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As its name suggests, the Western Breach is a gap, formed by lava flow, on the western outer rim of Mount Kilimanjaro's main summit, Kibo.
The Western Breach offers one of the shortest climbing routes to the summit. The core of this route, stretching from Arrow Glacier Camp to Crater Camp, involves several short non-exposed simple scrambling sections (grade I on the UIAA scale, or equivalently YDS class 2). It was temporarily closed after a rock slide accident in January 2006 killed three people.
Despite its moderate inherent risks, among experienced climbers the Western Breach is still a popular ascent route because it is very direct and more interesting than the two heavily frequented standard routes on the southeast face of Kibo.
In September 2015, San Francisco resident Scott Dinsmore was killed by a boulder while hiking up from Arrow Glacier Camp.
Alternatively, it is possible for trekkers on most other routes to stay one night in the crater at the Crater Camp, allowing for extended time to explore the peak without the added risk of an assault via the Western Breach.
Climbing kilimanjaro western breach route lemosho route ends of the earth episode
