Altitudes are generally defined as follows
High altitude 2,400m - 4,200m
Very high altitude 4,200m - 5,400m
Extreme altitude above 5,400m (Uhuru peak is
5,895m)
kilimanjaro ALTIDUDE INFORMATION
During a Kilimanjaro trek it is likely that all climbers
will experience at least some form of mild altitude sickness. It is caused by
the failure of the body to adapt quickly enough to the reduced level of oxygen
in the air at an increased altitude. There are many different symptoms but the
most common are headaches, light-headedness, nausea, loss of appetite, tingling
in the extremities (toes, fingers) and a mild swell of ankles and fingers. These
mild forms are not serious and will normally disappear within 48 hours.
Different people under similar conditions will respond
quite differently to altitude. There are no specific factors such as age, sex,
or physical condition that correlate with susceptibility to altitude sickness.
Your response to altitude will depend on your rate of ascent, the magnitude of
the ascent, and your individual susceptibility (genetics). The effects can be
mild or severe, and are caused by a lack of oxygen to the muscles and brain. As
altitude increases the concentration of oxygen stays the same, but the number of
oxygen molecules per breath is reduced as the barometric pressure drops. At
5,500 m (18,000 ft), there is half as much oxygen available as at sea level.
Kilimanjaro is 19,340 feet. In some cases altitude sickness can turn extremely
severe, even fatal. For reasons not entirely understood high altitude and lower
air pressures can cause fluid to leak from the capillaries and build-up in the
brain and lungs. Continuing an ascent without proper acclimation can lead to a
life threatening illness.
Acute Mountain
Sickness (AMS)
Mild symptoms of acute mountain sickness will occur in 75%
of people who travel over 10,000 feet, and can affect some people at lower
altitudes.
These symptoms
include:
Fatigue
Dizziness
Headaches
Nausea
Disturbed sleep
Indigestion
Loss of Appetite
Vomiting
These symptoms
typically begin immediately after arrival and tend to worsen at night. Mild AMS
does not interfere with normal activity and symptoms generally subside within
2-4 days as the body acclimatizes. As long as symptoms are mild and only a
nuisance, ascent can continue at a moderate rate.
Prevention of
AMS
Altitude sickness is
preventable! Pay close attention to your body and the health of individuals in
your group. Immediately communicate any symptoms of illness to others on your
trip, since oxygen deprivation of the brain may cause individuals to deny or not
recognize their own symptoms.
STAY HYDRATED - urine output should be copious and
clear. Try to drink at least 4-6 litres per day.
AVOID tobacco, alcohol, and
other depressant drugs including barbiturates, tranquilizers, and sleeping
pills. They further decrease the respiratory drive during sleep resulting in a
worsening of symptoms. In addition, avoid diuretics such as coffee and tea.
DONT GO UP UNTIL
SYMPTOMS GO DOWN - people acclimatize
at different rates, so make sure that your entire party is properly acclimatized
before going higher. Rest at the same altitude is efficient for mild symptoms,
but if they do not go away within a day or two it is essential that you descend
immediately.
EAT high-carbohydrate foods
while avoiding fatty foods.
BEFORE your trip, maintain a good work/rest
cycle, avoid excessive work hours, and last minute packing.
LISTEN to your body. Do not over-do things the
first day or two. Avoid heavy exercise.
DIAMOX (acetazolamide) is a
drug shown to be effective in minimizing the symptoms caused by poor oxygenation
by helping you breathe deeper and faster. This drug is not used in treatment, it
should be used as a preventative measure only. The recommended dose is 125 mg
twice a day, and it is advisable to start taking it 24 hours before you go to
altitude and continue for at least five days at higher altitude. Side effects
include tingling of the lips and finger tips, blurring of vision, and alteration
of taste. If you are allergic to sulfa drugs you should not take Diamox. Use of
this drug is controversial, so it is advisable to research its effects prior to
seeking a prescription. Here are a couple of sites for your
convenience:
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)
HAPE results from fluid
build up in the lungs, which prevents effective oxygen exchange from the lungs
to the bloodstream. This is a very serious condition that can lead to death if
not treated immediately.
Symptoms of
HAPE include:
Irritating
cough (can produce frothy, often blood-tinged sputum)
Mental confusion, staggering
drunken walk
Quick shallow
breathing, difficulty breathing
Exhaustion
Chest pain
Gurgling noise in chest
Debilitating headache and severe
fatigue
Disruption of
vision, bladder, and bowel functions
Loss of coordination of trunk
muscles (test by walking straight line)
Although rare, HAPE frequently strikes young fit
climbers and trekkers. If you notice any of these signs in yourself or others in
your group you must descend immediately, even at night. HAPE can be fatal
within a few hours if left untreated. However, if diagnosed early, recovery is
rapid with a descent of only 500-1,000 meters. Besides descent, treatment also
includes rest, administration of oxygen, and portable hyperbaric
chambers.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)
HACE occurs when fluid leakage in the brain causes swelling
which affects the central nervous system. This is considered the most serious
altitude related illness. If left untreated it will lead to coma and death. HACE
is thought to occur in 1% of persons above 4,000 m and 3% of those with AMS, and
usually occurs after a week or two at high altitudes.
Symptoms of HACE can
be similar to AMS and HACE and include:
Drowsiness
Headache
Changes in Behavior
Staggered gait (unable to walk
heel-to-toe in a straight line)
Severe weakness/fatigue
Impaired mental processing,
confusion
Difficulty
Speaking
Blindness
Vomiting
Paralysis of a Limb
Decreasing levels of
consciousness (loss of memory, hallucinations, psychotic behaviour, and
coma)
Seizures
Immediate descent
is the best treatment for HACE. This is of the utmost
urgency, and cannot wait until morning. The moment HACE is recognized is the moment to start
organizing an effort to get this person down the mountain, usually to the point
where they last slept with no symptoms. It is important to recognize that
persons with this illness are often confused, and may not recognize that they
are ill.
Kilimanjaro
Glaciers and Glaciology
Glacial recession is clearly visible on the two pictures of
the southern icefields that were taken from near the Barranco Hut, the first in
1984, the second in 1998. The most evident changes have occurred on the Heim
Glacier. In 1984 this is seen to have a "dog leg" in it; it reached down lower
than any of the other glaciers in this, the central part of main southern
icefields. In 1998 it is seen its upper reaches to have a much bigger gap
separating it from its neighbouring glacier to the right. The bottom section,
below the original dogleg, is totally missing and represents a loss of ice
extending about 300m vertically. More recent photographs show a further
reduction in the glaciated area.
At one stage most of the summit of Kilimanjaro was covered
by an ice cap, probably more than 100 metres deep. Glaciers extended well down
the mountain forming moraine ridges, clearly visible now on the southern flanks
down to about 4000m. At present only a small fraction of the glacial cover
remains.
The
remnants of the ice cap can be seen as the spectacular ice cliffs of the
Northern and Eastern Ice fields, and the longest glaciers are found on the
precipitous southern and south-western flanks. If the present rate of glacial
recession continues the majority of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro could vanish
altogether in the next 50 years. A recent study carried out on the snows
of Xixibangma and Kilimanjaro has reinforced observations. It is now estimated
that Kilimanjaro has lost 85% of its ice cover (by mass) since
1912.