Mount Kilimanjaro: MY CLIMB FAILURE! Mistakes I made in Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro: MY CLIMB FAILURE! Mistakes I made in Tanzania
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Details/tips about how and why I failed to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. I hope this video helps you make it to the top. Please leave a comment if you are planning to climb or have questions. Or let me know if you were able to climb it….
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I’ve updated the video summary based on the suggestions that hiking poles are useful.
So…what you’re trying to say is that you didn’t do enough research. Just kinda winged it. I mean, not even finding out what sleeping bag you need??? At +-5000m above sea level??
You went with the wrong company and didn’t do any research. Summiting any mountain is all about research, research, research and then training, training, training…and not go with just any fly-by-night adventure company.
Do your research next time.
People always over train for this walk, it's not a climb, just go slow and rap up, remember it's just a big hill, drink plenty of water and eat, it's very easy to do, my mate did it in his work boots, it's no biggy, just chill out, you not Edmund hillary lol
I successfully summited in 2016 at the age of 49 via the Lemosho Route. I was reasonably fit, but t was hard. I tried to avoid using altitude tablets but ultimately the altitude got me. I got to Stellar Point and turned back. I was shattered and had no energy to go round the crater to Uhuru Point.
Did it with my dad August 2023!
Made the summit six months ago with my 39-year-old son I am 67. Took the Lemosho route and had no real problems. All 12 people in my group were able to reach the summit. I think it is doable for most people and you don’t need to be in ridiculous shape. Pace is very slow. Even the last night is not too bad, but it is freezing cold on top.
The porters make it all possible.
I got back on Monday, we successfully submitted, you did not say why you failed. AMS?
We did Lemosho Route for 8 days and succeeded. We had good enough food, but was severely unlucky with the weather. Even though january is dry, we had 10-15 hours of rain a day. Apparently getting more common due to climate change. Gaters, wet pants, panchos saves our lives. I had goretex boots, hindsight, I would have had double goretex if I knew of the rain. Also, for a lot of Lemosho you do 100% need poles as you do a lot of downhills too, especially going down from Lava Tower on acclimatizing day and going from Karanga to Barafu. And of course down from summit & to Millennium and to exit. Every single person used poles, that we saw. With the slippery mud rocks and pouring rain, no chance of survival without the poles to balance you. So while I found your video useful, and of course it is your opinions on your channel – I think you only speak for your route, your weather conditions and your situation. We loved the porridge actually as it kept us warm, full but not heavy. Bring some granola to add on top! Ps. Zara Tours was great.
Do you plan on climbing any American volcanoes since you climbed the tallest non American one?
It’s actually a easy 5000 one , need good condition and not much technique
I'm doing this next week and your video was very helpful. Thank you.
I am due to climb next September so this is a very honest video.I have taken this all on board. Thank you
Thanks for this video! I love your honest and genuine perspective which is often lost in YouTube.
Thank you☘️♥️
I didn't hear anything about Diamaox, which is the altitude adjustment pill. Also, drink LOTS and LOTS of water. I brought that UV light to purify the water we received. Also a "toilet man" is key. This dedicated porter brings a Coleman camping toilet up the mountain with a small tent for your private use. It cost $150 in 2012. Also, the gaiters help keep dust and ants off your legs.
Thank you so much for making this video, I will be hiking Mt. Kili in a couple of months, I have 2 questions: #1 What company did you hire to do the hike with? #2 What day did you make it to before you had to quit and go down the mountain?
i made it to the top twice used sticks both times
I broke my ankle on the 3rd day made it to Stella Point and & couldn't take it no more. Poles & Gaiters would go on any hiking trip with me. I'm a vegetarian the company did their best to fix my meals but this time I may bring some meals from home. I hated there breakfast meals but lunch & dinner was good.
I made it last year. I trained my butt off, hiking with a weighted bad up to 20 miles, jogging up to 7 miles and getting over 100k steps in per week. I studied breathing exercises, hydration and every aspect to ensure success. People who think this is a "tough hike" could be in for a rude awakening. You may make it, but you'll be miserable. I was only really challenged the last 2 hours to the summit and the 3 hours back down to the camp. Otherwise I felt great and had a good time. The company you go with has a HUGE impact. This guy sounds like he got the wrong company who had bad food. our food was amazing and diverse and they pretty much provided everything except for what we needed in our day bag and clothes, etc. Finally, hydrate A LOT. It's an amazing country and experience. Enjoy!
I GOT TO THE SUMMIT IN 5 MINUTE ON YOUTUBE DIDN'T EVEN BREAK A SWEAT LOL
How much hw and research did you do, prior to going on your trip? In terms of guide groups, acclimatizing and physicality.
Would you go back again? Thanks for sharing your experience.
You didn't really say why you didn't make it which is the main point? I did EBC in 2017 which was longer than Kili but Kili is pretty much incline after incline. I didn't make it because I was too heavy and hadn't trained on inclines because there are no hills in Bahrain. I did slip on day one, jarred my back and neck and exited the mountain before Baranco, but had severe doubts about summiting even if my neck and back hadn't been goosed. I hope to do Kili in July and have lost 20kg so far and do 15km every two days but will build that up as I go. I will try to build in intense stair climbing with daypack to simulate the inclines.
