The right gear, the right training, the right understanding of altitude — everything we know, in six resources you can read in an afternoon.
Six resources covering everything from gear to altitude to summit night. Read them in an afternoon, use them for the next six months.
The summit is one morning. The preparation is the other six months.
Start a training program. Read the gear list. Decide if you are renting or buying. Begin breaking in your boots — every weekend, on stairs and trails. Book international flights once your route and dates are confirmed.
Final medical clearance and altitude conversation with your doctor. Keep logging miles in your boots and practice drinking 1–2 litres per hour as you train. Buy or rent any remaining gear.
Pack the duffel using our checklist. Test everything — headlamp batteries, base layers under your shell, the loaded daypack on a long walk. Confirm transfer details.
Listen to your guides. Eat even when you are not hungry. Focus on water intake. Walk pole pole — slowly, slowly. The mountain comes for those that are slow and steady.
One deep-dive for each part of the preparation. Work through them in order — we update them as the mountain and gear world change.
The definitive checklist. Duffel vs. daypack, weight limits, layering, weather. Tick boxes you can print or save.
Every guide, porter, tent, cot, meal, transfer, hotel night, and park fee laid out clearly — and what is not included, so there are no surprises.
WFR-certified guides, twice-daily health monitoring, emergency oxygen, helicopter coverage, hyperbaric chambers.
Five ecological zones, temperature by altitude, dry vs. rainy season, the rhythm of a trekking day, summit night.
Hot, fresh, locally sourced. Sample menu, dietary accommodation, hydration, why eating at altitude matters even when you do not feel like it.
How much to budget, the KPAP-compliant tipping procedure, the ceremony on the last night, and why every dollar is accounted for.
Booking, preparation, on-the-mountain, gear, safety, logistics, meals. Scannable answers with links to deeper reads.
Kilimanjaro isn't technical. It's long. Six to eight days walking, four to seven hours a day, with a summit night that starts at midnight and ends 16–20 hours later. Fitness and altitude compound — take our partner's three-minute assessment to see where you stand.
"The summit is a 12-week project, not a one-week event."
The six resources above, plus our route comparison, packing checklist, training plan, and a printable summit-day brief. One 14-page PDF you can read on the flight, mark up, and bring with you.
Most clients want a 15-minute call before they book — about route choice, dates, group vs. private, the safari add-on. We answer email within a working day; we are happy to jump on a video call when it helps. No pressure, no commission math, just a real conversation with someone who has been on the mountain.