We often say that anyone with a reasonable degree of fitness can climb Kilimanjaro.

This applies to people who are 50, 60, or even older.

Anne Lorimor is the world record holder for the oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro. She was 89 years old when she summited with Ultimate Kilimanjaro in 2019. In the same year, we also guided Nat Shaffir, who was 83 years old. These are two of the 10 oldest people to have climbed Kilimanjaro. 

Of course, these individuals are extreme outliers.

Most of our clients fall between the ages of 30 and 50. But it’s not unusual for us to guide people who are in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s. Mount Kilimanjaro is accessible to people across all generations. Age alone is not a limiting factor for success on the mountain. However, specific considerations should be taken into account for older climbers.

This article addresses how to climb Kilimanjaro for people over 50, or anyone whose fitness isn’t where it should be. We’ll cover the main challenges and what you can do to overcome them.

1. Fitness

As people age, their fitness level generally drops too. Vo2 max is one of the best indicators of aerobic fitness. It is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exertion. It falls roughly 10% per decade after 30. Put simply, your cardiovascular system gets worse over time. The heart pumps less blood, the lungs lose elasticity, and muscles don’t absorb oxygen as efficiently. 

To make matters worse, at high altitude, Vo2 max is suppressed due to lower oxygen, making physical efforts feel harder even at a slower paces. It decreases by about 3% for every 1,000 feet above 5,000 feet in elevation. That means on the summit of Kilimanjaro, your Vo2 max is reduced by about 45%. It’s like cutting your aerobic engine in half. And that might be asking too much of your body.

While some younger sedentary people can get by on youth alone, older people may not have that luxury. Therefore, training is vital. The goal is to boost your baseline cardiovascular fitness to compensate for the altitude-induced drop in performance.

We recommend following a dedicated training program that encompasses regular hiking and steady-state cardio. How long you should train for depends on your current hiking shape, but six to 12 months is a good starting point (see How Do I Train For Climbing Kilimanjaro).

Note that endurance isn’t enough. As you get older, your ability to bounce back between efforts also diminishes. Muscle repair slows and inflammation lingers longer. On standard Kilimanjaro itineraries, there are no rest days. To keep up with the schedule, your body needs to recover overnight and be ready to move again the following morning.

That’s why older climbers need to train not just for endurance, but also recovery. On occasion, hike for multiple days in a row and learn how your body feels on days two, three, or even four. That’s what Kilimanjaro will feel like. With intentional exercise, you can teach your body to handle repeated stress without breaking down. 

Here’s some good news. Despite common assumptions, there’s no solid evidence that acclimatization is harder for older people. Studies show that age itself doesn’t increase the likelihood of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Healthy older adults are fully capable of adapting to altitude. In fact, some studies suggest older people may acclimatize better. Possible reasons why are because they ascend more slowly, stay better hydrated, and avoid overexertion. Regardless, we always encourage customers to take longer routes, lasting 8 or 9 days, for the best chance of success and the lowest risk of altitude sickness.

2. Joint Wear and Impact

By age 50, most people have put a significant amount of strain on their joints. The natural aging process reduces shock absorption, stability, and flexibility. This wear-and-tear doesn’t prevent you from hiking, but it changes how you need to approach it.

Kilimanjaro isn’t technical, but it’s still hard on the body, especially during the descent. On summit day alone, you’ll descend nearly 9,000 feet (2,743 meters). That kind of impact can wreck your knees if you’re not prepared.

Here’s how to protect your joints. Strength train your legs with weighted squats, lunges, and step-ups to build support around the knees and hips. Use trekking poles every day to reduce impact and help with balance. Keep your backpack light to minimize the load on your joints. If you’ve had knee trouble in the past, wear a compression brace or use kinesiology tape for extra support. And if your knees are a big concern, consider using a route like Rongai, which has a more gradual descent profile compared to the descent on Mweka, which is known for its brutality.

3. Night Vision

As you age, your vision deteriorates. And night vision declines earlier and more noticeably than daytime or general visual acuity. It becomes harder to adjust to darkness, distinguish contrast, or see depth clearly. On Kilimanjaro, that could be a problem. Most summit attempts start around midnight. You’ll be hiking with a headlamp, in the dark, on rocky, uneven terrain, for six to eight hours. Combined with sleep deprivation, fatigue, altitude, cold and wind, poor visibility can result in slips and falls.

For most clients, we typically recommend simple headlamps with at least 80 lumens and have a run time of 50 hours or more. But if your night vision isn’t great, we suggest opting for a stronger headlamp for summit night. Choose a model with 300 or more lumens and a minimum 6-hour runtime at full power. Bring spare batteries, and swap them out if the beam dims.

