Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho Route: My Experience Hiking with Endometriosis
My journey climbing Mount Kilimanjaro after endometriosis surgery—sharing the realities of the Lemosho Route, altitude sickness and hiking with a chronic illness.
REALITIES OF TRAVELTANZANIA
Mount Kilimanjaro, the towering giant of Tanzania, has long been on my bucket list, and I finally decided to take the plunge. When I booked my Kilimanjaro trek a year in advance, I imagined months of training, excitement and eventually standing on the Roof of Africa. What I didn't expect was to undergo surgery for endometriosis just four months before the trip.
For a while, I wasn't sure if I would make it at all. But instead of cancelling, I decided to give the challenge even more meaning by fundraising for charity. The climb became about much more than reaching the summit—it became a way of celebrating recovery, raising awareness, and proving to myself that living with a chronic illness doesn't mean giving up on big adventures.
If you're researching the Lemosho Route or wondering whether hiking Kilimanjaro is possible while managing a health condition, I hope my experience helps you prepare for both the mountain and the unexpected.
Understanding the Lemosho Route
The Lemosho Route is known for its breathtaking views and beautiful wilderness. Beginning in the lush rainforest, the trail winds up to the alpine desert, offering a diverse range of ecosystems that keep hikers engaged throughout the journey. This route generally takes 7 to 8 days, allowing for proper acclimatization to the increasing altitude. While I was excited to experience this beautiful trek, I had no idea that altitude sickness would hit me hard despite my hiking background.
Why I Chose the Lemosho Route
After researching all the Kilimanjaro routes, I chose Lemosho because it's widely regarded as one of the most scenic and has a higher summit success rate thanks to its longer itinerary.
The route takes seven or eight days, allowing more time to acclimatise than some of the shorter routes. You start in lush rainforest before climbing through moorland, alpine desert and eventually reaching the glaciers near the summit. Every day feels completely different, which makes the trek incredibly rewarding.
Another factor that appealed to me was the route's flexibility. As someone recovering from surgery and living with a chronic health condition, I wanted to know there were options if something didn't go to plan. Along parts of the Lemosho Route, it's possible to descend via connecting routes to lower camps or access evacuation points more easily than from some other sections of the mountain. While serious emergencies may still require a helicopter evacuation, knowing there were practical descent options gave me extra peace of mind when deciding which route to take.
As someone who enjoys long-distance hiking, Lemosho felt like the perfect balance between challenge, scenery and safety.
Training with a Chronic Health Condition
Training looked very different for me. Four months before the trek, I had surgery for endometriosis, which meant I couldn’t spend long periods on my feet or do any structured training for a while. My recovery came first, and I only started building back slowly once I was cleared by my medical team.
When I did begin training, it was simple: short walks, gentle hill work, and gradually increasing how long I could stay active. I also tried carrying a backpack when I could, but everything depended on how my body was feeling day to day.
Just when I thought I was getting back into a rhythm, I had a major flare-up and ended up in hospital a week before I was due to fly to Kilimanjaro. There were real moments when I wasn’t sure I would make it to the start line.
Living with a chronic health condition means nothing is predictable—not even the final week before a major expedition. In the end, my training wasn’t perfect or linear. It was about adapting, resting when I needed to, and doing what I could on the days I could.
The Reality of Altitude
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was altitude sickness. I’d hiked at higher altitudes before without any issues, so I assumed Kilimanjaro would feel similar. But as we ascended, I developed headaches, nausea, and overwhelming fatigue.
It was frustrating—physically I knew I was capable of long-distance hiking, but altitude doesn’t care about experience or fitness level. It affects everyone differently. I can’t say whether my recent surgery or endometriosis played any role, but it was another reminder that the body doesn’t always behave predictably, especially after major surgery or while managing a chronic condition.
The most important decision I made was to listen to my guides and be honest about how I was feeling.
