Earlier this month, Ultimate Kilimanjaro posted a Kilimanjaro Climb Survey on the discussion forums of Lonely Planet, Summit Post and Trip Advisor.  The purpose of the survey was to collect data that could assist others who are considering climbing Kilimanjaro in their decision making. 

The survey was a short 20 question, multiple choice survey, and that took people an average of just over 3 minutes to complete.  As of today, there were 49 respondents.  Below are the summarized results of the first 10 questions:

• male climbers outnumbered female climbers by 2 to 1
• 54% of climbers were between 31 and 40 years of age
• 22% of climbers obtained a medical check prior to climbing
• 80% of climbers obtained all recommended vaccinations, immunizations and medications
• 67% of climbers obtained travel insurance
• July was the most popular month for climbing Kilimanjaro
• 45% chose 6 day routes; 31% chose 7 day routes; 10% chose 9 day routes
• 45% climbed Machame; 20% climbed Marangu; 16% climbed Lemosho  
• Only 6% of climbers hiked to Kibo Crater
• 84% of climbers reached Uhuru Point

The most surprising figure is that 84% of the respondents reached the summit, while it is widely cited that the overall summit success rate is about 50%.  However, there are a few possible explanations of the rather high success rate for survey respondents.  First, keep in mind that park statistics reflect that the Machame Route is slightly more popular than Marangu Route, but the respondents overwhelmingly chose Machame over Marangu (45% vs. 20%).  Also, only 10% did a 5 or less day climb.  The lack of respondents using Marangu and 5 or less day climbs would improve the survey’s summit success percentages tremendously. 

A good percentage of people who attempt Kilimanjaro have absolutely no hiking, backpacking or high altitude experience.  But the respondents on the cited forums are typically serious backpackers, independent travelers and mountaineers, all of whom have an advantage on Kilimanjaro versus their less experienced counterparts.  Finally, respondents are also likely to be people who succeeded on the mountain and had a good time doing it.

The detailed results of are shown below:

Beginning on January 21, 2008, Kilimanjaro Airport reinstated health surveillance desks to enforce the Yellow Fever certificate requirement. All passengers entering from at risk areas must have been vaccinated. This includes passengers flying through Nairobi, even if they do not leave the airport. 

It appears that the Tanzanian government is phasing in the certificate requirement and being somewhat lenient for now. But eventually, the certificate will be required for all passengers entering Tanzania, whether or not they are arriving from an infected area.

Tanzania itself is an infected area, and Yellow Fever is no joke. So you should get the vaccination regardless. It needs to be in the body 10 days before it is 100% effective and is good for 10 years. This is a good brochure on Yellow Fever by the US Center for Disease Control.

Yellow Fever Information

There is no evidence that Diamox (acetzolamide) masks AMS. It is approved by the FDA as a means of preventing and/or treating AMS. Therefore if you FEEL better while on Diamox, you ARE better.

To adapt to altitude, one needs to breathe more frequently during ascent to make up for the thinning air. What Diamox does is it increases the respiratory rate, speeding up acclimatization. The manufacturer of Diamox states that in their tests, “pulmonary function (e.g., minute ventilation, expired vital capacity, and peak flow) is greater in the acetazolamide treated group, both in subjects with AMS and asymptomatic subjects. The acetazolamide treated climbers also had less difficulty sleeping.”

What the manufacturer recommends it that it be used as a preventative measure, where you would take it 24-28 hours prior to rapid ascent, and throughout your climb (until descent). But some use it as a treatment, taking it only when symptoms of AMS arise.

Most people ignore this advice, but if one plans to possibly use Diamox on the climb, it is important that he/she should take a dosage for a day or two while in the comfort of their home to see what the effects are. There are some side effects (tingling hands, increased urination, hearing loss, taste loss, upset stomach, vomiting, confusion) to taking the drug, so one should be sure their body doesn’t have an adverse reaction before getting on the mountain with it. As you can see, some of those side effects can easily be confused with AMS.

Diamox is used for other purposes, like treating glaucoma, epilepsy and fluid retention. So who knows what else these chemicals may be doing to the body besides “increasing pulmonary function.” One should not take a drug without considering all the consequences, whether good or bad. And that’s why I neither recommend it nor do I discourage it… it’s up to the climber, based on their beliefs and hopefully based on information.