Kilimanjaro Climb Preparation and Fitness

Kilimanjaro Climb Preparation and Fitness

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free standing mountain in the World and Highest mountain in Africa and climbing to the peak is a challenge that should not be under estimated. With all the information you could possibly gather, added to being physically prepared, one’s chances of reaching the summit is substantially increased. Stamina and mental determination to a great extent, will determine whether or not you will be successful in you quest to conquer the Rooftop of Africa/Kilimanjaro summit. Being physically prepared for the trek will also greatly contribute to the level of your perseverance, confidence and personal enjoyment!

HOW FIT DO ONE HAVE TO BE TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO?

The type of fitness is more important than the degree of fitness. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a hike, therefore the best preparation one can do is to hike, preferably under simulated conditions. Although jogging could be beneficial to your fitness level, it does not fully prepare your muscles for a strenuous 6-day hike.

We suggest that you spend some of your training by merely hiking and at least 8 weeks to train. In addition to regular gym workouts, make sure you also go for walks in order to stimulate relevant muscle development. Try to do a one or two-day hiking trials in your area. This will not only be an excellent way for physical preparation, but also an enjoyable means to prepare yourself mentally.

IMPORTANT TIPS TO REMEMBER – BEFORE YOU START YOUR KILIMANJARO TREK FITNESS PROGRAM!

Medical Check-up

Before embarking on a fitness program, it is always wise to first seek the advice of a medical doctor. Feel free to share this program with your family doctor for input. Chances are, your doctor will be delighted to know that you undertake to exercise regularly.

Progressive Resistance

In essence, the gym section of our fitness program consists of regular and progressive resistance exercises with either free weights (like barbells and dumbbells) or free weight machines that are readily available in gymnasiums. The idea behind progressive resistance is that your exercise regime can be tailored to your age, physical condition and strength, steadily progressing to higher resistance level as you develop.

Safety Factor

Progressive resistance movements could be customized to individual strength and fitness levels; therefore, our fitness program is potentially safe. It is however essential that all of the exercises be performed correctly and that basic safety procedures are followed at all times. It is furthermore always a good idea to invest in reading material on physical fitness and to consult your local fitness instructor about performing each exercise correctly.

Sets and Repetitions

This workout consists of repetitions (reps) and sets. A rep is a single count of an exercise, for example moving downwards for one squad movement. A set is knowing as a series of reps – an average set consist of 8 to 12 reps.

Warm Up

It is highly recommended that one always warms up the muscles before starting with any exercising routine. The norm is doing a variety of stretching movements to warm up, strengthen and progressively challenge the tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles. Stretching is very important, as it is the best way to prepare for an injury-free workout.

Kilimanjaro Training Walking program

It is advisable to go for frequent walks which should include some uphill and down hills sections. Take your daypack with you and carry at least three liters of water or three kilograms with you. This will simulate the conditions you will encounter. As mentioned before, doing a one or two-day local hiking trial in your area is not only an excellent way of preparation but also most enjoyable. We have developed an adequate hiking program of least 8 weeks to ensure an adequate level of fitness.
If your local weather conditions do not always permit outdoor activities, you can do part of it on a treadmill and simulate the flat, uphill (inclined) and downhill (declined) sections. Terminate your hiking program at least 4 days before you’re the start of your summit attempt to ensure sufficient rest before the climb.

OUR KILIMANJARO TREK FITNESS PROGRAM!

Start Training For Kilimanjaro At Least 12 Weeks Before Or Even More Of Your Kilimanjaro Climbing Trek Depending On Your Level Of Fitness. Climbers should remember that on a standard Kilimanjaro ascent, failure to reach the summit is far more likely to be due to exhaustion due to inadequate training than any altitude-related causes. 

Please make the most of your chance to reach the highest point in Africa by committing yourself to an appropriate training regime such as the one below. 

Not every element of this training regime is mountain specific. There are two aspects: Cardiovascular training – which will strengthen the heart and lungs to the necessary extent to cope with the rigours of a high altitude expedition, and Endurance training – which is more specific to walking uphill over long distances.

