Safety at Kilimanjaro

Safety on Kilimanjaro – Our Top Priority at Golden Kit Tours and Safaris

As one of the Seven Summits, Kilimanjaro stands as Africa’s highest mountain, reaching 19,341 ft at its summit, classifying it within the extreme altitude mountaineering category. Remarkably, conquering its peak requires no technical expertise, yet it should not be underestimated. Trekking at such altitudes in a remote setting entails risks. Annually, over 1,000 individuals are evacuated from the mountain, and regrettably, some do not return to their families.

Critical Factors Affecting Safety on Kilimanjaro:

• Altitude sickness and altitude-related complications.
  Remote location’s challenges.
  Experience and expertise of your guides.
  Provision of suitable emergency equipment.
  Stringent monitoring and evacuation processes and protocols.

Ensuring Safety on Kilimanjaro – Our Approach

Ensuring safety on Kilimanjaro commences with understanding the risks and adopting measures to mitigate them. For our climbers’ safety:

We request comprehensive medical questionnaires from all climbers. In cases of specific pre-existing conditions, we may seek confirmation from your doctor regarding your fitness for the climb. Your guide will require details about any medications you are taking, including over-the-counter ones, and whether you are using Diamox for acclimatization.

Guide Training

We prioritize your safety by ensuring our guides possess proper training to detect early signs of altitude sickness and manage them effectively. Our guides undergo Wilderness First Responder training, equipping them with crucial skills for handling medical conditions in remote locales.

Additionally, we’ve partnered with the Sentinel Outdoor Institute, an organization specializing in high-altitude medical training. They conduct comprehensive training courses in Tanzania, keeping our guides updated with the latest medical protocols.

Guide-to-Climber Ratio

Our commitment to safety is reflected in our guide-to-climber ratio of 1 to 2. For every two climbers, we provide one trained mountain guide. This ratio allows for more thorough observation and evaluation of the group’s condition.

Daily Health Checks & Monitoring

Effective communication with your guide is vital. If you experience any symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or any discomfort, promptly inform your guide. During hikes, your guide will vigilantly watch for early signs of trouble:

• Difficulty on the trail, stumbling, or excessive fatigue.
  Adequate food intake or diminishing appetite.
  Frequent breathlessness or difficulty in breathing.
  Adequate hydration.
  Unusual behavior or confusion.
  Daily Health Assessment.

Each day, you’ll undergo a comprehensive health assessment with your guide:

• Utilization of a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen saturation and resting pulse rate, combined with:
  Symptom assessment using the Lake Louise Scoring System to detect signs of altitude sickness
  Self-assessment queries to gauge your overall well-being
  Continuous monitoring prevents mild altitude sickness from escalating into an emergency.

Emergency Oxygen & Medical Supplies

Our team carries a well-equipped medical kit that includes bottled oxygen and a portable stretcher:

• Supplemental oxygen is available for emergency use only.
  Immediate descent to lower elevations is the only solution for acute mountain sickness (AMS).
  In case of injury preventing descent on foot, a portable stretcher provided by the National Park is utilized.
  Oxygen, along with immediate descent, can alleviate AMS symptoms.
  A first aid medical kit is available to address minor injuries.

Helicopter Evacuation on Kilimanjaro

In emergencies, we employ a search and rescue service operating from Moshi. Upon a distress call, a helicopter is dispatched to the nearest landing point for airlifting the patient off the mountain to a local hospital. In adverse mountain weather conditions, if a helicopter cannot land, a manual evacuation using a stretcher provided by the National Park will be implemented.

Additional Safety Aspects on Kilimanjaro

Personal responsibility for safety includes:

• Prompt reporting of symptoms to your guide
  Avoiding the urge to “push through” symptoms; addressing mild signs of altitude sickness can prevent complications
  Vigilance for struggling team members or erratic behavior, reported immediately to your guide
  Adherence to guide instructions at all times.

Equipment and Gear

Trekking on Kilimanjaro traverses five major climate zones, from warm low slopes to bitterly cold, sub-zero summit temperatures. Apart from emergency equipment, the quality of camping gear is crucial. Unpredictable mountain weather necessitates safe, warm, and dry resting conditions for climbers.

Our Packing List for Kilimanjaro ensures proper preparation and protection:

• Rugged, adaptable tents suitable for changing mountain conditions, ensuring dryness even during heavy rain
  Comfortable, waterproof dining tents equipped with tables and chairs
  Sanitary toilet facilities
  Arriving unprepared with inadequate cold-weather clothing, improper hiking boots, or an unsuitable sleeping bag can pose risks.

Hygiene, Food & Water Safety

Showers are unavailable on Kilimanjaro; thus, we recommend bringing hand sanitizer and frequent handwashing, particularly before meals. The combination of exhaustion from hiking, altitude, and dietary changes heightens susceptibility to traveler’s diarrhea or other stomach issues.

Daytime precautions include:

• Regular eating for sustained energy levels
  Adequate hydration to prevent fatigue and support acclimatization
  We meticulously prepare food, ensuring it is safely handled to avert gastrointestinal issues. All drinking water, including that used for washing food, is boiled, filtered, and purified.

Private toilet tents for climbers are provided to bypass unsanitary conditions often present in public facilities at campsites.

Physical Preparation

Safety preparations begin before your Tanzania arrival:

• Medical evaluation by your doctor discussing existing conditions or medications
  Recommended vaccinations for Kilimanjaro and surrounding areas
  Consideration of Diamox for acclimatization (consult with your doctor for potential interactions with existing medications)
  Procurement of comprehensive travel insurance for Kilimanjaro climb (mandatory for emergency coverage)
  A reasonable fitness level is required for hiking over rugged terrain for multiple days. While non-technical, the trek is strenuous and exhausting. Commence fitness training well ahead, following our complete guide to Kilimanjaro training.

Prepare for a Safe Journey

We prioritize your safety and take proactive measures to minimize risks in the remote, high-altitude environment. Climbing Kilimanjaro with a well-equipped operator featuring trained guides and stringent safety procedures reduces the frequency and severity of potential issues.

Personal preparation includes physical fitness, appropriate gear, and prudent precautions on the trail.

Golden Kit Tours and Safaris ensure that all safety measures both from your and our own side are well taken care off so that you can safely summit Kilimanjaro with us.