How to Prepare for Kilimanjaro Summit: A Complete Guide

How to Prepare for Kilimanjaro Summit

You will need to rest as much as possible upon arrival to Barafu Camp. Once you arrive, prepare your daypack. You’ll be roused up at around 11pm to begin your summit hike.

We have an early dinner and then retire to our tents, though at this altitude and with the excitement of what is to come sleep can be difficult.

Your crew will bring you a hot drink at 11 pm and there will be some refreshments in the mess tent before we start our ascent at around midnight. You’ll want your head torch, drinks, snacks and other basics in your daypack.

There are several things that you can do to prepare yourself for your Kilimanjaro summit ascent.

1. Get your temperature right

If you make sure that you are always at the correct body temperature you will save energy that your body would have spent cooling down or heating up.

You want to be a bit cool when you start walking, so right before you leave, doff your down jacket or over jacket.” When you stop moving for your maintenance break, you need to quickly put on your down jacket or over jacket to keep warm. This will save you power.

2. Eat and drink plenty

You need to “feed your climb “ to make sure you have the energy to summit and descend. Summit day is a long day, 13-15 hours of trekking. You might easily burn ~4000 calories during this time. For summit day we recommend you bring along a selection of foods you like and easy to eat such as candy bars, crisp, cookies, trail mix, fruits, nuts, energy bars and hard sweets.

3. Use stops effectively

During your summit ascent, there will be “maintenance stops” not rest stops- you must use this time properly to ensure you are ready for the next step. Think on what you’ll need to do beforehand: get dressed, have a wee, eat and drink and most importantly before you stop putting on something warm to avoid heat loss.

4. Go slowly but not too slowly

Our guides will establish a tempo which they think is best for you and you should attempt and keep to this pace. If you go too fast, there is the danger of altitude sickness; if you go too leisurely, your walking day will be unimaginably long. Just keep going and you will make it.

One step at a time. At daylight we arrive at the rim of the crater. You’ll witness the sunrise over Mawenzi and get amazing 360 degree vistas. Looking down into the crater you will see the glacial icefields, the legendary “snows of Kilimanjaro”.

From the crater rim it’s a further 1-2 hour walk to Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa, the world’s tallest free-standing peak. 19,341ft above sea level.