Kilimanjaro
Packing List

What the climb is actually like

Pole pole — the pace of the mountain. Your guide will say it a hundred times. The instinct is to hike at normal trail speed; the reality is that at altitude, that pace is unsustainable. Slow down until it feels almost embarrassingly slow. That is the correct pace.

The Machame route begins in dense equatorial rainforest that quickly gives way to moorland and then alpine desert. On Day 3, the famous Shira Plateau acclimatisation hike climbs to 4,000 m before descending back to 3,900 m to sleep — "climb high, sleep low" in practice.

Barafu Camp, your summit launch pad at 4,600 m, is a bleak scree plateau. You sleep from 7 pm to 11 pm, then rise to start the summit push at midnight. The cold is savage. Fresh snow on the Crater Rim is common even in dry season. The headlamp you carry matters — 400 lm minimum, fully charged, spare batteries in your pocket.

The crew changes everything. On Kilimanjaro, your team of guides and porters is as important as your gear. They carry the weight, cook the food, set up camp, and read the mountain. Tip generously — there are official guides on minimum tip amounts — and treat the crew with the same respect you give your summit partner.

One honest toilet tip: the long drops on the Machame route are functional but grim. Pack biodegradable wet wipes. And on summit night, accept that you will need to stop on the crater rim. Dress warmly enough that two minutes outside doesn't cost you core temperature.