Kilimanjaro Climb Training: Everything You Must Know to conquer your hike

Climbing to the peaks of the highest mountain in Africa is usually easier with proper preparation. While hiking Kilimanjaro in itself is a daring adventure, even inexperienced trekkers and hikers have successfully ascended to the summit. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide to help you in training for Kilimanjaro climb, ensuring you have the stamina and mental determination to conquer the mountain. 

Kilimanjaro Climb Training

Before training for a Kilimanjaro climb, you need to understand what you are up against. Essentially, the type of fitness needed is far more important than the degree of fitness. The easiest way to look at it is that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is more of a hike than an actual climb. This means that training for Kilimanjaro climb is preparing your body for an extensive hike of 5 to 7 days. 

Depending on how fit you are, normal hikes in preparation for the climb are usually sufficient although jogging could also be beneficial. You should start your Kilimanjaro climb training about 8 weeks before to keep your body and mind in the best shape. During this period, combine both regular gym workouts and walks to stimulate all relevant muscles. Starting early allows your body to build the endurance and strength needed to ascend the mountain. Before the actual Kilimanjaro climb, make sure to do a one or two-day hiking trail in your area. This will prepare you mentally and test your body’s resilience. 

What to Include in your Kilimanjaro Climb Training

Climbing Kilimanjaro requires more than just your free will. Even if you exercise regularly, you may not have conditioned your body to the conditions you have to encounter before reaching the summit (19,340 ft.). Even people who run a marathon can find it difficult to reach the summit with the high-altitude peak if they have not trained enough. If you are in good health and free from injuries, prioritize your training efforts by focusing on the following areas:

• Climbing a Mountain Conditioning: With a backpack loaded, go for a hill hike, trek, walk, and climb stairs.
• Cardiovascular Training: Include anaerobic and aerobic workouts in your training program, with pack weight in both
• Strength Training: Special attention given to the lower back and core
• Flexibility Training: Still carry your backpack with weight to flex the whole body

To make sure none of the important areas are being overlooked, you may need to train with a personal trainer. Specifically, find a personal trainer who is familiar with the body demands of mountaineering and prolonged climbing. The trainer can create a personal training plan to include both indoor and outdoor locations, ensuring all objectives are met. They can also help you access health climbs in your area, guide you with outdoor training, and create training programs that you can follow at home. 

As you train for the big climb, it is important to go at your own pace and not rush it. In fact, most people begin their Kilimanjaro climb training at least three to four months prior. This time allows you to progressively improve your hike time, elevation gain, and distance. Training for longer also helps in reducing the risk of injuries before and during the climb. 

Kilimanjaro Climb Training: Step-By-Step Guide 

A successful Kilimanjaro climb is a combination of several factors. You need to consider the acclimation or the number of days you will spend on Mount Kilimanjaro. Most itineraries usually include five up to nine days on the mountain depending on the route followed. Other factors like the weather conditions and your guide can also determine how easy or difficult the climb will be. This step-by-step guide is perfect for Kilimanjaro climb training throughout the year.

Step 1: Fitness test

Start your training by getting a fitness test. This will give you a clear starting point and allow you to understand how fit you are and the areas you need to work on. A fitness test is particularly useful in establishing your heart rate training zones so you can build resilience. Most of your training for the Kilimanjaro climb should focus on Zone 2 and slowly move to Zone 3 training over time. 

Step 2: Understand Heart Rate Training

One of the keys to success in climbing Mountain Kilimanjaro is building endurance. You can achieve this with the correct exercise that addresses the physical condition of the trip you will be doing. You can warm up by carrying weight in your backup and maintaining your heart rate as with elevation gain. Remember you will be carrying a backpack during the actual trek, and being used to that can prove to be helpful.

Step 3: Prepare for a Tough Terrain

Although every trip to Mountain Kilimanjaro will be different, the goal is the same. To reach the summit using a specific route. The routes are usually a combination of stairs and trails, which the challenging summit night. This is then followed by a massive descent. Keep in mind that you will be moving across uneven terrain with a 30-degree incline most of the time. 

