Health & Safety on Kilimanjaro

Once you have made the decision to climb Kilimanjaro there are some things that you can do beforehand to assist in ensuring you have a safe and successful climb.

Train at altitude or at least test your abilities at altitude: The very best way to prepare for climbing to high altitude is to climb to high altitude. Although this is difficult for most people, remember that the higher the altitude and the longer the hikes, the better. Whether it be to hike 2,000 feet to the top of the local hill or climbing larger mountains further afield; just being out hiking up hill is the best. This also allows you to get used to your backpack and boots.

Talk to your Doctor or Physician about the state of your own health, perhaps do a health check and if over the age of 60 ensure you get the full support and approval from your Doctor or Specialist

Fully disclose any past or present health issues with us, as well as any allergies or current medications.

Train your body: Running and biking are also very good and at least take you outdoors so you can test your equipment. Stair masters and climbing machines at the gym will work if outdoor hiking isn’t an option. Try not to go for short hard blasts of exercise but long sustained workouts instead. An adequate training regime is to maintain 80% of your max heart rate (220 minus your age) for an hour, three to four days a week.

Train your mind: Remember high altitude mountain climbing requires acclimatization and a strong mind is as important as a strong body.

Kilimanjaro is a non-technical climb but goes to very high altitude so safety measures need to be taken very seriously. It is important to climb Kilimanjaro with an experienced leader and crew who are rigorously trained in high altitude issues, bring the necessary medical equipment, and have the skills to monitor their clients on a daily basis as well as having the backing of an experienced team on the ground who can handle all types of evacuations.

A pulse oximeter is a non-invasive sensor device that is placed on the fingertip to monitor a person’s Oxygen saturation. Every morning and evening, each trip member uses the oximeter and the guide records the reading on a report. This allows our guides to track everyone’s O2 history and help them identify the climbers who may be falling behind in acclimatization.

Emergency Oxygen Cylinder Tank: Each expedition departs with a 3 Litre canister of compressed pure oxygen that is administered in emergency situations only.

Our Guides undergo extensive training to provide the safest Kilimanjaro climbs. Every year we operate an annual Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and Wilderness First Aid (WFA) training in Arusha/ Moshi Tanzania. This certification is critical for all professional guides (and we consider it mandatory for our Kilimanjaro guides). We teach them together to make the course more rigorous and include 3 additional days of specialized scenario training on the mountain.

Our Guides closely monitor each climber’s health as they make their ascent. Our Guides are trained to detect early signs of altitude sickness and are well versed in protocols for emergency evacuation. Our goal is to make you as safe as possible so you can relax and enjoy the climb experience.

Mt Kilimanjaro is an amazing experience and anyone is able to reach its summit (Uhuru peak). Think about this when you prepare yourself for the expedition. You will not be alone as JUHUDI EXPEDITION LTD Kilimanjaro Team will make you feel welcome and will be there with you all the way. Always think positively and you WILL enjoy the climb! Remember to make it a journey and not a destination.

The type of condition is more important than the degree of fitness. Kilimanjaro is a walk and the interesting part of it is you take your time, no rush, so the best preparation you can have is to walk, preferably under simulated conditions. Although to some extent it helps to go running/jogging, your muscles are still not preparing for seven days of quiet but heavy walking. I suggest that you will regularly walk long distances. Ignore the elevator and take the stairs or even take your dog for a walk.

Go walk, for example, in addition to regular fitness to let your muscles develop more. And try to opt for regular walks with altitude, so you can practice walking up and down at different incline levels. If you can walk 80 kilometers (50 miles) in one week, you have done the Kilimanjaro Machame Route. Train your body for extra resistance for your muscles, because on the mountain the inclination varies. In a period of eight weeks, using the gym and the many hikes, you can become fit enough for Mt Kilimanjaro climb.

Before starting a physical training program, it’s always wise to get the approval of a doctor. Also knowing your health conditions from the doctor is a very essential key as you will be hiking at a high altitude and its very risky if by a mistake you didn’t consult a doctor and found out you have heart or lung problems and you need evacuation from Kilimanjaro.

Altitude Sickness (Acute mountain sickness)Is an illness that ranges from a mild headache and weariness to a life-threatening build-up of fluid in the lungs or brain at high altitudes. Acute altitude sickness is the mildest and most common form. Because more people are traveling to areas of high elevation like climbing Kilimanjaro.

High Altitude: 1500 – 3500 m (5000 – 11500 ft.)

Very High Altitude: 3500 – 5500 m (11500 – 18000 ft.)

Extreme Altitude: above 5500 m (18000 ft.)

Altitude sickness symptoms occur when the rate of ascent into higher altitudes is too quickly that the body doesn’t get time to acclimatize. Altitude sickness generally develops at elevations higher than 8,000 feet (about 2,400 meters) above sea level and when the rate of ascent exceeds 1,000 feet (300 meters) per day.

