Machame Route Kilimanjaro - GlobalXplorers

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Training To Climb Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro, at 19,340 ft., is an extreme, high-altitude climb and is perhaps the most underestimated of the seven summits. You should be comfortable walking four to eight hours per day. Summit day is the most demanding portion of the climb, typically involving eight hours for the ascent and six to seven hours for the descent. Our expeditions require strength and endurance. Being in sound physical condition is the single most important aspect for climbers to maximize their climbing potential. The better your physical condition, the more likely you are to perform well and have an enjoyable experience. The most frequent comment we have received over the years is that climbers have underestimated the fitness level needed to fully enjoy their trip. Additionally, inadequate fitness will affect the atmosphere, pace, and overall enjoyment of the climb for all participants. We highly recommend checking with your physician before undertaking any strenuous activity.
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Understanding Fitness Expectation

Mountain climbing is a very sport-specific activity and having the proper fitness is fundamental. While there are many different approaches to training, we highly recommend Sport Specific training, which means hiking uphill (or on gym apparatus) as your primary training with a pack. Most climbers train 4-6 days a week. Much of the development and progress can take place during the weekly training sessions, which are usually shorter in time than longer weekend hikes. Your “test” as to fitness is the ability to travel at a pace of 1000 vertical feet per hour with the required pack weight (and the expectation for most is to build to this point over time). Please review the below training pages as well as the resources for literature and personal trainers.

Training to Climb - GlobalXplorers
Training To Climb - Kilimanjaro - GlobalXplorers

Getting in Shape for Climbing

Training for mountaineering focuses on building a sport-specific fitness developing cardiovascular endurance training, flexibility, and strength training. The training information here will help you arrive prepared for the mountain. Most people will need to train for a Kilimanjaro climb for at least 4-6 months. Please review all training tabs to get a full sense of what type of condition you need to be in for this climb. For those who have not specifically trained for mountaineering in the past, we recommend utilizing numerous resources to build your training plan.

Preparation for Kilimanjaro Climbs

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a serious undertaking. Just because you exercise regularly (four to six times per week) does not mean you have the conditioning needed to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro (19,340 ft.). Plenty of people who have the endurance to run a marathon fail to summit high-altitude peaks. Pure cardiovascular fitness is simply not enough. You need to be able to ascend several thousand feet of elevation on successive days carrying a day pack (15–25 lbs. / 7kg -11kg) on your back.

Prioritize your training efforts in the following way, assuming that you are in good health and injury-free:

  • Climbing Kilimanjaro conditioning - pack-loaded uphill hiking, walking, and stair-climbing
  • Strength training - for the lower body and core
  • Cardiovascular training - including both aerobic and anaerobic workouts, without pack weight
  • Flexibility training

Most people will need to train specifically for climbing Kilimanjaro for at least three to four months. During your training, you will need to progressively ramp up your hike time, distance, and elevation gain (at roughly 10% per week) to safely and effectively build your trekking-specific conditioning. Trying to rush this will increase the risk of experiencing some sort of training injury and not being ready for your trip. Below are more details of how to incorporate these four priorities into your program.

Preparation for Kilimanjaro Climbs - GlobalXplorers

Monday

  • Strength Training
  • Full body, 12–15 reps per set, 1 hour
  • Cardio Training
  • 30 minu. no pack, recovery level (<65% Max HR)
  • Flexibility Training
  • 10–15 minutes at the end

Tuesday

  • Climbing Training
  • Hills, stairs, or high-incline treadmill, 35–40 min, 20-lb. pack (short bursts >85% Max HR)
  • Strength Training
  • Full body, 12–15 reps per set, 1 hour
  • Flexibility Training
  • 10–15 min. at the end

Wednesday

Cardio Training
75 min. no pack, distance level (65-75% Max HR)

Flexibility Training
10–15 min. at the end

Thursday

  • Strength Training
  • Full body, 8–10 reps per set, 1 hour
  • Cardio Training
  • 45 min. no pack, tempo level (75-85% Max HR)
  • Flexibility Training
  • 10–15 minutes at the end

Friday

Rest Day

Saturday

  • Climbing Training
  • Hike 6-8 miles, 20-lb. pack, gain 3,000 ft.
  • Flexibility Training
  • As needed to prevent stiffness

