Indian endurance athlete and mountaineer Kavita Chand has become the first Indian to complete a Mount Kilimanjaro round trip in under 24 hours, finishing the Mweka Gate–Uhuru Peak–Mweka Gate route in 22 hours and 36 minutes. She reached Uhuru Peak, at 5,895 metres, in 12 hours and 46 minutes, in what has been reported as a notable speed-climbing achievement on Africa’s highest mountain.
The feat is the fifth peak in Chand’s Seven Summits journey, which involves climbing the highest mountain on each continent. Her record attempt followed months of endurance training, including preparation for the Chicago Marathon and a high-altitude expedition to Himlung Himal in Nepal. Chand credited Bharath and Romil of Boots & Crampons and the wider support team for helping make the attempt possible, while Bharath described the sub-24-hour round trip as a remarkable milestone for Indian mountaineering.
A Race Against Time
Kilimanjaro is not typically climbed in a single push. A conventional expedition generally takes five to nine days, giving climbers time to acclimatise as they gain altitude. Chand’s attempt was markedly different. She covered the route from Mweka Gate to the summit and back to the starting point in less than a day, reaching Uhuru Peak after 12 hours and 46 minutes and completing the entire round trip in 22 hours and 36 minutes. The achievement makes her the first Indian reported to have completed the Kilimanjaro round trip in under 24 hours.
Chand said speed climbing was not originally the sole focus of her Kilimanjaro plan. The mountain was already part of her Seven Summits objective when some people suggested that she attempt a faster ascent. “Since I had to climb it anyway, I thought of making the experience more adventurous,” she said. Reflecting on the outcome, Chand described completing the summit ascent in 12 hours and 46 minutes and the full round trip in 22 hours and 36 minutes as “extremely special”. She also thanked Bharath and Romil from Boots & Crampons and the wider support team for their role in the expedition.
Training For The Climb
The Kilimanjaro attempt followed a demanding period of preparation. Chand spent three months training for the Chicago Marathon, held on October 11, running approximately 70–90 kilometres every week and undertaking strength training three times a week. She finished as the third-fastest Indian woman at the marathon, according to the expedition’s press release carried by ANI.
After the marathon, Chand travelled to Nepal for an expedition to Himlung Himal, a 7,126-metre peak. She did not reach its summit but climbed to approximately 6,600 metres, gaining experience at high altitude before her Kilimanjaro attempt. The sequence of endurance running and high-altitude climbing formed the immediate preparation for her speed climb in Tanzania.
Team Behind The Record
The attempt also relied on a coordinated support operation. Bharath and Romil from Boots & Crampons worked with a local Tanzanian team on logistics, route planning and safety arrangements. An advance team established a camp at Barafu Camp, 4,673 metres above sea level, before Chand’s arrival. A guide and summit porter accompanied her during the summit push, while another guide supported the approach and descent. Local arrangements in Tanzania were coordinated by a team member identified as Emmanuel in the expedition details.
Bharath said completing the Kilimanjaro round trip in under 24 hours was a “remarkable achievement”, attributing the result to Chand’s determination, endurance and preparation. He said the team was proud to have supported her in setting the milestone for Indian mountaineering.
Five Peaks Completed
Kilimanjaro is the fifth mountain Chand has climbed as part of her Seven Summits journey. Before this expedition, she had climbed Elbrus, Denali, Vinson and Aconcagua. She has also completed five of the six World Marathon Majors, according to the latest reports, and has participated in several other marathons.
Her Kilimanjaro achievement therefore adds another significant milestone to a sporting journey that combines endurance running with mountaineering. With two major goals — completing the Seven Summits and the World Marathon Majors — progressing alongside each other, Chand’s latest climb represents another step towards a broader endurance challenge rather than an isolated record.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Kavita Chand’s achievement is not simply about a stopwatch. The 22-hour-36-minute round trip is the headline, but behind it are months of training, high-altitude experience, careful planning and the support of guides, porters and expedition teams. Her journey also highlights an important truth about extraordinary individual achievements: even when one person reaches the summit, the effort behind that moment is often collective.
Celebrating such accomplishments should therefore include not only the person who breaks the barrier but also the people and teams who help make it possible. As Chand continues her Seven Summits journey, what do you think is the most inspiring part of her achievement — the record itself, the preparation behind it, or the determination to keep pushing beyond previous limits?
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