Rescue and evacuation on Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m)

Rescue during climbing Kilimanjaro is the service available for all climbers on Kilimanjaro.

Rescue and evacuation are offered either for the climber who is affected with Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) or the climber who got injuries to either, their foot ankle, or knees.

There are a lot of reasons that may require us guides to request rescue or helicopter evacuation.

In this article, we are going to discuss on types of rescue options available during your climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.

We will also highlight evacuation procedures for Kilimanjaro climbing.

What are the rescue procedures for Mount Kilimanjaro?

Blessing Safaris team monitors the health and all situations of our climbers from arrival point to departure.

Our mountain guides are well trained to deal with altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro and injuries that once happened to our climbers.

The Mountain guide assesses the situation and provides first aid if necessary. Will communicate with the ground team to report the situation.

If our climbers are either injured or affected by altitude sickness, we will determine if he/she will continue hiking or not.

The report provides the final decision, safety comes first for our climbers.

The only solution for severe altitude sickness or injury is ascending to either the lower camp or outside of the park for medical attention.

Mount Kilimanjaro provides options for rescue and evacuation.

Your mountain guide will determine the best option for rescue or evacuation during your climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The choice of rescue or evacuation option will depend on your location and how seriously you’re affected by mountain sickness.

What are the rescue and evacuation options on Mount Kilimanjaro?

Walking evacuation on Mount Kilimanjaro

Not every illness or injury requires emergency evacuation for climbers from Kilimanjaro.

Some climbers may get a small injury or feel less severe conditions, but prevent them from climbing to other camps.

On that occasion, Blessing Safaris guides or crew will accompany you to lower camps or even outside of the park.

If you will check out of the park our driver will be ready to take you back either to the hospital or hotel.

Be aware that, you can incur extra costs staying at the hotel or hospital this cost should be added to your trip cost.  Having the best travel insurance helps.

Blessing Safaris team will monitor closely your situation either in a hospital or at the hotel to make sure you have a safe recovery.

Stoller-type stretcher evacuation on Mount  Kilimanjaro

To get an idea of how these stretchers look like, these stretchers are equipped with a large wheel in their design.

These stroller-type stretchers are used to carry climbers who have leg injuries, altitude sickness, or other illnesses that require evacuation.

Instead of carrying a climber on the back, this type of stretcher is used instead.

These stretchers are limited to the other routes for Kilimanjaro, you can find these types of stretchers through the Marangu route.

Each hut on the Marangu route is equipped with this type of stretcher.

Learn more about the Marangu route climbing packages

Vehicle evacuation on Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), provides two standby rescue vehicles.

These vehicles are very important in serving the life of climbers during their trip to Kilimanjaro.

The nature of the mountain prevents these vehicles from reaching every part of the mountain.

If you’re climbing through Marangu routes or Rongai, the rescue vehicle can reach as far as Horombo camps ( 3780m ) and back to the Marangu gate

For climbers through the Machame and Lemosho routes, the rescue vehicle reaches the Shira cave camp.

It takes the climber back to Londorossi gate.

Depending on the relevant gate, Blessing Safaris vehicle will be waiting to transfer our climber to either a hospital or lodge depending on their health condition.

Helicopter rescue and evacuation on Mount  Kilimanjaro

For severe illness or serious injury, the only option available is Helicopter rescue. With support from our guides, we request helicopter evacuation services from our partners.

For Mount Kilimanjaro we patner with Kilimanjaro Search and Rescue (SAR) .

This is a private company dealing with search and evacuation in times of emergency for Mount Kilimanjaro.

SAR operates 24/7 traveling with medical doctors to provide first aid on arrival.  These organizations operate Airbus AS 350 B3 helicopters in Moshi town.

It’s a life-saving service from SAR. They use well-trained pilots, rescue doctors, and aircrew for every mountain situation.

In addition, SAR operates a medical facility focused on conditions caused by high altitudes.

As a reminder, to be able to request helicopter evacuation all climber needs to have necessary travel insurance which covers evacuation up to 6,000 meters above sea level.

Which are the best hospitals around Mount Kilimanjaro?

There are many hospitals and medical facilities in Kilimanjaro and Arusha.

Other hospitals are run by the government while others operate privately. These hospitals serve local and international people.

The nearby health centers are KCMC Hospital, Machame Hospital, and others.

Conclusion

As we bring our discussion on Rescue and Evacuation for Mount Kilimanjaro to a close, we’d like to emphasize a crucial rule:

“Don’t hurry!” This is perhaps the most important guideline for any trekker aspiring to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

In Swahili, the word “pole-pole” translates to “don’t hurry.” Your mountain guide will frequently remind you of this.

It’s imperative to heed their advice and maintain a slow and steady pace during your climb. Many altitude-related illnesses result from rapid ascent.

Your mountain guides possess invaluable knowledge of the mountain, and it’s essential to follow their instructions diligently.

For any further inquiries or information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our experts today!

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