Kilimanjaro – The Biggest Mistakes People are Making

Updated on July 14, 2025 by Ian Taylor Trekking

Kilimanjaro is challenging for a wide range of reasons and success, or failure comes down to a few things most people overlook. In this post we will take a look at the biggest mistakes people are making on Kilimanjaro. I have climbed Everest, 6 of the 7 summits and Kilimanjaro 45 times. Our team did 5 years of research for the university of Utah on acclimatization and helping them formulate more information on altitude sickness. We have seen all the mistakes being made on Kilimanjaro over the last 20 years. Read some reviews from our trips.

Kilimanjaro – The Right Way!

After helping thousands of people to the summit of Kilimanjaro. We know know what it takes to be safe and successful. We know that 8 days on the Lemosho Route using Kosovo Camp offers you the best experience and best chance at reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. Don’t believe me, read REVIEWS from our clients.

I will list the biggest mistakes people are making and then we can look at each one in more detail. Check out some reviews from our trips and learn more about why our trips are so successful. O yea! We also have Kilimanjaro’s Number 1 Guide leading our team.

1). Not Enough Acclimatization

2). Missing Acclimatization in critical places

3). Keeping the Heart rate low and going at the correct pace

4). Not enough Strength and Endurance Training

5). Not Training with a Backpack

6). Not Enough training for the Downhill

7). Poor Hydration

1). Not Enough Acclimatization

If you want to be successful and reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, the first and most important decision you make is having enough acclimatization. In my opinion the minimum number of days should be 8 days.

You need more acclimatization so you can use Kosovo Camp 16,000 feet as you launching camp to make the summit of Kilimanjaro. Using this camp increases your chances of reaching the summit. If people are physically prepared, we see 100% success on this route. Contact us for more information.

2). Missing Acclimatization in Critical places

If you are serious about having the correct acclimatization, you need more acclimatization lower on the mountain. We know from helping thousands of people and doing 20 years of research that our itinerary is hands down the best way to climb Kilimanjaro.

Our itinerary is designed to have an easier day followed by a more challenging day and we follow this routine all the way up to the High Camp, Camp Kosovo 4,900m/ 16,000 feet.

Elevations you should stay at for Optimal Acclimatization

Our first night on the mountain is spent at 2,800m/ 8,200 feet which is the first trigger point at altitude and considered High Altitude. The next step is to spend four nights at very specific elevations.

You need to spend the second night on Kilimanjaro ascent at 3,500m/ 11,500 feet. The third night should be no higher than 3,900m/ 12,800 feet. All the research says spend more time in these elevations before moving higher.

After spending three nights on the fourth day, you can venture above 4,500m/ 15,221 feet and then drop back down to sleep at the same elevation you stayed at the night before. The next night you should climb high and then sleep lower again to move up to position yourself for the summit attempt.

Professional Tip: Do not skip Shira Camp 1 3,500m/ 11,500 feet and do not skip Karanga Camp 4,000m/ 13,000 feet before moving higher.

Kilimanjaro FAQ’S

We run over 30 trips per year to climb Kilimanjaro and we do send each person a 40 page document on all you need to know about climbing Kilimanjaro. We have a page you can review with links to all our important pages. You can can also watch the video below on the 7 most frequently asked questions we get on climbing Kilimanjaro.

3). Keeping the Heart Rate Low and Going at the Correct Pace

One of the biggest mistakes people make at high altitude is over exerting. Remember this is an 8-day event. You also need to understand that recovery from exercise is shockingly poor at high altitude. For sure we could move faster on the mountain, but we need to ease our way into high altitude.

We need to:
1). Keep heart rates below 120 beats per minute
2). Keep physical stress levels
3). Cover distance and movement into High Altitude at a very slow rate
4). We need to exercise to acclimatize

Heart rates are normally 20 beats higher at altitude than at sea level. This means your muscles are not getting enough oxygen to recover, as they would at sea level. It also means your respiration is up you are losing more moisture and dehydrate faster.

These are the main reasons to keep the heart rate low and go extremely slowing into higher altitude. In addition to this if you train at higher rates than you will be exercising on the mountain this will also stress test your body. We will talk more about this in the training section.

4). Not enough Strength and Endurance Training

As I mentioned earlier, we have designed our itinerary, so we have as easier day followed by a more challenging day. Here is what the best Kilimanjaro itinerary looks like. It is important to understand the itinerary before you can implement a training program. You need to follow a step-by-step approach to your training.

