Kilimanjaro Rescue

In the rare case when a climber gets ill or seriously injured on Mount Kilimanjaro, a helicopter evacuation may be required. With a mission of “making Kilimanjaro the safest tourist destination in Africa”, Kilimanjaro Search & Rescue set up its base in Moshi in 2016. Providing emergency evacuation from any feasible landing area, their high-altitude helicopters and fully-trained medical personnel are able to respond within 5 minutes. In the past, helicopter evacuations were rare on Kilimanjaro as there was no local operator and units would be deployed from major centers such as Nairobi, making for long delays. From their base in Moshi, Kilimanjaro SAR can have a chopper on the mountain in as little as 15 minutes.

In addition to their two high-altitude choppers, Kilimanjaro SAR has set up the first high altitude medicine clinic in Africa. Situated at St. Joseph’s hospital in Moshi, the clinic is staffed with specialists in high altitude medicine. We put your safety as our number one priority. We put your safety as our number one priority, and our guides are capable of assisting immediately and are well trained as wilderness first responders. The cost of medical evacuation from the mountain is expensive, which is why the right travel insurance is mandatory for all climbers. When purchasing your insurance, be sure that the policy covers emergency evacuation up to 6,000 meters above sea level and any associated medical treatment.