Is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro safe?

Climbing Kilimanjaro is probably one of the most dangerous things you will ever do. Every year, approximately 1,000 people are evacuated from the mountain, and approximately 10 deaths are reported. The actual number of deaths is believed to be two to three times higher. The main cause of death is altitude sickness.

Either, while climbing Kilimanjaro you will not be mugged or attacked by wild animals on your trek the only enemy you have is altitude sickness.

Before starting journey of climbing mountain your porters must carry treatment equipment in the first aid kit for incase any member of the group got injuries, he/she will get first aid before any other continuous treatment. The first aid equipment including plasters of different sizes and shapes, small, medium and large sterile gauze dressings, two sterile eye dressings, triangular bandages, crepe rolled bandages, safety pins, disposable sterile gloves, tweezers, scissors ,alcohol-free cleansing wipes, sticky tape, thermometer, skin rash cream, such as hydrocortisone , spray to relieve insect bites and stings, antiseptic cream, painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen, antihistamine cream or tablets, distilled water for cleaning wounds, eye wash and eye bath.

Mostly injuries that occur on the mountain involve the feet, ankles and legs versus the upper body given their extended use while hiking. The most common injuries trekkers may experience while climbing and descending Kilimanjaro are

Ankle sprain;
Ankle is an injury that occurs when the ankle is rolled, twisted or turned in a way that tears the ligaments that help hold the ankle bones together.

Blisters;
Is a bubble of fluid underneath the skin, between the upper layers causes are friction resulting from an ill-fitting shoe.

Muscle pull;
Caused by overstretching a muscle and they are common happen in the hamstring.

Sunburn;
Sunburn is a skin injury caused by heat and radiation and may cause light peeling of the skin.

Minor cuts, bruises and abrasions;
These occur mainly from slipping or falling on the trail or walking around camp.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome;
This is pain around or behind the kneecap caused by irritation of the tendons, cartilage, fat pad beneath the patella, or other tissues.

Plantar fasciitis;
Is a thick band of tissue in the bottom of the foot that extends from the heel to the toes.

Timbale’s tendonitis;
The tibialis tendon connects the calf muscle to the inside the ankle and provides arch support. If it becomes irritated, inflamed, or torn, it causes foot and ankle pain and causes the arch to fall, resulting in flat feet. You should protect yourself on mountain by using or wearing quality climbing equipment.

Iliotibial band syndrome;
Is a thick tendon that stretches from the pelvic bone all the way down your thigh.

Shin splints;
Stress syndrome, a shin splint is an inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around the tibia. This causes pain in the front or inside of the lower leg along the shin bone.

Stress fracture
This is a small crack in a bone that causes pain and discomfort. Are caused by repetitive force. Most stress fractures occur in the bones of the foot and lower leg.

Prevent from injuries;
Wear the right shoes;
the right shoes are very important when climbing in order to avoid legs versus. As we know that in mountain there are a lot of rocks so when choosing climbing equipments including shoes there should be at least a half inch of space between the front of the toes and the inside of the shoe. Wearing special boots used during climbing Mount Kilimanjaro especially new boots.

Wear special Socks;
when we are talking about special socks it includes liner socks which are used when hiking to prevent getting blisters. These are thin socks usually made of thin polyester or light wool, designed to be worn inside hiking socks. They fit more snugly and are made to move with the feet.

Wear Blisters;
Blister tape sticks firmly on your skin by forming a preventative or protective barrier. Bandages, medical tape, or even simple duct tape can be used as well. It protects against blisters forming when used over potential. It also alleviates the pain resulting from existing blisters.

Use climbing Poles;
Trekking poles prevent muscle damage and soreness. When you are using climbing poles correctly you shift some of your weight off of your legs and on to your arms. This means less impact and less wear and tear on your feet, ankles, knees and leg muscles.

Wear round caps;
these caps are mostly used to protect yourself from sunrays. The easiest way to stop sunburn is to cover up and minimize the amount of exposed skin. The climbers they should carry sun protection cream and the climbers should not forget to use it every time.

Therefore, the tours operator company have big responsible to ensure they eliminate injuries occur during tour activities for their clients. Their clients are come from different countries like U.S.A, Canada, Australia and any other countries but some of them they have experience on how to climb in mountain and protect themselves from injuries which may occur when climbing. So, the tours companies also before climbing mountain activities the tour operator should provide training education in practical when climbing or hiking Kilimanjaro Mountain for the first-time climbers.

These training could also help those climbers to protect themselves from injuries when they know how to climb the mountain and take caution in order to protect them.