Training & Coaching
Training is one of the most important parts of preparing for Kilimanjaro and can make a huge difference to both your enjoyment on the mountain and your chances of reaching the summit. The better prepared you are before arriving in Tanzania, the more comfortable and enjoyable your Kilimanjaro experience is likely to be. Everybody starts from a different fitness level. Whether you're already an active hiker or just beginning your training journey, the key is to gradually build your fitness and confidence before the climb.
Kilimanjaro is More About Endurance Than Speed
One of the biggest surprises for first-time climbers is how slowly the mountain is climbed.
On Kilimanjaro, guides often use the phrase "pole pole" - meaning "slowly slowly" in Swahili. Success on the mountain is rarely about being the fastest person in the group. Instead, it is about maintaining a steady pace, conserving energy, and allowing your body time to acclimatise to the altitude.
The same principle applies to training. Focus on building endurance and spending time on your feet rather than short bursts of intense exercise.
Find out more about training for a mountain hike
How should you do it?
You should start with small-ish distances and work up to the length you’ll be hiking on your trip. To start, leave a day in between each walk to let your body recover. But as you get fitter, try to do back-to-back sessions each day, it’ll help build your stamina. Ideally, you want to be able to walk 4-6 hours before your adventure.
Your fitness shouldn't only be based on your cardiovascular endurance, you need to be strong too. You need powerful legs to carry you up a mountain or along a trail, a capable core to support your backpack and strong arms to support you as you use poles. Therefore, it is essential to include full body resistance training into your routine to reduce the risk of injury.
Rest and recovery is essential to allow our bodies to build up the strength, power and endurance we need to climb mountains. So take at least one to two full rest days per week, and if you have the time then incorporate some recovery practices on these days such as stretching and mobility work
For a copy of our 16 week generic mountain & hike fit training plan
How we can help!
Bespoke training plans & remote coaching
Remote Coaching
We work with clients all around the world, offering bespoke training packages and remote coaching.
Enabling our clients to reach their full fitness potential in the lead up to their Adventure or just for improving their general strength and fitness.
What we can do for you
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Increase stamina
- Maximise functional strength
- Optimise explosive power
- Develop core strength
- Work on stability and balance
- Build muscle tone
- Adjust diet
- Improve general wellbeing
- Advance hiking endurance
How we do this:
- 4-week daily training plan, updated monthly
- Goal specific cardio sessions, progressive
- Detailed strength sessions, progressive
- Specialist bodyweight exercise session plans
- Connection on Strava to check and track workouts
- Monthly call to discuss and update plan
- Constant contact available via email and WhatsApp
- Advice and guidance on nutrition