Climbing Kilimanjaro, step by step

There are several ways up the mountain, and they differ more than the map suggests. Some climb steeply and fast. Some take a longer line around the side of the peak. Some sleep in huts and most sleep in tents. The Machame and Lemosho routes are the most popular for good reason: they climb high and sleep lower, which helps the body adjust.

The number of days matters more than the route. Your body needs time to adapt to thin air, and every extra day on the mountain gives it that time. A short climb saves money and leave. A longer one gives you a much better chance of standing on the top, and a much nicer week.

If you are unsure, choose the longer version of the route you like. Few people regret the extra day. Many people regret skipping it.

Kilimanjaro can be climbed in every month, but some months are kinder than others. The two dry spells, from late June to October and from January to early March, bring clearer paths and better views. They are also the busiest times on the mountain.

The long rains fall in April and May. Paths turn to mud, clouds hide the views, and fewer people climb. November brings the short rains, which tend to come as afternoon showers.

Cold is the one thing that never changes. Nights near the top are well below freezing in every month, and summit night is cold whatever the calendar says. Plan your kit for that, then pick the month that suits your life and your view of crowds.

You do not need to be an athlete. You do need legs that can walk uphill for six hours, day after day, and still enjoy it. The best training is the thing itself: long walks on hills, with a loaded daypack, in the boots you will wear.

Start a few months before you fly. Build up to back-to-back long walks at the weekend, because the climb is about walking well when you are already tired. Stairs, cycling and steady running help on top of that.

See your doctor before you book, and tell them about the altitude. Some medicines and some conditions matter at height. Your doctor can also talk to you about altitude medicine, which some climbers take and some do not.

Fitness helps with comfort. It does not protect you from altitude sickness. Pace and days do that.

Your travel insurance must cover trekking to the height of the summit, which is just under 6,000 metres. Many ordinary policies stop well below that. Read the activity section, find the altitude limit, and ask the insurer to confirm it in writing if it is unclear. Buy the policy when you pay your deposit.

Check your vaccines with a travel clinic. Bring a small first-aid kit with blister care, plasters, painkillers and anything you take at home.

Kit is about layers. You walk through warm forest on the first day and into deep frost on summit night. You need good boots that are already broken in, a warm sleeping bag, a down jacket, waterproofs, gloves and a hat. A small daypack carries what you need while you walk. Most of the rest can be hired in Moshi or Arusha if you would rather not buy it.

Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport, which sits between Moshi and Arusha. Both towns are an easy drive from the terminal. Plan to arrive at least a day before the climb starts. Long flights, late bags and jet lag are all easier to fix with a spare day.

The evening before the climb, your guide comes to the hotel. They talk you through the route, look at your kit, and point out anything missing. This is the time to ask questions and to hire what you need.

You leave the things you will not need on the mountain at the hotel. Clean clothes for the day you come down, travel papers you do not need on the trail, and anything you are taking on to a safari or the beach can all stay behind in a locked bag.

Going down is fast. After the summit you return to high camp for a short rest and some food, then keep walking down to a lower camp for the night. Each step makes the air thicker and your head clearer. The last day takes you back through the forest to the park gate.

At the gate the park records your climb, and you receive a certificate that names the point you reached. Most groups then say thank you to the crew in a small ceremony, often with singing, and hand over the tips.

Your legs will be sore for a few days, mostly on the way down stairs. A night in a hotel with a hot shower helps a great deal. Many climbers follow the mountain with a few days on safari or on the beach in Zanzibar, which is an easy way to rest while still seeing the country.

Choosing the shortest climb to save a day or two. It makes the summit much less likely and the week much harder.

Walking too fast on the first days, because you feel strong. Altitude does not care how fit you are.

New boots. Blisters can end a climb on the second day.

Not drinking enough. Thin, dry air pulls water out of you all day.

Hiding a headache from the guide. They can only help with what they know about.

And skipping the spare day before the climb. A late bag with your boots in it is a small problem with a spare day, and a big one without.