mweka camp
(3100m)- Mweka Gate
(1980m): After an
early and well-deserved
breakfast, it is a 2-3
hour, scenic hike back
to the Park gate. At
Mweka gate you sign your
name and details in a
register. This is also
where successful
climbers receive their
summit certificates.
Those climbers who were
too tired to continue
from the crater floor
and diverted back down
via Stella Point (5685m)
are issued with green
certificates and those
who reached Uhuru Peak
(5895m) receive gold
certificates. From the
Mweka Gate you will
continue down into the
Mweka village, normally
a muddy 3 km (50min)
hike. You will then
drive back to Moshi for
a long overdue hot
shower and
celebrations!! Overnight
in the hotel.
DAY 8: After
breakfast, transfer to
the airport for you
flight home.
|
Camping Safari
Close
your eyes, and for a moment feel your body
lift up, with you having no control over it,
and there is a certain part of you, inside
you, saying to yourself, I am crazy for
taking this balloon safari. This is what
most people feel, when the excitement of a
Masai Mara balloon safari crosses one's
emotion of self-control and independence.
is Africa's highest
peak. It is the world's tallest walkable mountain,
and what a walk it is. You go through 5 different
climatic zones to reach the summit.
