Blog 
Safari 
Kilimanjaro 
Contacts 
Climbing Climbing Kilimanjaro has turned many people into record holders in ways you might not expect. From the fastest and slowest climbers of to athletes, musicians, and newlyweds, the mountain has seen a diverse range of achievements. Some reached the summit in pursuit of glory, while others aimed to support charitable causes. Altezza Travel is excited to present a new list of Kilimanjaro expedition records, showcasing these remarkable feats.
Fastest ascent of Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro speed records highlight the incredible mix of endurance and speed needed to quickly conquer Africa's iconic peak. Currently, the fastest ascent record belongs to Swiss-Ecuadorian athlete Karl Egloff. In 2014, he took the Umbwe route and reached the summit in just 4 hours and 56 minutes. He then descended to Mweka gate in 1 hour and 46 minutes, making his total time for the fastest ascent and descent 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 24 seconds. This record has stood for the past 10 years.
The fastest ascent and descent of Kilimanjaro was by Karl Egloff — 4 hours and 56 minutes.
The previous record was held by Spanish mountain runner Kílian Jornet, who in 2010 made the round trip to the summit and back in 7 hours and 14 minutes.
Fastest female climber
Among female high-altitude runners, the fastest ascent of Kilimanjaro remains with Danish climber Kristina Schou Madson. She ran up the Mweka route and completed the climb from the base to the mountain’s summit in 6 hours, 52 minutes, and 54 seconds. The total time for the ascent and descent of the Kilimanjaro trek was 13 hours, 30 minutes, and 39 seconds. Kristina set this record in 2018, and it has remained unbeaten since.
Karl Egloff was born in Ecuador and had been climbing mountains since he was a kid, but Kristina Madson faced the challenge of finding a suitable place for training. The highest peak in Denmark is only 170 meters (560 feet) above sea level. To prevent conditions like Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), Kristina's training included using treadmills and stair machines. The lack of mountains did not stop her from setting a record.
Fastest solo ascent
Another speed record worth mentioning belongs to a Tanzanian. This is significant not only because Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, but because of the conditions of this ascent. Tanzanian Simon Mtuy stands out among the other high-altitude runners because he completed a speed ascent without any team support. He carried all his gear, as well as water and food. In this sense, Simon's 2006 record remains unbeaten. His round trip took him 9 hours and 19 minutes.
Fastest group ascent
The fastest group ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro was achieved in 2015. Eighteen climbers, led by the well-known "The Iceman" Wim Hof, reached the summit in 31 hours and 25 minutes.
Who completed the slowest ascent of Kilimanjaro?
The slowest ascent also deserves attention as it is one of the most unique Kilimanjaro speed records.
One notable story is the expedition by Germans Fritz Klute and Eduard Oehler. These men spent 4.5 months in the upper parts of Kilimanjaro. Their goal was to explore the highest mountain in Africa meticulously instead of simply reaching its summit. Klute and Oehler were the first to create a detailed map of Kilimanjaro. Their scientific expedition took place in 1912.
The members of this prolonged expedition could not reach the highest peak of Kilimanjaro because of Oehler’s poor health. Even so, they were the first in human history to climb to the highest point on Mawenzi — the second-highest peak in the Kilimanjaro mountain range.
Besides the 4.5 months in the high regions, the scientists spent another 2 months on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. The expedition did not reach the summit but explored the main crater of Kibo. Indeed, this route, which lasted over six months and included a visit to the crater, can be considered the slowest. Today, such a lengthy expedition is unimaginable because of the daily fees for staying on Kilimanjaro, as the mountain lies within a national park.
Who is the oldest climber of Kilimanjaro?
Who are the youngest and the oldest climbers that have reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro?
While men are more likely to set speed records, women often lead when it comes to age-related achievements. In 2019, American Anne Lorimor reached the summit of Kilimanjaro at 89 years and 37 days and became the oldest woman to conquer Kilimanjaro. This record remains unbeaten. An interesting fact: this was Anne Lorimor’s second attempt to set an age record. She had previously climbed Kilimanjaro in 2015, but her record was surpassed a few months later by Russian octagenarian Angela Vorobeva. Therefore, Anne returned to the mountain four years later.
Anne Lorimor reached the summit of Kilimanjaro at 89 years old.
