This is a popular concern among our participants and there is no straightforward answer. The experience of altitude sickness is wholly subjective: It can affect different people in different ways, and manifest in a broad variety of symptoms. Many of our participants report feeling no effects at all; while others typically report one or two minor symptoms.
Sufferers of mild-to-moderate Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) may exhibit one or more of the following:
Difficulty sleeping, dizziness or light-headedness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, rapid pulse (heart rate), shortness of breath with exertion.
Occasionally, symptoms will persist and/or present more acutely, in which case you may be advised to pause your ascent. It may sound obvious, but the only 'cure' for altitude sickness is descent. Should you be required to discontinue your trek at any point then you will be assisted by our in-country staff (including the guides), who can also assist you in accessing any medical attention, if required.
It is worth bearing in mind that in a typical season, over 90% of Choose a Challenge participants successfully summit Kilimanjaro. For the most part, this is down to simple adherence to three elementary principles that help mitigate the effects of AMS. These principles form what has become our mantra for helping participants handle high altitude. They are:
(a) drink plenty of water
(b) eat enough food
(c) get enough rest and sleep
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The trekking routes selected by Choose a Challenge are designed specifically with acclimatisation in mind. What you’ll commonly find is that where the route takes you up several hundred metres, we will then bring you back down to a lower elevation to rest and/or sleep afterwards. This helps the body gradually become used to the thinner air and reduced levels of oxygen in smaller intervals than if you were to continuously ascend. Our guides also have a vast amount of experience (some having ascended hundreds of times previously) and always ensure their groups maintain a slow pace.
NB. Some participants choose to bring altitude sickness medication, such as Diamox, which is designed to help the body adjust to high altitude conditions. However, as this is prescribed medication, we would strongly suggest speaking to your family doctor first.
We can appreciate any apprehension, especially from those who have never trekked above 3,000 metres before. After all, it is difficult to simulate trekking at altitude. Be sure to commit yourself to enough fitness training beforehand so that you arrive in good physical condition. This way, you'll find the trek more comfortable, and if you do experience any of the symptoms above, then you should in turn find these more manageable.
We hope you found the above information useful. If you have any questions or concerns about preparing for your challenge, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to help.