While on the Mountain
A Typical Day on Kilimanjaro
A normal day on Kilimanjaro begins early. Around 6:30 am, one of your porters brings a pan of warm water to your tent so you can wash your hands and face.
Next comes a hearty breakfast in the mess tent: eggs, pancakes, salami, sausages, French toast, hot cereal and fruit, served with fruit juices and hot drinks. We make breakfast deliberately generous so that you have the energy for a full day of hiking.
Once you've eaten, you pack your day pack and duffel and set off. The porters stay behind to take down camp, then carry your duffel bag up the trail when they finish.
Most days involve about 4-5 hours of hiking, at a pace set by your guide. Drawing on his expertise, he judges how everyone in your group is handling the demands of the climb and decides when to slow down or stop. Snack and sip water as you go to keep your energy up.
Lunch is a pre-packed meal eaten along the way. Meanwhile the porters walk ahead of the group and pitch your camp for the night. When you arrive, snacks are waiting, and you have time to rest and wash up before dinner at about 6 pm. At the table, your guide walks through the plan for the following day, and it's a good chance to get to know the people you're climbing with.
Your evenings are your own after dinner: relax, read, chat by the campfire or turn in early. Summit day is the exception. It is a far more punishing day of 11 to 16 hours, and it is that day's effort that makes reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro such a remarkable achievement. You wake very early, because your guide has worked out exactly when you need to leave in order to be on the summit for sunrise. After a light snack you start climbing in near-total darkness and bitter cold. Together with the uneven footing, this makes it by far your toughest day, testing you both physically and mentally.
We won't pretend otherwise: it is a hard day. If you can't make it all the way, porters and assistant guides are there to lead you back to camp. For those who reach the top, the effort pays off. You get the best view in all of Africa, with time at the summit for photos, selfies and celebrating. Afterward you walk back to camp for lunch, then keep descending farther down the mountain.
Trail Conditions
Every regular trail on Mt. Kilimanjaro is well marked and well maintained, and very little true 'climbing' is required. Stretches where you need to scramble on all fours are few, though the route to and from Uhuru Point on summit day is mostly scree, which is tiring to move through. Bad weather can make the climb harder, so anyone attempting it should expect to trek through fog, rain and snow.
Packing Your Day Pack
You won't carry everything yourself on Kilimanjaro. Porters take most of your belongings (up to 15kg), so you only need a day pack holding what you might reasonably want during the day's hike. A small to medium backpack, up to 30L, does the job.
As a rule, your day pack should hold the following:
Extra clothing;
Waterproof gear;
Water;
Snacks;
Hat;
Gloves;
Sunglasses;
Sunscreen;
Bug repellant.
You pack both your day pack and the duffel bag or pack that the porters carry each morning.
Category
Preparation
Acclimatization
What to Pack for Kilimanjaro
On the Mountain
When to go
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