Kilimanjaro is the highest peak on the continent of Africa and thousands of people summit Uhuru Peak at 19,300 feet every year. My dream to summit Kilimanjaro was born about ten years ago after I had been living overseas for a year. For the first time in my life, I actually had a disposable income to use for travel. For some reason, my dream to summit Kilimanjaro got put on the back burner for several years, perhaps because it is an expensive venture and I also wanted to include a safari and a trip to Zanzibar.
About two years ago, I decided to bite the bullet, or break the bank I guess, and go to Tanzania to conquer Kilimanjaro. I booked the trip in May 2015, but my departure date was January 2016. The travel company I used in the UK had told me a year before when I contacted them, that I needed to book early because January is peak season for climbing because of the optimal weather.
After I booked the trip, the tour company sent me all the information I needed to prepare, but there were some things that were not clear to me, like who was going to carry what. I was used to carrying everything myself and their info made it sound like I would carry my own clothing, but that wasn’t the case. Other things were abundantly clear, like the bill! High altitude trekking does not come cheap, no matter what company you book with.
Here are some tips that I hope will help you to prepare for any high-altitude trek should you decided to undertake such an adventure. I feel I should include a disclaimer here. I actually did not make it to Uhuru. Altitude sickness got the best of me, as did lack of sleep due to a snoring tent mate and headaches due to altitude. I did make it to Gilman’s Point, at 18,500 feet, and I’m proud of that, although it wasn’t my goal.
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Getting Your Gear On
One of the things I needed to do in the States was buy clothing. I lived in Kuwait during the school year, and it’s impossible to find adequate gear there for such cold temperatures. Temperatures on Kilimanjaro are at zero (Celsius) or below once you get above 12,000 feet, and during the big push on the last day, it’s about -20C. I spend my year between two deserts where I can wear flip flops in winter. I was not prepared for -20C!
This is a list of what I took with me, based on recommendations from the travel company. I did the Rongai Route which was advertised as five days, but the 19km descent from 12,000 feet on the last day meant it was actually 6 days.
CLOTHING AND GEAR
Four season Gortex coat with removable fleece inside from North Face (Gortex is NOT necessary! It’s just what I already had.)
Pullover fleece
Long-sleeve Climadry shirt for hiking during the day
Patagonia thermal underwear – 2 pairs, one for hiking on the last 2-3 days + one for camp and sleeping
Short sleeve Climadry shirt for hiking on the first day, starting altitude 9000 feet
Patagonia zip-off leg trekking pants
Marmot rain jacket and pants (you’ll need the pants to keep warm on the last day)
Fleece pants (for the last day where you have four layers on bottom, five on top, ski pants also work)
2 pair Smartwool socks (I wore both on the last day)
2 pair sock liners
2 pair Exofficio underwear
2 sportbras
1 wool scarf (only used it for the final climb, but actually took it off halfway up)
1 wool hat (in addition to the hood on my North Face coat)
1 pair thin gloves
1 pair insulated ski gloves (only used during the final climb)
Vasque hiking boots (again, Gortex is NOT necessary, do not spend the money on it)
Rented a sleeping bag from The African Walking Company for about 40 dollars
Therma-rest ¾ length ¾ inch thick mattress (most companies do not rent mattresses)
Headlamp
Rain cover for my day pack
Journal and pen
Nikon pocket digital camera (with extra battery – sleep with both to prevent batteries from dying, and carry close to your body during the day)
Two bandanas
Quick-dry pack towel
Facial wipes/toothbrush and toothpaste/sunscreen/night cream and eye cream (Hey, I’m a woman in her 40s! Gimme a break!)
Others in my group carried mosquito repellent. IMO, it is not necessary. The altitude is too high, you’re fully clothed all the time, and malaria is not a concern in Tanzania.
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Weighing In
It sounds like a lot of weight, but your porter will carry everything except your day pack which contains your rain coat and pants, camera and batteries, gloves, hat, scarf if you want, sunscreen, snacks, water, and I carried my journal and a small book.