You must consult your doctor before partaking in any training program.

KEY TO TRAINING PROGRAM ABOVE

Jog:

The most effective cardiovascular exercise has a high impact and carries a risk of injury. Always stretch off and warm up thoroughly before each session. Jogging should be at a pace at which it is just about possible to maintain a conversation with a partner, provided sentences are kept very short. If the injury appears likely, it may be necessary to substitute with cycling or swimming.

Timed run: 

Try to accurately determine a 1.5-mile course with a little rise and fall but no big hills. Warm-up thoroughly and aim for the best time you’re capable of. Note your time down. As your training course progresses, reduced times are reassuring proof of increased cardiovascular strength.

Hill training: 

Try to find an incline near where you live that would be long enough to sprint up for a minute (if ever you were capable of this!). A single repetition involves an ascent and descent without any break in between. If you choose to jog down, ensure that you take small strides and that your knees are never locked. Aim to minimize the time spent resting between repetitions.

Hillwalking: 

This is an essential aspect of preparation for Kilimanjaro. Navigation skills are not important; rather, ensure that you are on the ground familiar to you and aim to keep moving at a good pace with only short breaks now and then. Take plenty of water with you and drink a little and very often. You’ll be carrying more weight than when you’re on Kilimanjaro and simulating the exaggerated sense of fatigue experienced at high altitudes.

Swim: 

A useful non-impact cardiovascular exercise with the added benefit of strengthening your shoulders for load-bearing. If you experience pains or niggles when you jog, substitute some jogging sessions for swimming. If you thoroughly dislike being in water or can’t swim, cycling is a good low impact alternative but is difficult in bad weather and carries peculiar risks.

Circuits Training: 

Strengthen the midriff and shoulders and minimize the risk of neck strain and shoulder and back injuries caused by carrying your day sack on the mountain. Typically, a circuit session could consist of: 25 press-ups; 35 sit-ups; 15 dips; 5 pull-ups; 20 press-ups; 30 sit-ups; 12 dips; 4 pull-ups; 15 press-ups; 25 sit-ups; 8 dips; 3 pull-ups.

Interval training:

 This is a vigorous and very effective form of cardiovascular strength training and is a run that is punctuated with short periods of very intensive output. Typically jog at a moderate pace for 5 minutes then sprint for 20 seconds exactly; jog for 3 minutes moderately than run hard for 1 minute; jog 4 minutes, sprint 30 seconds; jog 8 minutes, run hard 2 minutes; speed 5 minutes, sprint 30 seconds, etc., etc. Very hard work but reaps dividends. 

TIPS WHILE ON THE KILIMANJARO CLIMB

Go slowly

Go slowly – “Pole Pole” as we say in Swahili! This is also very important during your first days of climbing. Even if you feel well, slow down and enjoy the scenery. The biggest cause of altitude sickness is ascending too high too fast! The slower you hike to more time you give your body to acclimatize.

Drink enough water

Make sure that you drink at least 3 – 4 liters of liquid a day – preferably water. For your first day it is recommended that you take along fresh water, which may be purchased at the hotel in Moshi before your climb. Try to get the bottles with the screw tops, this way you will also have containers in which to take water further up the mountain. Running water on the mountain is safe to drink from day-2 onwards, but care should still be taken. If you are not used to fresh water in nature, prevent any inconvenience by using water purification tablets. REMEMBER! A functioning “body water balance” is one of the keys to a successful climb!

Walk high – sleep low

If possible and especially on your acclimatization day “walk high – sleep low” Try to do a short evening stroll to a higher altitude and then descend to sleep at the camp at a lower altitude. This is essential on your acclimatization day.

Climb light

Climb as lightly as possible; this becomes even more important on your summit night. Extra weight will slow you down and will also make breathing more difficult. While being physically capable certainly helps, climbing is about mental toughness — not just how physically fit you are or how much you trained.

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