In September I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro via the 8-day Lemosho route.
At 5895m above sea level, the summit of Kilimanjaro is the highest point in the African continent, and certainly WAY higher than anything I’d ever scaled before. I’m not an experienced hiker: I live in London, which is mostly flat, and the only walking I ever do is to and from the tube station.
So when I booked this crazy trip I had very little clue what I was doing or how to prepare. But I did endless research, asked a lot of questions, considered everything, and eventually figured it out.
Along the way, I kept an online diary, documenting every step of the process.
So that’s what this post is: a step-by-step guide to how to plan and train for Kilimanjaro – as overthought by yours truly. Hopefully you’ll find it useful – and at the very least make you realise that if you’re worried and scared, you’re not alone!
How to plan and train for Kilimanjaro: A Diary
I’m starting my planning nine weeks before my departure date. There are a number of things that I need to think about. In no particular order, they are:
1/ Altitude
The main reason people fail to reach the summit, and sometimes even die in the attempt, is due to altitude sickness.
Here’s a fun fact! At sea level there is 20.9% oxygen in the air. At 6000m, it’s around 9.5%. So in the approach to the summit, I’ll be getting less than half the oxygen I’m used to in London (though the air will no doubt be cleaner!). How do I prepare for that?
2/ What to pack
Right now I have very little of the right gear. But what IS the right gear, and how much of it should I take?
We’re allowed to take one duffel bag or backpack weighing 15kg, and one 30-40 litre day sack (which I also don’t currently own). I’ve been to a few outdoor stores and the choice of gear is overwhelming. And how many t-shirts, layers, pairs of socks should I take? I don’t want to not have enough, but nor do I want to be the idiot who brought way too much.
3/ Training for Kilimanjaro
This is the big one. I’m reasonably fit, and exercise in the gym about 3 times a week, plus I do a fair bit of walking around London. But I’m not a hiker, and the longest I usually walk for is about half an hour. This expedition is going to be eight days of walking. Up a steep hill. At altitude. I’m going to need a serious Kilimanjaro training plan.
4/ Hygiene
Not quite as pressing, but still something to think about. How can I prepare for 8 days without washing? I’m pretty sure wet wipes and dry shampoo will be at least part of the answer.
5/ Weather
Kilimanjaro is in Africa. But the top of it is in the clouds. That means you pass through every climate zone on the way up, from 30 degrees C or more at the bottom, potentially down to -20 C at the top. Layers are going to be key here. And a big warm jacket.
Nine Weeks To Go
Kilimanjaro Training – Week 1
My tour company has supplied me with a training guide, and so far I’ve done nothing with it. It seems enormously demanding (not just physically, but also in terms of time commitment), and I’m just not sure I’m going to be able to stick to it. That’s not to say I won’t train, I just might have to do my own thing and hope it’s good enough!
So in that spirit, I’ve started off by walking home from work. It’s 11.5 km from the office in Waterloo to my home in West London, and it took me about 2 hours 15 minutes.
I was wearing my new boots which I bought back in January (mine are Quest 4D 2s by Salomon) but still need proper breaking in, and they did ok, though my legs were pretty tired by the time I got home, and, weirdly, the joint of my big toe hurt! Not sure what that’s about, though when I googled it, the internet did of course tell me that it’s probably early-onset osteoarthritis. The joys of self-diagnosis…
Walking home is all very well, but need to find some hills to walk up, and that means leaving London. So I’ve asked a few of my more energetic friends to do day hikes with me or even weekends away stomping up hills. Let’s see how that goes…
What to pack for Kilimanjaro
The first thing I need is a decent set of waterproofs. I don’t own any trousers and my jacket is 18 years old! After lots of research I came to the conclusion that Gore-Tex might be pretty essential, though other brands of waterproofing are available, and decent Gore-Tex jackets cost a fortune!
Because of the cost I started off by buying a Mountain Equipment Drilite one, but after speaking to a friend who got totally drenched on Kilimanjaro, I worried that it wouldn’t be up to the job. So I took it back and swapped it for a very lovely Gore tex jacket by Arcteryx, which although expensive, was on sale, so a bargain! Well, that’s what I’m telling myself, and at least I have confidence it’ll keep me dry.
As for trousers, I got some lightweight waterproof trousers in the sale, mine are by Mountain Equipment and they are only Drilite and not Gore-Tex, but they should be ok.
