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Is 50 too old to climb Kilimanjaro?

Senior climbers on Kilimanjaro are just as likely to get to the summit as younger people. It just take us longer! Just to reiterate: if you are over 50, you are just as likely to get to the summit of Kilimanjaro as those who have yet to reach their half century.



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The official minimum age to summit is set by the Kilimanjaro National Park authorities, although the risks of trekking at altitude mean it is advised against rushing into this trek with a child. For this reason, most tour operators only offer this trek to children aged 12 and upwards.

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People With Poor Physical Fitness: While fitness levels vary among individuals, it's important to recognize that Mt. Kilimanjaro is a strenuous climb. It requires days of hiking up the mountain under extreme conditions, so those who are not fit enough to endure such an experience should not attempt it.

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A reasonable degree of fitness is sufficient for climbing Kilimanjaro for most people, provided that they can acclimatize well. We recommend training for at least two months prior to coming to Tanzania. If you are already in hiking shape, great.

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The Statistics of Kilimanjaro Summit Struggles This sobering statistic is due to a number of factors, ranging from altitude sickness to even the climber's own attitude. The success rate of climbers attempting Kilimanjaro is estimated to be between 45% and 65%.

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How fit do you need to be to climb Kilimanjaro? Climbing Kilimanjaro is graded strenuous and you should be in good physical fitness and have experience of multi-day trekking or walking trips prior to undertaking a Kilimanjaro climb.

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As we have said, Kilimanjaro is not a technical hike and is perfectly suitable for beginners with little or no experience. The most difficult part of the climb is dealing with altitude and also if your not use to camping it's going to be a challenge.

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A reasonable degree of fitness is sufficient for most people to have a successful climb. As we mentioned before, Kilimanjaro is suitable for beginners; they do very well. The best advice is for everyone to arrive in great shape. Don't underestimate the climb because you know someone did it who you believe was not fit.

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A reasonable degree of fitness is sufficient for most people to have a successful climb. As we mentioned before, Kilimanjaro is suitable for beginners; they do very well. The best advice is for everyone to arrive in great shape.

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Despite standing at a height of 5,895 meters (19,341 feet), Mount Kilimanjaro does not have a traditional “Death Zone” like those found in high-altitude mountaineering, as its summit falls well below the 8,000-meter mark.

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How many people per year die on Kilimanjaro? Most Mount Kilimanjaro deaths are attributed to altitude sickness, particularly Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE).

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The overall success rate on Kilimanjaro is 65%, while the success rate on 5-day routes is just 27%. 6-day routes have a 44% success rate, 7-day routes a 64% success rate, and 8-day routes a success rate of 85%.

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Mount Kilimanjaro is a fair difficult mountain to climb – recent research suggests that over 50% of those who attempt it suffer from mountain sickness and just over 65% of them are unable to reach the summit.

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At this height, the air pressure (and the amount of oxygen it contains) is less than half that at sea level, and has been said to be comparable to 'working with only one lung'.

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You want to be in good physical shape to climb Kilimanjaro, but there's no need to be super-fit. This is a trek, not a climb after all, and if you can run for 30 minutes two to three times a week, and enjoy an all day hike at weekends, you should be fine. That said, many people do underestimate Kili.

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Firstly, in our opinion, the summit day on Kilimanjaro is harder than anything you will encounter on the Everest Base Camp Trek. However, the days on Everest Base Camp treks are longer. Also, the day to day trekking is a bit tougher than on Kilimanjaro.

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The average cost to climb Kilimanjaro is $2000 to $6000, the price varies from cheap, budget operators to large Western travel agents selling outsourced climbs at an inflated price. There are various, unavoidable fixed costs to any tour operator and if a climb seems too cheap, you've got to ask yourself why.

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The average cost to climb Kilimanjaro is $2000 to $6000, the price varies from cheap, budget operators to large Western travel agents selling outsourced climbs at an inflated price. There are various, unavoidable fixed costs to any tour operator and if a climb seems too cheap, you've got to ask yourself why.

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Kilimanjaro's altitude is a significant challenge, but climbers do not need supplemental oxygen to climb Kilimanjaro or reach the summit. To reach to the summit you use the acclimatization method of walking slowly “pole pole” climb high, sleep low.

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Ideally, you'll begin your Kilimanjaro Climb between 8:00 and 8:30 each morning. Your trekking hours hugely depend upon the route and the day but on most days you'll trek for around 4 to 7 hours.

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For the best results, plan for 8 weeks of training before your Kilimanjaro Trek. This will allow you to build your endurance and strength. 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.

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You can have temporary weight loss after your Kilimanjaro Climb. This weight loss is a result of dehydration and may be regained after you are finished the climb. For some people Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a way of losing weight. People must deliver the goods weight loss through the hiking training.

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So to conclude, depending on your current level of fitness, you are certainly going to need some training to take on Kilimanjaro. You do not have to be Usain Bolt fit, but as long as you're moderately fit, healthy and prepared you can climb Kilimanjaro without doing yourself a mischief.

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