Am I fit enough to climb Kilimanjaro?
Our Kilimanjaro Vacations
Kilimanjaro climb, Machame route
Amazing Private Or Group Kilimanjaro Climb: Machame Route
Kilimanjaro climb Lemosho route
Awesome 10-Day Kilimanjaro Climb via the Lemosho Route
Kilimanjaro climb, Rongai route
Ascend Mt Kilimanjaro's Rongai Route
Private tailor made Kilimanjaro climb and safari
13 day Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari
Kilimanjaro Machame Route trekking vacation
Physical challenges, camping adventures & humbling sunrises
Tanzania vacation, Kilimanjaro trek, safari & beach
Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Zanzibar
Kilimanjaro & Meru trekking vacation
An incomparable African odyssey for the dauntless trekker!
Lemosho trek up Kilimanjaro
Strenuous route up Africa's highest peak
Family Kilimanjaro trek in Tanzania
A child friendly trek to the beautiful Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro climbing expedition vacation
Kilimanjaro with an International Guide and Doctor.
Kilimanjaro summit trek and safari vacation, Tanzania
Hike Kilimanjaro and see wild game on a Serengeti safari
Kilimanjaro Machame Route trek
Trek the amazing Machame Route to the summit of Kilimanjaro
Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Eight days of trekking on Africa's highest mountain
Kilimanjaro Trek, Machame route
Push your mind and body to the limit
Umbwe Route Kilimanjaro climb
Climb Africa's highest mountain - Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Lemosho trek and safari in Tanzania
Challenging trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Climbing Kilimanjaro Marangu route vacation, Tanzania
Classic Kilimanjaro trek up the Marangu Route.
Kilimanjaro trek, Rongai Route
See Africa from the peaks of Mt Kilimanjaro.
How fit do I need to be?
As a rough guide for determining whether you are fit enough for the climb, if you are happy hill walking for six to seven hours, with an ascent of 1000m (the height of Mount Snowdon in Wales) then you should be able to trek Kilimanjaro. If you’re a keen walker already clocking up regular miles, and you can keep pace during an hour’s cardio class at the gym, then you’re well on your way to reaching your fitness goal.
As much a part of your success as your fitness is your mental preparedness. Walking up to seven hours a day, seven days a week requires an “eat, walk, sleep, repeat” routine. Altitude affects your appetite, but it’s essential to keep your energy and hydration levels up. This trek will be a test of your psychological endurance.
Andrew Appleyard , from our supplier Exodus, says:
“We find that solo females and older walkers tend to be much better at making a steady and successful ascent. They have more experience of walking in the UK and are better in terms of ‘body maintenance’ – keeping on top of bodily fluids, staying hydrated. Slow and steady wins the race. I’d prepare for this trek the same way I would prepare to run the London Marathon. You have to have it in your mind that you’re going to finish.”
Which route should I choose?
The choice with the greatest chance of success is the Lemosho route. An estimated 90% of all trekkers who take this track make it to the top. One of the newer routes on Mount Kilimanjaro, this particularly scenic path is also one of the longest, taking up to eight days to complete. Allowing lots of time to acclimatise makes it an ideal choice for anyone new to high altitude environments.
Our top Kilimanjaro Vacation
Kilimanjaro climb, Rongai route
Ascend Mt Kilimanjaro's Rongai Route
2021: 18 Jun, 30 Jul, 14 Aug, 3 Sep, 17 Sep, 15 Oct, 19 Dec
2022: 14 Jan, 11 Feb, 17 Jun, 1 Jul, 26 Aug, 14 Oct, 2 Dec
Advice for walking at high altitude
If you don’t have the luxury of living in a part of the world that allows you to train at altitude, spending some money training at a specialist center is an option. But by far the most important thing you can do choose a tour that spends longer on the mountain, allowing you more time to adjust, and not make the ascent too quickly. Routes that allow you to walk high and sleep low, zigzagging up and down over the course of the trek, and taking six or more days to summit, have the highest success rate.
Of course, your guides will be trained to recognise the symptoms of altitude sickness and respond appropriately with first aid, or arrange for you to descend the mountain if necessary. However, it is important that you also keep an eye on your own symptoms and know what to watch out for. For more information, read our guide to avoiding altitude sickness during high altitude trekking.
“We have guides who’ve climbed Kilimanjaro 542 times. Our guides can tell you exactly who is going to make it, or who is going to need to drink more fluid the following day. They’re experts in assessing people.”