Western Breach Route
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Western Breach Route
About Western Breach Route
Umbwe Route has the notorious reputation of being the most challenging route on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is considered to be the shortest, steepest, and most direct approach to Uhuru Peak.
The Umbwe Route guarantees an epic thrilling adventure. It is perhaps the most challenging Kilimanjaro Route. Though it’s a steep uphill climb, the Umbwe route promises some breathtaking views of the ridges. After the first two days, the hiking trails eventually join with the Machame Route and Lemosho Route, and carry on up the Great Barranco Wall to Karanga Valley and Barafu Camp and finally the summit point of Uhuru Peak.
Climbing Kilimanjaro On The Western Breach Route
You can reach the Western Breach Route via the Machame, Shira, Lemosho or Umbwe routes. On the third or fourth day of the climb, those routes pass the Lava Tower to continue the Barranco Valley.
Climbers planning an assault on the Western Breach Route spend this night at the Lava Tower Camp (4642 m/15230 ft).
The next day is a very short one, involving only about an hour of walking to reach the Arrow Glacier Camp (4871 m/15981 ft). The slow pace is necessary to give the body time to acclimatize.
Day five is a short trek from the Reutsch Crater to the summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters). Trekkers typically return down the southern slopes of Kibo to Barafu Camp (4,680 meters) and then onto Mweka Camp (3,100 meters) for their last night on Kilimanjaro.
What is the scenery like on Western Breach route?
The initial approach scenery is either that of Shira/Lemosho or Machame. Then above Lava Tower the awe-inspiring Western Breach towers above the climbers as they approach Arrow Glacier. The actual push to the summit up the breach is done at night and head torches and moonlight will show rocky ridges, rock slabs and patches of loose scree. On entering the crater as dawn comes up the massive crater floor is like a desert before the climber with the remnants of the Furtwangler Glacier still visible. To the south east is the steep scree trail up the inner crater rim to Uhuru Point. Most notable is the lack of other climbers – very few people attempt this summit route!
From the summit the scene is much the same as the other routes – snowfields interrupted by rock and scree and the rim trail heading gently down to Stella Point and the vast scree slopes that come up Barafu.
What is so appealing about the Western Breach Route?
One aspect is the challenge itself, the chance to do something unusual and to be different.
Another aspect is that, as the name says, the route leads through a breach in the crater wall. Where all other routes take you to the crater rim, Climbing Kilimanjaro on the Western Breach Route takes you inside the crater.
It gives you an opportunity to enter and camp in the crater. Climbers can explore the Furtwangler Glacier, the Ernst Reusch Crater, the Ash Pit, even take excursions to the Northern and Eastern Ice Fields.
