Medical Check Up & Age

Prior to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, every prospective climber should get checked by their doctor. Let your doctor know that you will be exposed to extreme altitude for a prolonged period of time; ask them if it is okay to engage in high altitude trekking at your age, current health condition, and fitness level.

If you are on prescription, ask your doctor if the medicine you are taking can affect acclimatization or your ability to climb to higher altitudes; to prevent altitude sickness you may have to take Diamox, so ask your doctor if you can take it with your prescription medicines.

If you have any pre-existing medical condition, make sure your doctor is aware of it and ask them if you can still engage in high altitude climbing with your condition. If you have a pre-existing health condition that can make high altitude climbing riskier for you than the average person, please let us know in advance. Medical conditions that can make climbing risky include cardiac diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hearing and vision impairment, seizures, joint problems and other related conditions.  

Before commencing the hike, we will at the minimum require your resting heart rate to be under 100 beats per minute. If your resting heart rate is above 100 beats per minute, we will require you to get clearance from a local doctor before starting the climb. The average resting heart rate is between 60 and 80 beats per minute.

The minimum allowable age for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is 10 years; while there is no maximum climbing age, if you are over 60 years old, please get cleared by your doctor before attempting the climb. Generally, anyone attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro should see their doctor before attempting the climb; it is even more important for those below 18 years and those above 60 years.