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| kilimanjaro |
| STEP 4 : PREPARING FOR THE TREK | : medical checks >>> |
| : physical training >>> | |
| : personal equipment >>> | |
| : hire equipment >>> | |
| : photographic equipment >>> | |
| : personal first aid kit >>> | |
| : personal insurance >>> | |
| : food and drink >>> | |
Medical checks |
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High risk : The following people are considered to be at high risk on the mountain : Men over 60 or women over 65. Anyone with previous heart or respiratory problems. These people are urged to take a full medical before even considering whether to climb and then a further medical a couple of weeks before the climb. Anyone in this category must advise us when making a reservation in order than we might tailor our service on the mountain accordingly. Medium risk : The following people are considered to be at medium risk on the mountain : Men over 40 and women over 50 are considered to be medium risk and are adivsed to have a full medical a couple of weeks before the climb. Low risk : Other climbers are also advised to have a full medical a couple of weeks before the climb. Whilst visiting your doctor you will also need to consult them on anti-malarials and the use of Diamox, as well as obtaining prescriptions for any drugs needed for the medical list below. This information is given for advice only and do not constitute medical advice. It is up to you, the climber, to determine whether you are in a fit condition appropriate for undertaking a trek of this nature. If in doubt consult a fully qualified medical practitioner. |
Physical training |
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Now is the time to start training. The best exercise for Kilimanjaro is to do lots of walking. During work days, try to walk as much as you can ... take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk instead of driving or catching a taxi. Try to get at least an hour of walking into every day. In addition to this, try to get some morning and evening sessions of aerobic activity in, such as cycling, running or spinning. An hour of any of these activities three or four times a week will be a great help. You may want to do some muscle-building weights work in the gym, but this is probably only appropriate for people used to this type of activity and is not a necessity for this trek. Weekends and days off you should try to head for the hills. Try to walk for 6 to 8 hours, perhaps on consecutive days. Even try camping out on the nights in between, but be careful not to put yourself off the whole idea. Increase the pace, especially on uphill sections to increase your aerobic capacity. Use the boots that you will bring with you to Kilimanjaro so that they are well worn in. Some guidebooks say that you shoulf be able to run for half an hour without being out of breath. Don't be disheartened by this kind of talk ... many of us are not cut out for running and this is not an acheivable goal. Remember that Kilimanjaro is a walk, not a run, but one which requires a higher than usual aerobic capacity due to the extreme altitude. Just get as fit as you reasonably can in the timescale available ... make it a priority and make the effort. That way if you don't make it to the top at least you know you gave it a good shot. |
Personal equipment |
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All communal equipment such as tents and cooking gear is provided by the climb teams. All personal equipment is usually provided by the climbers. Please refer to the equipment lists below. Total luggage should be kept to a maximum of 15kg on the mountain. Extra luggage can be safely stored at your hotel. If you need to take more luggage then you must let us know at the time of booking so that we can arrange additional porters. |
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Hire equipment |
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We maintain a small store of equipment for hire. Items available are those shown with prices in the table above. All our hire equipment is purchased new in the UK and is of a good standard. Equipment can sometimes be hired by climbers in Arusha, Moshi and Marangu, often at considerably lower prices, but it is often not of sufficent quality, especially critical items such as waterproofs. Climbers wishing to hire any equipment should advise at the time of booking. When booking we need to know if you are : SMALL / MEDIUM / LARGE / XLARGE We also keep an additional store of a wider range of equipment to cover for emergency situations, such as luggage being lost by airlines. We are usually able to get hold of enough decent gear, especially when the customers have two nights in a hotel before the climb. This two day period often leaves enough of a window for the customer's own luggage to turn up, often via South America. |
Photographic equipment |
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Most climbers want to at least get a snap of them at the summit. Others take this opportunity to keep a photographic or video diary of the climb. It is important to realise the limitations of your photographic equipment. Almost every camera these days has some digital functionality, even where the end photograph is still recorded on film. Digital equipment is notoriously sensitive to low temperatures. Check the equipment specification. It is usually possible to get equipment that is only specified to operate down to zero Celsius < 32 Farenheit > operational by keeping it stowed away inside your clothing and only bringing it out for the occasional photo opportunity. Those wanting to use their equipment for longer periods may have to purchase specialist gear. You should also note that at lower temperatures, battery life falls away rapidly. You should bring plenty of spare batteries. There are many photo stories of Kilimanjaro that don't make it all the way to the top for this reason. If you need photographic film or video cassettes, then we recommend that you bring everything you require from home as supplies in Tanzania are not reliable. |
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Personal first aid kit |
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All climbs are equipped with a full medical kit. Climbers are also encouraged to bring their own small medical kits containing the items on the list below and any other medication specific to your own health requirements. Items in italics are not essential as they are included in the main medical kit and can be quite bulky for individuals to carry around
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Personal insurance |
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It is absolutely essential that all climbers have full travel insurance. We will not take climbers to the mountain if they do not have adequate insurance cover and no refunds will be paid. Make sure that your policy covers high altitude trekking. Make sure also that the cover includes all medical and repatriation costs. For our personal cover here at ATR we use a UK based insurance broker which specialises in adventure travel. Their standard travel policies include both high altitude trekking and scuba diving. For single trip you can expect to pay around US$100 to US$200 per person. Although the insurers are local to us here in UK, they will cover travellers originating from anywhere around the world. We can arrange this insurance when you make your climb reservation. |
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Food and drink |
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Full details on the food and drink that we prepare for the moutain are given in our Climb Specification section. Please double check that you have advised us of any special dietary requests. |