How to Prepare for the Ascent of Kilimanjaro - The roof of Africa?

Posted by Nicki Jenns on March 27th, 2019

The Kilimanjaro requires no knowledge of mountaineering . It's not technical at all. We do not use crampons, ropes or ice axes. Walking on snow is minimal. (Worse, in a few years, with the warming, it is expected that the snow cover disappears completely)

The climb of Kilimanjaro is actually a trek of about 40km . The days are divided into walks from 4 to 7 hours depending on your pace with 1200m of elevation gain. Except for the day of ascent or it would take 9 to 13 hours of march AR.

To reach the top, the Uhuru peak, the main thing is the will. (Above all, do not be discouraged once Stellar Point isreached, the hardest is behind you, the top is nearby, 1 hour walk of course, but it is simply a fake dish)

A good physical condition is a plus but, in my group, the other 3 women who went to the summit had not done any physical preparation for Kilimanjaro before and they are not sporting by nature. It was more difficult for them than for me, but they did it. People over 60 can reach the summit without any difficulty while others more athletic and trained fail ...

hat are the dangers of climbing Kilimanjaro?

Although this is a little technical Mount Kilimanjaro trek , do not take lightly the dangers of  altitude . With 5891m of altitude, Kilimanjaro is practically a 6000m!

The dangers you may face are MAM (acute mountain sickness) high altitude cerebral edema and high altitude pulmonary edema . A reader, after my success, congratulated me and sent me an excerpt from a newspaper article where you learned that her husband had died of cerebral edema while asleep. Yet he was a mountaineer and a sportsman with experience.

The symptoms are not to be taken lightly: vomiting, irritability, visual disturbances, headaches, loss of orientation, bleeding ...

Above all, talk about these symptoms to your guide . Do not hide them. Continuing the climb can put you in danger of death ...

To prevent these ailments, nothing beats a good acclimatization , sleep and above all, drink plenty of water and nibble to provide the necessary energy. At least 3L / day. During my day of acension, I drank only 1L and I felt bad, I vomited and I could not swallow anything.

And the daily on the trek of Kilimanjaro?

Typical day  : raised at 6:30, small toilet with tea. Departure around 8h - 8h30 Arrival at the camp between 12h and 14h according to your rhythm. Tea, Rest in the tent. Dinner around 18h ​​and then sleep.

Hygiene? He does not have a shower. Even cold. Every morning you will have a small basin of hot water. So plan on wipe and PQ.

Meal? Fruit, popcorn, rice, salads, soups, meat ... it's quite varied. It all depends on your chef's cooking skills. Plan a few daily bars, a little chocolate and dried fruit for your daily life. It's always a pleasure.

Polé polé: gently gently. This is the pace you will have to get used to. Namely, if you walk faster, you can avoid the rains of early afternoon that will soak you from head to toe.

Diamox essential for Kilimanjaro? No, for my part I did not have any but take it if it reassures you in your pharmacy kit.

Equipment: good trekking boots are enough, walking sticks, a frontal, warm clothes for climbing (including a down jacket), waterproof clothing for the rest of the time. I worked in 2 layers except for the climb where I went to 3 layers. It is important to have dry clothes throughout the course! (complete + tips at the end of the article)

The atmosphere ? There was a good atmosphere in general with the other members of the team on Kilimanjaro except for a few words exchanged during the ascent (read my story you will understand) and when paying tips. Otherwise, very nice overall.