Step 4: Be Aware of Elevation Gains and Hours 

Although distance may not be the most important factor when it comes to climbing Kilimanjaro, you need to understand elevation gains and hours to keep bout. Specifically, the hours are taken with each elevation gain. Then, match those hours with your plan of training for the Kilimanjaro climb. Essentially, every day on Mountain Kilimanjaro has a minimum of 500m (1640 feet) of elevation gain. As you train, make sure you are comfortable doing such kinds of elevation gain daily. 

Step 5: Combine Hill Training and Gym Training

Hill training is a crucial part of Kilimanjaro climb training. To get started, walk up and down similar elevation gains on your chosen trip with a backpack with weight. This gets your body in shape and your mind can visualize the actual climb, allowing you to prepare better. Also, supplement your longer hikes with daily gym sessions to build more strength and endurance. 

Step 6: Train for the Downhill

Going downhill after a long ascent can be as equally difficult, yet most people tend to overlook the downhill training. This particular training will help you build the stability, leg strength, and core needed to withhold your weight as you move down the steep trail and stairs. 

Final Touches Before Kilimanjaro Climb

Before embarking on the journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, make sure you are physically and mentally fit. Good cardiovascular health is needed to give you stronger lungs. So, continue doing regular runs, gym classes, and bike rides even weeks before your trek. Strength training, on the other hand, will build your strength and core. Be sure to include exercises like squats, planks, and lunges to strengthen your legs and core for hiking.

While gym and strength training are great, the best way to prepare as you get close to the climb is by doing plenty of long walks. You can do regular 4-6 hours walks with a backpack filled with the snacks you will eat on the mountain, wearing the same boots you plan on wearing during the actual walk. This is also a good way to ensure that you will not get blisters wearing those shoes while on the mountain. Doing such walks at least every two to three weeks prior will make you accustomed to how the climb will be. 

We cannot overemphasize the need to be mentally prepared for altitude. Most of the people who have ascended the mountain say that the majority of the climb is walking on a decent terrain that is not so steep. However, the last hike to the summit is the hardest with much of the terrain underfoot being scree that is almost frozen. Although this bit is done at night to help with the low temperatures, visibility is also low until the sun rises. Keeping your mind ready for this goes a long way in making the final stretch easier. 

Pack Your Gear for the Weather

Knowing what to pack is as important as Kilimanjaro climb training. The most important thing to pack is your boots. As we have mentioned, make sure that you have used the boots before and have worn them before trekking Kilimanjaro. The worst thing you would want while ascending or descending the mountain are blisters. 

Your choice of gear must be informed by the conditions you are going to meet at the mountain, During the 5,895m climb, you will encounter five different climate zones as you ascend. You will start with a thick humid rainforest at the bottom, moving to arise desert landscape at the central zone before reaching the arctic conditions at the summit. This means that your boots, clothes, and other gear must be flexible through the different conditions. 

The last climb to the summit is at night, and you will need warm gloves, buff, a hat, and thermal clothing. Ideally, pack liner gloves that you can wear under ski gloves. However, as the sun rises, it gets slightly warmer. So having the layers on your body helps regulate your temperature. Other essentials that you need to pack include:

• A head torch for night hikes
• Breathable clothes for daily hikes
• A jacket for summit night and relaxing at the peak’s higher altitude
• Windproof and waterproof pair of trousers (pants) 
• Plenty of water (water bottles to refill at pit stops)
• Snacks for fast energy, such as cereal bars, energy gels, energy bars, and fast-energy sweets

Book your Mount Kilimanjaro Climb with us

Making sure you’re physically and mentally fit for Kilimanjaro will make it an easier and an enjoyable experience to reach the summit. To make the experience even more worthwhile, make sure you have the right guides by your side. At Bobby Tours, we provide unique and memorable Mount Kilimanjaro climbing experiences. Get in touch with us to make a booking or inquire about any of our services. 

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