Question 1

How fit do I need to be?

Accepted Answer

Fitter than a holiday, less fit than people fear. Kilimanjaro is a long walk at altitude, not a technical climb — there is no rope and no scrambling on the routes we run. If you can walk six hours on consecutive days at home, you have the base. The summit night is the hard part, and it is hard for everyone.

Question 2

What are the chances of reaching the summit?

Accepted Answer

Overwhelmingly a question of how many days you take. Five-day itineraries have poor summit rates because they do not allow the body to acclimatise; seven and eight days are far better. That is why we do not sell the shortest options — the money saved buys a climb you are unlikely to finish.

Question 3

Which route should we take?

Accepted Answer

Lemosho for the best acclimatisation profile and the quietest first days. Machame for a shorter, steeper and more social climb. Rongai from the drier north side, useful in the wetter months. Marangu is the only route with huts rather than tents, and its summit rates are the weakest. We will recommend on your days and your fitness, not on what is cheapest to run.

Question 4

What about altitude sickness?

Accepted Answer

Some degree of it is normal above 3,000m — headache, poor sleep, no appetite. What matters is catching the difference between that and something serious. Our guides carry oxygen and a pulse oximeter and check every climber twice daily, and they have the authority to send someone down. Nobody on a Maguca climb is ever talked into continuing.

Question 5

Do we need our own equipment?

Accepted Answer

Boots that are already broken in are the one thing you should bring yourself — blisters end more climbs than altitude. Sleeping bags, poles and down jackets can all be hired in Arusha, and we will send a full kit list once your dates are set.

Question 6

How are the porters treated?

Accepted Answer

Load limits, proper pay, three meals a day and sleeping tents are not optional on our climbs. It is worth asking any operator this question and worth being suspicious of a price that looks unusually low, because on this mountain the saving almost always comes out of the crew.

Kilimanjaro & Meru

Kilimanjaro — Lemosho Route

Kilimanjaro — Machame Route

What our climb support includes

Included

Not included

The places these journeys visit

Mount Kilimanjaro

Questions worth asking

Plan your climb