7 essential tips to climbing Kilimanjaro

AND ONE SECRET NOBODY WILL TELL YOU…

That’s me. Smiling wearily on top of Africa.
I summited the 5,895m (19,341ft) Uhuru peak – the highest of Kilimanjaro’s several peaks – in 2013.

Ever since I posted this photo on my Facebook account, I had a steady flow of aspiring Kilimanjaro climbers asking me for tips and advice. Feeling the need, I decided to put my knowledge base in writing.

Here goes…

On top of being the highest in the continent, ‘Kili’ – as its nickname goes – is also the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Free-standing means in this case as “not a part of any mountain chain.” In other words, it just sits there, a huge mound of basalt and ash six kilometers (3.7 miles) high and about a hundred kilometers (60 miles) wide.

Climbing the extinct volcano is tough but doable even if you do not possess technical alpine skills. With about 25,000 people ascending it annually Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most climbed high mountain.But the fact a lot of people made it to the top doesn’t mean you will. Close to half don’t make it to the summit. About 3-7 people – climbers and porters – don’t make it at all.

Follow the below tips and chances are you’ll be just fine!

Tip #1:   Get in shape

Although when compared to Mt. Everest climbing Kili is a breeze, you still need to be in good health and physically fit to get all the way to the summit. Don’t overdo it, though.

Being able to compete in Iron Man is very impressive but unnecessary. Completing a Marathon is an overkill too. Being Couch Potato, on the other hand, is not a great strategy and will dramatically reduce your chances of making it all the way up.

If you are capable of running 10km (6mi) in about an hour will mean that in terms of stamina and aerobic capabilities you are likely more than ready.

Tip #2:   Get dressed

Hypothermia is dangerous and Kili although very close to the equator is cold. In February, when I climbed the mountain, it was minus 10 degrees centigrade (low teens Fahrenheit), which is considered warm. A friend of mine that did the same route several years prior had to cope with -25 degrees centigrade.

If you think to yourself “that’s something my skiwear can handle”, think again. Three mighty factors separate the top of Kili from any ski resort or just another very cold winter day.

For starter, the final ascent and descent is a twelve hours ordeal. Twelve hours in which your body continuously loses heat. Where you ever stuck the whole night out on top of an open and exposed ski lift? That’s what you’ll encounter on the final ascent.

Now let’s talk about the wind. Kili flattop is windy. Very windy. My climbing buddy and I had to battle 60kph winds with 80-kph gusts (40/50mph) for about 3hrs straight. Combine these two factors and you’ll get wind chill factor better suited to the South Pole.

Last, there is the issue of oxygen. There is not much of it. At 6,000-meter elevation air pressure is only half and so is the amount of O2. Your body is scrambling for every molecule and is thus less capable of generating heat and keeping you warm.

Get dressed and do it the smart way.

Here are the key principles:

a.   Layer up as you climb.
Peel off as you descend. You start down in hot and humid climate where you’d need light pants and a dry-fit shirt. You may get soaked on your way to the first station so bring change clothes. As you climb, you’ll start putting more clothes on you starting with fleece, thermal underwear, coat and finally gloves, thermal socks and a woolen cap.

b.   Use double layers on the final ascent.
The principle is the outermost layer should block the wind while the inner layers should keep you seriously warm.
This applies to everything! Gloves, head cover, body cover, face cover, footwear, everything.

For example; wearing a good pair of ski gloves will take care of the wind, but your hands will still go numb from the cold. You’ll need another set of dense woolen gloves beneath. I was lucky to share a hut with a member of the Norwegian Special Forces who was kind enough to lend me a spare pair of Norwegian Army woolen under-gloves.
Wear two pairs of socks woolen and thermal. An experienced Polish climber underestimated Kili and was forced to turn back when he stopped feeling his foot. Wear woolen or fleece cap and ear muffs and cover them with a blizzard cover (typically a part of your outermost skiwear). For your body use a full set of long thermal underwear followed by fleece pants and shirt, a dense woolen sweater or coat and full skiwear on top of everything.

Don’t forget to gradually peel off as you go down. You really don’t want to emerge at the bottom exit looking like the Marshmallow Man. 😉

Tip #3:   Go Slow

“Pole, Pole” (pronounced Po-Leh, Po-Leh) is the Swahili term for “Slowly.” Pole, Pole is not just an African way of life but a state of mind that is critical if you want to reach the top. The statistics can’t be clearer. According to the local authorities less than half of the climbers that plan a five-day trek make it to the summit compared with 85% success rate for folks on an eight-day plan. As for us, out of the four people we met during our climb that was on a five-day program only one reached Uhuru Peak. Our body needs to acclimatize itself to the elevation. And this takes time. Stamina won’t help here. A Romanian couple – both trained Marathon runners – had to turn back at 5,300 elevation after showing severe symptoms of altitude sickness. Plan to spend at least six days climbing up and coming down.