Sunday

  • Climbing Training
  • Hike 8–10 miles, 15-lb. pack, gain 3,500 ft.
  • Flexibility Training
  • As needed to prevent stiffness

FAQ's - CLIMBING KILMANJARO

You will not run into malaria while on the mountain. However, you will be in territory that houses malaria before and after your hike so you should be taking malaria tablets while you’re hiking as a precaution.
We have a fantastic record of getting climbers to the summit successfully and safely. If you are a regular weekend walker with lots of determination we can get you to the top. That does not mean that it is not an incredibly tough challenge. The difficulties arise from a number of different factors. First you are walking every day for at least 6 days for an average of 7-8 hours a day. There is then one very long day of up to 18 hours. You need to be really determined to handle this.

The shortest route Umbwe runs as standard is 6 days. It is possible to climb over 5 days but the shorter climbs have a much lower success rate. Remember it is a long way to travel and a lot of money to spend to not reach the summit. We recommend that you take at least 7 days to give yourself a really good chance of reaching the summit safely.

We have helped lots of novice trekkers summit Kilimanjaro safely. You need to be fit enough for “weekend walking” and able to do 5-7 hours on your feet for two days back to back. Besides being fit though you will need to look after yourself all the way and have bucket loads of determination. The best training to climb Kilimanjaro you can do is to get your boots on and cover as many miles as your can before your climb. If you follow this advice, most days will be pretty comfortable for you. However fit you are though, summit night is a very tough experience. You will be climbing for 8-10 hours and descending for 6 – 8 hours.
The success rate varies hugely by route and by operator. Success rates reported by the Park vary from below 50% on the shorter routes like Marangu up to 85-90% on 7 day and longer climbs. Our success rate on climbs of 7 days or longer is 97%. We get such a high success rate with great preparation, great guides and carefully managed itineraries. And of course clients with grit!
We always answer this question by saying you should try and get out and do as much hill-walking as you can. Nothing prepares your body better for climbing Kilimanjaro than some weekends doing long walks of 7-8 hours.
The public toilets on Kilimanjaro are horrible. Fortunately, we now provide private toilets on Kilimanjaro as standard on all climbs. This is a chemical toilet in a small tent. This is kept clean and hygienic by our crew. Lots better than the long drop public loos.
We treat all our crew and guides really well.

Altitude sickness (often just called AMS) is caused by climbing to altitudes where the air pressure is much reduced. By the time you have reached the summit of Kilimanjaro air pressure is down to 49% of what it is at sea level. The first effect of this is that every lungful of air contains only half the amount of oxygen it would normally have. This makes any physical exertion very hard. Slowly, slowly is the key. The second and most dangerous effects of low pressures are on the parts of the body where fluid and air meet. The two most important are in the skull and lungs. With low air pressure, fluid gets into the lungs and the gap between the brain and the skull. In the lungs this causes something like pneumonia, where your lungs fill with water. In the brain it causes bad headaches. Both of these can become so bad, they will kill you. The good news is that we plan our ascents very carefully to minimise the risk of you getting AMS and we have well tested emergency plans on how to prevent altitude sickness.

A well-equipped weekend hiker will have most of the essential kit you need. You can find a full list of required clothing and equipment on your trip dossier.

Private climbs to climb Kilimanjaro are your own personal tailor-made adventure. They give you total flexibility and the highest chance of success. Just choose your date, route and any of our tailor-made options. Perfect for a group of friends or a charity group. Or perhaps for a couple looking to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary. Upgrades to private climbs start from £100 per person depending on the size of the group.

If you want the company of others while you climb Kilimanjaro then an open group is perfect for you. Our group climbs run every week during the main climbing season from June – October and December – March. They are limited to a maximum of 12 climbers to make sure you get the best chance of summit success. Particularly popular are our open group full moon climbs which run every month.

