The fun starts when you realise that you basically know nothing about how to do this trek, where to start, which decision to make first etc. You are overwhelmed with the excitement and you just know you want to do it but nothing else. So you go and Google "Kilimanjaro trek" and get millions of links and you're none the wiser. In our case the first point of reference was a book by Henry Stedman called simply "Kilimanjaro (the trekking guide to Africa's highest mountain)" and the related website www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com. We have accumulated several more books about Kili, Tanzania and Zanzibar since then, Henry Stedman's book still remains the main source though. Through his website we were also able to read blogs of people who have already climbed Kili, one of them being Chris (as already mentioned by Paul), our other main source of information and inspiration.
The agency through which we have booked our trip - ATR - has also provided a list of useful information although the suggested kit list sometimes makes you wonder (as per Paul's post about the kit list, especially the part about underwear :-)).
After collecting some essential data and sorting the initial stuff (route, time, who with etc.), the shopping phase began. Even though I consider myself being a fairly active person and open to all kinds of sports activities, trekking has not been on my activities list for a very long time. The lack of trekking clothing was directly proportional to this fact, meaning I had nothing that could be used for our trip. So the budget expanded further more. And a slight panic and thousands of questions - what shall I get, is it going to be warm/cooling enough, are the shoes going to be supportive enough, is the jacket really waterproof, do I need warm trousers or will I be ok in thinner trousers and thermals, will I look stupid in balaclava, what does it matter (???), is sunscreen SPF 50 going to be enough (with my skin, the higher the better), shall I get a straw hat or is baseball cap ok, where will I be able to buy Camelbak with insulated pipe and at least 3 litre bladder, do I need a new camera and so on and so on.
Then I realised I wasn't alone in all this so after a few discussions with Paul I managed to reduce the list of questions (and the amount of panic) in my head to about half. I would like to express my admiration to all the people who have decided to do this alone - either because they simply wanted or because they weren't able to find another person to go with. I mean, you're not going to climb the mountain alone but all the preparations and the things you need to think about and all those ambivalent emotions you're experiencing, it's so much better if there is somebody to share with!
Sunday 25 April 2010
Wednesday 21 April 2010
The kit list.....
One of the things you quickly realise when you start planning a trip like this is how important having the right kit is, both from having the right amount and the right quality. Unfortunately another thing that you realise quite quickly is that with the vast amount of information available on the internet nobody agrees exactly on what the right kit is!
The kit list for the company that we have booked with recommends that we take 6 pairs of thin socks with us along with 3 pairs of thick socks for the 6 day trek, seems sensible enough…… However they also recommend that we take 3 sets of underwear!!!! I appreciate that I’m not going to get a shower while on Kilimanjaro but surely a pair of pants for each day is normal…?
There are a lot of items that all of the kit lists agree on anyway, items like a sleeping bag rated for 4 seasons so it is ok in the warm area of the lower mountain as well as when it is colder in the higher regions. The sleeping bag was one of the first items that I purchased and is rated from down to -7ºC for comfort down to -23ºC for extreme temperatures, unfortunately I can’t try it out to see how warm it will really be at these temperatures but I’m sure I can keep my thermal undies on to keep warm as well……
Another of my biggest worries about doing this is the washing facilities, yes I know that I am going to be on a mountain in the middle of nowhere but as my hair looks greasy if I go 24 hours without washing it I wanted to have some sort of facilities to wash my hair. As with most things a quick Google search later and I had found a web site for a company called ‘No Rinse’ Products. The items are generally meant for the elderly or incapacitated but that didn’t deter me! I ordered a couple of their hair washing caps to try along with a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of conditioner and a pack of their wet wipes.
The shampoo cap wasn’t what I had hoped for, when I opened the pack and found what was basically a lined shower cap that was moist. The instructions told me to put it on my head and ensure all hair was contained within the hat and then massage until hair was saturated, after 5 minutes of looking like an idiot in a shower cap and rubbing my hair I removed the cap and found that it was mostly still dry, this along with the worry that Darina would by this point have taken a photo of me in the cap and published it for the world to see. I abandoned the cap and tried the shampoo, this seems to be much better and just involves me squirting on my hair rubbing in then towel drying. Sorted!!!
There are also strict limits to the amount of weight that you are allowed to take on Kili, you are expected to carry your own day pack which will contain everything you need throughout the day until you get to the next camp site like water, waterproof clothes, layers and food. Then each trekker has a porter to carry their main luggage bag and this is limited to 15Kg, it seems a lot but then when air lines allow you to take 20Kg of luggage how many of you use all of this for your holidays? Then I have to have clothes suitable for tropical and arctic conditions and everything in between as well as including a sleeping bag…….
I also bought a rucksack to fit all of my luggage in, the rucksack was rated at 65+10 litres and was the biggest size rucksack that was available in the shop so I assumed that this would be more than big enough for my requirements, that was a mistake!
The sleeping bag takes up the whole of the pocket in the bottom of the rucksack (I think it may actually be designed for this (showing my massive hiking and camping experience here!)). Which leaves around two thirds of the rucksack free, by the time I add a pair of trainers and a couple of pairs of trainers along with underwear (sorry I really have to take a pair for each day!) and socks the bag is pretty much full.
I also currently have two pairs of boots that I’m not completely happy with. I got the forst pair in the Christmas sales as they seemed to do everything I wanted, however after a couple of treks there does not seem to be as much grip as I would like, my main concern is the final ascent and climbing on ice. The second pair that I bought are a pair of Merrell Moab boots, I am much happier with the grip and they are incredibly comfortable however they don’t seem to offer a lot of ankle support……
So my next shopping trip is off to purchase the biggest holdall that I can find and possibly another pair of boots! Seems like my blog is also turning in to a what not to do for you Kilimanjaro kit list!
That brings you all pretty much up to date with where I am in my planning for Kilimanjaro, there are 149 days until we leave and I still have lots of equipment to purchase.
The kit list for the company that we have booked with recommends that we take 6 pairs of thin socks with us along with 3 pairs of thick socks for the 6 day trek, seems sensible enough…… However they also recommend that we take 3 sets of underwear!!!! I appreciate that I’m not going to get a shower while on Kilimanjaro but surely a pair of pants for each day is normal…?
