Summit night on Kilimanjaro, hour by hour
On most of my itineraries summit night starts between midnight and 2 am, from Barafu Camp (4,673 m) or Kibo Hut. You climb for 5 to 8 hours in the dark and cold to the crater rim, reach it around sunrise, and walk on to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) before descending to a lower camp the same day.
Key facts
- Start
- Midnight to 2 am (a wake-up around 11:30 pm on the Northern Circuit)
- Last camp
- Barafu Camp (4,673 m), Kibo Hut (4,720 m) or School Hut (4,800 m), depending on the route
- Time to the top
- 5 to 8 hours
- Crater rim
- Stella Point or Gilman's Point
- Summit
- Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m
- Safety
- More frequent checks, emergency oxygen, extra summit porters
What time does summit night start?
On the Machame, Lemosho and Umbwe routes we set off from Barafu Camp (4,673 m) between midnight and 2 am. On the Marangu and Rongai routes we start from Kibo Hut, also between midnight and 2 am. On the Northern Circuit we wake you around 11:30 pm at School Hut (4,800 m) with hot tea and biscuits.
What happens, hour by hour?
[NEEDS JOSEPH: a timeline from Barafu Camp and one from School Hut: wake-up, what you eat, when you leave, the rest stops, when you usually reach Stella Point or Gilman’s Point, Uhuru Peak, and back at camp. Real times from your climbs.]
How hard is it?
The climb from Barafu Camp to Stella Point, through heavy scree between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers, is the hardest part of the trek, mentally and physically.
[NEEDS JOSEPH: how you help climbers through it: pace, breaks, what you say to them.]
How cold does it get?
[NEEDS JOSEPH: temperatures and wind on summit night, by season. What to wear is in the packing list.]
How do you keep climbers safe on summit night?
On summit night we check more often as we climb. We carry emergency oxygen in case your oxygen level drops too low, and extra summit porters walk with the group to help in an emergency and to carry your day pack.
Because every group has at least two guides, one guide can take a climber down while the other carries on with the rest of the group. What happened when we had to do that is in Altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro.
What happens after the summit?
[NEEDS JOSEPH: the descent: how long it takes, where you rest and eat, and where you sleep (Mweka Camp, Horombo Hut or Millennium Camp, depending on the route).]
Questions people ask
What time do you start the summit climb on Kilimanjaro?
On most of my itineraries we set off between midnight and 2 am. On the Northern Circuit we wake you around 11:30 pm.
How long does summit night take?
5 to 8 hours up to Uhuru Peak, depending on the route, then the descent to a lower camp the same day.
How cold is it on summit night?
[NEEDS JOSEPH: typical temperatures, ideally from your own readings]
What if I can't make it to the top?
You are never left alone: every group has at least two guides. On a recent summit night one climber's oxygen level dropped below a safe level. Two summit porters and I took her down to base camp, while my assistant guide and another summit porter took the other climber in her group to the top and back.
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