Safety

Experience 

Our guides have over 10 years of mountain experience and are well versed in treating mountain Illnesses. Guides are certified Wilderness First Responders highlighted by Baraka, our co-owner, who has over 400 successful summits. We are trained in first aid & mountain rescue, perform health checks twice per day, monitor oxygen saturation & heart rate, carry emergency oxygen, and offer helicopter evacuation via Global Rescue.

Daily Health Checks 

Our daily health check is the foundation of our health and safety program. Twice a day, Soraka Tour’s guides will use a pulse oximeter to measure your oxygen saturation and heart rate. This device estimates the oxygen in the blood by using a light beam. By monitoring these readings over a period of time, our guides can assess how well you are acclimatizing. Additionally, we will ask you targeted questions based on the Lake Louise System (LLSS) questionnaire. This tool was created to evaluate the severity of AMS symptoms in individuals. 

Risks

Trekking at high altitudes poses inherent risks due to the remote location and height of mountains like Kilimanjaro, making it difficult to access medical facilities. While it is impossible to guarantee complete safety, Soraka Tours understands the gravity of the situation. We take your health and safety seriously and have developed a comprehensive safety system in collaboration with mountaineers, western doctors, and altitude experts. Our guides are all certified Wilderness First Responders (WFR), equipped to handle emergencies in remote areas. We conduct health checks twice daily, monitoring oxygen saturation levels and heart rates, and carry bottled oxygen on all climbs. We prioritize your safety above all else. 

Altitude

Altitude related illnesses are a risk for anyone traveling to high elevations, with the most common being Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), also known as altitude sickness. AMS is primarily caused by ascending too quickly to a high elevation without allowing the body adequate time to acclimatize to lower oxygen levels. It is likely that individuals climbing Kilimanjaro will experience one or more symptoms of altitude sickness during their journey. Mild AMS symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, disturbed sleep and a general feeling of malaise. If symptoms remain mild, it is generally safe for individuals to continue their climb.

Altitude Medication

Diamox (acetazolamide) is a prescription drug that is used to prevent and treat altitude sickness. It is the standard medical prophylaxis agent for AMS. It works by increasing ventilation (breathing rate) and thus, improving oxygenation.  It is effective in the prevention and treatment of AMS and has FDA approval for this use. Please have your medical provider prescribe this for you.

Kilimanjaro Rescue 

Soraka Tours’ guides are well-equipped to handle emergency situations with efficiency and promptness. Our team has established and rehearsed protocols that leave no room for uncertainty when it comes to resolving an issue. Whether it’s a sprained ankle, hypothermia, exhaustion, or altitude sickness, our guides have the necessary expertise and resources to ensure your safety. We can efficiently coordinate a rescue mission from any location within the park. Our team carries bottled oxygen on every climb to treat AMS alongside a quick descent. In the event of an emergency, we can initiate a helicopter evacuation through Global Rescue .