AMS, HAPE, HACE – or Altitude sickness

I have been reading up on forms of Altitude Sickness. The relevant acronyms sounded like STD's lol

AMS – Altitude Mountain Sickness – mild ;-( decent will cure this.
HAPE – High Altitude Pulmonary Edema – very bad :-((( decent quickly recommended.
HACE – High Altitude Cerebral Edema – very, very bad :-(((((( immediate medical attention and decent immediately recommended.

The statistics show that a third of people who climb Kilimanjaro fail to make it to the top because of altitude sickness. More people fail to reach the top because of altitude sickness rather than strength or stamina. We intend to be in the two thirds that will be popping champagne at the top !!.

Kilimanjaro is 19,710 feet high. If you are in a plane at this altitude and the cabin pressure were to reduce to that outside the plane, without breathing apparatus you would lose consciousness in four minutes and die!! The air is too thin. If however you allow your body to gradually adjust (acclimatise) to the air pressure you can live for several days. This is why the local guides always say to their charges for the ascent Pole Pole – which in Swahili means Slowly Slowly. If we ascend slowly and allow our bodies to acclimatise we should be fine. Other ways that help to adapt and avoid AMS are to eat regularly and keep energy levels up to avoid fatigue and to keep hydrated by drinking every few minutes.One should also keep warm to avoid using up energy that will be spent on keeping the body warm. The mountain does not respect age or fitness and people from the age of 14 to 87, and some disabled climbers have made it to the summit by being sensible.

If our bodies fail to adapt we may face some of the symptoms of altitude sickness. These include having a thumping, blinding headache, nausea and/or vomiting. Mild AMS can be treated with the usual headache and nausea remedies. If AMS gets worse one will be unable to sleep, lack appetite, be out of breath. If it gets to a stage where the climber cannot walk 10m in a straight line, is mentally confused, has slurred speech, or has a resting heartbeat over 130 it’s over and AMS will be too much , the climber will have to turn back. Like Jean-Luc and Patrica during their ascent ten years earlier, if you get sick, or cold symptoms, or are just too weak, you are buggered and will have to abort.

I’m sure this will not happen to our group but remember the 5P rule (how can you forget hehehe) it’s good to know what to look out for.