Mount Everest vs. Kilimanjaro: Which Is Harder to Climb?

Mount Everest (8,848 m) is vastly more difficult and dangerous than Kilimanjaro (5,895 m):

• Altitude: Everest's "death zone" (>8,000 m) causes severe hypoxia; Kilimanjaro's summit is below it.
• Technical skill: Everest requires roped glacier travel, ice axes, crampons; Kilimanjaro is a non-technical trek.
• Weather: Everest faces hurricane-force winds, -40°C, avalanches; Kilimanjaro is milder.
• Acclimatization: Everest needs weeks; Kilimanjaro typically 5–7 days.
• Success rate: Everest ~30–50%; Kilimanjaro ~65–85%.
• Experience: Everest demands high-altitude mountaineering resume; Kilimanjaro is accessible to fit novices.

Everest is a high-stakes expedition; Kilimanjaro is a strenuous high-altitude hike.