Mt Kilimanjaro [Uhuru Peak] Summit Report – Sidharth Routray

Height: 5895m / 19341 ft
Summit Date: 22nd Oct 2022, 7:45 pm

Team: 4 members, Sidharth from India and David, Rudy, Tim from Kenya

Route: Western Breach (The most challenging route to Uhuru Peak) – Which includes sub-routes like Umbwe, Lava Tower, Western Breach, Uhuru Peak. A Kilimanjaro ascent via the Western Breach route is the most challenging and also by far the most dangerous way to scale Kibo and reach Uhuru Peak. The danger lies not in the climb itself, it lies in the melting glaciers above the route. As the glaciers retreat they release previously bound up rocks. Many climbers have died on this route. But we choose this route for its difficulty and the adrenalin rush associated with risk.

Total Length: 45km
Elevation gain: 9000m

Day1 – 19th Oct 2022 – Umbwe gate to Umbwe Cave Camp
Started our 11 km hike on the Umbwe gate to our first camp called the Umbwe Cave Camp at 2900m/ 9514.436. Amazing greenery with shades from evergreen trees. Nice place to eat a nice nice dinner and go to bed early.

Day2 – 20th Oct 2022 – Umbwe Cave to Barranco
After an amazing breakfast and a good night’s sleep we took the 7km 3500ft elevation gain hike to Barranco Camp at 3970m/13024ft. The hike is extraordinary because of the massive top to bottom views of Mt Kilimanjaro and the changing fauna from evergreen large trees, to small height plants and finally desert shrubs. It was a tough day as you moved to 13024ft beyond the tree-line. It is the busiest camp as hikers from other routes merge upon this camp before going to Uhuru Peak via the normal easter ridge. It’s a big playground type campsite with Kilimanjaro Wall on the backdrop, and the vast Tanzania plains the other side.

Day3: 21st Oct 2022 – Barranco to Lava Tower
After a beautiful sunset and again amazing food and good sleep we started late for the 3km hike to Lava Tower. Camped and hiked further up to acclimatize. Beautiful view of the wall of Mt Kilimanjaro. And the Lava Tower itself so magnificul tall rock right on your face when you camp there. The sunset is best here with the combination of Lava Tower, and sun setting at the top off Meru Peak in the backdrop. It is mystical.

Day4: 22nd Oct 2022 – The D Day – Lava Tower to Uhuru Peak
After a good breakfast, we could see smoke and ashes falling around us. A quick call to the rangers cautioned us about a huge forest fire coming towards us. The air quality was getting bad by the hours and smoke was covering the whole area. We took a collective decision, the best is to push higher up and aim for the summit as soon as possible. Let us do the summit ASAP and get down ASAP to avoid the fire. We were already late, as this was supposed to be our rest day before the final push in the night. But an interesting adventure to summit Kilimanjaro in the night, everyone was excited.

Lava Tower to Crater via Western Breach:
As described by other climbers, The Western Breach is the toughest climbing route to Uhuru Peak. We did lots of class 3 and class 4 rock scrambling. We started late around 12 noon and it took 8 hours to reach the top. It was risky as rocks were falling from the Kilimanjaro Wall, but it was fascinating and challenging. Many times we have rushed out of the falling rock path to save ourselves. On one occasion our trailing guide almost got hit by a huge rock by inches. It was a great relief to us, and tanks to our team who were always on the lookout for safety. We crossed the Western Breach around 6 PM and reached the Kilimanjaro Crater. Timing was great as we were adding more layers against the sudden drop in temperature, we could capture a beautiful sunset in its full glow. It was unusual because by this time most hikers were back in their tents in lower camps and we were going up.

From Crater To Uhuru Peak:
It got cold after sunset when we reached the crater.! From there the shortcut to peak was never ending, but once you reach the top the feeling is out of the world. Reached the summit at 7:45 PM. As everyone asks how do you feel on the top, for me, it is always spiritual. I got severely injured during the last Ironman race on July 24 2022. I was not able to walk for the month of August. I rested and did little strengthening in September. And last 2 weeks before the climb in October I did major strengthening, but no hiking or climbing. I was in no shape physically, but you know me, mentally and spiritually I am always ready. {the Paika Blood}. The names of Jai Jagannath and Jai Mata Di, make me do impossible things. And when I reach the top, I get unfounded energy and strong spiritual feelings. Jai Jagannath! Jai Mata Di!

Uhuru Peak to Barafu Camp:
After all the pictures and the shouting on the top of Africa we started the never ending descent to Barafu Camp at 15000ft. We covered this hike in the most painful 4 hours of climbing down in the cold night. What an eventful day with 13 hours of amazing and difficult hiking. And the reward was we were on the top of Africa. Jai Jagannath! Jai Mata Di!

Day5: 23rd Oct 2022 – Barafu Camp to Millennium Gate
We again took a 18km hike down to Millennium gate to avoid the pitfalls of the forest fire. On the way down we could see a valley of trees already burned and still smoke coming out and brave firefighters trying to put off the fire. I hope from my heart it stops and the amazing jungles of Kilimanjaro are all saved. The fire turned the hike into one of the toughest I have done and quite hapenning. Not sure I want to tank the fire, but this was supposed to happen to our team who were the only ones on the Western Breach.

Thanks to our guides Rama and Tammy and grateful to all our potters and kitchen staff. They took such extreme challenges for us and made this successful in such extreme conditions.

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Jai Jagannath! Jai Mata Di!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!