Choosing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro is an epic adventure. And it’s an expensive one. There are so many details to absorb – from when to go, which route to take, what you should look for in a guide company, and so on.
So, if you’re thinking about setting out on a trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro, here’s my top 4 pieces of advice for your adventure.
Tip #1 – Pick the longest route you can afford
When I was researching which route to take, I quickly discovered something interesting. The longer time you have to acclimate during your climb, the greater your chance of making it the entire way.
The success rate of summit Mt. Kilimanjaro – based on all routes and durations – is less than 50%. This is a fairly scary proposition when you’re dropping major money on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Why would anyone spend thousands of dollars on something with such a high failure rate?
But, as I dug into the numbers more, I learned the success rate goes up dramatically when you book a longer trip. Giving your body time to acclimate (especially if you normally live near sea level) is a huge factor in your success.
This was one of the top reasons why I chose the Lemosho Route. The 8-day trek meant I’d spend 6 full days at higher elevation. Allowing my lungs to adjust to the thinner air for that additional period meant I’d be better prepared for the eventual climb to the summit. And this also increased the success rate of summiting to the far more reasonable 85%!
Adding time to my trip wasn’t just about my body’s needs though. It was also about my mind’s needs. I wanted to take in the experience fully, and appreciate the landscape on my first trip to Africa. A longer itinerary gave me a mental break from worrying about work, fretting what was going on back home, and all the other mundane things that crowd my brain each day.
You’re already flying completely around the world to get to Tanzania. So make the most of your vacation and enjoy it for as long as your budget will allow!
Tip #2 – Record your adventure
I am not advocating that everyone strap on a GoPro or try to record every moment of their trip. Frankly, I tend to mock those people who are so busy filming their travels that they aren’t enjoying it as while it occurs.
But, I DO strongly recommend you record your adventure somehow. Take lots of photos. Write in a journal at the end of each night. Capture landscapes and the people along the way. Trust me, you’ll want to revisit all these experiences one day.
All memories fade over time. Even though you might think every detail of this adventure will be seared upon you brain, after a few months or years, the details will slowly trickle away. Recording parts of your adventure will be something you’ll appreciate, and it’s also a way you can share your epic experience with those you love.
Tip #3 – Rent a sleeping bag
One of my biggest fears as I was packing for this trip was about my hiking gear. What if the airline lost my luggage? How could I possibly climb Mt. Kilimanjaro without all my stuff?
Look, you could probably buy a lot of replacement gear in Moshi if that ever happened. But, if you’re like me, you’ve already spent a lot of time (and money) at home finding what gear works best for you. Running around like a mad woman to try to find replacement items and setting your credit card on fire isn’t the ideal way to start a trip.
So I did what most sane (and/or paranoid) people do when traveling. I wore all my most important items on the flight over to Africa or put them in my carry-on bag. There are just some items – like my hiking boots, my medications, and my puffy jacket – that I wasn’t leaving to chance.
The rest of the items that I couldn’t fit in my carry-on went into a small checked bag. Of course this meant I had ample space in my luggage to fit a sleeping bag. But, why bother lugging a giant cold-weather sleeping bag across the globe?
Most sleeping bags for mountaineering are bulky and heavy. This is doubly true when you are looking at a thick -20°F bag for your summit adventure.
So, if your outfitter offers high quality sleeping bags, consider renting one for the duration of your trip. It will save on space and weight – and it’s probably one of the few pieces of gear that’s better than anything you own back at home.
Tip #4 – Use Diamox
I already wrote an entire post about altitude sickness and Diamox. So I won’t rehash all the reasons you might want to talk to your doctor about getting a prescription. Instead I’ll share one experience from my trip.
There were two people in our group who didn’t use Diamox. I never asked their reasons for avoiding it. After all, they both were in their late 20s, very fit, and in great overall health. So it’s perfectly logical to think their fitness and effort would be sufficient to get them to the top of the mountain without any extra assistance.
Unfortunately, altitude sickness doesn’t play favorites. It can have a major impact on the fittest person in the group and less impact on someone else. Both of these climbers were fine while we were between 13,000 – 15,000 feet elevation. But, as soon as we reached 17,000 feet, they both became sick quickly.
We still had more than 1,300 feet to the summit when these climbers succumbed to nausea, vomiting and headaches on our final day. The guides relieved them of their daypacks to help their bodies feel less stress. And our team had to continuously monitor these two climbers as we continued upward toward the summit.
Luckily, they both made it to the top, but they were miserable! They felt incredibly sick the last few hours of our trek upward. They had pounding headaches on the summit. And throughout our final climb, there was a very real chance they might not make it all the way. After all, our lead guide could have chosen to send them back down at any time.
This experience reinforced my feelings about Diamox. The climbers who used it seemed to have a better overall experience at extremely high altitude. We were more aware of our surroundings and feelings. We got to enjoy the trip instead of throwing up on the side of a mountain. So, that alone that made it 100% worth it for me.
Final Thoughts
Every climber’s journey on Kilimanjaro is different. One reason I chose create a public blog – instead of leaving this trip buried deep in the privacy of my personal journals – was is I could help others contemplating similar adventures.
If you’re planning on taking a trip anywhere new, take some extra time to read about other people’s experiences. Check out as many blogs, trail journals, and memoirs as possible. It will help shape your mindset as you set out for the adventure of a lifetime.
But most of all, just get out there and do it!
I spent nearly two decades thinking about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro without taking any serious steps toward that dream. Life is short. Just pick a date to book the trip!! Then go out and tell everyone you know that you’re doing it. That’s the best way to make it happen.
Interested in reading about some of my other adventures? Check out some of my other trail journals, including:
- My 2018 Camino de Santiago trek (550 miles across Spain via the Camino Frances + Camino Finisterre)
- My 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike (2,192 miles from Georgia to Maine)
- My 2020 Tahoe Rim Trail Thru-Hike (171 miles around Lake Tahoe)