If you’re considering Kilimanjaro in your 60s and beyond, the first question usually isn’t about routes, training plans, or gear lists. It’s simpler: am I still capable of something this physically demanding?
That question tends to surface when age, old injuries, time away from endurance activity, or changes in how your body feels under sustained effort come into focus.
One example comes from a recent HikeStrong podcast hosted by Marcus Shapiro from Fit For Trips, where siblings Susan (68) and Bob (65) shared how they prepared for their Thomson Trek and what the journey from training to summit really looked like. Their experience offers an honest view of training later in life — not a return to who they used to be, but a rebuilding of trust in the bodies they have today. Here’s how their Kilimanjaro preparation unfolded.
Rebuilding confidence after surgery: Susan’s story
Susan, a former marathoner and triathlete, began Kilimanjaro training after a long break from endurance sports following bilateral hip replacements and reduced activity. For her, the goal wasn’t to return to past performance, but to rebuild trust in her body under sustained effort.
Her Kilimanjaro trek preparation with Fit For Trips focused on structured progression, which included strength work, hiking exposure, mobility, and balance training. Within that framework, even simple movements like lunges quickly revealed how much rebuilding was still needed.
What felt manageable at first quickly exposed hidden weaknesses. The early soreness was significant enough to require recovery time, but rather than signaling failure, Susan saw it as the beginning of her body’s adaptation. Over weeks of consistent repetition and gradual progression, something began to shift.
“All of this has brought me back to feeling very strong and capable… I want to be able to maintain that now.”
For Susan, that progression defined her Kilimanjaro training — not a return to past fitness, but a gradual rebuilding of trust, confidence, and strength in her body.
From Fitness to Mountain Readiness: Bob’s Story
Bob’s experience looked different. He was a runner with a solid aerobic base, but little hiking experience. Like many preparing for Kilimanjaro, he assumed his running fitness would carry over, but it didn’t translate the way he expected.
With guidance from Marcus at Fit For Trips, he realized his training needed to shift away from running and toward the specific demands of the mountain: stair climbing, hill repeats, step-ups, and sustained incline work designed to build strength and endurance for uphill movement.
Kilimanjaro isn’t defined by distance, but by repetition: step after step uphill, day after day, as fatigue builds. To prepare, Bob even sought out local sledding hills to simulate the continuous ascent he would face.
The focus shifted away from distance entirely. It was no longer about how far he could run, but how much vertical gain he could handle, and how well he could recover and do it again the next day.
Structured Kilimanjaro training builds confidence, not just fitness
A consistent thread through both of their preparation was structure.
Working with Fit For Trips, their Kilimanjaro training plan combined progressive strength work, balance drills, and elevation-focused conditioning, building steadily rather than aggressively. Progress wasn’t assumed — it was tracked, felt, and earned week by week.
Susan with her porter and fellow trekkers (including her daughter, Eve)
For Susan, that structure removed uncertainty. Instead of wondering whether she was “fit enough” for Kilimanjaro, she could see adaptation happening in real time.
For Bob, it made commitment possible in the first place. Without the framework (and Susan’s encouragement), he likely wouldn’t have taken on the climb.
The moment you stop wondering
With preparation behind them, the real test begins on the mountain. On Kilimanjaro, doubt doesn’t disappear — it just gets quieter.
There are still hard days. Susan felt that early, when altitude sickness combined with exhaustion from travel and disrupted sleep. She remembers arriving at camp, curling into her sleeping bag, and feeling a wave of uncertainty about whether she could continue.
The trek suddenly felt overwhelming. Then her Thomson Treks guide sat down beside her and said:
“You have to eat. It’s going to help you… Tomorrow will be better.”
He stayed with her while she ate and made sure she was okay before heading out. Sure enough, by the next morning, she felt like herself again and was ready to keep going.
That moment wasn’t dramatic in the traditional sense, but it is exactly what defines a great guide on Kilimanjaro. They don’t just manage logistics — they read people. They are trained to notice changes before they are spoken. And when doubt appears, they don’t overreact to it. They steady it. That kind of support becomes the difference between uncertainty and continuation.
Staying present on the mountain
One of the hardest parts of a multi-day trek like Kilimanjaro is not the terrain itself, but the mind’s tendency to jump ahead. The summit is always present in your awareness. Early in the climb, it can feel distant and overwhelming at the same time.
Susan made a conscious effort to resist that pull:
“I really worked hard to stay present each day… celebrate that you got to the end of that six- or seven-mile climb.”
The discipline of focusing only on the day in front of you became just as important as any physical preparation. The Thomson Treks guides reinforced it constantly: stay with the day, take the next step, don’t drift beyond where you are.
It sounds simple. It is not.
But over time, that rhythm becomes the climb itself. One day finishes, then another, and then another. And eventually, without forcing it, the summit shifts from a distant goal to simply the next step forward.
What Kilimanjaro Makes Possible
Susan, Bob, and Eve, along with their guides at the summit
By the time they returned home, both Susan and Bob had successfully reached Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro. Neither was thinking about slowing down. If anything, the experience changed how they thought about what was still possible.
As Susan put it:
“I’d love to have at least one adventure like this a year.”
That’s the shift. Kilimanjaro doesn’t just feel like a physical challenge — it changes how people see what comes next. It stops feeling like a final test and starts to feel like a beginning.
If you’re wondering whether something like this is still within reach in your 60s or 70s, Susan and Bob’s experience is a reminder that it is.
It’s Not Too Late for Your Kilimanjaro Adventure
Susan and Bob didn’t climb Kilimanjaro to prove who they used to be — they climbed to discover what was still possible. With the right preparation, intentional training, and expert support on the mountain, reaching Uhuru Peak later in life is not only possible — it can be one of the most rewarding things you do.
Whether you’re returning to adventure after injury, surgery, or simply years away from endurance challenges, the Thomson team is here to help you prepare with confidence.