If you’re looking for gear in the UK, I recommend Cotswold Outdoor or Ellis Brigham, both of which have loads of choice and sometimes do good sales too!
Eight Weeks To Go
Training for Kilimanjaro – Week 2
I persuaded my friend to do a walk with me on the South Downs, a couple of hours by train south of London on the coast. He’s from round there so planned a route from Polegate to Eastbourne. We walked for about 18 km in glorious sunshine and had excellent fish and chips at the end. If this it what training for Kilimanjaro is going to be like then I could get used to it!
Shopping for Gear – clothes
The next thing I thought I’d look at is baselayers. Research tells me that I should have merino, as it’s really warm, moisture wicking, and doesn’t smell (as much). Unfortunately I’m allergic to wool, so merino is out. Since I’m now a sucker for Arcteryx, I’ve bought two of their synthetic long-sleeved tops: one thick one, one thinner. Meanwhile for the hotter days I went out and bought a bunch of technical t-shirts, or ‘tech tees’ (yep, getting into the lingo already!), but I can’t take them all so I need to decide which ones to take back.
Seven Weeks To Go
Training to climb Kilimanjaro – Week 3
I discovered that the Virgin Active gym near Bank Underground Station has an altitude training studio – which is essentially a small room where they suck out some of the oxygen so it feels like you’re working out at altitude.
Since I’ve been a member of VA gyms for over 10 years, I contacted them and asked if I could use it for my training, even though I’m not a member at that branch (and it’s one of their swanky top-tier gyms). They very kindly said yes!
I had to go for an induction to make sure I don’t die when I use it unsupervised, and I’m ready to go. The altitude is set to 3000m above sea level where the oxygen level is around 14% – only half the height of Kilimanjaro but a good start for my training.
I started off by walking uphill on the maximum incline (15%) for half an hour, and then did some running intervals (one minute fast running, one minute walking). At first I didn’t really notice much of a difference, but I did find on the intervals it was much harder to catch my breath at the end.
What to pack for Kilimanjaro – backpack
The backpack you can see in the photos above is a very old North Face one. It’s definitely not good enough for Kilimanjaro. I need one with good padded hip support, lightweight, and ideally with a rain cover and loops for trekking poles.
The advice was that the day sack should be 30-40 L, so I’d like to get something in the middle. I think if I get 40 L I might be tempted to overfill it, but 30 L might not be big enough. But then the guy in the shop persuaded me that the Tempest 30 backpack by Osprey was just the thing… and I like the green colour (can’t help it, it still matters!). So I’ve ordered it online.
Six Weeks To Go
Health on Kilimanjaro
I’m doing my best to prepare for altitude with the training but there’s only so much you can do! Altitude sickness (or AMS, acute mountain sickness) can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, insomnia, loss of appetite… and in extreme cases death!
I’m slightly freaking out because in July a South African racing driver called Gugu Zulu died on the mountain, apparently from the effects of altitude… gulp!
Many people take an anti-altitude sickness drug called Diamox to help with the symptoms, but it’s controversial because if you mask the symptoms then you might not notice when you get seriously ill. But plenty of people swear by it. So this week I went to see the doctor to get a prescription. It turned out all my jabs were up to date except for Typhoid, so I had that (the jab, not the disease!). My arm hurt for 48 hours – nice.
The ‘personal’ bit!
While I was there, the doctor decided to give me a bit of extra travel health advice. You know: use suncream, wear a hat, don’t drink the tap water, that kind of thing…
And then there was the ‘safe sex’ chat. I didn’t like to rain on her parade, but I’m pretty confident the chances of me catching anything, from any kind of sex, safe or otherwise, are pretty negligible. It’s certainly not something I’m going to be worrying about when I’m halfway up a mountain and haven’t washed for days!
And while I’m getting personal… there was one other thing that’s been bothering me. I’ve heard that Diamox is a diuretic, so it makes you pee a lot more than normal. And I’ve read that for a girl having a wee on Kilimanjaro can be tricky: there are no bushes to hide behind, you’re wearing loads of layers, you’re suffering from altitude sickness, it’s freezing cold…
So lots of people have advised buying a Sheewee. Not being a festival goer, I’ve never even seen one, let alone used one, so I’m not quite sure what it’s going to involve. But I’ve ordered one online, and will update later with how I get on!