I bought the "Timbies" for Everest Base Camp and they were perfect, also bought good socks and took poles but didn't use them. I went with Trekking Hero a sister company of Himalayan Wonders (EBC) and they had great food, jackets, sleeping bags and wonderful guides and porters.
So my failure in my opinion was overweight and that's why I won't go unless I lose a further 15kg. I will also carry the very bare minimum weight in day pack and yes, take the diamox.
In the end my son summited which was great for him and justifying the charity money raised. I was in a neck brace for a month afterwards.
I have summitted Kilimanjaro four times, failed once. I failed due to wearing well- fitting boots on summit day. I learnt that you need a bit loose-fitting boots, to allow for the warm pairs of socks that you puton on summit day.
The tour company is also an important choice. Go with a company with good client care reputation, my husband and I made it in October 2022
Thanks for the advice 🙂 will you be attempting it again?
I summited Kilimanjaro in August 2022…. agree with most of your comments, except the hiking poles were essential to me. No way I would have made it on summit day without them. The earlier days is when I didn't use them, they are less necessary then. I would also recommend using Diamox pills for altitude sickness. I didn't get a hint of altitude sickness while on Diamox…..but bear in mind, it is a diarrhetic, so there will be side effects. I had a 27 hour journey from America to Moshi, so I got there a day early to fight the jet lag and the travel weariness. Good call there.
Another thing I'd recommend is sleeping pills. I was struggling mightily on summit day, largely bc I had gotten zero sleep the night before. Was too anxious. A sleeping pill would have helped, if only for a few hours. The effects of a sleeping pill will wear off, however having no sleep will not. Was running on fumes for summit day and was not comfortable. I took machame route too, in six days.
Try it again! Now that you won't make the same mistakes, you can do it!🤜
Thanks for your informative and very applicable advice for many of us with hope to make the trip one day; hopefully one day you get to make it again.
I climbed it as an unfit 61 year old who had prepared by walking around 5-10 miles two or three times a week. I would say that the best prep is probably to regularly walk at least 15 miles but slowly and sometimes back-to-back. I don't think working out in the gym gives the right practice for what you will face which is walking very slow but very long days. Perhaps some stair work would help as you do a lot of slow climbing and the final ascent is brutal, steep climbing for 6-8 hours.
We flew into Africa on Monday which took most of the day, stayed at a hotel then climbed next day though I came from the UK so no real jet lag (2 hours difference). We took the Lemoshu route from the West which is the most scenic as it starts in rain forest and you do the Baraco Wall which most people say was the highlight of the climb second only to being at the peak. Ours was 6 days to the peak and another to get down as we skipped Shira-1 and went straight to Shira -2 on the second day but most routes stop at Shira-1 then do Shira-2 the next day. That probably would have been better as what we did was really hard.
Personally, walking poles were very useful. I never used to own any for normal hikes at home but when I got some I realised that they take a lot of the strain from your legs and are really useful walking uphill and especially useful climbing down steps that are bigger than usual as my hip is held together with metal plates after a motorbike accident and I find high steps hard to step down. There were a couple of downhill sections when I was better not using them so it is good to get poles that will pack small very quickly to put them on your pack temporarily. Climbing the Baranco Wall has to be done without poles as you need your hands. It is odd that you saw few people using poles as on my trip about 99% of everyone in all the groups we met were using them.
I bought some £200 boots that were fitted by an expert and although I spent months trying to break them in and used stretching devices, they kept pinching so I ended up taking my old £70 boots on the trip and did not have a single issue the whole trip.
I agree good socks are essential. I used thin-to-medium thickness merino wool socks (Bridgedale) that cost around £10 a pair I think and they were fantastic. I had no blisters and my feet were warm even on the final ascent with no other socks used. Others were wearing two pairs of thinner socks and still getting blisters and cold feet.
I am surprised at your experience with food. We were fed three meals a day and usually at least three courses per meal. I know quite a few climbing companies do the same. Yes there was porridge in the morning and it was not very tasty but they also provided several things you could add like honey or chocolate spread or just sugar plus there were also pancakes and bacon and fruit and bread etc. I should also note that nausea and lack of appetite are usual side-effects of altitude.
Taking your own snacks for the actual walking is essential and put them somewhere that you can reach easily without stopping. Also at least two or three litres of water each day for the walk. For the final ascent have wide-mouthed screw lid bottles as anything fancy, like camelbacks or even flip spouts, will freeze.
Have some good quality waterproofs in your day bag at all times as it can rain heavily without warning and once you get wet you will struggle to get dry again and be miserable. I was lucky not to ever get rained on but that is rare. You will need a very good quality hooded puffer jacket for the final climb. I was able to rent one for $20 as that is the only day I needed it but it was essential for that night. Good gloves, preferably heavy mitts with liner gloves, will also be needed for the final ascent. For the other days I tended to wear a thinner puffer jacket and maybe a fleece in the evenings and early mornings but as I had unusually good weather I usually stripped to a thin t-shirt during the day. Brings a 'Buff', aka something to cover your mouth and nose, as the mountain is covered in very fine alcanic dust that gets everywhere and especially in your nose and lungs.