When considering seasoned gentlemen only, the leader is Fred Distelhorst from the USA, who climbed to the Roof of Africa at the age of 88. His expedition took place in 2017. Another notable individual is Robert Wheeler, who, in 2014, successfully reached the summit at the ripe old age of 85.
Who is the youngest person to climb Kilimanjaro?
According to the rules of Kilimanjaro National Park, a child must be at least 10 years old to take part in a climb. However, if there are sufficient grounds, an exception can be made, granting a special permit to younger children. This is how the youngest participants of Kilimanjaro expeditions gain their right to climb the mountain.
The official youngest Kilimanjaro's climber is 5-year-old Ognjen Živković from a Serbian-German family. He reached Uhuru Peak alongside his father, Zoran has been passionate about mountaineering for many years and has instilled a love of mountain expeditions in his son. According to his father, Ognjen has been hiking since he was three.
The youngest climber on Kilimanjaro — Ognjen Živković — is 5 years old
At the time of the ascent in August 2023, the boy was 5 years old. This made Ognjen the new record holder as the youngest person to climb Kilimanjaro. However, his record was not included in the Guinness Book of Records: they do not register records for individuals under 16. Moreover, some climbers and guides reported that porters occasionally carried the boy during the climb. Ognjen’s father states porters did help his son across mud and slippery rocks in one area, but this happened off the main route.
It is worth mentioning 6-year-old American Coaltan Tanner — the previous record holder. He held the title of the youngest participant of a Kilimanjaro expedition since 2018.
Among girls, the youngest climber is 6-year-old Ashleen Mandrik from Brighton, England. Her journey to the Roof of Africa took place in September 2019.
From our point of view, expeditions to Mount Kilimanjaro with such young children are risky. After organizing expeditions for over 10 years, we at Altezza Travel have concluded that the optimal age to climb Kilimanjaro is 10 years, recommended by the national park. The older the child, the better for their well-being.
Can you climb Kilimanjaro backwards?
Two people climbed Kilimanjaro backwards. One was South African, and the other was Nepalese. The last one, Sanjay Pandit, achieved the summit remarkably quickly — . However, both of them only ascended Mount Kilimanjaro backward and then descended in the usual manner. In 2024, British climber Ben Stewart became the first person to complete the ascent and descent in such a peculiar way.
Ben's biggest challenge was managing his neck — it is easy to get injured when constantly looking behind for several days. He devised a neck training method and had previously used this technique while climbing some British mountains. During the Kilimanjaro expedition, his team provided support on the most difficult sections.
This method of drawing attention might be considered a foolish gimmick, but in this case, the hype was justified — Ben Stewart raised funds for the British Heart Foundation before his expedition. Most people direct these actions towards raising either charity funds or awareness of social issues. So, don’t be too quick to scoff when you hear about unusual ways of conquering Kilimanjaro.
What were the records of people with disabilities on Kilimanjaro?
Climbing Kilimanjaro is not easy even for those in excellent health, with all bodily functions operating as expected. This makes the achievements of individuals with physical limitations, such as missing limbs, stand out even more.
In 2021, the media reported that Swedish adventurer Aron Anderson became the first wheelchair user to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. He lost both legs before he had even turned 10 years old because of spinal cancer. Today, he is a well-known Paralympic athlete and motivational speaker.
Aron climbed Kilimanjaro using his unique three-wheeled bicycle, reaching the Kibo Hut on the Marangu Route. Beyond this point, where the terrain became rocky and steep, he abandoned his vehicle and crawled like a snake. He reached the special place on Stella Point, where he could get his certificate and start the descent. However, exhausted, Aron only requested special permission to stay overnight, and the next day he reached the highest point on Kilimanjaro.
There were wheelchair users who had climbed the Roof of Africa before Aron. The true pioneer was South African Bernard Goosen, who accomplished this feat twice. First in 2003, and then again in 2007, improving his speed — it took him 9 days the first time and only 6 the second time. Reports suggest that he reached Kilimanjaro's summit both times.
The first woman to climb Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair was Erica Davis in 2012. There is also an impressive story of Spencer West, who lost his legs at five due to a genetic condition and reached the summit of Kilimanjaro in the same year as Erica, using only his hands. He stated he had to cover 80% of the distance with the help of his hands, which made them calloused. Nevertheless, Spencer was ecstatic to reach the Roof of Africa.
American Kyle Maynard, an athlete and motivational speaker, also gained fame for his Kilimanjaro ascent. He lives with a condition known as congenital amputation, which involves incomplete development of limbs. In 2012, he became the first to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without fully developed arms and legs. It took him 10 days to complete the ascent.
