Climbers who attempt Africa’s highest mountain need to be more aware of the dangers of altitude sickness, researchers from the University of Edinburgh have claimed.

University scientists tested more than 200 climbers making the ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro and found that more than half were suffering from effects of altitude sickness.

Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, sleep disturbance and can be fatal.  It can set in at around 2,500 meters above sea level and can be precipitated by attempting to climb too fast.

There is no complete method of prevention for the sickness, and anyone can potentially develop symptoms, once they go above the threshold height.

The research warned that too many climbers fail to adequately acclimatize before starting their ascent.

The scientists claimed that the vast majority of climbers have no great exposure to altitude before they start, as the base of the mountain is only 1,860 meters above sea level.

The team spent three weeks camped at 4,740 meters up the mountain.  Their findings, published in the journal High Altitude Medicine and Biology, also found that neither drugs to help prevent the onset of sickness nor rest days had any great impact upon the climbers studied.

More than 25,000 people attempt to climb the mountain every year, and it is a popular with tourists and novice climbers.

The mountain received increased media attention in 2009 when a group of British celebrities climbed the mountain in aid of Comic Relief, with the likes of Cheryl Cole and Chris Moyles reaching the summit.

Kilimanjaro, at a height of 5,895 metres, is the world’s tallest free standing mountain.  It is situated in Northern Tanzania.