Yes, you CAN do Kilimanjaro. You might start having second thoughts after reading the negatives online about altitude sickness, which unfortunately caused my brother to bail out from the trip three weeks in advance. But if you do a longer trek, take Diamox & listen to your guide, then everything should be fine!
My dad & I were both unfit and did no training to prepare for the trek. My dad was also 50 lbs overweight, so even though he struggled a lot more than I did, we both ended up making it to the top! Obviously, it is better to train and get in shape as it is more respectful to the mountain and to make it easier on yourself, but to those of you who aren’t super fit & are interested in climbing Kilimanjaro, I want you to know that it is still possible!
One of the best ways to ensure a successful Kilimanjaro trip is to have a great guide and team. We booked through Warrior Trails who paired us with our guide Elly, though he has his own company, Kili Dreamers, which I believe you can book directly with him. Elly and his entire team were fantastic! Top notch experience and professionalism! They are there to do everything possible to help you reach the summit and to achieve your goal. They would provide extra assistance when needed, such as on some of the longer days, calling the porters to come back from camp to help carry our daypacks during the last hour or so of hiking on days when we were slowing down, struggling and getting tired. The extra assistance was welcomed! Even on summit night, our guides carried our backpacks, gave us ginger tea and even Coca Cola as a bonus & kept us on pace to reach Stella Point just before sunrise; excellent pacing!
Elly also checks your oxygen levels and heart rates daily to monitor your health and ensure your safety on the mountain. Both Elly, and our assistant guide, Samuel, were patient with us as we took a slower than average pace, sometimes taking twice as long to reach the next camp given our lack of fitness.
Our guide also suggested some alterations to our itinerary in order to increase our chances for a successful summit. For example, we ended up doing a 9 day Lemosho climb, though we had booked a 9 day Northern Circuit. We were unaware that the route we had originally chosen was longer, harder and not the right match for inexperienced and unfit hikers like us. We ended up listening to our guide’s advice and switched our route as our goal was to summit and we both did! If we would have stuck to our original itinerary, we might not have been successful, so we are very happy with the outcome and for listening to our guide! It is also entirely up to you whether you want to make any alterations if they are suggested, but note that Elly has your best interests at heart!
Also, the food is very good and plentiful! You will be very well fed! With lots of food, health monitoring, encouragement and useful advice, you will be in excellent care with Elly & his entire team!
If you listen to your guide’s advice, then you will make it to the top. For instance, I did not plan on taking Diamox, however, as per our guide’s recommendation, I figured I had better listen as this guy is the expert, the professional, and he knows what he is talking about since we were his 213th climb! If we had any chance of making it to the top, then it would be with this team and following their advice. As a result of taking Diamox combined with a 9 day climb, neither I nor my father experienced any symptoms of altitude sickness, not even a minor headache!
Overall, I would highly recommend climbing Kilimanjaro for anyone looking for an adventure of a lifetime. I would also highly recommend Elly & his team as they will do everything possible to ensure your health, safety & that you achieve your goal! I want anyone having second thoughts to know: DO IT! You won’t regret it! You are capable of more than you think – go slowly, listen to your guide and enjoy the experience!
