Altitude Sickness on Kilimanjaro
Almost every climber will experience some of the effects of altitude. Despite what you may have heard, there’s no way to “train” for this, and your fitness level does not affect your chance of experiencing these symptoms. Instead, it’s best to stay informed on what to expect and how to overcome any discomfort you may experience. As you gain elevation, air pressure drops, causing your body to work harder to perform basic functions. Side effects range in severity:
Minor: Low appetite, nausea, and headaches are common effects of altitude.
Moderate: AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) is a rare but dangerous side effect of altitude.
Severe. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a buildup of fluid in the lungs and brain, respectively, are highly unlikely possibilities.
How Can You Combat Altitude’s Effects?
White Plains Safaris have a 98% summit success rate. Here’s why our score is so high:
Longer routes: Ample acclimatization time is the single most effective tool against altitude-related symptoms, and the routes we offer are 6+ days.
Unlimited purified water: Staying hydrated on the mountain can help mitigate mild altitude symptoms.
Nutritionist-designed meals: Thomson trekkers are served breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, and snacks are distributed throughout the trek. Energy and nutrients are necessary for easing the effects of altitude.
Highly trained guides: With Thomson, your guides are trained in high-altitude medicine, and can recognize and effectively manage rare health issues associated with altitude sickness.
Knowledgeable consultants: Before you even leave for your trek, we’ll send information on commonly prescribed medications to discuss with your doctor. Medications like acetazolamide (Diamox) and Ibuprofen might prevent or lessen symptoms of altitude.
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Highly recommended! Joseph created a fantastic, customized tour for my family. He listened to our many criteria and put together a wonderful package. He was always available and very responsive. Since we were on a safari that utilized flights within Kenya, there was no opportunity to enjoy Joseph's company (as others have commented). However, he made it a point to come to the airport at the start of our adventure and make sure we were all set. This was a small gesture that epitomized his character (I don't think this would have happened with a large tour provider). March 2023
This was our first safari and such an unforgettable experience. Communication with Joseph, the tour operator, was quick and easy. The proposed itinerary he provided was informative and we were able to easily modify it before finalizing everything. We enjoyed all the places we stayed at and there was something unique about each one. The game drives were just wow (super sawa sawa!). The tour guides/drivers (John in Kenya and Rajam in Tanzania) put in a lot of effort in finding the animals at the top of our list (leopard, rhino, calves, as well as a cheetah hunt and the most awesome selfie with an elephant). Each game drive was unique. There were so many encounters that left us awestruck—we’re still ooh ahhh-ing over our pictures and processing everything we experienced. Joseph was with us for the whole trip; he was quite knowledgeable about birds, which was a bonus. He also assisted with logistics (providing documents quickly for visas needed prior to arrival, getting us through border crossings, and arranging dinner reservations at a restaurant we wanted to go to prior to taking us to the airport). This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had and we have White Plains Safaris to thank for that. They are reliable, prompt, friendly, and well worth the money. February 2023
Our experience with White Plains Safaris and Joseph was amazing! The service was impeccable since the very beginning: during the reservation process, Joseph was extremely helpful, flexible and very honest. After booking, he supported us in any way he could, including paying for our Visas as we had some issues doing that online by ourselves! He was also very helpful in creating the itinerary, which proved to be amazing as it offered great game drives and diversity of landscape. Things kept being perfect throughout our trip; the accommodations he had reserved were very nice and always positioned perfectly, to avoid extra driving. During the game drives he was very accommodating and always asking for our feedback to make sure we had the best time. He brought us in amazing spots thanks to his unstoppable Land Cruiser and we got to see many animals including 3 leopards from very close! We also enjoyed his company very much and he was always able to answer our questions and providing interesting insights on the animals, the parks and Kenya in general. We always felt safe and well taken care of, so I would (and will) strongly recommend Joseph and White Plains to anyone looking for a good time in Kenya and Tanzania. January 2023
White Plains Safari provided me with an incredible experience, they were really easy people to get to know and it felt like I had made another friend at the end of my trip. Their service was excellent, they were really outgoing and did their ultimate best to show us everything they could, even if it meant going out of their way in order to do so, they were very reliable and I personally had no concerns regarding their reliability. In terms of the tour itself, I would one hundred percent recommend my trip to Kenya to anyone, especially with White Plains Safaris. White Plains Safaris helped make my trip an experience I will never forget. May 2022
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