Mount Kilimanjaro

Visiting

From Lemosho Gate the trail climbs through rainforest, then moorland, then alpine desert, and crosses the Shira Plateau on the way. On the middle days you walk up to a new height and drop back down to sleep, which is how your body adjusts. Walk slowly from the first hour, even when the pace feels too easy.

Summit night starts with a wake-up at 11pm and a departure near midnight, wearing every layer you own. Expect a long line of head torches, a steep scree path, and the coldest, hardest stretch between 3am and 4am. Keep your water bottle inside your jacket, because it can freeze.

Dawn breaks near Stella Point on the crater rim, with Mawenzi black against the sunrise. Expect to stand on Uhuru Peak around 8am, about eight hours after leaving Barafu Camp, then start down the Mweka route.