"I plan to climb Kilimanjaro this summer with my wife and 3 children. My youngest is a very fit and experienced mountaineer (for example, he summitted Mount St. Helens when he was 7 and Mount Olympus when he was 8)and I therefore have no hesitation in taking him. However, he will be 10 in October and I have read somewhere that the Park Authorities restrict younger kids from climbing. Is this the case and, if so, do the rules apply when the kid in question has the necessary level of fitness and experience?"

The age limit as put into place by the Kilimanjaro park authorities is 10 years.

There are several things to consider when taking children:

- The main Kilimanjaro routes are easy enough to be climbed by most fit children of 10 years+
- Children sometimes have trouble recognizing pain and as altitude disease will be a new experience, they might not be able to adequately tell you their condition.
- Children normally have much more energy, while on Kilimanjaro it is very important to ascend very slowly, even if the hike is non-technical and gradual on most routes.

Therefore children will be more likely to get sick at altitude. It is recommended only to take children if the expedition is longer than average, so preferably 8 days or more (which is better for everybody by the way).

As all our trips are custommade (no fixed group dates), we require that a parent, older sibling or good friend accompanies the child. It must be someone the child trusts enough to admit feeling sick etc.
If you take your time, this will be the best cultural and self-confidence boosting experience you can give your child!

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