There are a lot of items that all of the kit lists agree on anyway, items like a sleeping bag rated for 4 seasons so it is ok in the warm area of the lower mountain as well as when it is colder in the higher regions. The sleeping bag was one of the first items that I purchased and is rated from down to -7ºC for comfort down to -23ºC for extreme temperatures, unfortunately I can’t try it out to see how warm it will really be at these temperatures but I’m sure I can keep my thermal undies on to keep warm as well……
Another of my biggest worries about doing this is the washing facilities, yes I know that I am going to be on a mountain in the middle of nowhere but as my hair looks greasy if I go 24 hours without washing it I wanted to have some sort of facilities to wash my hair. As with most things a quick Google search later and I had found a web site for a company called ‘No Rinse’ Products. The items are generally meant for the elderly or incapacitated but that didn’t deter me! I ordered a couple of their hair washing caps to try along with a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of conditioner and a pack of their wet wipes.
The shampoo cap wasn’t what I had hoped for, when I opened the pack and found what was basically a lined shower cap that was moist. The instructions told me to put it on my head and ensure all hair was contained within the hat and then massage until hair was saturated, after 5 minutes of looking like an idiot in a shower cap and rubbing my hair I removed the cap and found that it was mostly still dry, this along with the worry that Darina would by this point have taken a photo of me in the cap and published it for the world to see. I abandoned the cap and tried the shampoo, this seems to be much better and just involves me squirting on my hair rubbing in then towel drying. Sorted!!!
There are also strict limits to the amount of weight that you are allowed to take on Kili, you are expected to carry your own day pack which will contain everything you need throughout the day until you get to the next camp site like water, waterproof clothes, layers and food. Then each trekker has a porter to carry their main luggage bag and this is limited to 15Kg, it seems a lot but then when air lines allow you to take 20Kg of luggage how many of you use all of this for your holidays? Then I have to have clothes suitable for tropical and arctic conditions and everything in between as well as including a sleeping bag…….
I also bought a rucksack to fit all of my luggage in, the rucksack was rated at 65+10 litres and was the biggest size rucksack that was available in the shop so I assumed that this would be more than big enough for my requirements, that was a mistake!
The sleeping bag takes up the whole of the pocket in the bottom of the rucksack (I think it may actually be designed for this (showing my massive hiking and camping experience here!)). Which leaves around two thirds of the rucksack free, by the time I add a pair of trainers and a couple of pairs of trainers along with underwear (sorry I really have to take a pair for each day!) and socks the bag is pretty much full.
I also currently have two pairs of boots that I’m not completely happy with. I got the forst pair in the Christmas sales as they seemed to do everything I wanted, however after a couple of treks there does not seem to be as much grip as I would like, my main concern is the final ascent and climbing on ice. The second pair that I bought are a pair of Merrell Moab boots, I am much happier with the grip and they are incredibly comfortable however they don’t seem to offer a lot of ankle support……
So my next shopping trip is off to purchase the biggest holdall that I can find and possibly another pair of boots! Seems like my blog is also turning in to a what not to do for you Kilimanjaro kit list!
That brings you all pretty much up to date with where I am in my planning for Kilimanjaro, there are 149 days until we leave and I still have lots of equipment to purchase.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
150 days to go
When we first seriously decided to do this holidays, it was still more than 15 months to go. That seemed like a ridiculously long time to wait for holidays. There we are only 150 days away today! Many things have happened during this time. Paul has already described most of them.
First of all we are not a team of four anymore. Paul's friend has subtly left our team without us actually realising when and why and my friend's uncertain situation with his job (he's self employed) didn't allow him to plan for such a big expenditure.
It's worth noting that our original one-week trip to climb Kili has somewhat expanded into three-week holiday adventure including safari and visiting Zanzibar. Paul and I are not able to get to an agreement about whose great idea it was to do the safari - it just seems to come along the thought "while we are in Africa...". And then seeing the pictures of beaches and blue sky and coctails with little umbrellas in the glasses I remember suggesting - Shall we do Zanzibar too :) From then it was just a question of checking the costs (most of the agencies organise trips to Zanzibar anyway as a part of the Kili package) and then somewhat we never thought about NOT doing it again. "While we are in Africa..."
I think it's quite obvious that with our plans to do the safari and visit Zanzibar not only our holiday leave days expanded. The same happened to the budget which has suddenly increased from £2K to around £3.5K sans flights.
Nevertheless, once the pictures of the summit sunrise on Kili, the sunset over the beaches in Zanzibar and the wild animals in Serengeti get into your mind, it's not possible to just forget them, move on and forget about the forthcoming "joys". You simply want to go and do it, even though you know that for the next year you won't be able to buy anything apart from food and the "allowed" stuff (like fleeces, socks & walking boots, you will probably need to sacrifice other holidays for the year and most of the people in your vicinity will think you've gone mad as you call this holidays but wait a minute - you spend hours torturing your body walking up a hill, then you risk being eaten by a lion and if you make it ok to Zanzibar, did you hear about the gangs in Stone Town?
I will never forget my mum's reaction and let's say that she's used to get shockers from me - years ago it was going to Australia on my own, then after a short break staying at home it was going to the UK. But never was her reaction like the one when I said I was going to Africa - "You're going to die" she said with a really concerned voice and she keeps informing me about any disasters happening in Africa ever since. It's necessary to say that this was her first raw reaction - she thought we would be going within a few weeks time, totally on our own - so after I've explained that we have months' of preparations ahead, that we go with experienced guides and no, we don't need any climbing equipment as such, she calmed down a bit.
So this is it. After hours spent deciding which route, which company, when to climb, when to do safari, how we fly there, we booked in January with ATR, we paid deposit and flights and I would like to say that now we can relax - but only now the real fun starts...
First of all we are not a team of four anymore. Paul's friend has subtly left our team without us actually realising when and why and my friend's uncertain situation with his job (he's self employed) didn't allow him to plan for such a big expenditure.
It's worth noting that our original one-week trip to climb Kili has somewhat expanded into three-week holiday adventure including safari and visiting Zanzibar. Paul and I are not able to get to an agreement about whose great idea it was to do the safari - it just seems to come along the thought "while we are in Africa...". And then seeing the pictures of beaches and blue sky and coctails with little umbrellas in the glasses I remember suggesting - Shall we do Zanzibar too :) From then it was just a question of checking the costs (most of the agencies organise trips to Zanzibar anyway as a part of the Kili package) and then somewhat we never thought about NOT doing it again. "While we are in Africa..."
I think it's quite obvious that with our plans to do the safari and visit Zanzibar not only our holiday leave days expanded. The same happened to the budget which has suddenly increased from £2K to around £3.5K sans flights.
Nevertheless, once the pictures of the summit sunrise on Kili, the sunset over the beaches in Zanzibar and the wild animals in Serengeti get into your mind, it's not possible to just forget them, move on and forget about the forthcoming "joys". You simply want to go and do it, even though you know that for the next year you won't be able to buy anything apart from food and the "allowed" stuff (like fleeces, socks & walking boots, you will probably need to sacrifice other holidays for the year and most of the people in your vicinity will think you've gone mad as you call this holidays but wait a minute - you spend hours torturing your body walking up a hill, then you risk being eaten by a lion and if you make it ok to Zanzibar, did you hear about the gangs in Stone Town?
I will never forget my mum's reaction and let's say that she's used to get shockers from me - years ago it was going to Australia on my own, then after a short break staying at home it was going to the UK. But never was her reaction like the one when I said I was going to Africa - "You're going to die" she said with a really concerned voice and she keeps informing me about any disasters happening in Africa ever since. It's necessary to say that this was her first raw reaction - she thought we would be going within a few weeks time, totally on our own - so after I've explained that we have months' of preparations ahead, that we go with experienced guides and no, we don't need any climbing equipment as such, she calmed down a bit.
So this is it. After hours spent deciding which route, which company, when to climb, when to do safari, how we fly there, we booked in January with ATR, we paid deposit and flights and I would like to say that now we can relax - but only now the real fun starts...
Monday 19 April 2010
The Sponsorship
Just to make life easy for anyone who just saw the page title and wants to sponsor us without reading any of the crap I write here is the link:-
http://www.justgiving.com/PaulandDarinaKilimanjaro
And thank you very much :-)!
We had never intended the journey up Kilimanjaro to be about raising money for charity, I was actually incredibly against it. This is going to be an incredibly difficult trek and the additional pressure of feeling that I had to complete it (and potentially killing myself enduring altitude sickness) to raise money for a charity was something that really didn’t appeal! When I had been researching doing the trip there were a few charities that would pay for you to trek Kilimanjaro if you would guarantee that you would raise a few thousand pounds in sponsorship, I really didn’t want to spend time asking people to sponsor me and then chasing people for money afterwards…….
So with all that in mind I would like to introduce you all to the latest member of our team, Louise Fowler.
Great picture isn’t it? There were plenty more complimentary ones but I decided against using any of those.
Louise works with us and is great fun, she also represents the local Multiple Sclerosis Therapy centre to help raise money for them. She asked me about getting sponsorship for the centre a while back but I really didn’t want to for all of the reasons mentioned above.
However…. While doing some more research on Kilimanjaro and trying to find out about other peoples experiences Darina found a link to this blog and sent it through to me:
http://aquavista.wordpress.com/2009/08/
We both found this blog to be a fantastic read, it is the blog of a guy called Chris who completed the trek up Kili in February this year (2010). His story gave me some great information on what I can expect on Kili and what I need to take there. If you have time I really recommend that you read it and if possible donate to his charity as well (after donating to ours first though :-)).
The part of his story when he was climbing the final part towards the summit and the motivation that he had to continue for the people that has sponsored him incredibly inspiring.
So after another talk with Louise we agreed to do the trek for charity. Since then Lou has been fantastic, we set up the Just Giving page at the top of this post and since then Lou has emailed the link out to her friends and family and is also working to get the link on the email address signature of people at work who deal with customers and suppliers as well as getting publicity from the local newspaper.
Hopefully this blog will be interesting for some people too and generate some more sponsorship and interest for our charity.
http://www.justgiving.com/PaulandDarinaKilimanjaro
And thank you very much :-)!
We had never intended the journey up Kilimanjaro to be about raising money for charity, I was actually incredibly against it. This is going to be an incredibly difficult trek and the additional pressure of feeling that I had to complete it (and potentially killing myself enduring altitude sickness) to raise money for a charity was something that really didn’t appeal! When I had been researching doing the trip there were a few charities that would pay for you to trek Kilimanjaro if you would guarantee that you would raise a few thousand pounds in sponsorship, I really didn’t want to spend time asking people to sponsor me and then chasing people for money afterwards…….
So with all that in mind I would like to introduce you all to the latest member of our team, Louise Fowler.
Louise works with us and is great fun, she also represents the local Multiple Sclerosis Therapy centre to help raise money for them. She asked me about getting sponsorship for the centre a while back but I really didn’t want to for all of the reasons mentioned above.
However…. While doing some more research on Kilimanjaro and trying to find out about other peoples experiences Darina found a link to this blog and sent it through to me:
http://aquavista.wordpress.com/2009/08/
We both found this blog to be a fantastic read, it is the blog of a guy called Chris who completed the trek up Kili in February this year (2010). His story gave me some great information on what I can expect on Kili and what I need to take there. If you have time I really recommend that you read it and if possible donate to his charity as well (after donating to ours first though :-)).
The part of his story when he was climbing the final part towards the summit and the motivation that he had to continue for the people that has sponsored him incredibly inspiring.
So after another talk with Louise we agreed to do the trek for charity. Since then Lou has been fantastic, we set up the Just Giving page at the top of this post and since then Lou has emailed the link out to her friends and family and is also working to get the link on the email address signature of people at work who deal with customers and suppliers as well as getting publicity from the local newspaper.
Hopefully this blog will be interesting for some people too and generate some more sponsorship and interest for our charity.
The Itinerary
So here is the final itinerary they sent us through, it is quite long and detailed for each day so I will just post it here rather than commenting.
Overview
Sat 18-Sep-10 Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sun 19-Sep-10 Marangu : Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort
Mon 20-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Moorland Bivouac
Tue 21-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Kikelewa Caves Bivouac
Wed 22-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Mawenzi Tarn Bivouac
Thu 23-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Kibo Bivouac
Fri 24-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Horombo Bivouac
Sat 25-Sep-10 Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sat 18-Sep-10 Day
Fly : KL571 : 11.00 to Kilimanjaro arrives 20.25hrs
Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sun 19-Sep-10 Day 2
Walking around the lodge : 1 to 5 hours : Moivaro is in a beautiful semi-rural setting below Mount Meru and it is possible to walk right out of the lodge to explore the farms and villages. A guide can usually be provided, for whom you should pay a fee direct to the lodge and offer a tip of perhaps $5 per person. The money raised by the lodge goes directly into the local community, which is why you will usually find the people very friendly and welcoming. If you are with a guide then you will probably be invited to visit local houses and even to try the locally brewed beer, both of which we advise against, especially the beer which can play havoc with your insides. Our favourite walk heads south over the mini volcano, along the railway tracks (beware of trains), through the rose farm and back over the stepping stones across the river. Two hours is enough time for a decent walk, but you can easily spend all day out.
Car : Moivaro Lodge to Marangu approx 2 hours
Marangu : Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort
Mon 20-Sep-10 Day 3
Kilimanjaro : Rongai route : group trek : for up to 12 climbers
Kilimanjaro National Park : "Kili" is not only the highest mountain in Africa, but it is also one of the highest "walkable" mountains in the world. As such it acts as a magnet for people around the world in search of a truly life-punctuating challenge.
The mountain is remarkable for being free-standing, rising out of an otherwise flat and dry steppe and disappearing eerily up into the clouds. And when the clouds part to permit a view of the snow-covered summit it is so utterly out of place here in equatorial Africa that one can easily understand why this mystical mountain is the inspiration for so many legends. The park itself extends over the whole mountain and down the lower slopes in all directions, almost as far as the surrounding plateau, thus protecting the forest from the encroachment of villages, which cling to the well-watered lower slopes.
Rongai Route : Approaching the mountain from a northeasterly direction, Rongai is quite a remote route, one which retains a genuine sense of wilderness.
Nale Moru Village : 1950 m
Moorland Camp : 2600 m
Ascent : 650 m
Descent : 0 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
After a short walk through the attractive banana and coffee farms of Rongai village, the trail enters an attractive pine forest. This can be a beautiful walk in good weather, with plenty of interesting flora and fauna. Most notable are the black & white colobus monkeys and some excellent bird-life.
The path continues climbing steadily through the forest until gradually it emerges out of the forest and into the next climate zone, the moorland. Soon after this, around mid-afternoon you will arrive at the first campsite, where your camp should be already in position and a nice cup of tea waiting. It may well be misty at this altitude during this latter part of the day.
Kilimanjaro Rongai : Moorland Bivouac
Tue 21-Sep-10 Day 4
Moorland Camp : 2600 m
Kikelewa Caves Camp : 3600 m
Ascent : 1000 m
Descent : 0 m
Walking time : 6 to 7 hours
Early morning is normally clear at camp and as you make your way up across the moorland you should get increasingly good views of Kibo, the Eastern Icefields and to the left the jagged peak of Mawenzi, especially after the Second Rongai Cave at 3450m.
After lunch, leave the main trail and head left out towards Mawenzi. This is the start of the extra day acclimatisation trek. The campsite is in a sheltered valley near the Kikelewa Caves.
Wed 22-Sep-10 Day 5
Kikelewa Caves Camp : 3600 m
Mawenzi Tarn Camp : 4330 m
Ascent : 730 m
Descent : 0 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb all round views and a feeling of real remoteness. Shortly afterwards the vegetation is left behind and the immensity of the mountain begins to loom.
The next camp is at the glass-like Mawenzi Tarn, spectacularly situated in a sheltered cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi. This is good terrain for the famous giant senecios to grow into impressive specimens and the afternoon will be free to rest or explore the surrounding area as an aid to acclimatisation.
You are now at 4330m and may well be starting to feel the effects of altitude. Don't worry too much as it is a necessary part of the acclimatisation to come up a little bit too high and then descend. It is not impossible for the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness to occur even at this altitude, in which case your climb-leader will call for an immediate evacuation down the mountain. Under these circumstances, do not let any other thought of the summit cross your mind, but just get down as fast as reasonably and safely possible. AMS is quite rare on these more considered routes, but plenty of climbers experience headaches, slight dizziness, loss of appetite and irregular digestion.
Thu 23-Sep-10 Day 6
Mawenzi Tarn Camp : 4330 m
Kibo Camp : 4700 m
Ascent : 520 m
Descent : 100 m
Walking time : 4 to 5 hours
Today the trek leads directly across The Saddle between the two volcanoes of Mawenzi and the towering Kibo. As you come out from the Mawenzi massif it feels like you are walking out onto centre stage. Keep an eye out for the elusive eland, the largest antelope in the world ... horselike in proportions ... which inhabits this high altitude zone.
As you cross the alpine desert, the open landscape affords all round views and right the way through the day Kibo looms every closer up ahead. Eventually you can make out the winding summit path high above on the flanks of the mountain, wherein lies tomorrow's nightmare.
Throughout the day you should try to eat as much as possible in preparation for the summit attempt very early tomorrow morning. Keep snacking through the afternoon if you can, although your appetite will probably be diminished by now due to the altitude. You should get into camp early afternoon. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent.
Kilimanjaro Rongai : Kibo Bivouac
Fri 24-Sep-10 Day 7
Kibo Camp : 4700 m
Summit 1 : Gillmans : 5681 m
Summit 2 : Uhuru : 5896 m
Horombo Huts : 3720 m
Ascent : 1146 m
Descent : 2016 m
Walking time : 9 to 15 hours
Your climb-leader will by now have assessed your levels of fitness and will have decided how early you need to set out. You will thank yourself if that extra fitness training earns you another half an hour of sleep tonight. On his decision, you will be woken with tea some time between 12.00hrs and 01.00hrs and set out shortly afterwards.
The ascent is by torchlight and the plan is to get to Gillman's Point on the crater rim in time to watch the sun rise over the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. This is the nightmare. Five to six hours of trudging up generally well-graded zigzags, this way and that, backwards and forwards in the dark, uphill all the way. On some stretches the ground is stable, whilst in others the loose volcanic scree scrunches and slides underfoot. Head up past Williams Point (5000m) and keep going to Hans Meyer Cave (5182m). All the way your climb-leader is keeping you going - not too fast, not too slow, taking regular rest stops to drink and catch your breath.
But the air is now incredibly thin and nausea can easily set in. If at any point your climb-leader says that it is time to stop, then that is final. His decision is not to be disputed. If he counts you out, then you are out.
Anyway, after about 5 or 6 hours you should reach Gillman's Point at 5735m. Actually, after all the endless false ridges it can come as quite a surprise to some people. If you reach this point, then the park authorities will grant you a certificate.