Get some sunglasses that wrap around to cover all the gaps as the sun at altitude is very bright and could damage your eyes. Ideally get some that can cope with sun off snow (rating 4). Also a high rating suncream as more UV gets through at altitude.
Bring some medicine (eg DIAMOX) to reduce altitude sickness. Anyone can get AS and often the athletes get it worse than the unfit people.
I bought a good quality sleeping bag rated to -18 and it was a great buy as while others were wrapping up in all their clothes at night, I was sleeping in my underwear and staying warm even after having to go to the toilet tent in the middle of the night. One or more nocturnal visits to the toilet every night will happen for everyone and Diamox makes it worse 🙂 I would recommend you get a sleeping bag that stuffs into a sack rather than one that has to be rolled up as I heard several people say how hard it was to roll theirs small enough to pack every morning. Also allow for the fact that your sleeping bag could take up half the space in your big bag. If possible get one that packs small as not all do. Mine had straps all around the sack to pull it even tighter
Take a good tip to give to the crew when you get down. They will carry the tents and cook the food etc. and they work incredibly hard and you wont make it without their help.
On your video you say you will share the reasons you didn't summit. Getting to your hotel a day early with sleep before the climb should have been sufficient to summit. The routes are nearly all the same so listening to your guide and going at their pace should be enough. The food is fine and most people get sick because of altitude but push through. So, it sounds like you either didn't adapt to the altitude, were going too fast or were not fit enough. Perhaps?
Thank you for sharing! This is useful – Im preparing to hike the mountain soon and hopefully I can make it. How about eyewear? And did you practice hiking beforehand?
🌷 ｐｒｏｍｏｓｍ
I love your map!
I got COVID-19 on Kilimanjaro. 🤦🏻♀️ We also did 6-day Machame route in February. I was extremely ill on the 4th day (2nd day of fever & 4th day of cough) and attempted to summit with a fever and severe respiratory symptoms but had to turn back at 5200 meters of elevation. The poles were extremely useful for me, as were gaiters. I have to go back one day.
I went the Northern Circuit route, and had a wayyy over-dimensioned sleeping bag (comfy to -23°C/-9°F, and was warmer than the rating suggests). This was brilliant!
We had a brilliant chef for the food, and had 3 course meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That was worth it. The chef also knew how to take into account all major food sensitivities (we had one lactose intolerant, one nut allergic, and one allergic or sensitive to eggs). Amazing crew! The meals should be designed to give you a lot of calories, with food at higher altitudes needing to be more carb rich and more easily digestible. Having a good chef makes it easier to get the required amount into your body. If you get undernourished or dehydrated then acclimatisation will not go well, and then the trip is suddenly over…
I found that using double socks was extremely comfortable: a liner sock (very thin) of merino wool, and a thicker warm wool sock. This prevents chafing and keeps feet dry and nice.
Hiking poles are useful, the porters don't need them, mostly because they are superhuman. We tourist-y types gain a lot from using them, particularly on descents! They really save the knees a lot, but require some training to use efficiently. Most of the people I saw at the summit were using poles then. You may not have seen many trekking poles, because people often keep them collapsed during easier days and during ascents at lower altitudes.
One thing that surprised me was how much focus our team had on hygiene, giving us warm water morning and evening to wash up, as well as soap. This did a lot for comfort, and reduced odds of chafing due to salt buildup in clothes, as well as making sleep more comfy. Hand hygiene was also taken proper care of at all times in camp (access to hot water for hand washing, soap, and hand disinfectant).
About arriving early, I had 2 nights at the hotel before starting (arrived late, slept, met group and did some stuff, slept, started trip) and I think that is the minimum. The hotels, whether in Arusha or Moshi are at a fairly decent altitude, although staying in Arusha allows you to get used to 1400m (4500ft) altitudes, so is a good start to the acclimatisation if you live low, like myself.
I have only good things to say about the organiser (a Swedish company working together with a Tanzanian operator), and the Tanzanian crew were amazing
I successfully climbed Kilimanjaro via the Machame route in 6 days, back in February. I agree with nearly everything you've said in this video, especially the comments about having good socks and a good sleeping bag. However, I think that taking walking poles was a very useful thing to do, especially on the last day. After getting to the top I was exhausted and the scree / gravel slopes were difficult to go down when you're struggling to even stay awake! That was the only time I really used walking poles.
If I were to do it again, or was to recommend it to anyone else, I would also suggest taking enough time before to climb the mountain. While having a day beforehand to rest before climbing the mountain could be useful, I think it is best to spend as much time on the mountain as possible. Every extra day of acclimatisation is key. Any route you take up the mountain is going to have amazing views, but the trip is going to be a lot more enjoyable and easier if you're acclimatised.
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania