A company that helps people acclimatise for high-altitude expeditions has been displaying its wares at the Outdoor Show over the weekend in London.

Acclimatise Me is the brainchild of sports science graduate Chris Hale, who created a firm  that allows people to hire machines that replicate the low levels of oxygen found at altitude.

He stated that the firm's clients have enjoyed a high rate of success when heading up mountains, as the equipment has helped stimulate the creation of extra red blood cells to enable the body to cope with lower levels of oxygen in the bloodstream.

Those heading with their walking boots to take on mountains such as Kilimanjaro might benefit from such training, as the walk to the top typically takes between six and nine days, a speed of ascent that makes it hard for some to adjust to the lower atmospheric pressure as they near the 19,340 ft summit.

Many try to help the situation with the use of diamox, an anti-glaucoma drug whose side-effects include acidifying the blood, something that leads to the heart pumping it around faster and therefore speeding up the supply of oxygen.