GENERAL CONDITIONS
Standout Adventures Tours & Travel (SATT) or its agents shall not be liable for injury, damage or loss including consequential loss to any person or their possessions howsoever caused, including personal injury, disease or death caused by or contributed to by negligence by the corporation, its employees or agents. SATT shall not be liable for any claims or if any additional expenses incurred through delays, accidents, or disruption of planned itineraries beyond the control of SATT (e.g. flight delays, wars, strikes, weather, act of God, etc) or considered advisable by us, such expenses are to be borne by the client. If the corporation shall consider any client an unsuitable person for any tour, it may in its absolute discretion, cancel such client’s booking or decline to carry such person further. All tour participants on tour will accept the authority and decision of the tour guide appointed by the corporation. All baggage including personal items and climbing equipment is at all times and in all circumstances at “owners risk”. The information in the brochures, circular, leaflets, videos and other advertisements issued by SATT or its agents is given in good faith and unless specifically states shall not form part of any contract between the client and SATT. No agent, servant, representative or client of SATT had any right to alter or vary or waive any of these conditions. While every precaution is taken on the tour, SATT or its agents does not hold itself responsible for death or any injury or loss, which might occur to such persons sustained from any cause whatsoever. The client hereby indemnifies and holds SATT and its agents harmless against any and all claims in respect of personal injury or damages either direct or consequential arising from any cause whatsoever as a result of the participation by the client and persons under his authority on the tour.

The client undertakes to comply with the laws and regulations, whether in respect of health, immigration, currency exchange control or any other matter of all the countries visited during the trip.

BOOKING CONDITIONS
A minimum deposit of 20% is required to secure a booking.  The balance of payment is due no later than eight  to six weeks prior to departure. If the final payment is not received timeously SATT reserves the right to cancel the reservation.

CANCELLATION OF BOOKINGS
In the event passengers canceling their reservations SATT shall have the right either to claim the total amount of any deposit paid by such passenger or to claim any damages suffered by the company.  In accordance with the policy adopted by Tour Operators all over the world SATT reserves the right to cancel any tour before departure in which event the entire payment will be refunded without any further obligation on the part of the Company. The maximum cancellation fees, which may be imposed, are as follows:

Prior to departure of the tour price:

Should a passenger cancel his/here reservations due to medical or work related reasons, SATT will grant an extended 10-month period to reschedule the trip from date of cancellation. The client will at all times be liable for any increases with regards to park fees, hotels rates, airfares or exchange rate increases. The client will have to complete and sign a new booking form, accepting the new conditions.

TOUR LEADERS RESPONSIBILITY
The tour leader who completes the booking form for and on behalf of a group will be responsible for passing on, all information, vouchers, schedule changes or any other information forwarded by SATT to him/her, to the group. SATT does not take any responsibility for failure to do so. If the group leader does not accept this responsibility, every member is required to complete and sign the booking form with his/her relevant contact details.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT & BALANCE SETTLEMENT
Additional payments for single supplements will only have to be made if you specifically require a single room or if you are travelling alone and we are unable to pair you with another single. Prices of single supplements are available on request.

If your balance is not paid at the requested time (unless previously arranged with us in writing) we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

INSURANCE
Clients should purchase travel insurance no later than at the time the balance is due in order to cover themselves for their own cancellation or curtailment of their travel plans. It is the client’s responsibility to arrange suitable adventure travel insurance with benefits that include cover for any hazardous activities they intend to pursue, as well as personal accident, medical expenses, repatriation, loss and damage to personal effects and above all cover the evacuation of yourself from remote regions, should the need arise. The policy must include minimum cover of  £500,000 for emergency medical and repatriation expenses.  Details must also be forwarded to our office.  In the event that a client does not have suitable travel insurance they will not be allowed to join the trip.

Our company will not be responsible or liable if any passenger fails to take insurance cover.