There is another solution that removes the nighttime summit altogether. Our daytime summit routes allow you to leave camp near sunrise, hike in the daylight, and return to high camp before dark. For climbers with reduced night vision, it’s safer and more comfortable. 

4. Medical Check

Climbing Kilimanjaro is strenuous at any age. But the older you are, the more important it is to understand your health status before attempting the mountain. Older climbers have a higher chance of having undiagnosed or underlying conditions that can cause problems at altitude. That includes issues with the heart, lungs, blood sugar, and more.

The most serious concern is cardiovascular strain. Lower oxygen levels force your heart to work harder. This added stress can unmask cardiovascular problems that aren’t apparent at sea level. Though altitude sickness is the leading cause of fatalities on Kilimanjaro, cardiac events make up their fair share.

Though not required, we strongly recommend that everyone get a medical check before their climb – especially for those over 50. Talk to your doctor about whether high-altitude trekking is appropriate for your fitness level and health. Review all medications and understand how they may affect hydration, energy levels, and altitude response. Ask if Diamox is safe to take with your current meds.

If you’re over 60, or have a known risk factor, take it a step further and request a cardiac stress test. A basic physical or resting EKG isn’t enough to evaluate how your heart performs under exertion. Lastly, if you have any condition that makes you more vulnerable than the average person, tell us before you book. 

5. Mental Mindset

Many people make old age their crutch. They use it as an excuse to justify why they can’t do something instead of facing the actual challenge or taking responsibility. They say things like, “I’m too old for that.” or “That’s a young person’s game” – talking themselves out of something before they’ve even started. This mindset is damaging. It puts you in a negative frame of mind and gives you an easy out. It’s a built-in justification for underperforming and frankly, it’s nonsense.

Yes, your body changes with time. Physical things do become more difficult. But if you look around, there are countless examples of middle-aged people and seniors accomplishing amazing things in the world. Proof that the cliche is true – age is just a number. 

Anne Lorimor not only made her record breaking Kilimanjaro ascent at age 89, but it was her second summit. Five years before, she successfully climbed at 85 years old. Both of her summits happened while she was well in her 80’s. She’s a rare case, but it shows what’s possible (see Ultimate Kilimanjaro Guides 89 Year Old on Kilimanjaro For New World Record). 

So don’t see your age as a limitation. You’re not climbing with your age. You’re climbing with your mind, lungs and legs. With age comes experience, self-awareness, and mental grit – all of which are assets in the mountains. Older climbers tend to be more disciplined, better prepared and make fewer mistakes. 

6. Your Safety

As an older climber, you can’t afford to overlook safety. While every company claims to prioritize it, the reality is most fall short. Just because an operator uses pulse oximeters and carries bottled oxygen doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing.

At Ultimate Kilimanjaro, we have a robust safety program that is head and shoulders above the rest. We have a comprehensive, proven system that was co-developed with the knowledge and expertise of professional mountaineers, western doctors, and altitude experts (see our safety precautions). 

Most Kilimanjaro companies simply don’t have access to the training, equipment, or support required to manage serious altitude-related issues. As a result, their guides may be underprepared when things go wrong. We know this because our guides frequently assist climbers from other companies during emergencies. Time and again, the better guide companies step in when the incompetence of other teams is exposed. These climbers were very lucky that help was nearby. But your safety is too important to leave to chance.

There are less than a dozen active Kilimanjaro companies that we would personally trust with our lives and the lives of our friends and family.

Choose your operator carefully.

10 Seniors Who Climbed Kilimanjaro

Here are 10 remarkable people who’ve proven that age wasn’t a barrier for summiting Africa’s highest peak:

• Anne Lorimor – 89 years old: Arizona native and cancer survivor. First summited at 85, then reclaimed the world record at 89. She climbed with Ultimate Kilimanjaro. Read the story here.
• Fred Distelhorst – 88 years old: Retired orthodontist from Colorado who summited in 2017 with his granddaughter.
• Angela Vorobeva – 86 years old: Russian-born climber who reached the summit in 2015 at age 86.
• Robert J. Wheeler – 85 years old: U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and psychology professor. Summited in 2014 at age 85.
• Martin & Esther Kafer – 85 & 84 years old: Canadian couple who reached Uhuru Peak together in 2012 in their mid-80s.
• Richard Byerley – 84 years old: Washington state farmer who summited Kilimanjaro at 84 years old in 2011.
• Bernice Buum – 83 years old: South Dakota native who summited in 2010 with her niece.
• Nat Shaffir – 83 years old: Holocaust survivor who reached the summit in 2019 at age 83. He climbed with Ultimate Kilimanjaro. Read the story here.
• George Solt – 82 years old: British professor who summited Kilimanjaro in 2009 at age 82.
• John Thelen – 82 years old: California native and retired golfer who summited in 2024.