Welcome to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro

We estimate that there are approximately 6-7 deaths every year on Kili. Figures are never released by the authorities for fear of the bad publicity they will generate. But extrapolating from the only academic study done on this subject, we estimate that there are about half a dozen deaths per annum. Note that this is only the number of ‘tourists’ who die on the mountain; in addition to this, we reckon that about the name number of porters and other mountain crew die on the mountain each year too.

You can read our post on this subject here: Deaths on the mountain>>

There’s plenty of wildlife on the mountain, though your chances of seeing much are slim. This is largely because the animals prefer to avoid those parts of the mountain where more than 45,000-plus people tread every year. For this reason, you’ll be lucky to see anything larger than a monkey or a mouse. That said, every so often a reader will write in to say that they saw a buffalo, eland, leopard or elephant on the trail. Click on this link to find out more about the  Wildlife on Kilimanjaro>>

You need to be at least ten years old to climb Kili. (Incidentally, there are huge discounts on the park fees for under 16s – amounting, for example, to over US$700 for a six-day Machame trek. Make sure these are passed onto you. Many companies don’t pass on all of the discount. If you want to know how much your discount should be, just contact us.) That said, there are currently one six-year-old and three seven-year-olds who have climbed to the summit – all of whom needed special permission from KINAPA. 

At the other extreme,  there is no upper-age limit, and the oldest person ever to make it was 88 when he made it to the top.

Click on this link to find out about more Kilimanjaro record holders and their amazing feats by following this link.

The first and most important thing I need to say on this matter is as follows:

All the main routes up the mountain are really just walking routes

I really need to emphasise this point: you do not need any technical climbing or mountaineering skills to get to the summit. So you don’t need to be a mountaineer. Sure, there are a couple of places on some routes where you may need to use your hands to steady yourself. Occasionally you may also need to haul yourself over a rock or two. But overall, it’s just a walk. Indeed, there are a couple of people who’ve climbed up the mountain in wheelchairs, so the ability to walk isn’t even a pre-requisite. Blind climbers have felt their way to the top and amputee victims have hobbled and crawled up to the top.

And don’t be worried about the (negligible) amount of scrambling (ie, using your hands to haul yourself up) that you need to do either. I am not in any way a technical climber. I am a bit of a wimp too, if I’m being honest. But I’ve climbed the mountain over 30 times now, on every route. With no problems. It’s all straightforward. And if you’re with a half-decent company, there will always be a guide around to help you if you’re having difficulty.

Even the walking is not particularly exhausting. After all, just do the maths. For example, the most popular route is the Machame Route, which is 60.76km (37.75 miles)  in length in total from gate to summit and back to gate. Do it in six days and that’s only a fraction over 10km per day (ie just over 6 miles); do it in seven days and it’s only around just 8.5km per day (a little under 5.5 miles per day). (You can follow this link to find a table showing the total distances of each route .)

Challenges you might face on your trek

So it’s not really the walking that makes any hike on the mountain so taxing. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that getting to the top is easy, however. You still have to battle against the lack of oxygen that’s available to breathe, and the complications (altitude sickness etc) that follow. This is what defeats most climbers. Which is why we go into great detail in the book and on this site about altitude sickness, its symptoms – and how to prevent it, and what to do if you get it.

It also helps if you can go with a decent company, which is why we spend a lot of time on this site advising you on how to choose a company, whether to book with an overseas agent or directly with the Tanzanian ground operator, and the pros and cons of booking before you arrive versus booking once you’ve landed in Tanzania.

We also provide advice on how to make your trek cheaper without reducing your chances of making it to the summit. And it is also why, in the guidebook, we provide reviews of over 80 of the most prominent companies working on the mountain, as well as their overseas agents – many of whom will try to tell you that they run the treks themselves. In the book, we show you which overseas companies use which ground operators.) Plus, of course, if you can’t be bothered to read all that, then we do have our own trekking company which we believe ticks every box when it comes to being a decent, fairly priced and ethical operator.

Other factors that will help you get to the top? Well, you should take as many days as you can to climb to the summit, pack some warm clothes and decent boots, stick to a training regime  before you leave, eat and drink plenty when you’re on the mountain. And to help you negotiate the whole process of preparing for your trek, we’ve compiled a schedule that takes you step by step through the process of booking and paying for your trek.

Do all of the above and, with a bit of luck, you’ll be fine. But even if, after all our advice, you still fail to get to the top, well at least you’re in good company. Famous people we know who failed to reach the summit include tennis ace Martina Navratilova, tycoon Roman Abramovic and, so it has long been rumoured, mountaineer and conqueror of Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary!

The minimum number of days is five. The park authorities won’t allow you on any of the routes for fewer days than this. The Marangu Route, Machame, Rongai and Umbwe routes all can be done in just five days. That said, many agencies will not sell you a trek for five days as it doesn’t really give you enough time to acclimatise safely. We don’t recommend you take just five days either – it is simply too dangerous. At the other extreme some groups trek for 9-10 days – particularly those that go via the Northern Circuit. Most treks, however, are 6-8 days in length.

The Golden Rule to remember is this: the longer you spend on the mountain, the greater your chances of getting to the summit.

The first person to reach the summit is believed to be Hans Meyer, a geology professor from Leipzig in Germany, who climbed with his friend Ludwig Purtscheller and reached the summit on October 6th, 1889. It was Meyer’s fourth attempt to reach the top; however, it should also be mentioned that Meyer did not begin his walk on the mountain, as today’s visitors do, but in Mombasa, a 14-day walk away!

You can read about his exploits on our Roof of Africa conquered page , part of the History section of this website.