Training for High Altitude

Physical training can help you prepare for altitude by getting your body in fantastic form. The ability to quickly respond to changes in oxygen level, on the other hand, is entirely hereditary. As the Kilimanjaro climbing success statistics demonstrate, some people can summit in as little as 5 days (not recommended), while others fail after 8 days. It’s hard to know how a potential climber will do in an oxygen-depleted environment until he or she is there.

Climbers can pre-acclimate at home with high altitude training techniques, dramatically enhancing their success rate, safety, and enjoyment of the climb.

Altitude training techniques mimic high altitudes to help the body make positive biological adaptations. Aside from visiting (and staying in) high altitude locations, the only way to pre-acclimate to high altitude before your trip is to use a high altitude training technique (see Pre-Acclimatization).