Can children climb the mountain?
The minimum age is 10, but we prefer 12 or older. Amongst other reasons, children get bored with the slow steady pace and use too much energy at the lower altitudes. Their small lungs have to work harder at the higher altitudes to get oxygen, causing them to get tired at times. But the main reason is simply a matter of communication. A child under 10 cannot express his/her AMS symptoms accurately. This can be dangerous. PLEASE NOTE: Many outfitters discourage climbing with children under 15 years of age! The reason has little to do with AMS! Most climbers don’t want to share groups with kids, – outfitters cannot sell climbs when kids are present. So the reason is economic! As far as our research shows, there is NO medical evidence to support the claim that children are more vulnerable to AMS.
