It took us 3 hours to complete 13.5km's. What made this a really tough walk was not only the pace and elevation, but the fact that it was all on the road. We didn't realise until now that hiking in the mountains and on soft sand offer up a lot more absorption with each step than the road does.
After 13.5 km's when we got home our feet were really, really tired. Ice-cold baths for 4 hot feet and some time out before using them again was called for.
Let me also add that we've been walking with loaded backpacks. We've tried to carry nearly everything we would need to take up with us, so that includes water (2-3 liters), food, first aid kits, spare clothes (socks, rain proofs, hats, beanies etc), cameras, maps, torches and whatever else we can think of.
It makes a huge difference lugging all that extra weight around with you - especially if you're not used to it. It gives you a valuable opportunity to get used to the weight of your pack - it allows you to experiment with adjusting your straps, packing your items in an optimal manner.
Even figuring out which socks will work and which are simply going to take up too much room in your boots is something you want to figure out before you're 1/2 way up Kili!
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