PASSPORTS, VACCINATIONS, VISAS AND INOCULATIONS
The responsibility for the provision of current and valid passports, visas, vaccinations and inoculations and the like, where required, is that the customer alone and the Company shall not be responsible or liable for any consequence of any nature arising from the customer failing to ensure that he has complied with all such requirements.    We recommend you have a medical and dental check up and strongly recommend immunization against yellow fever, typhoid, TB, polio, tetanus, hepatitis, rabies, meningitis and you take anti-malaria tablets if required.

BAGGAGE
On the majority of treks all your trek baggage will be carried by porters or pack animals. You need only carry a small daypack for your essentials. You are restricted to 20 kg of baggage on flights and to around 12 to14 kg on the trek.     Items not required during the trek can be left in a locked bag at the hotel.   NO SUITCASES PLEASE.

UNSCHEDULED EXTENSIONS
In the unlikely event of there being an unscheduled extension to the holiday caused by flight delays, bad weather, strikes or any other cause which is beyond the control of SATT, it is understood that expenses relating to those unscheduled extensions will be for the passenger’s account.

Every effort is made to avoid delays and changes to the itinerary, but due to the nature of our trips there will be occasions when they do happen. Where a delay does occur, we shall do everything possible to minimize its effects, but we cannot be responsible for the result of delays .

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
Also referred to as "Altitude Sickness" and as this name indicates, the illnesses is commonly encountered at exceptional high altitudes, such as the summit area of Mount Kilimanjaro. AMS, once apparent, can be most effectively treated by immediately taking the affected person to a lower altitude. Often a drop as little as 500m will be sufficient. The symptoms of AMS include in the order normally experienced; headaches, nausea, anorexia, exhaustion, lassitude, rapid pulse, insomnia, swelling of the hands and feet and reduced urine output. Climbers can take precautions to at least minimise the severity of the illness, by maintaining a slow steady pace from day one, include an extra day of acclimatisation at a high altitude and by drinking at least 3-4 liters of water every day. Preventative medicine is also available and you should consult your physician for specialist advice. Fluid build-up may cause a condition known as edema, which can affect the lungs (pulmonary), preventing effective oxygen exchange, or effect the brain (cerebral) which will result in the swelling of the brain tissue. The latter can be lethal if not treated immediately or if symptoms are ignored. Probably 70% of all people climbing Kilimanjaro will suffer to some extent from AMS. You should familiarise yourself with this condition and take preventative care. For more information on this sickness please click on the Action Guide to High Altitude.

Hypothermia
Hypothermia or exposure is the lowering of the body's core temperature. Once again prevention is the best cause of action. The correct equipment and clothing is critical in the prevention of Hypothermia. Do not allow your clothing to get wet from either rain or perspiration. Click here for more information on the proper layering of clothing to prevent hypothermia. The treatment of hypothermia is relatively simple. Get the victim into a sheltered area as quickly as possible, remove all wet clothing and place the victim inside two or three sleeping bags, preferably with another person to help heat the victim.

Sun related injuries
About 55% of the earths protective atmosphere is below an altitude of 5000m. Far less ultraviolet light is being filtered out, making the sun's rays much more powerful, which could result in severe sun burning of the skin. It is strongly recommended to use a 20+ sun protection cream at lower altitudes, and a total block cream above an altitude of 3000m. It is also important to wear dark sun glasses preferably with side panels above 4000m in daytime and essential when walking through snow or ice. Snow blindness can be very painful, and will require your eyes to be bandaged for at least 24 hours.

Fitness
Any climber who suffers from any cardiac or pulmonary problems should be cautious and should not attempt to climb the mountain unless they have consulted their physician. It is strongly recommended that a physical fitness program is followed to prepare your self physically for the mountain. Please click on Physical Fitness for more information in this regard.

