Anyone climbed Kilimanjaro?
- Thread starter Dr House
- Start date
My parents did back in the 70s.
Its an easy hike except for the altitude. You obviously want to get in some hiking and fitness training but the best way to deal with the altitude is to get to the alps and spend a week at high altitude a few weeks before you head out to killy. Book some nights in the alpine cabins at ~3000m.
Altitude effects people in different ways and fitness doesn't typically prevent it.
Its an easy hike except for the altitude. You obviously want to get in some hiking and fitness training but the best way to deal with the altitude is to get to the alps and spend a week at high altitude a few weeks before you head out to killy. Book some nights in the alpine cabins at ~3000m.
Altitude effects people in different ways and fitness doesn't typically prevent it.
I almost did but due to a death in the family I had to call it off. I know loads who have done it and the general consensus is to go hard because it's a lot harder than what it seems. One of these guys was an international level triathlete, and champion in South Africa a few times.
Its mostly down the altitude and lack of oxygen will make even easy hiking feel really hard.
I get he feeling most package trips try to rush you to the top quickly, which will work for a lot of people but not everyone, and is liekly less enjoyable for most. If you can find a guided tour that will go high and then descend back down before going back up to the summit you will find the altitude far less of an issue.
Good advice.
Friends went a couple of years ago. They took a few weekends to go up Snowden and did a lot of walking beforehand.
Despite your fitness level, the altitude will affect you. My mate does a lot of cycling and was by far the fitter of all the group that went and didn't make it to the top due to altitude sickness and was escorted back down.
The youngest (16) made it though. He gets out of breath walking up stairs.
Research and training. Even then, it's not guaranteed.
Despite your fitness level, the altitude will affect you. My mate does a lot of cycling and was by far the fitter of all the group that went and didn't make it to the top due to altitude sickness and was escorted back down.
The youngest (16) made it though. He gets out of breath walking up stairs.
Research and training. Even then, it's not guaranteed.
Covered in crap. Literally. Depending whether you do summer or 'winter' it's a very different experience.
Recommend you take some cheaper bits of kit to give to your guides/carriers as gifts at the end. They had nowt and really appreciated it.
Recommend you take some cheaper bits of kit to give to your guides/carriers as gifts at the end. They had nowt and really appreciated it.
Yeah - I've not been up Kilimanjaro but was dragged up a lot of the taller peaks at a young age as my parents were well into mountain climbing - never had a problem with altitude myself despite overall my circulation not being the greatest (and suffering some asthma like condition - though probably not asthma as I outgrew it) while some people wouldn't make it who were in great shape.
Not done Kili, but have done a few higher altitude trips in remote places, highest being Mera peak - 6500m approx. Nothing can prepare you for the altitude really, so just ensure everything else that you can anticipate, is sorted. This means training hard in the run up. If you can run 10k in 50ish or less, you should be better than most fitness wise. Get plenty of hikes done wearing the same kit you will be wearing on Kili. Tipping up in brand new boots/gear is the easiest way to end the trip early.
Read properly into HAPE and HACE and what the symptoms are. Be responsible for yourself and don't expect someone else to spot that you are seriously unwell. Also read into Diamox. I don't take it, but a lot swear by it. Its a drug that can help with altitude sickness but it will make you pee a lot.
Ensure your personal hygiene is spot on. Plenty of anti bac hand wash too, although this is *NOT* a substitute for washing your hands with soapy water. Ensure that your porters are boiling the water prior to you drinking it. If in doubt, use some drops for the water. You can buy these at gooutdoors, cotswold, amazon etc.
As others have mentioned, if you do have the opportunity to try altitude first, for example at a Ski resort, do so. Ensure that your trip allows plenty of time for acclimatisation in any case.
Last but not least, enjoy yourself. I would rather go to the Himalaya then spend all that time on a faeces infested mountain, but to each their own!
Read properly into HAPE and HACE and what the symptoms are. Be responsible for yourself and don't expect someone else to spot that you are seriously unwell. Also read into Diamox. I don't take it, but a lot swear by it. Its a drug that can help with altitude sickness but it will make you pee a lot.
Ensure your personal hygiene is spot on. Plenty of anti bac hand wash too, although this is *NOT* a substitute for washing your hands with soapy water. Ensure that your porters are boiling the water prior to you drinking it. If in doubt, use some drops for the water. You can buy these at gooutdoors, cotswold, amazon etc.
As others have mentioned, if you do have the opportunity to try altitude first, for example at a Ski resort, do so. Ensure that your trip allows plenty of time for acclimatisation in any case.
Last but not least, enjoy yourself. I would rather go to the Himalaya then spend all that time on a faeces infested mountain, but to each their own!
Lifestraw or something like that can be a good idea.
This really! I was out climbing in the Alps a couple years back and it was surprising how much of a killer the altitude was. I was pretty fit and was running 30k+ a week, rowing, lifting and climbing as well but on the first day, on the walk up to the hut at just over 3000m I struggled! Luckily I seemed to aclimatise pretty well but some people I saw were destroyed by it, I definitely think my fitness helped. It was quite amusing being out of breath by running up a flight of stairs on the first night in the hut though.
