Avoiding Altitude Sickness On Kilimanjaro

By Author: Razvan Jr
Total Articles: 273
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First of all you need to know that altitude sickness is avoidable and the only bulletproof way to do it is by taking your time climbing the mountain. If you think that you will save a lot of money by climbing it at quickly as possible, you would be wrong. Why? Because most likely you will have to turn back due to the altitude sickness and all your physical (and financial) efforts will be wasted down the drain, or better said, down the mountain. According to the Expedition Advisory Committee at the Royal Geographical Society, the most suitable acclimatization period for any altitude greater than 2500m is to sleep at no more than 300m higher than your previous night's camp, and to spend an extra night at every third camp.

Another tactic to avoid altitude sickness is by taking a pre-acclimatization climb before tackling the mountain. If you think that are fit enough for this, it would be a very wise thing to do, especially if you can spare the time for this so-called pre-adventure. This is not recommended by simple amateurs, but by the EAC who recommends a pre-trek acclimatization walk on Mount Kenya or Mount Meru.

A ...
... good idea would be to take rest days on the mountain. However, if you don't have the necessary funds for this, it is highly recommended to plan your walk on Kilimanjaro as carefully as you can. If you have enough financial means for a rest day or even two, don't hesitate to take them as they will prove to be very useful in the nick of time. Don't be confused with the term rest day as it will not be a rest day per say, on the contrary. If you were to take the Marangu trail, the guides in most cases lead their trekkers up from Horombo Huts to Mawenzi Hut, located at 4600 m, before returning that same afternoon. But they do provide trekkers with the opportunity to experience a higher altitude prior to returning to below 3000-4000m again, therefore obeying the mountaineers' old maxim about the need toclimb high and sleep low in order to avoid mountain sickness.

In addition, the route you plan to choose can also prove to be crucial. Our recommendation as well as the feedback we got from guides would be to take a slow route up the mountain. A wise man said, go pole pole if you don't want to feel poorly poorly. For this reason, do your best to let your guide be the pacemaker, stick with him all the time as he knows what is best for you.

Another proven way of avoiding altitude sickness while climbing the mountain would be to eat well as fatigue is considered to be the most important factor for altitude sickness. For this reason, the energy levels should be kept to a high degree by eating as much as you can (without overdoing it though). Also, try to wear warm clothes so that you will be able to conserve energy that would otherwise be spent on maintaining a reasonable body temperature.

All things considered, there is more to the altitude sickness than most of us could have could have thought of. With proper research and planning, the entire Kilimanjaro climbing expedition can be both fun and rewarding.

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