The differences between the routes can be looked at in different ways. First and most critical is how many days they take.
The food our cooks prepare on Kilimanjaro is amazing. What they can create on a mountain is beyond belief and everybody raves about our food. This is really important as keeping yourself hydrated and ensuring you eat well is one of the most important factors in success. If you have special dietary requirements or are a vegetarian then just let us know when you book so that we can be sure to have a suitable menu planned.
We use two types of tent on Mt Kilimanjaro. For sleeping we use top of the range Mountain HardwearTrango3 man tents. These are the same tents used by most expedition teams on Everest. They are very strong, have lots of space and are warm. Our mess tents are made for us by a supplier in Nepal who makes them for Himalayan expeditions. Good head-height, warm and extremely tough. Along with comfy camp chairs they make for a relaxing meal time.
We are leading members of KPAP, the Kilimanjaro Porters protection group and comply fully with their recommendations about tips. Depending on the group size recommended tips are between $200-300 per person. These are simply recommendations: if for any reason you are not happy with the service provided you are not required to pay.
Every morning and evening you will be provided with a bowl of hot water for washing. As well as this we strongly recommend a good supply of baby wipes for cleaning hands during the day. Also when it gets very cold higher on the mountain you can get by with what we call a “pits and bits” wash for which a baby-wipe is perfect. Remember though that whatever you take up the mountain has to come down so you will need a waste bag to carry used wet wipes.
This is really a matter of personal preferences. On a full moon there is lots more light and the route and path to the summit are much clearer. Some people prefer this, some prefer to get their head down and just keep plodding. Of course when there is a full moon there are almost no stars visible so if you want a great night sky give the full moon dates a miss.
We arrange lots of climbing Kilimanjaro for charity. We do not however organise climbs where the cost of the trip is funded by donations as we only believe in self-funded charity challenges.
As one of the very few non-Tanzanian companies that actually operate its own climbs we are closely involved in many aspects of supporting the local community. This extends from promoting porter welfare, supporting a local children’s charity to being active members of the Leave No Trace and Travellers Against Plastic organisations. Our own charity, the Kandoo Foundation has also funded a number of projects in Tanzania to benefit the community.
In a word, NO. The National Park Authority do not allow anyone on the mountain without qualified guides and they mandate strict minimum ratios of guides to clients which roughly work out as 1 guide for every 3 people. Porters are actually optional but unless you are super, super-fit and happy to alpine camp for 7 days living on dried food don’t begin to think about it. We provide 3 porters per client to carry everything you need to have a comfortable enjoyable climb.
You will need to have a number of up to date vaccinations to visit Tanzania. You should always visit your GP and check exactly what you require. Also please note you will need to take an anti-malarial drug. Although there are no mosquitoes on the mountain itself, there is malaria in Moshi.
As a condition of our public liability insurance we run a fully integrated Safety Management System. This includes detailed procedures for emergency descent. Depending where you are on the mountain this may involve being carried by porters, being transported on a mobile stretcher, using a 4×4 or helicopter.
There a number of specialists who provide Kilimanjaro travel insurance. We particularly like Dogtag and World Nomad. Whoever you arrange insurance with, you must be sure it covers you to an altitude of 6000m.
Kilimanjaro Park Authority do not allow any climbers on the mountain younger than 12 years of age. There is no maximum – our oldest client who summited was 75. You should be aware though that we do not allow children younger than 16 to join an open group. This is primarily because we feel that for children under 16 we need to provide the more personalised care that is only available on a private trip. Also, we have sometimes had negative feedback from adults about having children on a climb with them.

Kilimanjaro has its own international airport (JRO) which is about an hour’s drive from the mountain itself. For flights to JRO there are an increasing number of good options. There are currently no direct flights available from countries other than the Netherlands, the Middle East and Turkey. From Europe the best options are with KLM via Amsterdam or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.

Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and sits right on the Northern border with Kenya. The nearest airport is Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and the nearest town is Moshi.
Yes most of the time but don’t plan on 4G. And don’t be surprised that when you drop into a valley there will be deadspots.

One of the most publicized celebrity climbs of Kilimanjaro came in 2009 when a team of 9 celebrities attempted to conquer the roof of Africa for Comic Relief. The celebrities climbing were Alesha Dixon, Gary Barlow, Ben Shepard, Denise Van Outen, Cheryl Cole, Chris Moyles, Fearne Cotton, Kimberley Walsh and Ronan Keating. They took the 8 day Lemosho route and, amazingly, every single one of them summited! However, it was reported that nearly every climber suffered some form of altitude sickness along the way. The aim of the climb was to raise awareness and money for Malaria which is a huge killer in Tanzania. The team raised just shy of a million pounds.

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    Other Mount Kilimanjaro routes

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