This two hour round trip is the highlight of the climb, around the crater rim, passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy much of the summit area and finally on to Uhuru Peak at 5896m. It is this summit experience that climbers talk most enthusiastically about when they get off the mountain. That might seem like and obvious thing to say, but there is something strangely surreal about the summit in the early light of the day. The light plays tricks on the ice and the thin air plays tricks on your mind. Many people talk of perculiarly uplifting experience. Some people even forget to get their camera out and have to rely on Photoshop to graft their faces onto other people's pictures when they get home. Another rather surreal thing is that there is a good chance your mobile phone will work on the summit, if it doesn't freeze to death. Chances are you won't be up there for long, as with the wind-chill it could be forty below zero, strangely enough in both Celsius and Farenheit.
As if that were not enough for one day already, it is still only about 07.00hrs and now you are faced with the descent.
Coming down may not be as tough as going up, but it does present its own set of difficulties. The main problems are usually knee and toe related. Knee problems can be alleviated by proper use of two walking poles. Toe problems should be alleviated by tightening your boots up before the descent in order to prevent your feet from crushing your toes inside your boots. You can easily lose a toe-nail if your boots are too loose or too small.
The descent between Gillman's Point and Kibo is the steepest and most challenging, with some long scree slopes. If you have the confidence and energy to scree-run, then this can be quite fun. If not, then it is a long and tiring slide. Either way you will really need your walking poles on this section.
Your camp will still be at the base of this descent and if you have made good time you will have the chance of a lie down, some tea and maybe something to eat if you can manage it.
The descent from Kibo to Horombo is a long and generally gradual descent that is generally underaken in a kind of post-summit daze, the fact that you are now on the busy Marangu Trail is neither here nor there, your aesthetic appreciation having been replaced almost completely with a simple desire to get back down. Arrival in camp comes as an enormous relief.
Kilimanjaro Rongai : Horombo Bivouac
Sat 25-Sep-10 Day 8
Horombo Huts : 3720 m
Kibo Hotel : 1650 m
Ascent : 0
Descent : 1890 m
Walking time : 5 to 6 hours
By now you have probably lost all interest in your surroundings and are thinking only of a shower, a massage, a good meal, a drink and above all a comfortable bed. The descent returns back through the forest to the park gate at Marangu at 1650m. Sometimes alternative descent routes are used at the instruction of the park authorities, but they are all pretty similar.
Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Overview
Sat 18-Sep-10 Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sun 19-Sep-10 Marangu : Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort
Mon 20-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Moorland Bivouac
Tue 21-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Kikelewa Caves Bivouac
Wed 22-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Mawenzi Tarn Bivouac
Thu 23-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Kibo Bivouac
Fri 24-Sep-10 Kilimanjaro Rongai : Horombo Bivouac
Sat 25-Sep-10 Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sat 18-Sep-10 Day
Fly : KL571 : 11.00 to Kilimanjaro arrives 20.25hrs
Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sun 19-Sep-10 Day 2
Walking around the lodge : 1 to 5 hours : Moivaro is in a beautiful semi-rural setting below Mount Meru and it is possible to walk right out of the lodge to explore the farms and villages. A guide can usually be provided, for whom you should pay a fee direct to the lodge and offer a tip of perhaps $5 per person. The money raised by the lodge goes directly into the local community, which is why you will usually find the people very friendly and welcoming. If you are with a guide then you will probably be invited to visit local houses and even to try the locally brewed beer, both of which we advise against, especially the beer which can play havoc with your insides. Our favourite walk heads south over the mini volcano, along the railway tracks (beware of trains), through the rose farm and back over the stepping stones across the river. Two hours is enough time for a decent walk, but you can easily spend all day out.
Car : Moivaro Lodge to Marangu approx 2 hours
Marangu : Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort
Mon 20-Sep-10 Day 3
Kilimanjaro : Rongai route : group trek : for up to 12 climbers
Kilimanjaro National Park : "Kili" is not only the highest mountain in Africa, but it is also one of the highest "walkable" mountains in the world. As such it acts as a magnet for people around the world in search of a truly life-punctuating challenge.
The mountain is remarkable for being free-standing, rising out of an otherwise flat and dry steppe and disappearing eerily up into the clouds. And when the clouds part to permit a view of the snow-covered summit it is so utterly out of place here in equatorial Africa that one can easily understand why this mystical mountain is the inspiration for so many legends. The park itself extends over the whole mountain and down the lower slopes in all directions, almost as far as the surrounding plateau, thus protecting the forest from the encroachment of villages, which cling to the well-watered lower slopes.
Rongai Route : Approaching the mountain from a northeasterly direction, Rongai is quite a remote route, one which retains a genuine sense of wilderness.
Nale Moru Village : 1950 m
Moorland Camp : 2600 m
Ascent : 650 m
Descent : 0 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
After a short walk through the attractive banana and coffee farms of Rongai village, the trail enters an attractive pine forest. This can be a beautiful walk in good weather, with plenty of interesting flora and fauna. Most notable are the black & white colobus monkeys and some excellent bird-life.
The path continues climbing steadily through the forest until gradually it emerges out of the forest and into the next climate zone, the moorland. Soon after this, around mid-afternoon you will arrive at the first campsite, where your camp should be already in position and a nice cup of tea waiting. It may well be misty at this altitude during this latter part of the day.
Kilimanjaro Rongai : Moorland Bivouac
Tue 21-Sep-10 Day 4
Moorland Camp : 2600 m
Kikelewa Caves Camp : 3600 m
Ascent : 1000 m
Descent : 0 m
Walking time : 6 to 7 hours
Early morning is normally clear at camp and as you make your way up across the moorland you should get increasingly good views of Kibo, the Eastern Icefields and to the left the jagged peak of Mawenzi, especially after the Second Rongai Cave at 3450m.
After lunch, leave the main trail and head left out towards Mawenzi. This is the start of the extra day acclimatisation trek. The campsite is in a sheltered valley near the Kikelewa Caves.
Wed 22-Sep-10 Day 5
Kikelewa Caves Camp : 3600 m
Mawenzi Tarn Camp : 4330 m
Ascent : 730 m
Descent : 0 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb all round views and a feeling of real remoteness. Shortly afterwards the vegetation is left behind and the immensity of the mountain begins to loom.
The next camp is at the glass-like Mawenzi Tarn, spectacularly situated in a sheltered cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi. This is good terrain for the famous giant senecios to grow into impressive specimens and the afternoon will be free to rest or explore the surrounding area as an aid to acclimatisation.
