Plan your climb · Guide
Altitude & safety
Kilimanjaro needs no ropes and no technical skill. What turns people back is altitude, and it does not care how fit you are. This page is about how we manage that.
- Summit altitude
- 5,895 m
- Oxygen available
- ~49%
- Health checks
- 2× daily
- Only real cure
- Descend
What altitude actually does
At Uhuru Peak each breath delivers roughly half the oxygen it does at sea level. The air is not thinner in oxygen percentage; there is simply less pressure pushing it into your blood. Your body adapts — breathing faster, making more red blood cells — but that takes days, not hours. Acute mountain sickness is what happens when you climb faster than you adapt.
It affects the fit and the unfit alike. Young, strong climbers are in some ways more at risk, because they can walk fast enough to outrun their own acclimatisation. The Swahili you will hear from your guide all week is pole pole — slowly, slowly. It is not a pleasantry.
How we build the climb around it
- Climb high, sleep low. Most of our routes ascend to Lava Tower or the Lent Hills and then descend to sleep. Gaining altitude by day and losing it by night is what trains your body.
- Longer is safer. Adding one day to any route measurably improves summit odds. This is why we recommend eight or nine days on Lemosho rather than the shortest option that fits your flights.
- Twice-daily checks. Every morning and evening your guide records pulse, blood oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter, and how you are feeling against a standard symptom score. Trends matter more than single readings.
- Water. Three to four litres a day. Dehydration produces a headache almost indistinguishable from early altitude sickness, and it makes the real thing worse.
- Eat anyway. Appetite disappears above 4,000 m. Your cook will keep feeding you, and eating when you do not feel like it is part of the job.
Knowing the difference
Mild altitude sickness is common and manageable. Two rarer conditions are emergencies. Your guides are trained to tell them apart, but you should be able to as well.
Acute mountain sickness
Common · manageable
Headache, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, unusual tiredness, poor sleep. Most climbers feel some of this above 3,500 m. The response is to stop gaining altitude, rest, drink, and let it settle. If it settles, you continue. If it worsens, you go down.
High-altitude pulmonary oedema
Rare · emergency
Fluid in the lungs. Breathlessness while resting, a persistent dry cough turning wet or frothy, tightness in the chest, blue lips, a rapid heartbeat that will not come down. Immediate descent, without waiting for morning.
High-altitude cerebral oedema
Rare · emergency
Fluid around the brain. Confusion, loss of coordination — unable to walk a straight line — severe headache unrelieved by painkillers, drowsiness, behaving out of character. Immediate descent. This one is often noticed by others before the climber notices it themselves.
The rule that covers all three
No exceptions
Going down is the treatment. Oxygen and medication buy time; they do not fix it. Losing 500 to 1,000 metres usually produces dramatic improvement. No summit is worth the alternative, and a guide who tells you to turn around is doing exactly what you hired him for.
Practical questions
Should I take altitude medication?
Some climbers use acetazolamide, often known by the brand name Diamox, to help acclimatisation. It is a prescription medicine with real side effects and interactions, and whether it suits you depends on your medical history. Talk to your own doctor or a travel clinic well before you fly, and if you are prescribed it, try it at home first so you know how you react. We are mountain guides, not clinicians, and we will not advise you on dosage.
What happens if I have to come down?
An assistant guide descends with you while the rest of the group continues, so nobody is left alone and nobody else loses their climb. On foot is usually fastest. For a climber who cannot walk, the park has wheeled stretchers on the main routes, and helicopter evacuation is available from several points. Park rescue fees are included in your climb price. Helicopter evacuation is not — that is what your insurance is for.
What insurance do I need?
Travel insurance covering trekking to 6,000 metres, including emergency evacuation and repatriation. Read the altitude limit specifically — many standard policies stop at 3,000 or 4,000 m, which would leave you uncovered for the part of the climb that matters. Bring a copy of the policy and the emergency number with you.
Do I need to be fit?
You need to be able to walk five to seven hours a day, on consecutive days, on uneven ground. Hill walking with a loaded daypack is the best preparation; long days matter more than speed. Fitness will not prevent altitude sickness, but it means the walking costs you less, and you have more in reserve when summit night takes longer than expected.
Who is on the mountain with me?
Every climb runs with a lead guide and at least one assistant guide, so a group can split if someone needs to descend. Guides are licensed by Kilimanjaro National Park and carry a first aid kit, a pulse oximeter and emergency oxygen. Ask us about the specific crew for your dates and we will tell you exactly who is coming.
