What does it take to climb Kilimanjaro?
The toughest part of climbing Kilimanjaro is the altitude. It’s nearly 20,000 feet high, and fitness is not really a predictor of altitude sickness or — worse — acute mountain sickness. Being fit and used to long, difficult hikes with a full pack is your best preparation, but since it’s not possible to predict how your body will respond, going with guides who know how to diagnose and deal with AMS is probably your best bet, especially if you haven’t done a lot of climbing above 10,000′ before. There are plenty of accessible hikes in the US that would give you a taste of high altitude that you might consider doing before committing to the cost and risks of Kilimanjaro. Some people have mentioned the cold. It gets cold, but not absurdly so. It gets colder in the White Mountains here in NH in winter than it does on Kilimanjaro. If you live somewhere with cold winters and don’t mind being out — or can get used to being out — for long periods of time in temps below freezing, you’ll prob
I have not been to Kilimanjaro but have summited other higher mountains. The key is altitude acclimitization. You can do it in 5 days or so but you are likely to feel really sick and not enjoy it. Try to find a guide who will take at least 7 days or more with at least one rest day above 10,000 feet for acclimitization. The guides make the most money by shoving clients up and down the mountain as quickly as possible, but that is not in your best interest. The longer you take and allow for acclimitization, the more likely you will be successful in reaching the summit. If I had my choice, I would take at least 10 days, with several rest days, but you may not be able to find a guide willing to go that slowly. My general rule is to average no more than 1000 feet per day above 10,000 feet. That doesn’t include the summit day when you could conceivably do 4000 feet in one day, but return to a lower altitude to sleep. Altitude sickness is no joke and can lead to death through either pulmonary
