7 tips for a successful Kilimanjaro summit night

High altitude can make you feel nauseous or lose your appetite (you can learn more about the side effects of high altitude in Kilimanjaro altitude sickness.) But please eat a good dinner the night before your summit climb, even if you don't feel like it. You have a very long and hard day of trekking ahead of you, so your body will need the fuel to keep going.

Most climbers head to their tents around 7 pm the evening before the summit attempt. This is because, as you now know, you'll be roused at 11 pm by the mountain crew to get ready for the summit climb. Don't stress if you can't sleep during these four hours. But we still recommend snuggling up in your sleeping bag and resting as best you can. Your body will still benefit from it, sleep or no sleep.

Barafu is base camp for most Kilimanjaro trekkers on summit night

We recommend including a balaclava in your Kilimanjaro summit night packing list. It can be incredibly windy near the summit, and a balaclava is essential for protecting your face (especially your nose and lips). Overexposure to the dry cold and the wind can lead to painfully cracked skin and peeling lips.

On summit night, the hose and mouthpiece for your hydration pack (water bladder) will freeze over. So in the early hours of the trek, before the sunrise, drink from your water bottle, which should have capacity for at least one litre of water.

As we discuss in our The ultimate Kilimanjaro packing list, you should place your water bottle in a thermal sock and keep it close to your body or in the deepest part of your backpack to ensure the water stays liquid.

Also, since water freezes from top to bottom, you should carry your bottle upside down so that even if the top part freezes, you can still access some liquid. Just ensure you bring a quality bottle that won't leak when carried upside down!

Extreme cold drains batteries quicker than normal. We suggest that you pop your spare batteries into your sleeping bag with you in the hours leading up to summit night. Then, when it's time to set out, place those in your head torch (lamp) so that you're less likely to have to fumble around in the dark at some point to replace your worn-out batteries.

Trekkers setting out by the light of head torches on summit night

Pay attention to the advice of your Kilimanjaro guides the night before your summit attempt. They've been there many times and know what's what.

Then, as we discuss in How hard is summit night on Kilimanjaro?, lean on them during summit night. You have a steep, sometimes slippery and all-round tough ascent in the dark and cold of night to tackle, so you invariably need the moral and sometimes practical support of your experienced mountain crew.

Your crew is your greatest asset in helping you to conquer summit night

Remember that your crew is there to encourage you, talk you through things, troubleshoot any issues – so there's no need to tough it out on your own!

As soon as the sun starts to rise, please ensure that you protect your face, eyes and lips from the harsh UV rays. Remember that you burn much easier at extreme altitude.

Follow Alice CTO Marco says:

There's always time for a quick selfie!

Chris Sichalwe, Director of Follow Alice Tanzania, has summited Kilimanjaro hundreds of times. In the video below he offers invaluable advice for summit night as well as for the trek in general.