You are now at 4330m and may well be starting to feel the effects of altitude. Don't worry too much as it is a necessary part of the acclimatisation to come up a little bit too high and then descend. It is not impossible for the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness to occur even at this altitude, in which case your climb-leader will call for an immediate evacuation down the mountain. Under these circumstances, do not let any other thought of the summit cross your mind, but just get down as fast as reasonably and safely possible. AMS is quite rare on these more considered routes, but plenty of climbers experience headaches, slight dizziness, loss of appetite and irregular digestion.
Thu 23-Sep-10 Day 6
Mawenzi Tarn Camp : 4330 m
Kibo Camp : 4700 m
Ascent : 520 m
Descent : 100 m
Walking time : 4 to 5 hours
Today the trek leads directly across The Saddle between the two volcanoes of Mawenzi and the towering Kibo. As you come out from the Mawenzi massif it feels like you are walking out onto centre stage. Keep an eye out for the elusive eland, the largest antelope in the world ... horselike in proportions ... which inhabits this high altitude zone.
As you cross the alpine desert, the open landscape affords all round views and right the way through the day Kibo looms every closer up ahead. Eventually you can make out the winding summit path high above on the flanks of the mountain, wherein lies tomorrow's nightmare.
Throughout the day you should try to eat as much as possible in preparation for the summit attempt very early tomorrow morning. Keep snacking through the afternoon if you can, although your appetite will probably be diminished by now due to the altitude. You should get into camp early afternoon. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent.
Kilimanjaro Rongai : Kibo Bivouac
Fri 24-Sep-10 Day 7
Kibo Camp : 4700 m
Summit 1 : Gillmans : 5681 m
Summit 2 : Uhuru : 5896 m
Horombo Huts : 3720 m
Ascent : 1146 m
Descent : 2016 m
Walking time : 9 to 15 hours
Your climb-leader will by now have assessed your levels of fitness and will have decided how early you need to set out. You will thank yourself if that extra fitness training earns you another half an hour of sleep tonight. On his decision, you will be woken with tea some time between 12.00hrs and 01.00hrs and set out shortly afterwards.
The ascent is by torchlight and the plan is to get to Gillman's Point on the crater rim in time to watch the sun rise over the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. This is the nightmare. Five to six hours of trudging up generally well-graded zigzags, this way and that, backwards and forwards in the dark, uphill all the way. On some stretches the ground is stable, whilst in others the loose volcanic scree scrunches and slides underfoot. Head up past Williams Point (5000m) and keep going to Hans Meyer Cave (5182m). All the way your climb-leader is keeping you going - not too fast, not too slow, taking regular rest stops to drink and catch your breath.
But the air is now incredibly thin and nausea can easily set in. If at any point your climb-leader says that it is time to stop, then that is final. His decision is not to be disputed. If he counts you out, then you are out.
Anyway, after about 5 or 6 hours you should reach Gillman's Point at 5735m. Actually, after all the endless false ridges it can come as quite a surprise to some people. If you reach this point, then the park authorities will grant you a certificate.
This two hour round trip is the highlight of the climb, around the crater rim, passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy much of the summit area and finally on to Uhuru Peak at 5896m. It is this summit experience that climbers talk most enthusiastically about when they get off the mountain. That might seem like and obvious thing to say, but there is something strangely surreal about the summit in the early light of the day. The light plays tricks on the ice and the thin air plays tricks on your mind. Many people talk of perculiarly uplifting experience. Some people even forget to get their camera out and have to rely on Photoshop to graft their faces onto other people's pictures when they get home. Another rather surreal thing is that there is a good chance your mobile phone will work on the summit, if it doesn't freeze to death. Chances are you won't be up there for long, as with the wind-chill it could be forty below zero, strangely enough in both Celsius and Farenheit.
As if that were not enough for one day already, it is still only about 07.00hrs and now you are faced with the descent.
Coming down may not be as tough as going up, but it does present its own set of difficulties. The main problems are usually knee and toe related. Knee problems can be alleviated by proper use of two walking poles. Toe problems should be alleviated by tightening your boots up before the descent in order to prevent your feet from crushing your toes inside your boots. You can easily lose a toe-nail if your boots are too loose or too small.
The descent between Gillman's Point and Kibo is the steepest and most challenging, with some long scree slopes. If you have the confidence and energy to scree-run, then this can be quite fun. If not, then it is a long and tiring slide. Either way you will really need your walking poles on this section.
Your camp will still be at the base of this descent and if you have made good time you will have the chance of a lie down, some tea and maybe something to eat if you can manage it.
The descent from Kibo to Horombo is a long and generally gradual descent that is generally underaken in a kind of post-summit daze, the fact that you are now on the busy Marangu Trail is neither here nor there, your aesthetic appreciation having been replaced almost completely with a simple desire to get back down. Arrival in camp comes as an enormous relief.
Kilimanjaro Rongai : Horombo Bivouac
Sat 25-Sep-10 Day 8
Horombo Huts : 3720 m
Kibo Hotel : 1650 m
Ascent : 0
Descent : 1890 m
Walking time : 5 to 6 hours
By now you have probably lost all interest in your surroundings and are thinking only of a shower, a massage, a good meal, a drink and above all a comfortable bed. The descent returns back through the forest to the park gate at Marangu at 1650m. Sometimes alternative descent routes are used at the instruction of the park authorities, but they are all pretty similar.
Arusha : Moivaro Lodge
Sunday 18 April 2010
Decisions, decisions.....
Still being a bit new to this I am finding starting the blogs to be the hardest thing (also is this a blog or a part of a blog?), so now there were four of us the next sensible thing seemed to be to sort a meeting out for us all to review the various route options and to decide which one that we wanted to do.
I sent an email out to the team introducing them to one another and asking to sort a meeting, we eventually managed to settle for a Wednesday night in October to sit and discuss the way forward. Unfortunately one of the team members was unable to make it but as I had made a decision that I really wanted to get the trip booked by the end of the year I decided that it was best to go ahead anyway, I could easily present the information and get feedback via email.
There seems to be a bit of confusion about the next bit but between the three of us we managed to decide that we either wanted to do the Rongai route or the Machame route, we also came away from that night having decided to also get quotes for doing a safari afterwards and then a trip to Zanzibar, this was despite earlier discussions to try to keep the costs down……..
