"I see from other web sites portable oxygen equipment and a Gamow bag is taken up the mountain but there is no mention on 7Summits, is there any taken?"

"Tusker, the Kiliwarriors, Thompsons, Mountain Madness and others all indicated to me the importance of a Gamow bag when you camp near the Crater Rim on Kilimanjaro."

Ever noticed that all these companies charge at least double, but mostly triple compared to our prices? And that for exactly the same trip? They are struggling to find ways to give 'good' reasons for the extremely high prices. Of course they say that everything they bring for the high price is necessary, why else would you pay a few thousand extra? You would be crazy to do that, wouldn't you?

It's your choice but we organize the exact same trip for about half the price... see the Kilimanjaro trips prices. I know they try to justify the $1000 or more extra profit by supplying Gamow bags etc, but have they actually ever used them? They should not as any pulmonary /cerebral oedema victim should be taken down the mountain immediately instead, which due to the emergency roads and resque services is relatively easy to do and will help anyone much more and better than using the Gamow bag.

The use of oxygen on some climbs actually shocked me, and I think it was dangerous as is proven by the story below. Sometimes a short shot can make you feel better for a while, as it is just a short term drug. Problem is that your body gets a much harder blow after stopping with oxygen which can get you into real trouble. Like taking any drug it will wear off when you don't want it to, even compare it to a snort of cocaine to rush up the hill and then running out of 'energy' when you need it the most.

In all cases, if someone actually needs oxygen, they should descend immediately, even one camp down (max few hours) could be enough and be the prefered option here. I strongly advise against going up 'on oxygen'.

A Gamow bag is normally never needed as descent is the only solution and it is easy on Kili to descend. But somehow many people fall for the oxygen en Gamow bag trick and pay so much money that they could have bought a bag themselves...

We could easily say that a full down suit is needed on Kilimanjaro, charge everybody $2500 extra and give them all a $1000 suit. But we don't do that.

BTW, if you do want one, you can rent a Gamow bag from us that is possible (for far less than $100), but normally we do not take it up, it is up to you. Actually normally we DO bring oxygen, but this is for extreme emergency only, not to bring sick climbers higher, and certainly do not advertise it.

*******

Here is an interesting and very recent story for everybody:

7summits.com organised the Kilimanjaro Peace Climb as a preparation and booster for the Everest peace climb. While the 9 climbers were enjoying the Lemosho /Western Breach route, one of them did not feel good and was accompanied down with a friend and a guide. No problem, the other 7 summited and all was well.

But the night they slept in the crater something strange happened:
The leader of our team -and my friend- Lance Trumbull, heard noises in a tent of one of the high priced outfitters team and went to check it out. Apparently one guy was busy dying and the guide was just sitting there watching it. Lance gave dexamethason and organized the resque/evacuation while their guides were just doing nothing, Lance was saving this man's life, something the man thanked him for later on.

The guides -yes, from the same 'safe' company charging extra for oxygen and gamow bags- had given this man extra oxygen on his way up to the crater as he was feeling very bad. Of course he should have descended, but, hey, he had paid for oxygen right? Then at night he almost died because of this, if Lance had not helped him, he would not have survived.

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