Why You Don’t Need Oxygen To Climb Kilimanjaro

If you’re planning to climb Kilimanjaro as a beginner, you may be asking yourself if you need to get supplemental oxygen to help you make your climb. I was wondering about this myself so I did some research on the topic.

You do NOT need oxygen to climb Kilimanjaro. At 19,340 ft above sea level, the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro is lower than 22,000 ft required for you to use oxygen when climbing. Using oxygen to help someone with acute mountain sickness to continue climbing could endanger their lives and is highly discouraged.^[source] Let’s look at what this means for you when preparing to climb Kilimanjaro and what you can do to reduce your chances of Mountain Sickness when on Kilimanjaro.

Disclaimer:
I am not an expert on this topic. If you are looking for medical advice, I suggest that you consult an actual doctor for guidance about your unique situation. I am just another dude seeking to climb Kili who did a ton of research on the topic. If you are curious about the topic like I am, read on.

Kilimanjaro has High Incidences of Altitude Sickness

I was curious on how big of a problem mountain sickness is on Kilimanjaro so I did some digging for any research that has been done on the topic. What I found surprised me.

According to the High Altitude Medicine & Biology.Oct 2010 journal, Acute Mountain Sickness affects nearly 47% of climbers no matter what itinerary they take. 

47% (89/189) of climbers from all itineraries were AMS positive at 4730 m

Source Incidence and predictors of acute mountain sickness among trekkers on Mount Kilimanjaro | High Altitude Medicine & Biology

This means that I stand a 50% chance of developing mountain sickness when I make my summit of Kilimanjaro no matter what my level of physical fitness is and no matter what itinerary I use. This surprised me.

So the question I asked is, does this mean that I need to carry oxygen with me when making my climb up Kilimanjaro to prevent acute mountain sickness? The answer to this is NO. Since Mount Kilimanjaro whose peak is at 19340 ft is lower than the 22,000 ft mark that requires the use of oxygen, Its use is discouraged since it may mask the early symptoms of early mountain sickness.

What Altitudes Require oxygen for you to Climb Kilimanjaro

Ordinarily, the minimum altitude that requires the use of oxygen is 22,000 feet above sea level. Uhuru peak, the tallest point on Mt Kilimanjaro is 19,340 ft which is lower than the mandatory minimum. This means, that for the average person (I would count myself in this category 🙂 ), you will still be able to breath ok without needing to use oxygen when climbing Kilimanjaro despite the fact that you are likely to suffer from Mountain Sickness due to the change in elevation.

Why is Oxygen Used in A Mountain Climb

When going above the 22,000 feet elevation, the air density is so low that the body is not able to get enough oxygen from the available air. This is why for places like Everest, you can’t make the summit without using supplemental oxygen. 

On Kilimanjaro, the guide companies use oxygen as an emergency treatment to anyone suffering severe Mountian sickness and is unable to make the descent without the aid of oxygen.

In my research, I found that the first and most important step that you need to take immediately you experience severe symptoms of mountain sickness is: Immediately and Safely coming down the mountain. If you continue climbing, the symptoms will get worse and can lead to complications Here is the quote on this

For all stages of altitude sickness, the main treatment is to go down to a lower altitude as quickly and safely as possible. For mild altitude sickness, over-the-counter medicines should relieve headache. Other symptoms will go away quickly at a lower altitude.

Symptoms of moderate altitude sickness usually improve in 24 hours at an elevation that is at least 1,000 to 2,000 feet lower. Symptoms should go away completely within 3 days.

People who have severe altitude sickness must be taken to a lower elevation (no higher than 4,000 feet) immediately. They must be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. Hospital care may be needed.

Source: Altitude Sickness Management and Treatment – Cleveland Clinic

Body sending you a message

Based on what I found, your body is actually sending you a message when you start suffering from altitude sickness. Your body is telling you that its not able to deal with the change in altitude that you have introduced to it and that you need to go to lower elevations or at least stay at the same elevation to let the body get used to the conditions on this elevation.

You should listen to your body and ensure that you don’t push on when you start suffering altitude sickness. 

This is the main reason why you should not use supplemental oxygen when climbing Kilimanjaro. You will not be able to hear what your body is telling you if the symptoms will be masked by oxygen. This is also the main reason I found that almost all the reputable Kilimanjaro guide companies don’t provide you with supplemental oxygen unless you are presenting signs of severe mountain sickness and need to be taken down the mountain quckly.

How To Ensure you Don’t Need Supplemental Oxygen

Based on the above, it seems like the only time I will need supplemental oxygen is if I am deemed unfit to continue making the ascent and I need to go down the mountain without getting to the summit. The thing is, If I can prevent this by preparing in advance, why shouldn’t I?

I needed to do more research on what I need to do to ensure that I don’t start experiencing mountain sickness on the climb I’m planning to Kilimanjaro so I went in the hunt for journals that give direction on the matter. Here is what I found: 

Risk factors for HAPE include rate of ascent, intensity of exercise and absolute altitude attained, although an individual predisposition to developing the condition is also well described and suggests an underlying genetic susceptibility.

Source: US National Library of Medicine National institutes of health

Based on these findings, say that the best way of avoiding having to need supplemental oxygen and the disappointing news that you can’t continue with your climb is as follows.

1. Climb Slowly: The word pole pole (very slowly) now means more than what I normally use it for when speaking Swahili. It seems like this is the elixir of life when climbing Kili and I will definitely adhere to this as much as possible on my climb.
2. Keep Hydrated:  I actually found that drinking too much water when going up the mountain could lead to hypothermia ^[source]  THis means that I will need to keep myself hydrated without overdoing it and losing a lot of heat through urine.
3. Use a longer route: Based on what I found, using a longer route will allow my body to acclimatize to the change in elevation and this will reduce my chances of encountering mountain sickness and dashing my hopes of making the summit.
4. Train for Kilimanjaro:  Based on the videos I saw of the ascent of Kilimanjaro, the climb is not very difficult or technical. It is putting one foot in front of the other and if I do that consistently, I will make it to the top. However, based on the fact that this will be a multi-day treck in conditions unlike what I have experienced in the past, I will need to get prepared for the physical strain this climb will put on my body. My plan is to start jogging consistently to get myself to better physical fitness than what I have currently.
5. Use a reputable guide: One of the things I found when doing research for this post is that there are a number of Kilimanjaro climb companies that actually advise their clients to get spare oxygen for their climb. This misinformation points to something more troubling. That they don’t know what they are doing and will not be able to help me if I actually get into trouble. I think my ability to find a good hiking company that has well-trained guides will be the thing that determines whether I actually make it or not. I will spend more time on this and document on this blog it as I proceed.

I will turn back if…

I love my life, and although I will have spent thousands of dollars to get up the mountain I am pledging to myself to turn back if I start experiencing any of the symptoms described on the Healthline Website as shown below

Severe cases of acute mountain sickness can cause more intense symptoms and affect your heart, lungs, muscles, and nervous system. For example, you may experience confusion as a result of brain swelling. You may also suffer from shortness of breath due to fluid in the lungs.

Symptoms of severe altitude sickness may include:
– coughing
– chest congestion
– pale complexion and skin discoloration
– inability to walk or lack of balance
– social withdrawal

Source: Accute Mountain Sickness – Healthline

Conclusion

I hope I have helped you answer the question on the use of oxygen in Kilimanjaro. If you are planning to go to Kilimanjaro soon, let me know what route you plan to use to get there and how you plan to deal with the mountain sickness up there.