13 Climbers, One Breath: Kilimanjaro Without Acclimatization

13 Climbers. One Day. No Acclimatization. Just Breath.

Kilimanjaro is 5,895 metres — the roof of Africa. Climbers typically spend days acclimatising before they attempt the summit. Thirteen people just did it in one day, using nothing but breath training and mouth taping to get there.

The climb was led by Leonardo Pelagotti, Oxygen Advantage® Master Instructor. Leonardo has spent years building toward this exact challenge — he's also run a marathon in under three hours with tape over his mouth, and held static apnea for five and a half minutes in a pool. He was a breathing coach for the French and Chinese teams at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Thirteen started. Ten reached base camp. Eight continued to Gilman's Point, at 5,685 metres. One reached the summit, Uhuru Peak, in what's believed to be record time for an unacclimatised ascent.

At Gilman's Point, Leonardo's own oxygen saturation had dropped to around 75%. Five minutes of the breathing technique brought it back above 90%.

"The breath can lead us higher," he says in the video below. "The breath can bring us up. And that's for sure."

Beyond the physical challenge, thegroup describes the climb as a shared experience of endurance, humility, and connection — with team members supporting each other through moments of doubt and difficulty along the way.

Beyond the physical challenge, the group describes the climb as a shared experience of endurance, humility, and connection — with team members supporting each other through moments of doubt and difficulty along the way.

A second expedition is planned for October 2026. We'll have more from that as it happens. This is what the community looks like when it puts the breath to the test.