Climbing Kilimanjaro Tour

The team at Katikati Tours loves Climbing Kilimanjaro. It is a massive 5,895m tall and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Everest is much higher overall but it starts at about 4,000m.

Kilimanjaro is also the highest mountain in Africa so is part of the very special club that mountaineers call the “Seven Summits” – the highest mountains on each continent.

Even with these awesome credentials, you can leave work on a Friday, climb to its summit and be back at work a week later. And more than anything this accessibility is what makes it so popular. So book your adventure now with the number one Kilimanjaro operator. If you climb with us, you are in safe hands – we have now helped over 150 climbers summit successfully.

Frequently asked questions

Mount Kilimanjaro Difficulty

For experienced climbers, Mount Kilimanjaro will take around 5 to 6 days to reach the top. But it is important to understand the while the trek is shorter than others, the length of the trek doesn’t mean it is any easier. In fact, Mount Kilimanjaro is incredibly difficult because of its short trek.

You ascend rapidly up the mountain, which means your body needs to acclimate to the changing conditions very quickly. Thus, can lead to acute mountain sickness and if you aren’t prepared for that, you can have to turn back to get help.

Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Difficulty

With an average of half of all climbers suffering from acute mountain sickness, Kilimanjaro is classified as an extreme altitude mountain trek. Because you scale the 19,341 feet, or 5,895 meters, so quickly and the angle is so great, you will need to prepare and train before attempting the climb.

Is It Hard To Climb Kilimanjaro?

On average, it takes eight hours alone to reach the summit on the last stage of the trek. This is because it is 4,084 feet or 1,245 meters of climbing at extreme altitudes over 18,000 feet and greatly increasing your risk of getting acute mountain sickness.

How Difficult Is It To Climb Kilimanjaro

If you are properly prepared for altitude sickness and know how to combat it, the trek up Kilimanjaro is relatively straightforward. If you don’t properly prepare your body for the altitude, you can come down with acute mountain sickness and have to turn around and head back to the base. But otherwise, the trek up Kilimanjaro is relatively easy with multiple routes and designated spots to camp and rest.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro Difficulty

The actual trek up Kilimanjaro is very straightforward and requires little climbing skills. This makes it an ideal climb for people of different ages and skill levels, provided that they prepare for and prevent altitude sickness as much as possible.

Climbing Kilimanjaro Difficulty

The actual climbing of Kilimanjaro is less like your standard mountain climb, and more like a hike. But while easier in terms of climbing skills, you can have just as much difficulty climbing Kilimanjaro as other, more complicated climbs. This is because of the higher altitude and greater risk of acute mountain sickness.

Q1;- HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO?

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.

Second, you are climbing to nearly 20,000 feet at which altitude, air pressure and oxygen availability is about 60% of sea level. This means with every breath you are only getting just over half as much oxygen. To compensate for this you have to do everything slowly. Finally, you will be camping for up to 8 nights, sleeping on the floor and washing and cleaning in tough conditions. This is nothing that a positive attitude can’t overcome, though. For more about acclimatization see here.

Q2;- HOW MANY DAYS DOES IT TAKE TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO?

The shortest route Kandoo 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. Read more about which routes are best and the days they take here.

Q3;- HOW FIT DO YOU NEED TO BE TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO?

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 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. For more advice on training see here

Q4;- WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE CLIMBING KILIMANJARO?

The success rate varies hugely by the route and by the 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!

Q5;- WHAT TRAINING DO YOU RECOMMEND TO PREPARE FOR MY CLIMB?

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.

For a more technical answer, there are four aspects of fitness you need to work on.

First is pure cardio. As you ascend there is less and less oxygen in the air and this makes your cardio system work very hard. Prepare for this with an intense cardio exercise. We are big fans of High-Intensity Interval Training where you work very hard for a short period and the rest.
Second is leg strength. Consecutive days climbing puts a lot of strain on the legs and specific leg exercises like squats work really well.
The third is stamina. On summit night you need to keep going and going. Try and do some longer exercises that require real stamina like a long ride or a really long day hill-walking.
And finally, don’t forget your flexibility as lots of injuries are caused by a lack of flexibility. So both before your climb, and on it, remember your stretches. For more detailed advice on training see here.

Q6;- WHAT ARE THE TOILETS LIKE ON KILIMANJARO?

The public toilets on Kilimanjaro are horrible. To find out in more detail what they are actually like then take a look here. Fortunately, we now provide private toilets 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.

Q7;- HOW WELL DO YOU TREAT YOUR CREW? ARE YOU A MEMBER OF KPAP?

We treat all our crew and guides really well. This is recognized by KPAP ( the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Program).

KPAP do great work to ensure porters are treated fairly on the mountain. This is not just about wages, but food, clothing, tents and tipping policy. Sadly far too few Kilimanjaro operators are members of KPAP. We have been a leading member of KPAP since we started on Kilimanjaro. There is a KPAP porter on all our climbs to ensure that our treatment of porters always is up to high standards.

Q8;- WHAT IS ALTITUDE SICKNESS?

Altitude sickness (often just called AMS) is caused by climbing to altitudes where the air pressure is much reduced. There is a great little calculator here http://www.altitude.org/air_pressure.php. which shows how this happens.

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 work. 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 minimize the risk of you getting AMS and have well-tested emergency plans to evacuate you should you have any problems. You can read lots more about Altitude sickness here.

Q9;- WHAT KIT WILL I NEED?

A well-equipped weekend hiker will have most of the essential kit you need. We provide a full list of what you need on Kilimanjaro packing list as well as a printable checklist. Most important on this list are mittens. We haven’t found a ski or mountain glove that is warm enough for the coldest night on Kilimanjaro.

Q10;- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OPEN GROUP CLIMB AND A PRIVATE CLIMB?

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.