Altitude: Kilimanjaro and Meru 
Altitude effects people differently and there are no specific factors such as age, sex, or physical condition that correlate with the susceptibility to altitude sickness. Most people can hike to 2,438 meters (8,000 feet) with minimal affect. If this is your first trip at altitude, it is important to be extremely cautious when hiking either Meru or Kilimanjaro. Altitude is commonly given three rankings of high, very high, and extremely high. The lower and upper boundaries of these ranks are shown in the table below.

The summit of Kilimanjaro, 5895 meters (19,340 feet), falls in the extremely high category and proper precautions should be taken to mitigate the risks of high altitude hiking. The highest camps of Kilimanjaro, Barafu and Kibo, fall in the very high category of altitude and hikers could experience severe signs of altitude sickness at these camps. Although Mount Meru is often viewed as an acclimatization hike for Kilimanjaro, its peak, 4,566 meters (14,990 feet), falls in the very high altitude category and hikers can also experience severe altitude sickness while hiking Meru.