Travel Advice 12 Things I Wish I Knew Before Climbing Kilimanjaro 2nd January, 2024

But how are you to know what to expect without climbing Kilimanjaro yourself? This guide will cover some of the most important things our experienced team and guides have said they wish they knew before climbing Kilimanjaro to make the journey to the summit as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

From the importance of physical preparation to our equipment recommendations for climbing Kilimanjaro, we’ll be sharing invaluable advice from the team at Kandoo Adventures on what to expect from your Kilimanjaro trek. So, read on for some insightful tips and guidance about climbing Kilimanjaro before you embark on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Depending on which Kilimanjaro route you choose, it takes between 6-9 days to reach the summit and descend to the finishing point. By choosing a longer route, you have more time to adjust to the altitude, a decreased chance of suffering from altitude sickness and ultimately the best chance of success on your Kilimanjaro trek.

Kandoo Adventures have an impressive average summit success rate of 98% across all our Kilimanjaro routes which is due to the time dedicated to acclimatisation to high altitude. For more information, check out our blog on the best route to climb Kilimanjaro.

We recommend building a training plan 6 to 12 months prior to your Kilimanjaro trek to build your endurance. The training plan should include strength training, aerobic exercise and most importantly, regular hikes around the countryside with a heavy bag. For more detailed information, check out our Kilimanjaro training plan.

Here you will find all the essential kit you will need to climb Kilimanjaro and where possible we have included links to gear that we personally use and recommend. You will need EVERYTHING on this list so be sure to follow it exactly and make sure you are prepared.

Forgetting even a small essential item, such as lip balm, could very well be the difference between enjoying your journey or not!

Kilimanjaro has 5 different climate zones which can be split into distinct areas and the weather changes drastically as you ascend the mountain. The highest area, known as the glacial or arctic zone, is often covered in snow and the high winds at this altitude make the temperature feel far lower than it is. The higher you travel, the colder it’ll be.

The best thing you can do is bring lots of layers as you can add or remove pieces of clothing to adapt to changing weather, activity level and body temperature. Check out our blog on Kilimanjaro weather for more detailed information on what to expect.

Before attempting to climb Kilimanjaro, you will need to train your body to cope with long periods of physical exertion. Not only this, but you need to be extremely mentally resilient for the best chance of success. Although each of the seven routes requires up to 8 hours of walking with up to 1,500m of ascent each day, the Kilimanjaro trek requires no real mountaineering skills. The Great Barranco Wall is one of the most challenging parts of your journey and involves a bit of a scramble. This is usually something our guests find particularly enjoyable and is nothing to be worried about. You’ll hit the Barranco Wall at around day 4 of your Kilimanjaro hiking trip, depending on which route you’re on.

‘Pole, pole’, the guides will tell you. Slowly, slowly. We all know the tortoise and the hare tale!

Minor symptoms of altitude sickness such as headaches can be treated with painkillers and by maintaining your water intake. The drug Acetazolamide (Diamox) is also widely considered to be effective in managing altitude sickness and can be bought before your departure to Kilimanjaro.

Most people will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness, which can range from sleeplessness to lethargy, to nausea and headaches. So long as you stay hydrated, listen to your body and trust your guides, you should be able to successfully summit Kilimanjaro. Our team carry out daily health checks and will monitor you the entire time you’re on the mountain so don’t let the risk of altitude sickness put you off.

Drinking plenty of water is even more important than eating when climbing Kilimanjaro. Your guides will encourage you to drink water all day long even if you don’t feel thirsty and the general rule of thumb is that you need to drink at least 3 litres of water per day on this high-altitude expedition. Yes, you might need to pee way more often than usual but taking a pee bottle will make this super easy!

And it’s not over just yet! After you’ve taken photos at the top of Kilimanjaro and had a moment to take in your great achievement, the exquisite views and congratulate your fellow trekkers, you will head back down to Mweka campsite via Barafu Camp for lunch, dinner and a well-earned sleep. On the final day of your trek, you will descend a further 1,300m to Mweka Park Gate from where you can transfer to your hotel.

We work closely with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), who look after the welfare of porters on Kilimanjaro, and they have recommended the following tipping guidelines. KPAP recommend tips for porters are in the range of $6-$10/day per porter. For other roles we recommend $20/day for guides, $12-$15/day for assistant guides and $12-$15/day for cooks. These figures are per group, not per climber and you will be sent a copy of the tip recommendations and estimated numbers for your group. The size of your group, however, can only be confirmed on the first day of your climb.

Tipping will take place on your last night on the mountain where the team will gather to celebrate with you. Representatives will come to your hotel once you reach the bottom of the mountain to accept the tip on behalf of all the porters and they will distribute the money themselves. You can either take cash with you and keep it on your person in a money belt or withdraw cash in Kathmandu. Other than tips, it is unlikely you will need any other cash whilst trekking.