TIPS FOR KILIMANJARO CLIMBING
PREPARE PHYSICALLY
If you’re going to climb Kilimanjaro, you’ll need to up the ante during your workouts. And you should do so in a focused way, concentrating on stamina and leg strength.
TAKE IT POLE POLE (SLOWLY SLOWLY)
When you start your Kilimanjaro climb, we advise that you don’t go blaring out of the gates. Instead, set a reasonable and sustainable pace for yourself. And don’t be worried if your pace doesn’t fit in with that of everyone else. Helpfully, the lead trek guides always set a relatively slow pace, as they want you to grow accustomed as gently as possible to the ever-higher altitude of the climb.
EXPECT SYMPTOMS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS
Altitude sickness can strike from anywhere around 3,000 m. On Kilimanjaro, this is when you’re trekking through the moorland zone, usually on day two or three of your trek. On Kilimanjaro you’re aiming to climb all the way up to 5,895 m above sea level to reach the summit at Uhuru Peak. So it’s very likely you’ll experience at least mild altitude symptoms at some point during your trek.
The symptoms associated with altitude sickness include sleeplessness, interrupted sleep, nausea, dizziness and headaches. While you cannot prevent altitude sickness entirely (through medicine or otherwise), you can alleviate some of the symptoms through medication as well as proper nutrition and hydration. Diamox (acetazolamide), for instance, is a commonly used drug to help treat altitude sickness.
DONT SKIMP ON THE WARM CLOTHING
You can’t afford to be cold on Kilimanjaro. This means you need to pack sufficiently warm clothes. In our Kilimanjaro packing list below, we discuss in detail the various layers to pack, as well as the fabrics that serve trekkers best.
PICK CORRECT TREKKING BOOTS
There is no one size fits all for trekking boots. We have tried a lot of boots over the years, and our favorite right now is the La Sportiva Trango TRK GTX. They are a great overall boot and are comfortable, warm and light. They have great ankle support and a more rigid sole
KEEP YOURSELF HYDRATED
You need more water at high altitude. Likewise, you need to get used to drinking more water before the trip. We recommend that you are drinking 4 to 5 liters per day on the mountain
ACCLIMATIZE
If you can acclimate to higher altitudes before beginning your trek, you will feel more fit and prepared for what’s ahead on your way up the top. An excellent way to do this is to arrive at your destination a couple of days earlier and condition yourself with some day hikes.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
There are some important tell-tale signs when it comes to altitude sickness, and if you ignore them – well let’s just not go there. We want you to be safe, and to do that, you need to listen to and respect your body. Don’t try to push yourself further than you know you can go.
FIND A REASON
deciding on your reason to climb Kilimanjaro is important. Your reason is your motivation, and without motivation where do you even start, right? The days of hiking will not come easily, and for a successful climb, you’ll need to stay motivated.
HIKE,EAT,SLEEP,RECOVER
On the mountain, you will quickly find yourself in a routine. You wake up, eat breakfast, hike. You eat lunch, hike. You eat dinner, sleep.Getting adequate sleep is important on the mountain, but easier said than done. As the body is adjusting to the altitude while at the same time overcoming jet lag,It is a positive sign if your sleep quality improves as time passes. It means that you are recovering better from the daily activities and that you are acclimatizing too.There are some things you can do to make recovery easier. First, do not expend energy needlessly throughout the day. Take breaks when necessary. When your reach a campsite, spend some time lying down and relaxing in your tent. Change out of your trekking clothes and into your sleeping clothes. Eat dinner, even if you don’t feel like it. You need calories to replenish your energy.