This is the eighth and final part of my day-by-day account of what it was really like to climb the Lemosho Route on Mount Kilimanjaro. Today, the Kilimanjaro Descent. And you might have been wondering: how long does it take to descend Kilimanjaro?
If you missed yesterday’s, click here for Summit Night | Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 7
So what it’s like to finally go down after all that UP!
Unsurprisingly, IÂ slept amazingly well the night after the summit – as did everyone. There’s nothing like a midnight start and 15 hours of walking to knock you right out!
And also unsurprisingly, I was rather footsore and achy when I woke. Though it wasn’t as bad as I had expected, and luckily I still had enough strength in me for the final Kilimanjaro descent.
But before we set off, it was time to say goodbye to our wonderful team of porters. Their job on the last day was just to carry all the equipment down off the mountain, and since they walked much faster than us, once they’d departed we wouldn’t see them again.
So there were speeches, and the presentation of tips, and even a choral performance in the sunshine with the mountain forming a perfect backdrop. You can watch a snippet here…
How long does it take to descend Kilimanjaro?
The Kilimanjaro descent is downhill almost the entire way, passing back through the heather zone we had encountered on Day Three, and then the forest zone from Day Two. In total, going a brisk pace and with the help of gravity to pull us along, it took about three hours at a brisk pace, without stopping, to get from our final campsite to the end of the trail.
That means that if you add on the part we did yesterday – from the summit to Base Camp (about three hours) and then from Base Camp to High Camp where we spent the night (another three hours), the total time it took to descend Kilmanjaro all the way from the summit at Uhuru Peak to the exit gate was about nine hours of walking.
Of course it helped that everyone was in an excellent mood. We had done it, and now we were heading back to civilisation and a hot shower as fast as possible!
Some of the group were more stiff and sore than others. For those with creaky knees, the Kilimanjaro descent was a bit of a struggle, and the going was slow.
So the group soon split up, and the perkier ones amongst us charged off with as much energy as we could manage. All we cared about now was getting to the bottom!
Thoughts during the Kilimanjaro descent
The three hours of stomping downhill gave me plenty of time to reflect on some of the things I was and was not going to miss about Kilimanjaro. Here are the things I miss:
- The glorious sunshine (but not the sunburn)
- The amazing scenery that changed dramatically every day
- Stunning clear starry nights
- The company of the wonderful guides
- Having someone else cook me three meals a day
- Being outside in the fresh air every day
- Getting lots of exercise without really noticing (much better than a spin class!)
- The sense of achievement
And some of the things I definitely DO NOT miss:
- Portable toilets
- Skanky unwashed hair
- The DUST!
- Having to pack and unpack my bag every day
- Cold nights
- The permanent blocked nose
- Peeling fingertips and filthy nails
- Sleeping in a tent, especially when it was on a slope
- Powdered milk in my tea
And yes, dear reader, I made it back. And there was a nice cold Kilimanjaro beer waiting for me…
I hope you’ve been inspired. Please do comment if you have any questions – and if you’re planning your own Kilimanjaro trip head to How To Train For Kilimanjaro: A Complete Overthinker’s Guide for the full lowdown on how I planned and prepared for mine.
And if you missed the start of this journey, why not read from the beginning at First Day | Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 1
Thanks for reading!
Watch the video
If you haven’t already seen it, here’s a recap of the entire journey, in full, in just over 5 minutes.
Further reading
For more Kilimanjaro and Tanzania posts, why not try…