But “Pole, Pole” goes also beyond planning. I’m referring to the pace itself. The slower you are the better you’ll climb. Get into a rhythm of about a step every second-second and a half and gradually decrease the length of each step as you ascend until you get close to a foot by foot on the final ascent. Yes, it is slow as a turtle, but it will keep you going.

Tip #4: Choose the route that’s right for you

There are several different paths to climbing the mountain. The two most popular ones are nicknamed “Coca-Cola” and “Whisky”. Coca-Cola is geared towards people who like soda with their Latte, lovely flower arrangements and prefer sleeping in tiny, unheated wooden huts on the route up Kili. “Whiskey” on the other hand is better suited for people who prefer their Whiskey straight on the rocks (real rocks, that is), shave with a Machete, laugh in the face of danger and prefer spending their nights huddled in a sleeping bag inside tiny wind-swept tents. Whiskey is also slightly less direct and includes parts where climbers descend in order to ascend again. Choose the one that describes you best. Personally, I prefer Latte to chewing rocks and Wild Turkey.

Tip#5: Be aware of your water consumption

Overall many people tend to drink less than they should. This acute problem intensifies with elevation as the drop of both temperatures and oxygen levels make your body more vulnerable.

Never the less THE MOST DANGEROUS PART is not the final ascent but the start of your descent. Sounds strange? The reason will soon become very apparent.

It is more than likely that while you were busy taking pictures at the summit and celebrating your well-deserved success your carefully placed water canisters have frozen themselves solid. You are now carrying anything between one and four kilos of useless weights. You can’t drink them, you can’t defrost them, you have at least three hours back to high camp, it’s sunny and getting warmer, and you are covered like an Eskimo. And if all of this rings like a very unpleasant experience, well, that’s because it is. Yes, we suffered.

Make sure to thermally protect at least two litters of your total water supply and stuff it deep inside your backpack or inside one of your clothing layer.

Tip #6: Don’t play brave

If you feel elevation sickness symptoms – stop.
Don’t go further it will only get worse. Believing that racing up and down before elevation symptoms kick in is just plain stupid. Going up too quickly is the number one reason for these symptoms to evolve in the first place.

Rent an oxygen tank.
You’re not a Himalaya veteran and should you need it you’ll regret the day you decided to save the extra $90. Look at it as insurance in case S*** happens.

Using pills is ok.
Diamox is popular for a good reason. It helps to protect you from Altitude sickness. Find more information on this excellent site.

Don’t try to break a round trip record.
In August 2014, a Swiss-Ecuadorian named Karl Egloff completed a run up and down in 6 hours, 56 minutes and 24 seconds. He is a superhero. You’re not. Take it easy and enjoy.

Speaking of which…

7.   Enjoy the camaraderie

You’ll meet a lot of great people on the way. As a matter of fact, you’ll struggle to find a single douchebag. Don’t be a stranger.

And now for the best tip of them all.

You can climb the Kilimanjaro if you want to, but there’s a much better climb, and it’s really nearby. The Kili may be taller but in all honesty, it’s long, cold and mostly boring. When you think about it, the world’s tallest free-standing mountain is essentially just a very big and massive mound. If you’re not solely interested in putting a checkmark next to Africa’s tallest mountain, there’s a much better option just 70km (45Mi) to the west.

Mount Meru is a dormant volcano that exploded spectacularly some 8,000 years ago. Think about Mt. St. Helen, now supersize it by at least a factor. At 4,562m (about 15,000ft) Meru is Africa’s 5th tallest mountain. It is also the most beautiful trek I ever took. More beautiful then Nepal’s Poon Hill, More impressive than Peru’s Colca Canyon, certainly more stunning than Kili. It boasts more spectacular forests, grander vistas, and if you’re into suffering the last stretch to the peak is tougher too. As an ironic bonus, you get to see the Kilimanjaro in ways no one climbing the Kili ever will.

I have been telling this tip to every single person that came to seek my advice. Yet d
25,000 people do the Kili every year. Only about 20,000 did the Meru – ever.

Be one of them.