These and many other conquerors of the highest mountain in Africa have organized charitable fundraisers and drawn public attention to the issues faced by people with special needs. For example, Kyle Maynard’s team comprised wounded American military veterans, aiming to raise awareness of this social issue. His mission also donated $25,000 worth of medical supplies to a school for the blind in Tanzania.
What are the sports records on Kilimanjaro?
Kilimanjaro is not only a canvas for mountaineers but also a stage for amazing sports achievements. Athletes and adventurers from around the globe have pushed their limits in this majestic arena. Whether it is leaping from its heights in a wingsuit or playing football in its craters, Kilimanjaro never fails to inspire and test those who dare to make their mark in various sports.
The first BASE jump
In 2015, Russian extreme athlete Valery Rozov achieved the first-ever BASE jump from Kilimanjaro. BASE jumping involves athletes wearing wingsuits that allow them to glide through the air. They jump from high fixed objects and land safely using a parachute. This extreme sport is considered among the most dangerous in the world.
Altezza Travel organized his expedition to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Valery jumped from the Western Breach Wall, positioned 5,460 meters (17,910 feet) above the sea level. Sadly, 2.5 years later, Valery Rozov tragically lost his life in Nepal during another extreme jump.
Highlining on Kilimanjaro
In 2016, alpinist Stephan Siegrist set a record in highlining on Kilimanjaro during an expedition with Altezza Travel. Highlining is an extreme sport involving balancing on a tightrope stretched high between two anchor points.
On Kilimanjaro, the rope was anchored between rock towers at a height of 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) above sea level. Stephan Siegrist successfully acclimated to the high altitude and walked 20 meters (66 feet) on the thin rope. Before this, no one had achieved this feat at such a high elevation.
The highest-altitude football match
In 2017, an epic football match took place on Kilimanjaro at an altitude of 5,714 meters (18,750 feet) above sea level. Right in the crater of the highest volcano, Kibo, Volcano FC played against Glacier FC. The game ended in a draw, but the score didn’t matter. What truly did was that all the players were women, and their primary goal was to raise awareness about gender inequality in sports. Who can claim women are weaker or less resilient after this?
Thirty women aged between 18 and 66 played for ninety minutes at this immense height, overcoming altitude sickness, shortness of breath, and cold. In the crater, temperatures range from 0 °C to -20 °C (32 °F to -4 °F). The altitude affects the human body so significantly that not everyone can even reach this point, let alone engage in physical activity. Overall, these athletes are true heroines, forever etching their names in the history of Kilimanjaro's sporting achievements.
An interesting fact: the rocky surface of Kibo was covered with volcanic dust, and the women had to use their ingenuity to prepare the football field. They used trekking poles as corner flags and marked the field with flour. Here is a short video of this remarkable event.
Other sports events also took place in that same crater. Notably, a cricket match was held there in 2014, and a rugby match in 2015. The volcano’s crater served as the finish line for marathons, attracting even more athletes who aimed to set records on the highest free-standing mountain.
First parachute jump into Kilimanjaro crater
Undoubtedly, the most striking sporting achievement on Mount Kilimanjaro was the group parachute jump into the crater of the Kibo volcano. Although there is not much information about this event, we can find some details in the Tanganyika Notes and Records journal.
The jump took place on March 11, 1962, and was performed by French parachutists Jean-Claude Dubois, Bernard Couture, and Jean-Claude Camus, all aged 25. They beat the record for the highest parachute drop. Today, people set records for jumping from the stratosphere at altitudes exceeding 40 kilometers (25 miles). In the 1960s, however, it was hard enough to even find an aircraft capable of reaching the necessary height.
The primary goal of this jump was to study the effects of rapid altitude changes on the human body. Two group members were doctors and wanted to experience that impact by themselves. The parachutists landed, immediately began their descent, and reached Marangu Gate—the main starting point for Kilimanjaro expeditions at that time—in about 13 hours.
Are There Musical Records on Kilimanjaro?
Once, a genuine Celtic harp was brought to the highest peak of Kilimanjaro — at 5,895 meters (19,340 feet). To be played there, of course; and the music sounded magnificent.