The Best Itinerary for Climbing Kilimanjaro

Day 1). Our first hike is 6km/ 3 miles over 3 hours with 400m / 1,200 feet of elevation gain.
Day 2). Today is a longer day. We cover 6 miles/ 10km over 6 hours with 700m/ 2,300 feet of elevation gain.
Day 3). We hike 6.2 miles/ 10km over 4 hours with 400m/ 1,200m of elevation.
Day 4). Today is a longer day hike 6.2 miles/ 10km over 6 hours of hiking going up 700m/ 2,300 feet up to 4,640m/ 15,222 feet and descend 700m/ 2,300 feet.
Day 5). Although we must scramble up the Barranco wall. Today is an easier day ascending 500m / 1,800 feet with 400m/ 1,600 feet of descent.
Day 6). This is where we start our summit attempt on Kilimanjaro. We move 900m/ 2,800 feet up to Kosovo Camp at 4,900m/ 16,000 feet. We aim to arrive at mid day so we can rest before leaving at 1am for the summit. Read more about our summit attempt.
Day 7). After getting 12 hours of rest we will go for the summit. We will have 1,000m/ 3,320 feet of ascent and reach the summit after 5 and a half hours of ascent. This will be followed by 6 more hours of descent. We will drop 2,800m/ 9,000 feet of descent. It is important to retreat to lower altitude to gain better recovery. This is a 12+ hour day.
Day 8). After a great night’s sleep we will descend an additional 5,500 feet to the exit gate and drive back to our hotel in Arusha.
As you can see the descent is extremely challenging so training for the downhill is just as important as training for the uphill. Here is our Kilimanjaro training advice and we are always happy to help you understand the terrain and how best to prepare.

Our Team is the Best in the World! We're ready to serve you! — Our Team is the Best in the World! We’re ready to serve you!

5). Not Training with a Backpack

I always see people struggling on their way to the summit of Kilimanjaro. A lot of people cannot even carry their own backpack up and certainly can not carry their backpacks down the mountain. Shocked, yes, it is shocking to see everyday on Kilimanjaro.

This is happening for two reasons:

1). Lack of acclimatization in other words, not enough days on the mountain.
2). Lack of specific Physical Preparation.

People always ask me if they should train with a mask to restrict oxygen flow. What is way more important is to train with a weighted backpack. Wear the backpack you will use on the trip, building up the weight you carry in months of buildup.

You will be carrying 5kg/10lbs or 6kg/ 12lbs each day on the mountain so building up to carry more weight is critical to build the correct leg strength. You will need to carry 2 liters of water, suncream, rain gear, snacks and layers.

Obviously hill work and walking up steep hills with weight is the best training but this is not feasible for most people. Here is some gym training that we recommend you undertake.

6). Not Enough training for the Downhill

The downhill on Kilimanjaro is challenging and you need to train hard for the downhill. Think about it like this. No matter what route you take you will have to descend from 19,341 feet to 5,500 feet all on foot over a 30-hour period. Yes, you will get to sleep and rest after standing on the summit. No matter who you are, this is a serious descent to the exit gate on Kilimanjaro.

Think about the scale of that descent. It is extremely challenging, and you need to be physically prepared. This decent is still hard for people who have access to hills and mountains if you are relying on gym training you need to train even harder. Read more about our training advice for climbing Kilimanjaro.

7). Hydration

Next to oxygen, water is the most important substance that our body needs to survive. Water makes up 60% of our body weight, and blood is normally about 94 percent water when the body is fully hydrated. Now, I am pretty sure that this is no surprise to any of you out there.

However, I can’t tell you how many times I have been out backpacking, hiking or mountaineering with folks that just don’t give proper hydration the attention that it deserves. The key is to sip water, a little and often. Almost like you are on a drip in a hospital. This is a critical factor in a well functioning body at altitude.

Contact the Experts

I understand that cost is an issue for most people but why travel halfway around the world to get sick, not summit and feel miserable. Do not compromise on acclimatization. Take it from Michelle, it is better to do it right the first time.

If you want to pay people correctly, have fresh food, use a nicer hotel, having seats with backs on them, have portable toilets, more support with more days on the mountain this is expensive. The permit alone for an 8-day trip using Kosovo Camp is USD $1,300.