You will most likely be limited to 15 kg total, not including your day pack contents. I left clothes and anything I didn’t need at the hotel. The hotel where you stay the night before your climb is the same hotel you will return to after you finish.
Kilimanjaro – The Air Sure Is Thin Up Here!
Preparing for altitude sickness is foremost on everyone’s mind before they climb Kilimanjaro, but there is no way to predict how your body will react. That said, I do think there are some things you can do to prepare. There was an expert climber in my group who was preparing to climb Mt Everest. I talked to him a lot about altitude. He was also a spinal surgeon from New York. You never know who you’ll meet in Africa. He was also married 🙁
One way to prepare yourself for high altitudes is to expose yourself to them. If you have access to an area with peaks above 12,000 feet, climb them and see how your body reacts. If camping is available at those high elevations, spend the night. I had the worst headaches at night.
To prevent and combat the effects of altitude, drink at least 3 – 5 liters of water a day. Ibuprofen was my friend and when my headaches were persistent, I took 2 every 4-6 hours. Drink when you’re not thirsty and eat when you’re not hungry.
I lost my appetite completely on Day 4, before our midnight ascent on Day 5. I ate some soup at our early dinner, and went to sleep at 6PM, but by midnight, I was running on empty and couldn’t get anything to go down. If I were to attempt it again, I would ask for plain white rice and maybe take saltine crackers with me to eat before ascending at midnight.
There’s a medicine called Diamox that is supposed to help with altitude sickness. Make sure you investigate this option thoroughly before deciding whether or not to use it. There’s a reason a prescription is required to take it. It can also have the same side effects as altitude sickness, which is ultimately the reason I decided not to use it.
Most companies offer the option of using oxygen for the final ascent only, for an extra cost.
Let’s Make This Happen!
Peak season for climbing Kilimanjaro is January to March and June to October. January to March means you have a better chance of seeing snow, although you likely won’t see snow until your final ascent. The glacier atop Kilimanjaro is shrinking at an alarming rate. There’s also less chance of rain during these months I have mentioned.
Peak season means it can get crowded on some of the routes, although I didn’t think the Rongai 5-day route was crowded in January. It was busy, but not crowded.
Booking several months in advance is critical if you’re going during either of these peak seasons. If you are planning to hike the Coca-Cola route (Marangu Route) it is especially important to book many months in advance. This is the most popular route, partially because sleeping huts with dormitory style accommodation are used for accommodation along the way. People who prefer not to camp (and not use a camp toilet!) choose this option, but they book up many months in advance.
Choosing a tour company can be daunting and some people feel it isn’t necessary. I have met people who just went to Tanzania and hired a guide and porter, and started trekking. It can be done and can cost a lot less than booking through a tour company. However, you won’t know what you’re going to get, or how qualified and experienced those guides and porters are. I wasn’t comfortable doing that, especially when I had never hiked at such altitudes before.
Do thorough research on tour companies before deciding. Prices and departure dates can vary, although not as much as you might think. Tour companies outside of Tanzania are well-connected to companies within Tanzania. You pay the tour company, say in the UK, and they pay the local company who in turn, pays their guides and porters.
The cost of a Kilimanjaro climb will vary, but to give you some idea of costs, they could run from between $200 – $500 a day for a climb depending on season, route, number of people in your group, and the tour company you choose. Mine was expensive, but the quality and level of service cannot be beat.
It’s Not Glamping, But It’s Pretty Darn Close!
Accommodation on Kilimanjaro can vary widely, depending on the route and tour company you use. But overall, unless you book the Coca-Cola route, you’re going to be sleeping in a two-man tent with a tent mate. Most tour operators will try to discourage one person in a tent because porters are limited to carrying 27kg. They carry these tents from camp to camp, so when someone books a private tent, they actually put a burden on the porters.
The tents are spacious, and the porters will carry your air mattress and sleeping bag. When you arrive at camp, your tent, mattress, and sleeping bag will be all set up for you and any personal belongings they carry will be inside the tent. Now that’s service! The African Walking Company also provided a toilet tent so that we didn’t have to use the gross park toilets. This was much appreciated!
Tour operators also provide a dining tent. The meals are amazing. Three hot three-course meals a day are standard with most tour companies. They want you to eat as much as you can because it helps ensure your success in reaching the peak. We were also served tea and coffee in our tent in the morning, but I have some tent rules I follow that I also made my friend follow. They are:
1) no shoes inside the tent
2) no trekking poles inside the tent
3) no uncovered liquids in the tent!
We kept our tea and coffee outside the tent for the most part, but I eventually declined it altogether.
Tipping the People that Helped You Get There
One of the things I liked most about this adventure was that we were given an actual guide to tipping the guides and porters. There are different levels of porters and guides, as well as the cook and chief guide. The tipping scale gave us a range of how much to tip and luckily, we had a mathematician in our group who could figure out how much we should all put in the pot. These 33 guides and porters were so amazing, we gave them the maximum amount.
I want to include a word about over-tipping. Over-tipping is not beneficial to those who receive it or to climbers who come after you. It instills unrealistic expectations in the guides and porters, and disappointment when the group after you doesn’t over-tip. Please stick to the guidelines supplied by the tour company.
Now You Know
A good tour company will provide you with all the information you need before making a decision about whether or not to book a tour and climb Kilimanjaro. It’s a serious endeavor that takes planning and preparation. Hopefully my two cents worth can help you do just that. I’d love to hear from you! Leave comments and questions below and I’ll be sure to answer them!
Mary Lyons is a former expat/international teacher with a serious wanderlust spurred by her treks and travels in the United States before moving to the Middle East eleven years ago. This Kentucky native-turned-Arizonan is moving back to the desert of Tucson to pursue her dream of being a business owner and travel blogger. She’s also looking forward to getting back in the great outdoors where she can camp without a tent and see the stars because sleeping in a sleeping bag at her age ensures she wakes up often. You can follow Mary’s travel and trekking advice on her blog at http://feettoflight.com
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I’ve always wanted to go hiking and camping in Africa but I’m so in love with nature but hate nature at the same time. I hate the snakes and the bugs that are all around. yuck!
Well, Kili may be the place for you! There aren’t any snakes and the altitude means there aren’t many bugs! lol!
I thought this article was very engaging. The pictures really made your life journey stand out. I am now wanting to go to some of these places!
Thanks, Jim! Africa is certainly a place worth exploring. I’ve been fortunate to visit several countries in Africa and have never been disappointed.
what a great place to go investigate I love visiting new areas in the outdoor world!
Having the right clothing and gear is a must for a big expedition like this one. The photos of your adventure are simply breathtaking.
Thank you, Maria. I’m glad you enjoy the photos. I took those with a little Nikon digital camera that fit in my pocket. You’re right about the clothing and gear. I knew it would be cold, especially the last climb in the dark, so I followed all the advice of the tour company. Glad I did because it was -20C on the last day!
I really have solid respect for guys who are into extreme sports. Kudos to you for doing the Kilimanjaro trek. I so wanna do it. It’s a fantastic guide for anyone planning to hike to Kilimanjaro. And go you mentioned January is a peak season. I didn’t know that. I would definitely bookmark it. Maybe next year I get to do it.
Thank you, Archana. I’m a “gal” by the way. 🙂 It was an amazing experience. January is high season because it rarely rains during that month, and it is still quite warm in Tanzania, although as you climb it gets very cold.
I bet you had a great time! so much fun!! It’s such a beautiful place!! keep it up, well done!!
Wow that is amazing, what a great adventure and sounds like you had fun. congrats on your accomplishment! I was not aware you can get sick when climbing high places. I have done a few small hikes and when I reach altitude my ears hurt from the pressure. These are some great tips, thanks for sharing!
I didn’t have problems with my ears, but that can also happen at high altitude. I think because we were hiking, our ears had time to adjust, unlike in an airplane. But the loss of appetite for me was a killer. No one else seemed to experience that. But we all had headaches to varying degrees. But it was fun anyway!
This would have been an amazing trip to Kilimanjaro. I know that someday I would love to do camping like this. At least when my daughter is grown up anyway. Love backpacking and seeing such amazing sights.
David, when your daughter is old enough, hopefully she will want to join you. I don’t know why it’s so rewarding to climb something that tall, but it is a great sense of accomplishment. Keep it on your list!
I wouldn’t know what to expect this is awesome and it’s definitely something you want to do in your lifetime! I really appreciate the tips, I never would have known what to bring or what to do!
Carol, if you do decide to do it, don’t worry. Your tour company will guide you through the entire process and you’ll get quite the packing list from them. I couldn’t believe my bag was less than 15kg. lol! It is definitely worth the effort.
Love those places!. I’m assuming you really had a great time.
Yes, amazing time, and met some great people. The people were the best part of the entire experience.
What a beautiful time. I love being able to conquer quests like this, so much fun. We enjoy hiking up Mt Washington here, long trail but you can cheat by taking the auto road too 😉 Glad you had a good time doing this!
Mt Washington is very challenging! The weather alone makes it challenging! I have only climbed it once, when I did the AT, and after I got my picture taken, I was ready to get off that mountain. At least on Kili I could see where I was going!
Kilimanjaro is such a beautiful place and having something this big and exciting on your list is amazing. I am not sure that I could do it, but you definitely make it look like something I should add to my bucket list.
Aida, Kilimanjaro is beautiful. It has a stark, harsh beauty to it that is hard to describe. It is a bucket list item for a lot of people, and that’s understandable. Very rewarding experience, and the people I met were a big part of that.
I have so much admiration for people like you who get to these mountains. I told my husband I would want to be at the summit of Mt. Everest, but I would just have to ride a chopper so I can just rappel down. My husband said that the air is too thin at that height that chopper cannot fly there. Oh well. It was just nice to daydream. 🙂 Congratulations on your achievement!
Thank you, Kristine. Daydreaming is wonderful. It’s the beginning of a goal. You could always try Everest Base Camp. I haven’t done it, but my friend did, and she said it’s the most rewarding thing she’s ever done. That climb to base camp inspired her to go to do many other things. She just went paragliding in Ecuador! You never know what can be accomplished if you put your mind to it.
Good to see you live your dreams! The list of what to bring is helpful. I am not quite sure if I can achieve something like this but feels really good to read about achievements like this.
Wish you more such success!
Thank you, Indrani. I hope you will keep reading about the many successes of the women on this site. We all have little successes every day.
Glad that you pursued your goal of conquering Kilimanjaro! It must have been such a rewarding experience! Great tip on bringing the water bladder instead of the water bottles – such small thing can make a big difference!
Thanks, Cat! It was so rewarding, even though I didn’t quite make it to Uhuru. I have always used a bladder for water. It kind of makes the water taste like rubber or plastic, but after a while I don’t really notice it. It’s just so convenient.
I enjoy exploring mountains with my kiddos. Kilimanjaro looks like an absolutely amazing place to visit and explore! Wonderful photos too!
Heather, I think the youngest person to climb Kili was 9 or 10 years old? I’m not 100% sure. I didn’t see any kids during my trek, but I did see teenagers who were having a blast. Maybe because they are young, the altitude didn’t seem to affect them at all!
Oh wow. Mountain hiking is the least thing that I can do. Am afraid of long walks and height.
Wow what an achievement!! This is all such great information, although due to health issues it wouldn’t be possible for me to do this climb!
I am a high altitude trekker. Summiting Kilimanjaro is one of my long pending dreams. I know it’s an arduous trek and not easy to climb. But that doesn’t stop me from dreaming. Maybe someday!
Yes, Abhinav, you can do it! Dreaming is a good thing. Dreams turn into goals and goals turn into success.
OK, I have to say that I am in awe of your adventure. I live in Florida, so I can only imagine the weight of your body at the level of altitude, SO COOL! This is such an amazing experience and I applaud you for taking the leap toward conquering Kilimanjaro.
Thank you, Carlee. It was a great experience, one I think about doing again. You’re right, it cannot compare to anything in Florida. lol!
This is such a fab post. So much details and great tips. It is wonderful that you are writing from personal experience too. This is certainly a trip of a lifetime.
Thanks, Melanie! My sister is named Melanie. 🙂 I have been fortunate to have several trips of a lifetime. Being an expat in the Middle East has provided me with a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Wow this looks like an incredible adventure!! Congratulations!! I don’t know if I would be able to do that, it seems so difficult too! The views of the mountains ara awesome too!
OMG! This is awesome! You went on a trek to climb Kilimanjaro?? Whoa! Awesome! Congrats!!! I’m so happy for you!!! So very cool.
I’m always amazed by the porters and guides and sherpas! For them climbing something like Everest or Kilimanjaro is just like an everyday job!!!
Yes! The porters were amazing. They would blaze right past us carrying 27kg on their heads! They were just unbelievable. I noticed they did wear trekking shoes or boots though, not flip flops like I’ve seen the porters in Nepal wear. lol!
I doubt I would be able to climb this or any mountain for that matter. Lovely post though, really liked it.
I would love to attempt to climb Kilimanjaro but it’s has not yet reached the top of my list. There are some memorable tips here but the hardest part seems to be the altitude sickness as you get higher. The photo up there looks so beautiful it’s hard to imagine how it really feels though going at snails pace with a headache. Good tip about there not being mosquitoes or malaria, I’d hate to carry something up I didn’t need to. The porters and team were huge, I’m glad you chose a good company, it’s a once in a lifetime event….. unless you make a second attempt?
Honestly, James, I think about a second attempt almost every day. Part of me says, “I did it. Move on to something else.” But another part of me feels I failed. Gilman’s Point was not my goal. I’m still deciding if another attempt is in my future. If I did do it again, I would want to go with the African Walking Company again, with Florence as my fearless leader. He, and all of the guides, were so competent, and such a joy to spend a day with, even with a headache. Ha! Although my headaches subsided during the day, and were only a problem on day 3 and 4 really.
What.an.achievment! Tanzania sounds so cool and the vegetation so unique! Congratulations I would love to do this !
This is so cool. Camping for Women contributors always surprise me with their capabilities. Kilimanjaro… just wow!
Natasha, there are indeed some amazing contributors to this site. I wanted to contribute because I love the sense of community Nicole has created with this site, and there is so much good information on here.
Wow, you’re really brave and yes, I’m pretty jealous. I’m not as intrepid as you are to do something like this. I already know, I would suffer greatly from altitude sickness, so I wouldn’t even attempt a climb. I did see Kilimanjaro while in Tanzania a few years ago, but from the comfort of my plane seat! Great and informative post.
I saw Everest from the comfort of a plane, and I must admit, that’s good enough for me! I have a friend who climbed to Everest base camp and I followed her experience on social media. It looked like work. Pass. LOL! My experience on Kilimanjaro was mostly fun, but that last climb was real work.
Whoah! That’s a pretty awesome achievement. I haven’t tried this type of adventure though. Great that you had fun with your rewarding experience.
What an achievement!!!! This has never been on my bucket list because it’s not something I’m interested in but what an achievement!!!! I know many people that would just die to do that.
Thank you, Chelsea. I’m so glad you found it helpful and I hope others do as well. Blog posts were just as helpful to me as the information sent by the tour company. Although nothing could have prepared me for a complete loss of appetite. That was definitely a first for me. Ha!
19300 feet. That’s a big adventure. I did few volcano and mountain hiking here in Bali island but definitely Kilimanjaro is one on my bucket list. When ever I can afford it.
I think it is definitely worth saving for. It was such a great experience and I met some wonderful people, including our guides.
Killimanjaro is absolutely on my list of things I need to do! I love mountains. Honestly just waiting until I have enough money to join an expedition.
I’m not the physical type at all and would never dream of attempting this but I imagine the sense of achievement so be huge! Very helpful for those thinking of doing this or something similar