After early breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from Arusha (1400m), and drive to Umbwe Gate. At the gate, your guide and porters will pack your equipments and supplies when you will be having lunch. After finishing the packing and registration process, you will then begin your ascent into the rain forest. During this section of the hike, you should expect rain, mud and fogs. Also be in the lookout for wildlife, including colobus Monkey! About half a way up the trail you will have lunch break and you will reach the Bivouac Camp(2940m) in the late afternoon or early evening. The porters and chef , who are always ahead of you, will reach the camp before you and set up your tents, boil drinking water, and prepare evening tea and snacks for your arrival. After your arrival and washing up, a hot dinner will be served. For overnight , mountain temperatures may drop to freezing so be prepared!
Your day starts early with a steaming cup of tea or coffee. After breakfast, you will climb steeply through thinning forest glades to Giant Erica , Heather, and drier air. You continue up a ridge that drops steeply on both sides, and hopefully, the clouds will part to rewards you with a view of Uhuru Peak looming overhead. The trail then flattens then descends into the Barranco Valley until you reach Barranco Camp. Barranco is generally regarded as the most scenic campsite on Umbwe Route as it is surrounded by giant senecios and lobelias. At this campsite, you will be next to a stream and have a spectacular view of Western Breach and Great Barranco Wall on the East. And as Barranco is in the Valley, the sun rises later than at the other camps.
Following an early morning breakfast, you will leave Barranco Moorland habitat and enter the semi desert and rocky landscape. After 5 hours of hiking east , you will reach Lava Tower(4630m).Hot Lunch will be served at the Tower, and if the weather permits while you are waiting for lunch to be ready you will have the option to climb the massive Lava Tower. At this point of the hike, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects of altitude including headache, nausea, and shortness of breath. After having lunch at Lava Tower, you will scramble up the steep class 2 trails to the Arrow Glacier Camp(4800m). The campsite is spectacular with no vegetation; there are only rocks and scree in varying shades of brown and black. The campsite is very cold and you need to be prepared. Steaming Tea, coffee with snacks will be served before dinner just to keep you warm!
After early morning breakfast, You will continue to scramble up the class 2 trails on rocks. During the rain season, an ice axe, and crampons are required due to icy condition. You will slowly ascend up the Western Breach to the Crater(5700m). Upon reaching the top of the crater, you will be amazed by the Northern Ice field of Kilimanjaro with the Furtwangler Glacier directly in front of you. At the campsite , you have the option of completing a day hike to the infamous Ash Pitof Mount Kilimanjaro(1.5 hour). The Ash Pit is 340m across and 120m deep. After hiking, you will enjoy a warm dinner and be one of the few and fortunate hikers to stay at the inner, snowed-covered crater of Mount Kilimanjaro.
It is really chill in the crater, you need to be well prepared for this night!
Your guide will wake you around 4am for tea and snacks. You will then begin your summit attempt. During the ascent, many trekkers feel that this is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the climb. For about 2.5 hours , you will hike in a snow -covered trails to Uhuru Peak(5895m).
Reaching Uhuru Peak is a lifetime dream comes true for trekkers! After reaching the summit, you will be able to spend a short time on the summit taking photos before descending to Barafu begins. The hike down to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours. After reaching Barafu camp, you will have a well earned but short rest, collect your gears, and hike down a rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest to Mweka Camp (3100m). This camp is in the upper forest. So you can expect mist or rain in the late afternoon. Hot water will be prepared for wash, then you will have your dinner and rest soundly at the camp.
A final descent of 4500 ft brings you down to Mweka Gate, on the way to the gate you will go through the moorland, rain forest zones and enjoy the last views of the mountain. At the gate you will say goodbye to our mountain stuff before heading to Lake Duluti for scrumptious and fresh lunch by the beautiful lake itself.
Lake Duluti is a volcanic formed lake located some Kilometers away from Arusha town. The beautiful lake is a paradise for birds and reptiles.
After lunch we will be proceed to the lodge near/in Arusha for a farewell dinner and either overnight or day room and departure.
(This sort of arrangement is exclusively for Big groups and those who are on honeymoon holiday, marriage anniversary or any special occasion that needs to be celebrated!
For small groups with no special occasion to celebrate, after reaching Mweka Gate, you will drive down to Moshi town for hot lunch at one of the restaurants, and then you will be heading to Arusha for long overdue shower and more victorious celebration at your lodge.