Shopping for gear – backpack (again)
The 30 L Osprey backpack arrived… and it’s too small! It would probably be fine for most people, but I’m doing a safari after the climb and will be taking a lot of camera gear, which all needs to fit into the same backpack that I’ll be taking up the mountain (even though I’ll be leaving the camera gear in the hotel). So back it goes, and the research continues.
Five Weeks To Go
The ‘personal’ bit (again!)
The Shewee arrived – and it’s a lot neater than I expected! It comes in three parts: a funnel that is, *ahem*, ergonomically-shaped; a spout or tube; and a case to put them in. You simply attach the tube to the funnel and then pee into it. Simple! Well, not really. It’s going to take some practice!
For one thing, the very act of peeing standing up is *really* weird, so I don’t know about anyone else but I got something akin to performance anxiety (I imagine this is what it’s like for some guys trying to use a urinal with someone standing next to them).
Also, there’s the fear of not pressing it against you hard enough and ending up peeing down your leg which makes it quite hard to ‘perform’. I practised in the bathroom with some success, but I think it will take a bit more practice till I’m Sheweeing like a seasoned festival-goer. Did you know they actually have ladies’ urinals for that now? The things they think of…
How to train for Mount Kilimanjaro – Week 5
This weekend I managed to persuade two friends to come for a walking weekend in the Peak District. We walked 25 km over 6 hours on the Saturday, and 15 km over 4 hours on the Sunday before heading back.
It was great to get some proper ups and downs in – what passes for hills around London isn’t all that satisfactory! And I feel like my legs are getting used to all the walking now too.
I certainly won’t need to do anything like the distances I’m doing at the moment when it comes to the real thing, but it’s reassuring to know that whatever other challenges I’m going to face, hopefully the actual physical ‘walking up the mountain’ part shouldn’t be a problem.
Four Weeks To Go
I’m starting to get really nervous now. I keep waking up in the middle of the night in a sweaty panic but I’m not really sure why exactly. I’m doing all I can to train and prepare for Kilimanjaro, and I really don’t think doing any more preparation would actually help.
I’ve been googling beginner hiking tips and I’ve even been reading inspirational mountain quotes for positive thinking, but they’re not helping!
It’s just the unknown. I really don’t know how much this is going to hurt, and it’s terrifying.
Shopping for gear – backpack (again!)
I’ve now tried on more backpacks than I can count! I’ve definitely narrowed it down on one brand: Osprey.Â
I picked Osprey because all the Lowe Alpine and Deuter backpacks I looked at have the rigid ‘airflow’ backs with a large gap for air to pass between the bag and your back, which I think that takes up too much space. And after the first couple of days it’ll be cold enough that I’m not sure I’ll need it.
Some of the Osprey ones have that too; but others have a more low-profile version with vents that I’m assured works pretty well too. I’ve ordered a couple into store to try out, so hopefully that will be sorted this weekend.
What medical supplies do I need for Kilimanjaro?
I went to Boots pharmacy, and did my big shop. It ended up costing me £100! Here’s the full list of all the health and hygiene stuff I’m taking for climbing Kilimanjaro.
- Water purification tablets (Biox Aqua)
- Sports drink / electrolytes tablets (High 5 Zero – I like the citrus flavour)
- Diamox (for altitude sickness)
- Ibuprofen and Paracetamol
- Doxycyline (for malaria)
- Imodium (for diarrhoea)
- Reyhdration sachets
- Antibiotic cream for skin infections
- Piriton (antihistamine) for allergic reactions
- Blister plasters, adhesive tape, normal plasters
- Regular wet wipes (two large packs), face cleaning wipes (one large pack), ‘feminine’ cleansing wipes (one large pack)
- Panty liners
- Suncream SPF50 – travel size
- Lip protection SPF30
- Insect repellant – travel size
- Sudocrem / all-purpose soothing skin cream
- Stick deodorant (I’ve been told roll-on ones freeze and aerosols don’t work at altitude)
- Decongestant spray (you can get bunged up at altitude)
- Eye drops (it’s dusty and you can get itchy eyes)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Nightol (sleeping tablets) – apparently it’s harder to sleep at altitude and people snore more
- Cold sore treatment (I’m a sufferer)
- Loo paper
- Vaseline
- Hand moisturiser
- Face moisturiser
- Hand sanitiser
- Tea bags (as a Brit, these are very important for my health and I never travel without them!)
Three Weeks To Go
Kilimanjaro training plan – in the gym with a backpack
I finally resolved the backpack question and have gone for the very lovely Osprey Tempest 40 in a fetching shade of what they call Tourmaline Green (I’d call it teal, but I’m not arguing). It’s lightweight and comfortable, and most importantly it fits all my camera gear!
