"What is the meaning of these pages?"

... many of you are probably going to wonder.

The aim I am pursuing through these pages is not to scare people off but to give out a warning signal.

A fact which was hitherto not been known to most people - including myself: A great number of victims already have died here at Mount Kilimanjaro the same mysterious death as my friend Jürgen, at whose side I was during his death agony.

Subsequently I was told by local doctors that what we are dealing with here does not constitute a "tragic isolated case" but that it happens on a more or less regular basis, unfailingly seeming to hit the same type of person:

Healthy, even athletic men in the so-called "prime of life".

Jürgen was the classic sportsman. He did marathon running, took part in cycling races. Nothing could knock him down, no challenge was too big for him.

However, in the case of this treacherous "illness", he didn't stand a chance.

Only by immediately removing him from the mountain top area, i.e. from a height of 5.500 metres, might it just have been possible to save his life. This has been and today is a mere illusion, however.

I could not help noticing that, despite the fact of such deaths recurring time and again in Mount Kili no measures whatsoever have been introduced towards ensuring that in an emergency, rescue teams could be at hand within the shortest of delays.

The terrifying helplessness experienced by me at that time has caused me to try and do something about the situation:

Firstly, I would like to demonstrate as to what extent Mount Kilimanjaro is being underrated and how fatal incidents and near-fatal incidents have ocurred on previous occasions. This is why I have set up this forum, namely in the hope that by doing so I might be able to reach persons who may have gone through, and / or have been affected by the same horrible experience and who will be prepared to report on similar occurrences.

Of course I welcome and be grateful for any helpful criticism.

And secondly, I am working towards the infrastructure of the rescue system at, or rather on Mount Kilimanjaro being upgraded.

Helmut