With access to the peak area of the mountain e.g. on Mt. Kenya so easy, at least that is, when contrasted with most other high mountains in the world, the walker or climber is confronted with certain unique and potentially, serious problems associated with high altitude and acclimatization, or rather, the lack off. The most common problem is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). The incidence of appetite loss, headache, nausea and vomiting are high, and affect to a greater or lesser extent, 80% or more of the visitors to the Austrian Hut area (4,800 m) and even at Mackinder’s Camp (4,100 m), over half the visitors will feel somewhat “rough”
NOTE! In general, the faster you walk up the mountain, the more likely you are to feel the effects of the altitude and feel ill. In order to encourage visitors to spend longer on the walk in, particularly those on a tight budget, the Park authorities have recently reduced Park entry fees for all walkers on multi day trips.
Information and recommendations contained in the section below should be regarded as a guide only. Detailed medical information can be obtained from your own personal Physician and from such specialist publications as “Medicine for mountaineering” published by The Mountaineers of Seattle, USA; or , “Mountain Medicine and Physiology” published by the Alpine Club in London. If you have any doubts about your physical condition, GET A MEDICAL CHECK UP before heading up the mountain.
Specific high altitude problems: Caused through the inability of the human body to adjust to a rapid gain in altitude. Problems range from mild cases of AMS, experienced to some extent by most climbers, through ist varius forms to the often fatal Pulmonary and Celebral Oedema’s. (HAPE and HACE). The latter being less common. Oddly enough, young fit males seem to be the most badly affected by altitude.
Symptoms of AMS (in the order usually experienced): -
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Anorexia
• Exhaustion
• Lassitude muscle weakness
• A rapid pulse even at rest (+120/min)
• Insomnia
• Swelling of the hands and feet
• A reduced urine output
PREVENTION AND CURE
Climbers with severe symptoms MUST stop ascending and seriously consider descending to a lower altitude. Often a drop of as little as 500m and a stay of a couple of days at that altitude will allow better acclimatization to take place. Use of the drug Diamox can help prevent or reduce the severity of AMS.
With HAPE, additional symptoms may be noticed: Shortness of breath, even at rest, gurgling buddy sounds in the chest and sometimes watery blood-tinged sputum. Skin may be cold and clammy, finger nails and lips bluish. With HACE, severe headache, hallucination and lack of co-ordination are additional symptoms. Treatment must be immediate. DESCEND! Even if it means walking down at night. The speed with which these two conditions kill is often as little as 12 hours from when the symptoms first become apparent. If bottled oxygen is available, it should be used.
PRECAUTIONS
Precautions that the visitor can take to help minimize the severity of mountain sickness include:
• Staying a night at 3,000m and an extra night at 4,200m.
• Maintaining a slow steady pace whilst walking up. (there is a little point in trying to out distance every one else, for even at a slow pace, the time between huts is seldom more than 6 hours).
• Drink at least 3 liters of fluids each day. Dehydration, even mild, leads to a thickening of the blood with increased possibility of pulmonary embolism or a thrombosis.
• Urine color should be pale and the output copious.
