This September I am attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. While I’ve hiked in the Alps before, I’ve never really attempted a major summit either in the UK or abroad, so this is quite a big, though very exciting, challenge for me.
Kilimanjaro is one of the Seven Summits – the tallest mountain on each continent – and is considered the most accessible, making it an ‘easier’ one to start with!
Most of the climb is simple uphill or downhill walking, which is what makes it more beginner-friendly – i.e. you don’t need any mountaineering experience – or even much hiking experience! That said, hiking experience is probably going to make it easier and more fun.
The thing that does catch people out, more than fitness or experience, is the altitude. The summit of Kili is 5,895m. That’s two thousand metres higher than Mont Blanc and four and a half thousand metres taller than Ben Nevis! High altitude can affect anyone, whether they are fit as a fiddle and have been at high altitudes 20 times before, or have never been up more than their local hill. However, most guides and companies suggest that being as fit as you can (whatever that looks like for you) gives you the best chance of overcoming altitude sickness on the trek. And it might not affect you at all!
Mount Kilimanjaro is actually a dormant volcano, and is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world! It is known as the Roof of Africa and is the tallest mountain on the continent. It’s situated in northern Tanzania, quite near the border with Kenya.
Why?
So why on earth have I decided to try and climb a giant mountain? Basically – I felt like it! I had actually seen Mount Kilimanjaro 20 years ago, when I went to Tanzania with family as a child, and been casually interested in it ever since. I’d seen programmes of celebs climbing it for charity and heard of other hikers and met friends who had climbed it as well. I then went on an incredible trip to Africa in 2023, and it made its way into my subconscious again. Fast forward to August 2024 and a competition popped up on my Instagram feed (yes, I’m a sucker for Instagram marketing) to win a free trip to Kilimanjaro. I didn’t win – but I did get the runner up prize, which was a couple hundred quid knocked off the price. So, without telling anyone, I booked!
I had a tough year in 2024, and wanted something exciting, challenging and just completely different to look forward to. I had also been struggling with my health and injuries, and this seemed like a good excuse for a fitness goal.
Training
Do you need to train for Kilimanjaro? You don’t need to train for Kili, but like most hikes, it definitely helps. I have been training in the gym, working on cardio fitness and strength training over the winter, and as we reach the summer months will be getting outside to do a lot of hiking! I’m hoping to squeeze in a training trip to the Alps to go hiking there, as a lot of high altitude hikes come with recommendations to do some in advance, to acclimatise to exercising at altitude, and also to get the walking practice in and build strength and endurance.
Strength and endurance training are useful for carrying packs, getting fitter, and also to protect your joints (especially the knees) not just on the way up, but particularly the way down, which has steep sections and loose scree, and many people find harder than the way up. On the plus side, going down is much quicker than going up!
The Trek
I am booked onto the trek with the award-winning EverTrek UK, who specialise in high altitude trekking, particularly Everest Base Camp and Kilimanjaro. I am doing the Lemosho Route (8 days), which includes a couple of days acclimatising in Moshi beforehand. It’s a very scenic route taking in rainforest, Alpine desert and arctic zones – so it will start warm before a very cold summit night! There are several routes to follow, it’s a good idea to research them and make a decision on which one is right for you depending on timings, budget and ability.
FAQs
I’ve been asked a lot of questions by friends and family about this trip, which were a lot of the questions I had too, so I’ve gathered those below – with answers!
How long will it take?
I’m doing the Lemosho Route, which is one of the longer routes up Kili. It will take 8 days of trekking overall, 6 and a half up and about 1 and a half down. I chose the Lemosho Route as it has a very high success rate compared to most of the other routes, which are shorter (between 4 and 6 days). The longer you take and the slower you are, the better you acclimatise to the high altitude, and the more likely you are to make it to the top!
Do you carry your own pack?
This was actually a big concern of mine – I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and a bunch of associated injuries including some back problems, so carrying my own tent, sleeping back and gear is currently quite difficult for me. (I’m hoping this becomes easier soon with getting fitter and treatment!) So it was a bit of a deal-maker once I found out you actually can’t climb Kili without porters! All climbers must go on the mountain with guides and porters. This keeps everyone much safer, makes it a bit more of a ‘luxe’ experience compared to many thru-hikes (aka you’re carrying less of your own gear and they provide food etc), and also provides more jobs for local Tanzanians who work on the mountain. So I will take a larger bag with my sleeping bag and clothes in, which will be carried by a porter, and I will carry my own daypack with water, snacks and spare layers in.
Is it camping all the way?
Simply, yes. While most will stay in a hotel in Moshi – the kind of base town for the mountain – before and after the climb, the climb itself is all camping. The guiding companies provide the tents, mess tent and food for the duration of the trek, but it’s also recommended that people bring their own snacks and hydration sachets. The mountain has no running water facilities or electricity, meaning no showers or plumbed toilets (the companies tend to bring a portable tent toilet for the group), and you’ll need to bring portable chargers if you want to use your phone, camera or any other electrical devices.
Is it warm?
While lower down the mountain is quite warm – Tanzania is in East Africa and is near the equator, so is generally quite a hot country – the higher up you go, the colder it gets. The summit of Kilimanjaro is covered in snow, and the temperatures can get below freezing, especially at night. There are times of year where the temperatures and weather will be better – some companies will even pause on running climbs for a few months during the heavy rainy season. I’m going in September, which is during the peak season, so fingers crossed for fairly dry weather and milder temperatures. That said, anyone who has spent time in the mountains knows mountain weather can be pretty unpredictable, so it’s best to come prepared with all the right layers and gear! I will make a blog post about what I’m packing and taking with me soon.
Is the altitude a problem?
High altitude can be fine – or it can make you quite ill. Going anywhere with high altitude is a risk and there are ways to adjust while you’re there, and prepare beforehand. That said, altitude sickness can suddenly affect anyone, even those who are used to it. Acclimatisation basically means getting used to the altitude – my planned route does this by ascending pretty slowly over several days, with lots of stops along the way. We will also spend a couple of days in Moshi before we even start trekking. Moshi is a town lower down the mountain at 700-900m, where most of the companies are based, and where climbers set off from to begin their hikes. Oxygen gets thinner the higher you go, and there can be up to 50% less oxygen than at sea level. This is why it’s a good idea to work on your cardio fitness and lung capacity before going on a high altitude trek, so you get used to exercising with a higher heart rate.
There are also holistic methods including supplements that some people use – the most famous probably being coca leaves, which are used in South America to ease symptoms. There’s also medications such as Diamox which some people take.
The porters and guides are first aid trained, and the guides have mountain rescue training as well. They bring pulse monitors and oxygen tanks, and there’s a lot of safety guidance around altitude sickness. So while it could affect you, you are going to be looked after! If you are very sick, some of the porters/guides will actually bring you down the mountain, and in extreme cases helicopters can fairly easily (I think that’s relative compared to a climb like Everest!) reach the slopes and take anyone suffering to hospital to get better.
So follow along while I share my training and prep ahead of my Kili attempt – and I’ll of course share how the trek goes and my top tips afterwards!
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