15/10/2024
Why do we climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro at night?
Climbing Kilimanjaro at night offers several advantages, including better trail conditions, higher margins of safety, and more spectacular views. We realize that a night ascent can be challenging, due to the darkness, the cold and the wind.
So, while it might not sound so enjoyable to climb Kilimanjaro in the middle of the night, know that there are compelling reasons behind why we do it and it is with your best interest at heart.
It’s for this reason that I say that climbing Kilimanjaro is fun for about 90% of the time. But that other 10%, when you’re pushing for the summit, well that’s where you earn your certificate.
Well, in the two decades as tour operator I’ve never really come up with a definitive answer. But here are the top three most common ‘reasons’ that I’ve heard down the years:
1. It’s easier.
As you get towards the Crater rim, you’ll notice that the ground is largely made up of shale – tiny bits of stone/gravel. During the day, ascending on shale can be like climbing a sand dune. That is to say, every time you take two steps up the slope, the shifting sand/gravel moves you back down the slope again. This soon becomes exhausting. However, at night the shale freezes in place – which makes it easier to ascend.
2. If something goes wrong, you’ve got an entire day of daylight to get down off the mountain.
The most likely place where you are going to get into trouble, and the most remote place, is the very summit itself, of course, known as Uhuru Peak. After all, this is where the air is at its thinnest. So if you are going to get into trouble there, it’s best you arrive at dawn, so your team has got the maximum amount of daylight available to evacuate you.
3. The idea of reaching the very highest point in Africa as Dawn breaks across the continent is a romantic and alluring one.
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