This was calculated by determining how many days should ideally b

This was calculated by determining how many days should ideally be spent above 3,000 m to reach the highest camp, using the recommendation that no more than 500 m should be gained per day, and that a rest day should be taken every 4 days. The total altitude gained above 3,000

m to the highest camp was then divided by the number of days spent reaching there. Where there was more than one choice of high camp, an average of the altitudes of the various high camps was used. For example, when trekking to EBC, there are two possible high camps, Lobuche (4,930 m) or Gorakh Shep (5,160 m). Of the 12 expeditions identified in this study, 5 used Lobuche and 7 used Gorakh Shep. Thus, an average of these was calculated as 5,064 m. When taking the WMS recommendations

selleck inhibitor into account, 6 days should be spent to ascend the 2,064 m above 3,000 m. This produced Gefitinib datasheet a maximum ascent rate of 344 m/day. The maximum ascent rate was calculated as 429 m/day on Aconcagua and 346 m/day on Kilimanjaro. From our web-based search, 12 UK-based companies offered treks to EBC, 9 offered climbs of Aconcagua, and 27 companies offered 93 treks on seven different routes to the true summit of Kilimanjaro. The average ascent rate was 303 m/day to EBC and 265 m/day on Aconcagua. On Kilimanjaro, the ascent rate ranged from 267 m/day to 740 m/day, depending on the route that was offered. When compared with the WMS’s maximum ascent rate, compliance was 92% to EBC and 100% on Aconcagua. Of the 93 treks offered on Kilimanjaro, only 16 complied with the WMS guidelines (17%; Table 1). This study reveals that although the vast majority of expeditions offered by UK-based commercial companies to EBC (92%) and Aconcagua (100%) complied

with the WMS guidelines, on Kilimanjaro this number fell to just 17%. The high ascent rates seen on Kilimanjaro have the potential to increase the risk of AMS, leading to a fall in performance and an increase in the incidence of life-threatening conditions such as HAPE and HACE. This conclusion is supported by the Ribose-5-phosphate isomerase extraordinarily high incidence rate of AMS that has been reported on the mountain and the low proportion of trekkers who reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.6 The most popular routes offered on the mountain were the Marangu (24.7%), Machame (23.7%), and Rongai (20.4%). Unfortunately, these, along with the Umbwe route, had the highest average ascent rates determined by this study. In fact, the ascent rate along the Marangu route was 300 m/day greater than the maximum ascent rate recommended by the WMS guidelines! There are a number of factors that contribute to this situation. First, on most routes it is only possible to sleep at a small number of sites on the mountain. In some cases, these are almost 1,000 vertical meters apart. Second, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park charges a daily rate of $60 for each visitor. This encourages commercial operators to make a rapid ascent to minimize costs.

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