I took it to the gym, loaded it with 10 kg of weight, and then walked uphill for half an hour and it was noticeably more comfortable than my old North Face pack. So that has been officially retired and from now on expect to see photos of the shiny new one (which won’t be shiny for long…)
Gear for hiking Mount Kilimanjaro – the main kit bag
My tour company have supplied me with an official kit bag – which has made the whole thing suddenly seem terrifyingly real! This is the bag in which I’ll put all my clothes and toiletries, to be carried by the porters.
I’m allowed to bring 15 kg of stuff, which has to include sleeping bag, mat, and down jacket which I’m hiring when I get there, and which I’m told weighs 3 kg. So I’m allowed to bring another 12 kg from home.
I have no idea what everything I’ve bought actually weighs, and I’m praying that when I put it all in the bag, it won’t weigh more than that. If it does, I’m going to have to begin the difficult process of working out what to leave behind.
Two Weeks To Go
What is the best camera for climbing Kilimanjaro?
Obviously as a travel photographer that is something that has had almost as much priority in my mind as the rest of the kit. Can I take my big DSLR and lenses up the mountain? (Answer: NO. They are far too heavy and too slow to get out of the backpack and put away again). But what do I take instead?
Well I won’t bore you with the lengthy research and to-ing and fro-ing I did, or the internal wrestling had to do with myself to justify the purchase of ANOTHER camera!
Suffice it to say that after a lot of all of the aforementioned I have decided on a Fujifilm X1ooT, which gets rave reviews from just about everyone. It’s a bit of a brave choice because it has a fixed focal length of 35mm, ie. no zoom.
So if I want to zoom in or out I am going to have to move my feet. Which may mean I end up walking twice as far as everyone else on the trip! But it is a stunning camera which takes fantastic quality photos, and it is pretty small and compact so I should be able to keep it in a pocket for quick and easy shooting.
More Mount Kilimanjaro Training – and a chance to test out my waterproofs!
For my last proper training walk before departure I thought I’d better climb an actual mountain, so I persuaded my brother to come and walk up Snowdon with me. We weren’t at all lucky with the weather, but at least I got to test the waterproof qualities of my new jacket (which is a Zeta LT by Arcteryx).
I bought all my new gear from either Cotswold Outdoor or Ellis Brigham, which both have a good range at different prices points and sometimes do good sales too.
One Week To Go
Things are getting really scary now. For so long I’ve been talking about this as just an idea, a concept, that is so far off in the future that it’s not really real. It’s sort of like, one day… in theory… who knows…
Except it’s not one day, it’s next week. And I’m 100% certain that it’s going to hurt. A lot. I just hope I can get through it!
On a positive note, I did a trial pack, and it was a success!
Click this link for my complete Kilimanjaro packing list of everything I’m taking.
Packing for Kilimanjaro
We were advised to pack our clothes into waterproof bags, so I bought some Pack Mate Compression Bags. They come in a variety of sizes; you simply put your stuff inside, zip them shut and then roll to squeeze the air out. They seem to work well so far, though how long they last remains to be seen. But so far I think they’re great!
I’ve got one for tops, one for bottoms, one for socks and underwear, and one for hats, gloves, scarves etc. I’ll also take one for my day pack to keep any extra layers dry in case we get rained on!
When everything is packed and in the bag, it weighs 12.5 kg. I’m so relieved! I’m allowed to bring 12 kg, and when I weighed it I put everything in, including stuff I’ll be carrying in my day pack, so it should be fine. Hurrah!
Final thoughts before leaving to climb Mount Kilimanjaro
I’m incredibly nervous now and not sleeping well at all. I keep waking in the middle of the night with a knot of fear in the pit of my stomach and am wondering what on earth I have let myself in for. It all seemed like a good idea at the time but now it’s just a few days away I’m wondering what on earth I was thinking!
Where to next?
To find out what happened next, and whether my Kilimanjaro training and planning was good enough, why not try some of the links below!
- Climbing The 8 Days Lemosho Route On Kilimanjaro
- Kilimanjaro First Day: Lemosho Route Day 1 (this is the first of a series of day-by-day accounts)
- What Kilimanjaro Summit Night was like
- My complete overthinker’s Kilimanjaro Packing List.
- And there’s loads more stuff here.
Like this? Pin it!
