Health and Medication while Climbing Kilimanjaro

All climbers should have a medical check prior to attempting the mountain. Ask your doctor if high altitude trekking is permissible for your age, fitness level and health condition. Ask if you have any preexisting medical conditions that can cause problems on the climb. Ask if any of your medications can affect altitude acclimatization. Ask whether Diamox can be taken with your existing prescription medicines.

The minimum age for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is 10 years old. There is no maximum age. However, the climb is strenuous and presents health risks, especially to people in high risk categories. Serious consideration should be given to anyone under the age of 18 and over the age of 60. The climbers on the extreme ends of the age spectrum should definitely consult their doctor.

What is Altitude Sickness

Altitude Sickness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), is a number of symptoms that a person may experience when climbing to higher altitudes. With Kilimanjaro being so high above sea level,  it is no wonder that the majority of trekkers experience some form of AMS at some point on their journey. In fact, at over 3,000 metres more than 75% of climbers will experience at least some form of mild AMS. Mild symptoms of AMS are very common and are nothing to panic about, but it is good to know the various symptoms that may occur.

Altitude sickness can vary in stages but the most common symptoms include headaches, nausea, difficulty sleeping and general fatigue. Again, these are not symptoms to panic about, but they can make certain parts of your climb quite challenging. It is important that during these times you keep it, as the locals say, “pole, pole” (slowly slowly) and stay positive. Also be sure to always communicate with your guide about how you are feeling. Remember that AMS can happen to anybody, and it is nothing to feel embarrassed about.

How to avoid Altitude Sickness

In terms of pre-climb Kilimanjaro preparation – ultimately there is no real way to avoid altitude sickness. It doesn’t have anything to do with fitness and it can affect even the fittest of the fit. So even though there is no routine to avoid it all together, there are a couple of things you can do to prepare. If you are able to, try to climb high mountains as often as possible to give your body an idea of what to expect. There have also been instances of people training with altitude masks. This is basically a mask that emulates the decrease in oxygen that you will experience on your climb, giving you the opportunity to experience it beforehand. Whether or not this is effective in avoiding AMS as a whole is still unclear, but if you have the option why not give it a go?