Life on the Mountain
If you are thinking of signing up to a trip, but you are not sure what to expect, here is a little insight into mountain life on Kilimanjaro.
A typical day...Around 5.30-6am our porters wake us with a steaming cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Bleary eyed this is a welcomed sight after a potentially restless night. A bowl of hot water is also awaiting as we unzip our tent door to have a hot wash and wake up properly! Breakfast is usually served at around 6.30am and at around 7.30am we begin trekking as a group.
We spend around 4-5 hours trekking in the morning, stopping for breaks until reaching our lunch stop. We take a longer break here before continuing in the afternoon for around another 4 hrs depending on the day’s distance. On arrival into camp our tents will already be pitched with our luggage waiting, so we can kick off our walking boots and get into some warmer clothes. Our porters will rally around, plying us with well deserved hot drinks and snacks before dinner at around 6pm. After dinner our Action Challenge Leader will brief us on the day ahead before we settle into our sleeping bags and attempt a full night’s sleep!
Food glorious food...We are real foodies at Action Challenge and whilst we cannot promise a gastronomic feast on the mountain, we do ensure there is plenty of food which is varied and wholesome. Breakfast is usually a hot drink with bread/ toast and spreads, porridge, eggs and sausage. Our cook team then hurries ahead of us to set up the mess tent and provide us with a hot lunch. This usually consists of a starter soup, followed by either a rice or pasta dish with meat and veggies.
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On arrival into camp hot drinks and snacks are usually served before we tuck into the main event, which again is usually a hot soup starter, followed by a more substantial main than lunch, perhaps a warm winter stew, or meat and fish with lots of veggies, pasta or rice followed by a pudding or cake if it is a special occasion. We also recommend that participants pack some of their favourite snacks to enjoy throughout the day. Our tip: Pack some ginger biscuits or some ginger tea as this is a fantastic natural remedy for nausea, a symptom of altitude sickness. 
Life under canvas...When we are not trekking, our life on the mountain is spent mainly under canvas. We even go to the toilet in our specially designed toilet tent! For the majority of our Kilimanjaro Challenges we supply a 3 man branded expedition tent between 2 people, which means that everyone gets plenty of room for both sleeping and for their luggage. If camping doesn't appeal to you, we also offer challenges on the classic Marangu Route, where we stay in communal huts that sleep from around 4 to up to 20 people.
Keeping hydrated...Every day our porters will have boiled and chemically treated water ready first thing in the morning, at lunch and before dinner. We recommend having a 3 litre hydration system to fill for trekking and a 1 litre water container for in camp, and to drink as much as possible throughout the day so as not to become de-hydrated. Flavoured electrolytes or powered energy drinks are fantastic at replenishing vital body salts you may lose during trekking. You can even create your own banana and chocolate recovery mountain shakes to enjoy at the end of a day! With this in mind, we strongly advise against any alcohol consumption whilst on the mountain. We will have plenty of time to party at the end of the challenge!
In sickness & in health...
Through sickness and in health people get to the summit. Some fair better than others and our daily health becomes very much part of life on the mountain. We can all make things a lot more pleasant for ourselves by taking some simple steps.
Hand SanitiserUsing on a regular basis prevents us picking up bacterial infections.
Food
Taking on as many calories as we can, little and often keeps our energy levels high.
Water
Drinking at least 3-5 litres of fluid keeps us hydrated. Our daily in-take of water can also be combined with flavoured energy mixer and re-hydration salts.
Positive Mental Attitude
Breaking down our trekking into small stages allows us to mentally achieve every step of the way. Treating ourselves to our favourite snacks as reward along the way also helps!
Stretch & Rest
We stretch down at the end of the day and recommend people bring some muscle rub to alleviate any aches and pains in the evenings before resting for the night.
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AltitudeA very real issue on Kilimanjaro, altitude affects everyone differently. As such, we have devoted a whole section to this subject. To find out more about trekking at altitude, please click here >
Summit Day...
As summit day approaches, anticipation and excitement builds, and perhaps a little apprehension. Throughout our journey there have may been highs and lows, but this is it! As midnight approaches, we get ready for our ultimate challenge.
If ‘Life on the Mountain’ feels like it’s for you, you can join one of our many Open Group climbs throughout the year that bring linke-minded people together to share in the Kilimanjaro journey. Sign up today from just £399! Or if you have your own private group, we can help you organise the perfect Private Trip.
If you have any questions, please give us a call on +44 (0) 20 7609 6695 or send us an email to kili@actionchallenge.com and we will be happy to answer any questions.
As summit day approaches, anticipation and excitement builds, and perhaps a little apprehension. Throughout our journey there have may been highs and lows, but this is it! As midnight approaches, we get ready for our ultimate challenge.
If ‘Life on the Mountain’ feels like it’s for you, you can join one of our many Open Group climbs throughout the year that bring linke-minded people together to share in the Kilimanjaro journey. Sign up today from just £399! Or if you have your own private group, we can help you organise the perfect Private Trip.
If you have any questions, please give us a call on +44 (0) 20 7609 6695 or send us an email to kili@actionchallenge.com and we will be happy to answer any questions.
