Training to Climb Kilimanjaro 🏋️

Kilimanjaro Training Plan to ensure your summit success!

Posted by Sara on November 15, 2020

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Table of Contents

Why Should I Climb Mount Kilimanjaro?

“I’m going to be climbing Kilimanjaro in three months, do you want to join?”

“Are you crazy?” I thought. I’m not a professional hiker. I have no high altitude experience - heck, I’m way out of shape.

Yet, without much thought - “Count me in.”

Fast-forward three months, and I’m standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro - 19,341 feet. Never had I felt so alive.

On my seven-day journey, I pushed myself past what I had believed to be my physical and mental limits and gained new perspectives along the way. My fresh outlook on life followed me home. Today, I continue to set goals, push myself, and help others to get to the peak of their potential too.

Why should YOU climb Kilimanjaro? The answer is simple. To prove to yourself that you can.

Mount Kilimanjaro is an achievement that will never leave you - a challenge to overcome that strengthens your soul and lets your confidence overflow.

How Hard is it to Climb Kilimanjaro?

This is a question that many people ask themselves.

Whether you are 10 years old or 77 years old, an olympic athlete or a couch potato, you can’t help but shake the hesitation that climbing Kilimanjaro might be too difficult. This article is here to tell you: how hard is it really to climb Kilimanjaro?

The answer - it is difficult, but not impossible. You will be challenged, that’s what makes it worth it. Nothing great comes easy, right?

The climb itself is non-technical, and can be viewed as an extended hike. Each day leading up to the summit you will walk for 4-8 hours, slowly climbing in elevation. Your legs will tire. Summit night in particular will push you. The weather gets harsh as you enter the arctic zone; your water supply will freeze if not stored under your coat. Yet despite the chill, high altitude is the most challenging part of this climb.

There is no tried and true formula to know who will become afflicted with high altitude sickness. However, science shows that acute mountain sickness is just as much mental as it is physical.

If you feel confident, then you will do well.

And the best way to be confident is to be in your best physical shape when you leave for your trip.

How Do I Train for a Kilimanjaro Climb?

Provided below is the perfect plan for getting in shape to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.
No matter if your time frame is 12 weeks or 12 months, the schedule will work for you.

Pick Proper Training Gear

First, you’re going to need a sturdy, waterproof pair of hiking boots. You will need these boots both to hike Kilimanjaro and to train in. Renting gear is an option at our base camp hotel (Springlands hotel), but shoes are the one item you should have in advance. Head to your local outdoors store, and get fitted properly for a high-quality, lightweight pair of hiking boots.

How to Choose the Right Hiking Boots

Break in Your Hiking Boots

Once you’ve found your pair, it is essential that you break in your hiking boots. For each exercise listed below, try to wear your hiking boots and a weighted backpack that reflects the weight you’ll be carrying on the mountain - roughly 15-20 pounds. Check out our packing list to know everything you’ll need on to the mountain.

What is a Good Kilimanjaro Training Plan?

Walking

A simple yet effective training regimen starts with taking long walks. Long walks both build your stamina and break in your hiking boots. Your hike day-over-day on the mountain, each day lasting anywhere from 4-8 hours. Well-broken in shoes are a MUST before making a summit attempt.

Set a goal for yourself to take a 30-minute walk in your hiking boots, each day. Consistent and regular routine helps break in your boots, strengthen your muscles, and familiarize your body with a new style of gait.

Where to walk? Up to you! You do not need to seek high ground or a wooded area, though that may add to the sense of adventure. A walk around your neighborhood will suffice - just don’t forget the backpack! Getting odd looks? It’ll make an intriguing socially distanced conversation with friendly neighbors! And certainly one that will make you feel all the more motivated to commit to the task. Who knows? You may even commit a fellow friend to the cause.

Local Hiking

In addition to your daily walks, I recommend getting a few “real” hikes under your belt before the climb. This does not mean you need to catch the next flight out to Mount Whitney! A hike means an extended walk - ranging anywhere from 3-8 miles or 5-6 hours. I lived in the flat state of Michigan while training and hit up my local, suburban trails. I walked for the recommended 5 hours to build up leg muscles, gain endurance, and get my body used to the boots and backpack weight. So, load up your backpack with some weight (perhaps a nice picnic!) and hit up a local trail near you!

Need help finding a trail near you? Check out AllTrails, an app where you can both find trails and post about your hike in a forum with fellow outdoors adventurers.

One to three hikes minimum is recommended for Kilimanjaro preparation. A hike does not require a high altitude; hiking means extended walking - anywhere from 3-8 miles or 5-6 continuous hours.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

A strong heart is the best prevention for high altitude sickness. I encourage you to partake in periodic high intensity interval training. High intensity interval training is defined as “four intervals of four minutes at 85–95% of max heart rate with three-minute intervals at 60–70% of max heart rate” (Source: Wikipedia). When I trained, I used the stair climber at my local gym. But with COVID-19 still active, the stair climber may not be an option for you. No worries, I have something even better for you - stadiums!

Stadiums are a dynamic and high-burning workout which can be done close to home. All you do is head to your local high school stadium and run sprints up and down the bleachers. That’s it! While stadiums appear to be a simple activity, there is plenty to do to spice them up. I recommend looking at Outside Magazine’s guide to get a feel for some different workout routines you can implement with stadiums.

Stadiums are considered to be the highest intensity of all cardio workouts - no stair climbing machine can compete. For many, with schools shut down and high school football teams off the field, that leaves the glory to YOU!

High-intensity interval training should be completed 3-4 times a week in order to prepare for Kilimanjaro. Remember, a healthy heart means higher success rate. Head over to your local high school stadium and have at it!

If you find your local stadium shut down during this time, there are plenty of other deserted places with staircases you can use. Perhaps your local library, city hall (Rocky Balboa style), or staircases in your own home.

Interested in other high-intensity interval workouts? See below for a list of other HIIT exercises that can be used in addition to, or in substitution for stadiums:

• Running sprints
• Cycle sprints
• Jump rope
• Burpees
• Battle Rope (if you so happen to have one lying around)

Summary

There will be times during your training that you feel tired, or apprehensive - thinking to yourself, can I really do this? If this moment of demotivation hits you, remember to ask yourself: When was the last time you pushed yourself to your full potential? Kilimanjaro is going to be one of the most rewarding challenges of your life. A challenge worthy of your endeavor which you CAN conquer. Truly, anyone can climb Kilimanjaro - it comes down to one word and one word only … effort.

Recommended 3-Month "Training for Kilimanjaro" Schedule
Every Day (Mon-Sun)	30-minute walk *Wear your hiking boots & a 15-20lb weighted day pack!
1-3 Times Overall	Hikes that range from 3-8 miles or 5-6 hours of completion. *Does not need to be completed at a high elevation. *Wear your hiking boots & a 15-20lb weighted day pack!
3-4 times a week	High-Intensity Interval Training (30-45 minute sessions) Ex: Stadiums, sprints, jump rope, burpees

Effort, that’s it. Stick to my proven schedule, put in the effort, and you will be on your way to summiting the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. In the meantime, I’ll be here, waiting to celebrate alongside you, when you taste your sweet, sweet victory, yeah!

If you have any questions along the way, or would like some customized suggestions - please do not hesitate to reach out!