“Are We Nearly There?” Kilimanjaro Trail Humour | Exuberant Kilimanjaro Safaris
“Just around the corner!” Explore the funny side of Kilimanjaro trekking, mountain time and why honest communication with your guide matters.
“Just around the corner!” Wonderful news. You adjust your daypack, find a little extra energy and walk around the corner. There’s another corner. Welcome to mountain time.
Long walks produce familiar questions, shared jokes and moments when everyone needs a little encouragement. Kilimanjaro is no exception.
But there’s an important distinction between friendly trail banter and information you need to make safe decisions.
“Only twenty minutes to camp”
Twenty minutes can feel very different depending on whether you’re sitting beside a hot drink or walking uphill with tired legs.
On the mountain, estimated times also change with pace, breaks, terrain and weather. The same stretch may take different groups very different amounts of time.
If you need a realistic estimate, ask your guide:
“At our current pace, roughly how much walking is left?”
It’s also useful to ask about the terrain ahead. Twenty minutes on a gentle path is different from twenty minutes of steep climbing.
“The top is behind that hill”
A ridge can look like the finish, only to reveal another section of trail.
What appears to be the summit from below may simply be the next rise. On summit day, reaching the crater rim is also different from reaching Uhuru Peak. Our summit-night guide explains the difference between Stella Point, Gilman’s Point and Uhuru Peak.
Your guide can explain the landmarks ahead and where they fit into the day’s plan.
A small milestone is still worth celebrating — even when the mountain has another one waiting.
“You’re making it look easy!”
You may not feel especially graceful when you’re concentrating on breathing, stepping and wondering what’s for lunch.
But encouragement from your guides and fellow climbers can make a difficult stretch feel more manageable. A joke, a song or a cheerful greeting can change the mood of the group. You don’t need to pretend it feels easy, though.
“I’m enjoying it, but I need a break” is a perfectly good answer.
Humour helps. Honesty matters.
At Exuberant, we want climbers to feel comfortable asking direct questions.
Your guide should give useful, realistic information and explain when an estimate is uncertain. Humour must never replace an honest discussion about your condition, the route or a safety decision.
Ask whenever you need to understand:
How much walking remains.
What the next section is like.
When a break is practical.
Whether the plan has changed.
Why the guide recommends stopping, continuing or descending.
Don’t turn feeling unwell into a joke
There’s a difference between tired legs after a long walk and symptoms that need assessment.
Tell your guide promptly about headache, nausea, dizziness, unusual fatigue or breathing concerns. You don’t need to laugh them off or apologise. If you feel unable to continue, say so clearly. The team needs to know what you’re experiencing to help you.
Our Altitude & Safety guide explains how symptoms are assessed and why honest reporting matters more than any joke.
A better way to think about mountain time
Instead of counting every minute to camp, try breaking the day into manageable stages.
The next rest stop.
The next viewpoint.
A change in vegetation.
A conversation with your guide.
Your itinerary still matters, but noticing what’s around you can make the walking feel less like waiting to arrive. Our daily-routine article describes how a typical day on the mountain unfolds, from morning wake-up to the evening briefing.
And when you finally reach camp, that hot drink may taste even better.
Your turn: What did you hear on the trail?
If you’ve climbed Kilimanjaro, you probably remember a phrase that made you laugh — or a moment when “nearly there” became a running joke.
Those shared moments can become some of the best stories you bring home.
Just remember: ask for the real estimate when you need it, tell your guide how you feel and keep the humour kind. The crew who make your climb possible are there to give you honest answers — and a little encouragement along the way.
Planning your Kilimanjaro adventure? Contact our Moshi team to discuss routes, preparation and life on the trail.
Keep reading & plan your climb
A typical day on Kilimanjaro
Meet your mountain crew
6 Kilimanjaro beginner mistakes
Kilimanjaro summit night: Barafu vs Kibo
Altitude & Safety guide
Plan your climb / enquire