The Hard Truth

At Uhuru Peak you breathe with only 49% of the oxygen you have at sea level.

More than half of all climbers get some form of altitude sickness.

But with the right route and professional team, it’s almost completely preventable.

The Three Altitude Illnesses You Must Know

1. AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness)—the common “altitude headache”
2. Symptoms: headache, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite
3. Fix: rest, hydrate, Diamox, or descend a few hundred meters.
4. HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema)—fluid in the lungs, can kill in hours
5. Symptoms: extreme shortness of breath at rest, wet cough, blue lips
6. Fix: IMMEDIATE oxygen + descent
7. HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema)—fluid in the brain, medical emergency
8. Symptoms: severe headache, vomiting, can’t walk straight, confusion
9. Fix: IMMEDIATE descent + dexamethasone + oxygen

If caught early, all three are 100% treatable. We have never lost a climber to altitude illness.

Why Longer Routes Save Lives

The only proven way to prevent altitude sickness is time.

• 5–6 day routes → 45–65 % success, high AMS rate
• 7-day routes → 85–90 % success
• 8–9 day routes (Lemosho & Northern Circuit) → 94–97 % success

We only offer 7+ day routes because anything shorter is gambling with your health.

How Your Body Acclimatizes (and How We Help It)

• You breathe deeper & faster
• Heart rate increases
• Kidneys dump bicarbonate (makes you pee a lot)
• Red blood cell production slowly rises

We help with:

• “Climb high, sleep low” days built into every itinerary
• Twice-daily pulse oximeter checks (we know your oxygen level before you do)
• Emergency oxygen on every single climb
• Guides trained to spot HAPE/HACE in minutes

Diamox—Should You Take It?

Yes, for most people.

Diamox (acetazolamide) speeds acclimatization and reduces AMS symptoms by ~70%.

Standard dose: 125 mg twice daily, starting the morning of day 1.

Side effects: tingling fingers, everything tastes like soda water.

Talk to your doctor, but almost all our clients use it without issues.

Our Daily Safety Routine (No Exceptions)

• Morning & evening health check with pulse oximeter + Lake Louise questionnaire
• Guides listen to your lungs with a stethoscope above 4,000 m
• Anyone below 70 % oxygen or showing ataxia = immediate descent
• Helicopter evacuation on standby 24/7 (insurance must cover this)

Myths vs Reality

Myth: “I’m super fit; altitude won’t affect me.” → Wrong. Fitness helps legs, not lungs.

Myth: “If I feel fine, I’m fine.” → Wrong. HAPE can appear with almost no warning.

Myth: “I’ll just push through.” → The fastest way to a helicopter.

Real Client Numbers (2024–2025 season so far)

• 612 climbers
• 0 cases of HAPE or HACE
• 3 evacuations (all mild AMS caught early)
• 96.7% summit success

Ready to climb the right way?

We only sell routes that give your body the time it needs. No shortcuts, no gambles.

Tell us your dates, and we’ll build you an itinerary that makes altitude sickness a non-issue.

Get Your Safe Route Plan | Download Altitude Guide PDF | Chat with Our Medical Team

Altitude doesn’t care how fit you are. But we do. Stay safe. Summit happy. 🗻