Priority One - A Commitment To Health And Safety

By Author: tusker
Total Articles: 10
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For many people, their biggest dreams and fantasies can only be lived out in one way - by globetrotting to far off lands and experiencing exotic adventures. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro comes to mind as one of those great adventures. In fact, Kilimanjaro's popularity has grown exponentially over the last 30 years. Back in 1977 when Tusker Trail's owner Eddie Frank started running climbs, 4,000 people climbed the mountain. In 2008, 44,000 people climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

For many people, acting on the impulse to climb Kilimanjaro is as simple as a quick Internet booking through an outfitter's website, and little else. However, anyone who is thinking of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, or taking any international vacation or adventure, should first take into consideration their health and safety. The answer to the hard question, "What if something goes wrong?" should be known before you board the plane.

Undoubtedly, the pursuit of this answer will lead you to the realization that many outfitters pay little attention to your well-being. But if you look hard enough, you will find the ones who do.

Know Your Adventure ...
... Outfitter

Did you know that on mountains all over the world, high altitude emergencies happen all the time? Did you know that there is no world-class rescue team in the Kilimanjaro area and that all companies on the mountain rely on the notably inconsistent services of the National Park Rescue? Also, did you know that there are no helicopters in the immediate Kilimanjaro area to airlift you if you become sick or injured on the mountain?

To put it plainly, most travelers have no clue what to do if anything goes wrong on their trek in remote areas. To further complicate the issue, most climbing companies on Kilimanjaro and elsewhere merely provide you with the trip basics, and in the event of a medical emergency, you're pretty much on your own. Most companies do not act responsibly when it comes to providing any level of safety standards. What will happen if you are climbing Kilimanjaro and you experience altitude sickness? What will happen if you experience breathing difficulties? What will happen if you break a limb or are the victim of some other serious injury? These are some of the most important questions you should ask.

It's probably safe to say that most people who visit or consider visiting Mt. Kilimanjaro never give much thought to all that could possibly go wrong. Tusker Trail is proud of its responsible approach to trekking in extreme environments. It has devised and implemented professional health and safety measures in case something does go wrong. In contrast to some of the "climber bewares" type of adventure outfitters, Eddie Frank's philosophy for Tusker Trail is that the outfitter should assume the responsibility to prepare for likely medical emergencies. Up to 15 deaths occur on Kilimanjaro each year. Check out this link for more information about Tusker's tested rescue system - our-pro-guides/unique-medical-training.cfm"our-pro-guides/unique-medical-training.cfm.

The main lesson here is that it is the trekker's responsibility to know their climbing company and to ensure, that in the event of an emergency, the company has measures in place to mitigate the potential fatal consequences. So what are some of the measures you should look for? Take a look at a few of the things Tusker Trail considers to be top priority

Breathe Right

It's a fact that there are no minimum safety requirements for companies climbing Kilimanjaro, so very few guides undergo definitive safety training. Many of the problems associated with high altitude climbs could be avoided if mountain guides underwent high altitude medical training and carried oxygen and a portable hyperbaric bag. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

In order to address these concerns, Eddie Frank has designed an intensive 8-day course that trains and certifies the Tusker guides in mountain medicine, emergencies and high altitude rescue. Only Tusker guides are permitted to take the course, and each of them must pass this course annually as a precondition for their ongoing employment. Each guide is certified as a HAFR (High Altitude First Responder). This is the only medical certification course specifically designed for guides on Kilimanjaro. In addition, each Tusker guide completes another Advanced Wilderness First Aid course.

Twice a day, the guides monitor your lungs, heart and oxygen saturation rate. They accomplish this by using a stethoscope and a pulse-oximeter. Combined with their intensive mountain medical training, and the professional use of oxygen, and portable hyperbaric bag, Tusker guides allow you to climb with peace of mind.

Each guide also carries a mobile phone for regular contact with Tusker's home base in Moshi, as well as a handheld radio for contact with other Tusker groups on the mountain. Tusker's guide-to-climber ration is high. With small groups, the ratio of guides is 1 guide for 2 clients, and with larger groups the ration is one guide to five clients. Most of the companies on Kilimanjaro use only one guide, regardless of the group size. And the majority of these guides do not have any professional medical training. This means that on a Tusker climb, in the event you must be evacuated, you will be cared for and evacuated by a medically trained Tusker guide, carrying oxygen --never by a porter.

Furthermore, if evacuation and hospitalization are necessary, Tusker offers the services of Global Rescue, an elite emergency services company whose membership privileges include world-class medical support and evacuation services.

Priority One

The one way to guarantee a miserable misadventure is to get sick or injured. It should be your number one priority to do the legwork and find an adventure outfitter that will keep you safe and healthy. It is the adventure outfitters job to keep their word and provide you with the safety net they promise. For the record, Tusker Trail has had zero complaints in that department.

So live out your dreams, travel to the far corners of the Earth, take in breathtaking sights, experience unique cultures, have trekloads of fun, and most importantly, stay safe in the wild.

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