We set about emailing a variety of different agencies to find out approximate costs. Some of the web sites had already got costs to do a safari as well so we had a basic estimate of the cost. The first company came back to us the next day, African Travel Resource and an incredibly friendly and enthusiastic person called Jay, they gave us a full breakdown of what we would be doing each day and where we would be staying and even had a map available on Google Earth with links so we could see each campsite/hotel. The other companies came back over the next couple of weeks and we ended up with a wide selection of prices and different trips.
We narrowed it down to 3 different suppliers in the end of either Roy’s Safaris who are based in Tanzania and although slow to provide a quote were quite good, Good Earth Tours who were highly recommended and had a very in depth web site that offerec a variety of different trips and then ATR.
After looking at the costs and the various benefits of the different routes we decided to go on the Rongai route. We had initially eliminated doing the Marangu route which is the most popular as it was also overcrowded and we would have been sleeping in huts for the majority of the trek which we didn’t feel would give us as much of an experience as the tents. The Machame route was the only other one that we considered but this was again quite a popular route and also involved scaling the Barrancu wall which didn’t appeal but overall the route did look quite appealing. In the end the Rongai route won as it was one of the most secluded and also offered a good climb high and sleep low to help with altitude sickness, one of our main fears for not making the climb, it must have been a good reason as this is the only route that has a potential for raids on trekkers from bandits in Kenya!
We had learned a lot about the different trip options getting all the costs so requested a quote from all 3 agencies that we had selected with the details of the route we wanted to do along with a 6 day safari and then finishing with 4 days in Zanzibar. Cheerful Jay from ATR came back the next day with the quote and Good Earth Tours followed the next day, as I type this 4 months later I have still not received a response from Roy’s safaris so we decided to remove them (or maybe they decided to remove us….).
The team had also taken quite a reduction in numbers from the 4 that were mentioned we had now lost a member due to his job being at risk and another through the discovery that climbing Kilimanjaro wasn’t going to be that easy and would require a level of fitness.
So we ended up choosing Africa Travel Resource from the two remaining agencies, even though they were the slightly more expensive of the two companies the service from Jay had been fantastic and the description of what we would be doing each day, also (and this is really one of the most important things for me) they are carrying a toilet for just our group of up to 12 people, rather than the ones that every person on the mountain is using.! The toilets are known as long drop toilets because you are basically crapping off the side of the mountain! For those of you that are interested here is the link they sent us through to where we would be each day.
http://www.africatravelresource.com/T1/googlemap_full.asp?Trip=46955
I sent an email out to the team introducing them to one another and asking to sort a meeting, we eventually managed to settle for a Wednesday night in October to sit and discuss the way forward. Unfortunately one of the team members was unable to make it but as I had made a decision that I really wanted to get the trip booked by the end of the year I decided that it was best to go ahead anyway, I could easily present the information and get feedback via email.
There seems to be a bit of confusion about the next bit but between the three of us we managed to decide that we either wanted to do the Rongai route or the Machame route, we also came away from that night having decided to also get quotes for doing a safari afterwards and then a trip to Zanzibar, this was despite earlier discussions to try to keep the costs down……..
We set about emailing a variety of different agencies to find out approximate costs. Some of the web sites had already got costs to do a safari as well so we had a basic estimate of the cost. The first company came back to us the next day, African Travel Resource and an incredibly friendly and enthusiastic person called Jay, they gave us a full breakdown of what we would be doing each day and where we would be staying and even had a map available on Google Earth with links so we could see each campsite/hotel. The other companies came back over the next couple of weeks and we ended up with a wide selection of prices and different trips.
We narrowed it down to 3 different suppliers in the end of either Roy’s Safaris who are based in Tanzania and although slow to provide a quote were quite good, Good Earth Tours who were highly recommended and had a very in depth web site that offerec a variety of different trips and then ATR.
After looking at the costs and the various benefits of the different routes we decided to go on the Rongai route. We had initially eliminated doing the Marangu route which is the most popular as it was also overcrowded and we would have been sleeping in huts for the majority of the trek which we didn’t feel would give us as much of an experience as the tents. The Machame route was the only other one that we considered but this was again quite a popular route and also involved scaling the Barrancu wall which didn’t appeal but overall the route did look quite appealing. In the end the Rongai route won as it was one of the most secluded and also offered a good climb high and sleep low to help with altitude sickness, one of our main fears for not making the climb, it must have been a good reason as this is the only route that has a potential for raids on trekkers from bandits in Kenya!
We had learned a lot about the different trip options getting all the costs so requested a quote from all 3 agencies that we had selected with the details of the route we wanted to do along with a 6 day safari and then finishing with 4 days in Zanzibar. Cheerful Jay from ATR came back the next day with the quote and Good Earth Tours followed the next day, as I type this 4 months later I have still not received a response from Roy’s safaris so we decided to remove them (or maybe they decided to remove us….).
The team had also taken quite a reduction in numbers from the 4 that were mentioned we had now lost a member due to his job being at risk and another through the discovery that climbing Kilimanjaro wasn’t going to be that easy and would require a level of fitness.
So we ended up choosing Africa Travel Resource from the two remaining agencies, even though they were the slightly more expensive of the two companies the service from Jay had been fantastic and the description of what we would be doing each day, also (and this is really one of the most important things for me) they are carrying a toilet for just our group of up to 12 people, rather than the ones that every person on the mountain is using.! The toilets are known as long drop toilets because you are basically crapping off the side of the mountain! For those of you that are interested here is the link they sent us through to where we would be each day.
http://www.africatravelresource.com/T1/googlemap_full.asp?Trip=46955
Darina's Introduction
Kilimanjaro. A hill somewhere in... Africa? That was my first thought when Paul started talking about going and climbing it. I haven't know him (or Kilimanjaro) that well at that time and just shrugged it off. Whatever. I was going to run a marathon in Edinburgh in a few months time. We all have personal challenges, right? This was January 2009.
With studying & training I have forgotten about this until March when BBC broadcasted the celebrity climb for Red Nose Day.Sitting in front of the TV and watching in awe the achievement of those people climbing what didn't look like a hill anymore made me think about this again. Is really Paul going to do this? Is he crazy? And then they showed the sunrise from the summit and I was kind of hoping to see this too. At some point maybe? I texted Paul that this was really cool and sounded like a great idea although knowing that the costs would be somewhere around £2K I still didn't make the decision to do it too. (Nonetheless, that evening Paul has decided to run the Coventry half-marathon as a less expensive and more easily achievable goal for 2009). At that point I kept thinking about the sunrise and the challenge of the whole trip but couldn't see how I would be able to save so much money.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, let's talk about this in October) Paul kept talking and annoying us with this at work so during my trip home to Czech Republic in June I made a decision. I will review my spend and see what I can save. And I did. And found out that it would be tough but achievable. Silly me, at that time still counting to save our original estimate which has somewhat increased since then, but my decision to do this adventure holidays was already made and the excitement was too big to start thinking sensibly.
