Kilimanjaro Trekking Guide

Here's Paul Deegan's excellent advice for Kilimanjaro trekkers, first published by the Expedition Advisory Centre of the Royal Geographical Society.

Standing at 5,895 metres (19,341 feet), Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Although it doesn't require technical climbing skills, the rapid gain in altitude makes it one of the world's most challenging trekking peaks.

The mountain passes through several climate zones, including:

• Savannah
• Rainforest
• Heather and moorland
• Alpine desert
• Arctic summit zone

Temperatures can range from over 25°C at the base to well below freezing at the summit.

The Biggest Risk: Altitude Sickness on Kilimanjaro

The greatest danger on Kilimanjaro isn't difficult terrain—it's Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

Because many commercial itineraries reach the summit in just 5–7 days, trekkers often ascend faster than their bodies can safely acclimatise.

Symptoms may include:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Poor sleep
• Dizziness

If left untreated, AMS can progress into serious conditions including:

• High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACE)
• High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE)

Both require immediate descent and medical treatment.

The Expedition Advisory Centre (EAC) of the Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers) has become increasingly concerned about the growing number of anecdotal reports of death and suffering caused by rapid ascents of the mountain by tourists, local people and mountain porters (see Appendix A below for case studies). Indeed, emerging evidence from the EAC now indicates that even when Kilimanjaro's popularity is taken into account, the number of altitude-related illnesses and deaths is higher on this mountain than on many other high-altitude treks and peaks. (See Appendix B below for a height gain comparison with the Everest trek). The ease of access to Kilimanjaro only compounds the problem.

How to Acclimatise Before Climbing Kilimanjaro

Many tour operators advertise Kilimanjaro as a six-day adventure. While convenient, rapid ascents significantly increase the likelihood of altitude-related illness. Longer itineraries allow your body more time to adapt and generally provide a higher chance of reaching the summit successfully. One of the most effective ways to improve your chances of success is to spend time acclimatising before starting your Kilimanjaro trek.

Popular options include:

• Mount Meru (4,566m)
• Mount Kenya (Point Lenana – 4,985m)

Pre-acclimatisation can:

• Reduce the risk of altitude sickness
• Improve summit success rates
• Make the trek considerably more enjoyable
• Increase confidence at high altitude

How Long Should You Spend on Kilimanjaro?

Altitude experts generally recommend gaining sleeping altitude gradually. Where possible, choose an itinerary of 7–9 days rather than a rushed 5-day programme. Although this may cost slightly more, the additional acclimatisation time often leads to a safer and more enjoyable experience.

Kilimanjaro is currently viewed by many adventure travellers as being a challenging one-week adventure. This viewpoint is fuelled by the large number of four to seven day package trips offered by commercial trekking companies and so-called 'charity treks'. However Acute Mountain Sickness problems are more common on mountains like Kilimanjaro where six-day ascents are considered normal by some tour operators. During these rapid ascents to altitude, the chance of contracting a life-threatening altitude-related illness increases dramatically.

It is worth noting that some operators disguise the actual number of days spent ascending the mountain by including the time required for the descent (one or two days) as well as the journey between the mountain and the hotel.

EAC recommend allocation of days for ascending Kilimanjaro

More than 50% of travellers develop some form of AMS on ascent to 3500m, but almost all do so if they ascend rapidly to 5000m. The minimum acclimatisation period for any altitude greater than 2500m is to sleep no more than 300m higher than your previous night's camp, and to spend an extra night at every third camp.

Based on this rule, and assuming the trekker was physically able to ascend to 2800m on the first night (2500m plus the daily allowance of 300m), it would require a further eight nights in order for the majority of people to safely adjust to the high camp at 4700m on Kilimanjaro. The final ascent to the summit (5896m) could be made on the 10th day, providing that the trekker returned to 4700m (or lower) to sleep that night.

However, The EAC recognises that it is impractical to spend 10-plus days on Kilimanjaro because of the relatively short distances involved and the current 'per day' pricing policy by the Tanzanian authorities.

Therefore the EAC recommends that people planning to climb the mountain conduct a programme of pre-acclimatisation for several days on one of the nearby peaks of Mount Meru (4566m) or Mount Kenya (to Point Lenana, 4895m).

It should be noted that for the purposes of acclimatisation, reaching the summit of either of these attractive and interesting mountains should not necessarily be seen as the prime objective: some trekkers who find that they are able to ascend only part of the way up one of these mountains due to the altitude, may discover that they go on to perform satisfactorily on Kilimanjaro. By conducting a programme of acclimatisation on Mt Kenya or Mt Meru, the trekker is very likely to go on to have not only a safer but also a far more enjoyable experience on Kilimanjaro, with a greater chance of summit success.

Why Travel Insurance Matters for Kilimanjaro

High-altitude trekking presents unique risks, making specialist travel insurance essential. Before travelling, check that your policy includes:

• High-altitude trekking cover
• Emergency medical expenses
• Mountain rescue where applicable
• Medical evacuation
• Trip cancellation
• Personal belongings cover

BMC Travel Insurance offers policies designed for trekking, mountaineering and adventure travel, helping you explore with confidence.