The following actions can trigger altitude sickness:

- Ascending too quickly (rapidly)

- Overexertion within 24 hours of ascent

- Inadequate fluid intake

One way to avoid altitude sickness is allowing the body to get used to the altitude slowly (Acclimatization) Acclimatization is the process by which the body adjusts to high altitudes.

The goal of acclimatization is to increase ventilation (breathing) to compensate for lower oxygen content in the air.

To compensate for this extra ventilation, blood needs to have a lower ph. In response, the kidneys excrete bicarbonate into the urine, which in turn lowers the body’s pH to accommodate for this extra respiratory effort.

Acute altitude sickness may be associated with any combination of the following symptoms:

Fatigue

Headache

Dizziness

Insomnia

Shortness of breath during exertion

Nausea

Decreased appetite

Swelling of extremities

***In cases of HAPE or HACE, immediate descent is a necessary life-saving measure (2,000 – 4,000 feet [610-1,220 meters]). Anyone suffering from HAPE or HACE must be evacuated to a medical facility for proper follow-up treatment.

Is the process in which an individual organism adjusts to a gradual change in its environment? So, while you’re climbing Kilimanjaro your body undergoes a process of trying to adapt the altitude transformation.

So, physiologically, what happens during acclimatization is, as you ascend higher into the atmosphere, there is less atmospheric pressure pushing all the air molecules together, so oxygen molecules become few and far between.

Walk slowly (pole pole): When you climb Kilimanjaro, you will hear the phrase ‘Pole, pole’. This means ‘slowly, slowly’ in Swahili. The best way for your body to adapt to altitude is to move really slowly. This allows the intelligent body to adapt to the effects of altitude on Kilimanjaro. The higher you climb the higher the altitude and the harder it takes your body to cope up with its environment.

Hydration: Drinking a lot helps and its renown to be one of the BEST method while dealing with acclimatization. We recommend at least drinking 4-5 Liters of water a day while climbing Kilimanjaro. It is usually good to keep an eye on your urine; if it gets too dark, you need to drink more.

Climb high sleep low: Another practice is “Climb high; sleep low.” What this means is that you should do day hikes that gain significant altitude, s and then return to sleep and recuperate at lower altitudes.

Avoid tobacco and alcohol and other depressant drugs including, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills. These depressants further decrease the respiratory drive during sleep resulting in a worsening of the symptoms.

Eat nutritious rich food: Eat a high carbohydrate diet (more than 70% of your calories from carbohydrates) while at altitude.

In case you notice altitude symptoms: If you begin to show symptoms of moderate altitude illness, don’t go higher until symptoms decrease. (In fact, you should go to a lower elevation until you feel better)

Diamox (Acetazolamide) allows you to breathe faster so that you metabolize more oxygen, thereby minimizing the symptoms caused by poor oxygenation. This is especially helpful at night when respiratory drive is decreased. Since it takes a while for Diamox to have an effect, it is advisable to start taking it at least 24 hours before you go to altitude and continue for at least five days at higher altitude. While taking Diamox Possible side effects may occur and they include tingling of the lips and finger tips, blurring of vision, and alteration of taste. The side effects subside when the drug is stopped.

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND contacting your physician for a prescription. Since Diamox is a sulfonamide drug, people who are allergic to sulfa drugs should not take Diamox. Diamox has also been known to cause severe allergic reactions to people with no previous history of Diamox or sulfa allergies.

Dexamethasone (a steroid) is a prescription drug that decreases brain and other swelling reversing the effects of AMS. Dosage is typically 4 mg twice a day for a few days starting with the ascent. This prevents most symptoms of altitude illness.

You will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day spent on the mountain. The food, specifically selected to help your climb, are high energy carbohydrate foods that are easily digestible. The primary carbohydrate of the meals are rice, potatoes and pasta. Fresh fruit and vegetables accompany every meal. Meat is served on the mountain but not in large quantities because it is not easily digestible at high altitude and nor does it keep well on the mountain. We resupply the team with fresh food throughout the climb.

We can accommodate vegetarian, Gluten and vegan diets. For those with special diets. Note that food selection is limited in Tanzania, so although we will try to please all clients, in some cases clients will be asked to bring their specific food items to us, which our cooks will prepare. For every group of climbers, there’s always a cook.

Drinking water is provided every morning and every evening at the camp. The porters go fetch it at some stream or source close by and boil it for you, so you need to carry enough water, usually about 3 – 4 liters, to stay hydrated while you hike.

You’ll also receive a basin of water twice per day to wash yourself. It’s not much, but keep in mind that your porters have to carry that water for you to wash. Barafu Camp in particular has no close by water source: after the porters have brought all the gear to the camp, they have to trail back, get it and walk up once more.