Did it less than a month ago. I went as part of an organised group run by one of the best UK companies in the business for mountaineering/climbing/trekking/skiing.
Be aware that a lot of the cost comes from the park fee/permit which is charged by the day. Cheaper trips will (probably) always be over a shorter period, which means less time to acclimatise. Acclimatisation really is the biggest factor in success or failure really, and also how much you will enjoy it (or not).
I did the western breach via umbwe route which is considered the hardest and involves scrambling on the western breach itself. It is very much achievable but much more interesting than the 'cheap' routes. We were the only people on the route and in the camps whilst we were there, except for one big camp where several routes have a sort of crossroads. Lemosho glades is supposedly nice also however. The first half of our trip was spent in Arusha national park climbing mount meru (~4500m), and also little meru. Sleep deprived, with quite a lot of altitude gain and a pretty long summit day made meru probably feel more difficult than Kili tbh, but I reckon this acclimatisation paid dividends on Kili itself.
I did no training at all beforehand aside from my regular 6 a side football once a week, which is not a stance I would advise. Nevertheless I know I have a decent base level of endurance and you just have to keep going. You won't be moving quickly up high, so just moving at all is key. You are essentially walking in slow motion but your pulse is banging and you will use every bit of lung capacity. I would say there is definitely a mental battle at times, but nothing too extreme.
It's not really a holiday in the usual sense of the word, but if you're into this sort of thing and want a challenge I can assure you it is a great experience.
Be aware that a lot of the cost comes from the park fee/permit which is charged by the day. Cheaper trips will (probably) always be over a shorter period, which means less time to acclimatise. Acclimatisation really is the biggest factor in success or failure really, and also how much you will enjoy it (or not).
I did the western breach via umbwe route which is considered the hardest and involves scrambling on the western breach itself. It is very much achievable but much more interesting than the 'cheap' routes. We were the only people on the route and in the camps whilst we were there, except for one big camp where several routes have a sort of crossroads. Lemosho glades is supposedly nice also however. The first half of our trip was spent in Arusha national park climbing mount meru (~4500m), and also little meru. Sleep deprived, with quite a lot of altitude gain and a pretty long summit day made meru probably feel more difficult than Kili tbh, but I reckon this acclimatisation paid dividends on Kili itself.
I did no training at all beforehand aside from my regular 6 a side football once a week, which is not a stance I would advise. Nevertheless I know I have a decent base level of endurance and you just have to keep going. You won't be moving quickly up high, so just moving at all is key. You are essentially walking in slow motion but your pulse is banging and you will use every bit of lung capacity. I would say there is definitely a mental battle at times, but nothing too extreme.
It's not really a holiday in the usual sense of the word, but if you're into this sort of thing and want a challenge I can assure you it is a great experience.
Thanks for the posts guys. I have spoken to a few friends and I have a couple of people interested in doing it with me. I think I'm going to give us a bit more time to train and get fit so we will do it later in the year but book now so they can't back out.
Which company did you use. I'm trying to keep it under 2.5k per head.
Which company did you use. I'm trying to keep it under 2.5k per head.
I used Jagged Globe as they have been around about 30 years and do everything from treks, to Everest and polar expeditions and are the only British company to do the route I wanted. However their cheapest option (Lemosho) is £3k.
Like I say though, more days = more chance of success, but also more cost.
I'm sure there are many other great companies but I can only speak first hand of JG and can say they are fantastic. It's nice to have a UK leader on trip alongside the local guides, and the porters get treated well and given some free kit. I also remember thinking how I was happy to have paid for every detail of the logistics to be sorted, once I'd realised what goes into making it all happen.
I wouldn't get too hung up on the fitness. Whilst the fitter you are the easier it should be (altitude aside), it's doable with a moderate fitness level. No need to be an athlete.
I also think their managing director is a decent, straight up guy. He will tell it how it is
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There are tonnes of reputable companies you could do it with. Jagged Globe have already been mentioned, Exodus, KE Adventure Travel are two that i have used for similar trips. I also used Adventure Company but they got bought by a bigger player I think. I can't help but think that 2.5k each would get you a much better trip in the Nepali Himalayas but to each their own 
Edit: I say that having never done Kili - so take my opinion with a pinch or bucket load of salt. I can only base my opinion on what I have been told by others who have done it. Dirty most of the way up, guides and porters generally too pushy to make you do diamox to ensure they get hired on better trips later on. That is usually because they will get hired on the better/bigger trips based on numbers they get to the summit. Bigger and better trips = bigger tips. That said, its not unknown for underhand stuff like that to go down elsewhere *shrug*.
Edit: I say that having never done Kili - so take my opinion with a pinch or bucket load of salt. I can only base my opinion on what I have been told by others who have done it. Dirty most of the way up, guides and porters generally too pushy to make you do diamox to ensure they get hired on better trips later on. That is usually because they will get hired on the better/bigger trips based on numbers they get to the summit. Bigger and better trips = bigger tips. That said, its not unknown for underhand stuff like that to go down elsewhere *shrug*.
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