Destinations Staying Safe on Kilimanjaro 6th August, 2024

There is nothing more important to us than the enjoyment and safety of our guests and this premise informs most of the operating decisions we make. Our years of experience have honed our procedures making us into the professional, efficient and highly successful travel company we are today. In fact, our summit success rates are some of the best in the business at an average of over 97%, when Kilimanjaro National Park itself reports closer to a 50% total success rate across all Kilimanjaro travel companies.

Planning

The amount of planning that goes into each and every trip is integral to running a safe and successful travel company. Kandoo Adventures has stringent Safety Management Systems (SMS) in place for every trip to every destination and for every conceivable scenario. Our Safety Management Systems include a plethora of risk assessments, contingency plans, operating procedures and safety measures and we’re always updating them to keep our systems relevant and current.

Did you know …. we have a risk assessment for every day, for every leg of your Kilimanjaro trek?!

We also have an evacuation procedure for every section of your trek too. That way if there are any accidents, our teams on the ground know exactly what to do and who to call on for support at any given time at any given point. This level of detailed planning is what sets us apart from cheaper, local companies offering treks up the mountain and is what makes sure that our guests are well looked after every step of the way.

In addition to our SMS, we plan our itineraries to both make the most of your time in Tanzania but also to ensure that we allow plenty of time for acclimatisation. Trekking at altitude can be dangerous and making sure that we spend enough time each day at the right altitudes, then sleeping low, is the best way to facilitate a successful Kilimanjaro summit attempt. We factor enough days that you get to enjoy every minute of your trek up Kilimanjaro without having to worry about feeling rough or getting sick. But if you do suffer from altitude sickness then you’re in good hands with our experienced guides who will be able to step in and make a plan to help you manage your symptoms.

Your safety is paramount, so we make sure we have the best people for the job accompanying you for every step of your journey. We have high guide-to-client ratios and will typically have 1 dedicated guide to every 2-3 people. Having smaller group numbers means we can give our guests all the attention they need. Your lead guide will always set the pace for the group which will be determined by the fitness, age and ability of the group. There will be a guide at the rear to support the slower members of the party and plenty of support in between the front of the trek and the rear.

On an average 8-9 person trip, we would have approximately 35 support staff in total. This includes guides, porters, cooks, waiters and supply staff. Being a responsible travel partner of KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) means we also have a KPAP porter with us on every trek monitoring the welfare of our support team.

Even before you have seen the mountain, you’ll have a trip briefing where you’ll get to meet the other members of your trekking group and the guides. You’ll be taken through each day of the trek, what to expect, what to take and get to ask any last minute questions. Communication is key so building this early rapport with the people you’ll be spending a lot of time with is essential to an enjoyable climbing Kilimanjaro experience.

Some of the risks you may face on your Kilimanjaro trek are sun exposure, altitude sickness, extreme weather and poor sanitation. The good news is that we know all of this and have lots of plans in place to make sure your health is the best it can be before, during and after your climb.

One of the most important tasks our trekking teams carry out are twice daily health checks and these start right at the trip briefing. Your heart rate will be measured and a base blood oxygen reading taken. Then from day one on the trip you’ll be checked twice daily for your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. This is to ensure that your body is coping with the altitude and that if there are any discrepancies, the team can act fast to prevent any health scares.

In addition to these readings, we also take a twice daily Lake Louise score. This self-assessment questionnaire is to assess your symptoms and rule out AMS (acute mountain sickness). By checking in regularly with how your body is performing, we are able to care for you and recommend action if we deem your health is at risk.

Altitude sickness is common when trekking at altitude as there is lower air pressure and lower oxygen saturation the higher you climb. Anyone can get altitude sickness but you’re more likely to suffer if you are unfit as those who have better cardiovascular health will be better equipped to cope with lower pressures for longer. There is medication you can take to try and prevent altitude sickness, but for our part, we try and factor in enough days for acclimatisation so that you are less at risk. 

When you’re stuck into your trek, hard as it may be to believe, there are no ‘proper’ toilets or washing facilities. The facilities on the mountain mainly consist of long drop toilets, with no showers and no sinks for washing your hands. We realise that this is not ideal, so we pack chemical toilets and a dedicated toilet tent with us for guests to use when camping. Taking hand sanitiser and baby wipes to keep hands clean will also go a long way to reducing the risk of diarrhoea which nobody wants to go through!

Sun exposure is another major health concern whilst hiking in Kilimanjaro. Applying SPF30 or higher to exposed skin such as your face, ears, neck and hands (at lower altitudes) will help you to avoid sunstroke and sunburn, both of which will make your trek uncomfortable and affect your ability to keep going. We recommend wearing a wide brimmed hat to provide shade and wearing layers that will allow your skin to breath when warm and insulate when the temperature drops.  

For more information on how to take care of yourself on your trek, head to our dedicated page for more tips.

Training for your trip is vitally important to the success of your climb. At 5,896m Kilimanjaro is a high peak and not one that can be summited on a whim – unless you are some sort of athlete or experienced mountaineer. It takes practice, commitment and determination. One of the hardest parts of our job is assessing the suitability of our guests to climb the mountains we operate trips to. Climbing Kilimanjaro is a challenging trek and as such you must be in good physical condition, able to walk for multiple hours, multiple days in a row and experience of altitude is also helpful.

The preparation for your climb up Kilimanjaro is something we can advise you on, however you will have to do the hard work yourself if you want a chance of success. Whether you’re in the US, UK or somewhere else entirely, start training 3-6 months prior to your trek and head for the highest mountains you can find. If your local peaks are not high altitude, then try taking a heavy pack with you or combine your walking with hitting the treadmill too. Building cardio into your training will help prepare your lungs and heart for your trek. Strength training will also help as you’ll be carrying a pack whilst climbing the mountain and the daily grind of your trek will be physically demanding.

We spend around a third of our lives asleep so having adequate sleeping quarters is essential, especially when attempting to summit the highest peak in Africa.

Kandoo use two different types of tents to protect you from the weather during your climb. We use Mountain Hardware Trango 3 sleeping tents which are the same kind of tents mountaineers use when climbing Everest. These high performance tents are designed to be super insulative, have lots of space and are very strong, ensuring you can get a good night’s sleep in all weather conditions. The second type of tent we use is a custom-made expedition mess tent where meals are served, which has good head height, is strong and warm. These are made especially for us in Nepal and built to withstand Himalayan conditions.

Downtime is important on a multi-day trek such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, so we do our best to make sure our travellers are comfortable when they’re not on their feet.

As mentioned above, the facilities on Kili are not quite what you’re used to! Have no fear, we sterilise all water to ensure it is safe to drink, as well as providing a portable chemical toilet that is cleaned regularly. It might be basic stuff but hand washing, finding drinking water and toileting are much easier when you’re not on the side of an enormous mountain. We do everything we can to keep conditions clean and sanitary throughout your trip to Kilimanjaro. The perks of having so many support staff is that there will be someone responsible for refilling and sterilising water containers and arranging supplies to your camps so you don’t have to.

It is a requirement of most travel companies, especially adventure travel operators, that you have adequate travel insurance to climb Kilimanjaro. Whether you book with us or another tour operator, having appropriate travel insurance could be the difference between life and death on the mountain should you have an accident. Evacuations are faster and more efficient with the correct cover. A lack of insurance is not only against our terms and conditions but may incur delays in arranging medical attention, evacuation and hospitalisation in case of an emergency.