We were at Shira II Camp on Day 3, which was our acclimatisation day. Part of me wanted to push through, rest, and see if my body adjusted to the altitude as planned. But with two more weeks of travelling around Tanzania after the trek, it didn't feel worth risking a severe flare-up and potentially losing the rest of the trip.
Looking back, I know it was the right decision.
Thankfully, we were still at a point on the mountain where descending was relatively straightforward, and my guides were able to get me safely back down on foot. It also reinforced why I'd chosen the Lemosho Route—it offers good acclimatisation while also providing practical descent options if things don't go to plan.
Although I didn't make it to the summit, Shira II Camp gave me one final gift. That evening, I watched the sun set over Mount Meru while Kilimanjaro's summit stood above us in the distance. It wasn't the view I'd travelled all that way for, but it was still one I'll never forget. The mountain wasn't going anywhere—it was simply giving me a reason to come back.
If you want to find out how to manage altitude sickness check out my blog post HERE.
What I Learned Hiking Kilimanjaro with a Chronic Health Condition
This experience taught me that adventure doesn't always go according to plan—and that's something many people living with chronic health conditions already understand.
Before Kilimanjaro, I thought preparation was mostly about physical training: building endurance, strengthening my legs, and making sure I could handle long days of hiking. But this journey reminded me that preparation is also about knowing your body, recognising your limits, and being willing to adapt.
One of the hardest parts wasn't the physical challenge—it was accepting that I couldn't simply rely on determination to overcome everything. Sometimes the strongest decision is knowing when to slow down or change the plan.
For anyone living with a health condition who dreams of taking on a big adventure, I hope my experience shows that your diagnosis doesn't have to define what you can do. It might mean you need to prepare differently, plan more carefully, and build in flexibility, but it doesn't mean the adventure isn't possible.
The goal doesn't always have to be the summit. Sometimes the achievement is making it to the mountain, taking each day as it comes, and respecting the body that got you there.
Would I Recommend the Lemosho Route?
Absolutely! Even though my Kilimanjaro journey didn't end with reaching the summit, I still believe the Lemosho Route was the right choice for me. One of the biggest advantages of Lemosho is the gradual ascent. The route usually takes seven to eight days, giving your body more time to adjust to the altitude compared with some of the shorter routes. This was an important factor for me, especially while recovering from surgery and managing a chronic health condition.
The scenery is also incredible. Starting in the rainforest, the landscape changes dramatically each day as you move through moorland, alpine desert, and eventually into the high-altitude environment near the summit. The variety makes the trek feel like a true expedition rather than just a race to the top.
Would Lemosho have been challenging regardless? Absolutely. Altitude is unpredictable, and even experienced hikers can struggle. But I believe choosing a route that allows proper acclimatisation, has incredible scenery, and gives you the chance to take the journey at a steadier pace is one of the best decisions you can make.
If you're considering Kilimanjaro and you're living with a chronic health condition, my advice would be: prepare carefully, speak with your healthcare team, choose your route wisely, and don't underestimate the mountain.
The summit is only one part of the adventure.
Will I Return to Climb Kilimanjaro?
Yes. When I left Tanzania, I knew my Kilimanjaro story wasn't finished. Of course, there was disappointment in not reaching Uhuru Peak. I had spent a year preparing, fundraising, and imagining what it would feel like to stand on the summit. But the mountain taught me something far more valuable than I expected: that success isn't always measured by reaching the highest point.
This journey challenged me in ways I hadn't anticipated. It tested my physical strength, my patience, and my ability to accept that sometimes the body has its own plans.
I still want to return to Kilimanjaro one day and complete the climb. But when I do, I will return with more experience, a deeper understanding of altitude, and even more respect for the mountain.
For now, I'm grateful for what I did achieve: taking on a huge challenge after surgery, raising money for charity, pushing myself outside my comfort zone, and having the courage to make the right decision when I needed to.
The summit will still be there. And when the time is right, I'll be ready to try again.