In 2023, a group of people carried that 11-kilogram (24-pound) musical instrument to Africa's highest mountain. The goal was to hold the highest-altitude harp concert. For 18 minutes Irish musician Siobhan Brady performed several compositions, including Ed Sheeran's well-known song ‘Little Bird’.
Alas, this was not the first musical event on Kilimanjaro. That record was set a few months earlier in the same year, by Tanzanian musician Joseph Simion Misa, also known as DJ Joozey. He performed a 15-minute DJ set, marking it as the first musical performance at the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Can you get pizza delivered to Mt. Kilimanjaro?
Did you know you can order pizza with your favorite toppings on Kilimanjaro? Okay, that was a joke — Altezza Travel and other tour operators don’t deliver hot pizza to the mountain. But it did happen, once.
In 2016, Pizza Hut opened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city. It was the first franchise restaurant in all of Tanzania, and Tanzania became the 100th country in the world with this chain. To mark this event, they aimed to enter the Guinness World Records. Hats off to the brilliant work of their marketers.
They designed a special battery-heated backpack for this mission, allowing one to carry the pizza horizontally and keep it warm. The pizza traveled a long way: first by car, then by plane, and finally up the mountain, carried by members of a special expedition team. The journey took four days, covering 745 kilometers (460 miles).
If you’re not drooling yet, just wait another minute. A hot aromatic pepperoni pizza with spicy sausages reached the summit. This isn't an advertisement, and sadly, we won't be receiving any delicious pizza from the famous pizzeria for mentioning this record in our article. But the record itself is quite remarkable.
And what about burgers?
A few years after the pizza record on Kilimanjaro, another fast-food chain made its mark. This time, it was the British Honest Burgers. They prepared a vegan burger, vacuum-sealed it, and delivered it to Tanzania, reaching the highest point on the African continent. This set a record for the highest-elevation burger delivery on land. This achievement took place in 2022.
The event was less about the burger and more about a charity initiative. The Standing Tall Foundation, an organization that focuses on mental health and physical well-being held it. It was founded by British veteran Andy Reid, who lost three limbs in an explosion device in Afghanistan.
The tragedy occurred in October 2009, and every October since then, Reid has set an ambitious goal to raise money for charity. Climbing the Roof of Africa was challenging for Andy, but he admitted he was on cloud nine when he succeeded. And, a delicious burger reached an unprecedented height.
We have mentioned that tour operators usually do not organize food deliveries on climbers' whims, but now we want to add to it. In special cases, Altezza Travel delivers food to Kilimanjaro for its clients, for example, birthday cakes or treats for other special occasions.
Can you get married at Kilimanjaro's summit?
In 2016, the summit of Kilimanjaro hosted its first-ever wedding ceremony. Although proposals do happen on Africa's highest mountain, a full wedding with a bishop had never been conducted there before. The historic ceremony was held for the couple Dustin Smoot and Stacey M Alley.
Do credit cards work at the top of Kilimanjaro?
At the end of 2023, an unusual financial expedition took place to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. The expedition members were representatives of the National Bank of Commerce (NBC), one of Tanzania's oldest banks, ranking among the top five in terms of capitalization. Their goal was to demonstrate the technological capabilities of Tanzanian banking services by making a money transfer from the highest point in Africa. To achieve this, they brought along a payment terminal.
Their mission was a success — transactions were completed at all key points along the Marangu route: Mandara, Horombo, Kibo, Gilman's Point, Stella Point, and even at the summit.
As you can see, Kilimanjaro has many records. We have listed some of the most interesting ones, but there are many more. New achievements continue to emerge over time. If you know of any updates to these records, please let us know, and we’ll add the information to this article.
All that remains is to discuss the historic record of the very first documented ascent to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro first?
The first ascent of Kilimanjaro took place on October 6, 1889. The pioneering climbers were experienced traveler Hans Meyer and professional alpinist Ludwig Purtscheller.
Before this, Meyer had made two futile attempts to climb the mountain. The first attempt was thwarted by the snow and ice, which were much more extensive than they are now. On the second attempt, en route to Kilimanjaro, rebels involved in the Abushiri Revolt captured him. This was an unsuccessful uprising against German colonization in 1888–1889 on the coast. Only on his third attempt did the persistent German conquer Kilimanjaro, etching his name into the history of this African mountain. The highest peak of the Mawenzi volcano was named in his honor.
Birdwatching 
History 
Islands 
Tanzania 
Wildlife 
Safari 
LOCATED IN TANZANIA