Feet problems
Poor fitting, new or little used boots will result in blistering feet. Even if boots are only slightly to small, your toes will get bruised , particularly on your descend. It is it therefore also important to keep your toe nails short for the climb. Developing blister should be treated immediately as soon as the "hot spot" is felt. Remove the boot and cover the area with a zinc oxide tape or something similar.

Malaria
Malaria occurs below 1800 meters and you should use the recommended prophylactics. Please consult your doctor about these. Currently, there are various preventative medication products available which will be effective against the malaria strains currently found in Tanzania. Women using oral contraceptives should consult their physicians before using prophylactics.

On The Mountain
Go slowly
Go slowly - "Pole Pole" as they say in Swahili! This is also very important during your first days of climbing. Even if you feel well, slow down and enjoy the scenery.
 
Drink enough water
Make sure that you drink at least 3 - 4 liters of liquid a day - preferably water. For your first day it is recommended that you take along fresh water, which may be purchased at the hotel in Moshi before your climb. Try to get the bottles with the screw tops, this way you will also have containers in which to take water further up the mountain. Running water on the mountain is safe to drink from day-2 onwards, but care should still be taken. If you are not used to fresh water in nature, prevent any inconvenience by using water purification tablets. REMEMBER! A functioning "body water balance" is one of the keys to a successful climb!
 
Walk high - sleep low
If possible and especially on your acclimatisation day "walk high - sleep low" Try to do a short evening stroll to a higher altitude and then descend to sleep at the camp at a lower altitude. This is essential on your acclimatisation day.
 
Climb light
Climb as lightly as possible, this becomes even more important on your summit night.
Extra weight will slow you down and will also make breathing more difficult.
 
Packing
Remember that you will be on the mountain for at least 5 or 6 days. You need to take enough clothing, especially socks to last for this period. Due to frequent rainfall as well as numerous streams on the routes, it is advisable to pack items individually in your bag. These individually packed items should be wrapped in plastic bags to prevent them from getting wet in case of rain or of being accidentally dropped in a stream.
 
Clothing
You will require the correct underwear, thermal hiking socks, gloves (preferably mittens), warm head protection, rain coat, sunglasses and sun protection cream. Also remember your hiking boots, hiking/running shoes (it is not necessary to walk with boots or climbers shoes until the last sections where scree and rocks are encountered), and very importantly, a walking stick / ski-pole. One of the most critical items of clothing is a an outer jacket. You want it to perform the functions of keeping you warm, protect you at temperatures of as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius, keep the wind out and yet still "breath". Try to avoid tight fitting clothing or underwear. This will hamper circulation, causing either cold or discomfort on the mountain. A balaclava is a must, as it will protect your face against cold, wind, sun and snow. Other clothing like shorts, sweaters and T-shirts are strongly recommended, especially during hiking on the lower slopes, when the day temperatures are still high.
The only way to ensure that you are dressed warmly is to follow the principal of wearing the correct clothing layers, starting from against the body. A common mistake made by climbers is to wear almost everything they have and to start off with cotton against the skin. Cotton absorbs moisture perfectly, and moisture trapped against the skin will result in a definite lowering of the body temperature, which could even lead to hypothermia. It is therefore very important to use proper thermal underwear with "wicking" properties (a fabric which has the ability to draw moisture away from the body) and thus enabling it to evaporate to the outside. The middle layer should provide the insulation and a product like polar fleece will be adequate in this regard. The outer layer should be windproof, waterproof and breathable. Products like Ventex, Goretex or Jeantex offer these properties. Short of altitude and physical exertion, cold is one of the most serious obstacles when attempting to summit Kilimanjaro. After securing your booking with us, you'll receive a comprehensive document, to guide you through the steps of purchasing the correct gear.
 
Take a ski - pole
A ski - pole is essential. Use of ski poles reduces external and internal loads on the knee joint by up to 20%. Using 1 ski pole is a must, but 2 poles are recommended. Buy one or hire one but take one - click here for our Gear Rental options.
 
New batteries
Replace your head lamp and camera batteries with new ones on your summit night.