This was all before actually knowing any details about weather in Africa or the height of Kili or that there are many routes to choose from or that it is important to choose the correct time of the year or that you can suffer (or even die) from altitude sickness.The crazy phase of researching websites, requesting travel catalogues (and getting excited over the pictures of Africa and Kili), panicking about the decisions of when, how, what, how much, and deciding which decision to make first followed. We were also looking for more people to join as that would decrease some of the costs. One of Paul's friends were already interested and I was spreading the word around too. I have usually get one of two types of responses. Knock on the
forehead or an ethusiastic excitement followed by a negative shake of head when the costs were mentioned. However, one of my friend remained keen even after we discussed estimated costs & all the dangers involved so it looked like we will be going in a group of four after all.
Saturday 17 April 2010
Introduction
Welcome to my blog, that seems like a reasonably easy place to start.
I haven’t done anything like this before, I am reasonably competent at using a computer (however I am also hoping that this gets automatically spell checked before getting posted) and a member (probably not that much of a user though) of Facebook but generally the internet is used just to keep up to date with what is going on in the world (and definitely not to look at porn....).
The idea of trekking Kilimanjaro started just over a year ago, I wanted to go skiing but could not find anyone I knew to go with (another story), I booked a holiday through a web site that arranged activity holidays for people on their own (now that I am typing it it does sound kind of sad…) and met some people there that had already climbed Kilimanjaro. Over a few beers in a bar (as most life changing decisions are made) they proceeded to tell me about how the trek on Kilimanjaro had been the hardest thing that they had done in their lives, the final walk to the summit involved them walking ten paces then having to stop for a rest and after taking a paracetomol to stop the headache they were then counting down the minutes until they could take the next one. Anyway this sounded like it had the makings of a great holiday so I decided that I would like to try it! They did also mention some of the good points like the view of the sunrise from the summit and also that the suffering was really all worth it at the end for the sense of achievement (hopefully I can let you know about that in the future…).
Once I got back home I started talking to various friends about my plan and got invariably the same response of I must be mad. I carried out some research and found that it was going to cost around £2000 to do the trek and then some (actually a lot as you will see later) more money to purchase trekking clothes and equipment to get to the top.
A couple of weeks after I got home from the skiing trip there was a program on TV about a celebrity attempt to trek Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief, it ran through the training they were all doing along with physicals and the actual trek. The celebrities were Chris Moyles, Kimberly Walsh and Cheryl Cole(from Girls Aloud), Denise van Outen, Gary Barlow and a few others that I don’t remember or just don’t know their names. The program showed a lot of detail of the sights they could see and how they felt. Including as I had been told the lack of breath at the top of the mountain. They also seemed to be complaining a lot despite getting a lot of extra help with a dedicated trip doctor and some of them having their personal day bags carried, from what I’ve read so far I can’t really see that happening on a trek for mere mortals……
For those of you that don’t know Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in the world that can be trekked (rather than others that are higher but need climbing experience rather than just walking), it is also the highest freestanding mountain in the world (as opposed to other mountains that are within a range of other mountains – I had to look up what a freestanding mountain is so I thought I would help you out). It is the highest point in Africa and is located within the country of Tanzania close to the Kenyan border.
So despite the fact that most of the people I talked to about the idea of trekking Kilimnjaro thought I was mad I also managed to find a couple of friends that were interested in joining me, better still one of them had another friend that was also interested, now we were a team of 4!
I haven’t done anything like this before, I am reasonably competent at using a computer (however I am also hoping that this gets automatically spell checked before getting posted) and a member (probably not that much of a user though) of Facebook but generally the internet is used just to keep up to date with what is going on in the world (and definitely not to look at porn....).
The idea of trekking Kilimanjaro started just over a year ago, I wanted to go skiing but could not find anyone I knew to go with (another story), I booked a holiday through a web site that arranged activity holidays for people on their own (now that I am typing it it does sound kind of sad…) and met some people there that had already climbed Kilimanjaro. Over a few beers in a bar (as most life changing decisions are made) they proceeded to tell me about how the trek on Kilimanjaro had been the hardest thing that they had done in their lives, the final walk to the summit involved them walking ten paces then having to stop for a rest and after taking a paracetomol to stop the headache they were then counting down the minutes until they could take the next one. Anyway this sounded like it had the makings of a great holiday so I decided that I would like to try it! They did also mention some of the good points like the view of the sunrise from the summit and also that the suffering was really all worth it at the end for the sense of achievement (hopefully I can let you know about that in the future…).
Once I got back home I started talking to various friends about my plan and got invariably the same response of I must be mad. I carried out some research and found that it was going to cost around £2000 to do the trek and then some (actually a lot as you will see later) more money to purchase trekking clothes and equipment to get to the top.
A couple of weeks after I got home from the skiing trip there was a program on TV about a celebrity attempt to trek Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief, it ran through the training they were all doing along with physicals and the actual trek. The celebrities were Chris Moyles, Kimberly Walsh and Cheryl Cole(from Girls Aloud), Denise van Outen, Gary Barlow and a few others that I don’t remember or just don’t know their names. The program showed a lot of detail of the sights they could see and how they felt. Including as I had been told the lack of breath at the top of the mountain. They also seemed to be complaining a lot despite getting a lot of extra help with a dedicated trip doctor and some of them having their personal day bags carried, from what I’ve read so far I can’t really see that happening on a trek for mere mortals……
For those of you that don’t know Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in the world that can be trekked (rather than others that are higher but need climbing experience rather than just walking), it is also the highest freestanding mountain in the world (as opposed to other mountains that are within a range of other mountains – I had to look up what a freestanding mountain is so I thought I would help you out). It is the highest point in Africa and is located within the country of Tanzania close to the Kenyan border.
So despite the fact that most of the people I talked to about the idea of trekking Kilimnjaro thought I was mad I also managed to find a couple of friends that were interested in joining me, better still one of them had another friend that was also interested, now we were a team of 4!
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