Mountain Safety on Team Kilimanjaro climbs
5.1 The Royal Geographical Society say you should spend 10 days climbing Kilimanjaro.
Is 6 or 7 days safe?
You should remember that for many years the RGS denied even the existence of snow
on Kilimanjaro because snow at such a location was obviously scientifically impossible.
What is impossible is to watch thousands of climbers successfully and safely reaching
the summit of Kilimanjaro every year with total disregard for the RGS’s 300 metres
a day and 2 consecutive nights at the same elevation every third day rule, without
facing the unavoidable conclusion that they are simply wrong.
5.2 I’m concerned about health and safety at high altitude...
You’re only as safe as your guide’s ability to anticipate the onset of your succumbing
to a critical altitude-related condition once the early warning symptoms start to
manifest, and his decisiveness in implementing a rapid evacuation plan, if necessary,
or in ensuring that you descend from that point with an assistant guide to a lower
elevation, if acceptable. My guides are all extremely attentive and astute and are
in daily contact with me when on the mountain. We are grateful never to have lost
a climber to date. Being involved with the media you probably noticed a group in
the news recently who had a death at only 4,400m despite carrying all sorts of fancy
and totally unnecessary equipment, which is deployed by certain companies that believe
the fear-factor achieved in denigrating companies that don’t carry this unnecessary
stuff achieves a marketing advantage for them. Our position is summarised here.
5.3 I’m wondering whether to opt for the crater night and crater excursion...
We like to make very clear at the outset that with regards to the dangers associated
with high altitude, there is a small but significant risk of developing severe AMS
or pulmonary or cerebral oedema, amongst those overnighting in the crater. In order
to best minimise this risk we summit first prior to sleeping in the crater, thereby
ensuring that we observe an imperative principle of acclimatisation, 'climb high,
sleep low', at this critical altitude. You should also be aware that amongst those
requesting to spend a night in the crater; around 20% change their minds while on
the mountain after consulting with the guide and agreeing that they have failed to
obtain a sufficiently safe level of acclimatisation for this option. You would need
to be aware of all of these considerations before moving ahead with a crater excursion
request.
I certainly would not want to dissuade you from a climb that included a crater excursion
as this is arguably the greatest experience to be had on Kilimanjaro; I only wish
for you to be properly informed of some of the implications of this option.
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