Kilimanjaro Trek 14 January 2012                  Charity  Challenge Elite.

 

Great time!....... Glad that I did it!........ And yes, it provides a huge sense of personal achievement and an emotional insight into the lives of the local people........ you certainly don’t get that sitting on your backside reading about it or watching it on TV.

 

One by one, with smiles of expectation on our faces we meet at Heathrow airport having read the Charity Challenge literature, watched the youtube videos and packed our bags in the knowledge that....... we probably didn’t really know quite what to expect! .......As it happens, throwing together a group of people from around the country from different walks of life with the same common goal of getting to the top of a pretty high snow clad mountain in Africa, instigated an immediate family bond and a desire to make sure that we all helped to achieve our aim to have that jubilant photo at Uhuru Point. ( all for one and one for all !! ).....

 

After an initial ten hour flight to Nairobi, a further hour flight to Kilimanjaro airport, an introduction to Emmanuel ( our mountain guide ....and friend with the loudest laugh I’ve ever heard.....a laugh that would instigate the use of the wax earplugs so that we could sleep! ) and then a two hour ‘reality check’ road trip inclusive of the ‘African massage’ provided during areas of the drive where one day a road might be constructed!!......Shame really....as the removal of rock clad, giant pot holed uneven tracks leading to isolated villages and replacing it with smooth tarmac roads does seem to take away the authenticity of it all and maybe fuel the influx of further commercialism whereby in time to come I can walk away with my very own plastic replica of Mount Kilimanjaro which plays the national anthem!!!

 

At the edge of a small Tanzanian village, comprising of a local store, a unique butchers and a couple of ......pubs?....we arrived at the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort, a colonial gated oasis offering four star excellence, a shower ( which would become very sought after ) a bar and a level of comfort that was somewhat unexpected. We were all very tired and the chance to crash out with a beer and a meal and generally introduce ourselves, allowed for a relaxing period......haha the calm before the storm!

 

The afternoon called for the first group meeting and formal introduction to Emmanuel. Before long the innocent smiles that had dressed our faces began to slip as Emmanuel regimentally went through our kit lists, our daily treks including distance and altitude and the daily camp routines. This consisted of a wake up call at 6.30am and a much loved coffee or tea delivered to your tent by one of the local porters with a giant smile which did actually drop a little as the days went on ( as they had been awake from 4.30am preparing our breakfast ). Washy Washy, consisting of a washing up bowl of warm water for washing, packing your gear and then attending a breakfast meal ready to commence the daily trek by 8 – 8.30am which would generally be for 6-8 hours until the final few days of 16 hours of trekking.....

 

We were then introduced to the ‘Doc’ who I must say, as a three times voluntary Kilimanjaro veteran who not only had every medical pill, plug, splint and bandage possible, inspired us with confidence that once you had completed the climb, people did in fact do it again, so it could not be that bad........could it?......ha ha....

 

 

 

The gravity of our challenge pretty much struck home after that initial meeting and although a few of us braved the pool and had another beer, most of us wanted to again check our packs ready for the day ahead.....Some of the important essential items are as follows:

 

Hiking boots                 Don’t mess about, buy proper boots that do the job don’t cut corners here as if you can’t walk due to blisters etc, you can’t trek with a smile!

 

Sun hat                        The UV light is much stronger with altitude and on clear days it’s very hot! Around about mid 30 degrees in the jungle areas. As you will end up exhausted and with your head down constantly looking at the feet of the chap ahead, your neck will be exposed and as I learnt and a few others, you must have a sum hat that covers your head, neck and gives shade to your eyes.

 

Socks                            A couple of pairs of thermal socks and three pairs of hiking socks and the use of liner socks are a good idea. As the socks will become damp, you will be asked to keep a couple of pairs clean and dry ready for the final ascent as the temperatures will reach -18 and wet socks will mean bloody frozen toes....and it will hurt!

 

Sterile Relipore cushioned strips.    In the event that you do get blisters and these are more than likely to occur on the last two days of descent, make sure that you have some cushioned strips which you can place over a potential blister area for protection. Trust me you do not want to be caught short here.

 

Imodium        You are going to have to drink at least three litres of water per day, the water is boiled, however, you will find that the source of the water is either from a lake or river and the water will be strained with the use of a tea strainer to make sure that grass weed and stones are removed. You will then add a sterilising tablet and possibly a hydration sachet.............and after you have drank this for a few days wonder why you have the ‘trotts’, in fact some of us were trotting for England! This is where Imodium will help..........remember the more you trott, the more you dehydrate.

 

Water sterilisation tablets       Plenty of them needed.

 

Anti Malaria Tablets.     Needless to say a must. The most important thing here is to ensure that you complete the course........ yes that means that you may still be taking them when you return home.

 

Ibruprofen.     This will help with the headaches that will start as part of the altitude sickness.

 

Down Jacket.     Without doubt needed on most nights and definitely needed on summit night

 

Fleeces.            I would recommend 3 fleeces. Thin, medium and a thick one. You will use these in all combinations as the weather can be hot and then cold and windy in a matter of half an hour. The evenings are all cold and will get colder so you will probably be wearing two fleeces at this time.

 

Sun glasses.      I would bring a couple of pairs. You need good UV rating glasses as you will be wearing them pretty much constantly during the day.

 

Snacks.            Bring with you Mars bars, chocolate and High Protein bars and plenty of them. You will take a break every few hours and you will need these......it will also make a great change from porridge and rice!!!!.....trust me.....

Toilet roll / Antibacterial handwipes .    I like the soft Andrex toilet paper with visions of the fluffy puppies......but whatever, toilet paper, it will become your best friend. Make sure that you have a couple of rolls and one of them with you at all times!....Needless to say, water is a premium especially later during the trek. Antibacterial wipes / gels will save the day. These should also be with you at all times, it will help eliminate the transfer of bugs etc.

 

Suntan Cream.    I used factor 30 during the course of the trek.......it was not enough! I had to ask for help and the use of factor 50. My hands neck and face still burned. Make sure that you have factor 50 from day one and use it......it’s not a fashion show!

 

Diamox.             The question of whether to use Diamox was greatly debated by the team. Supposedly, Diamox could assist in the body’s management of altitude affects, however, its positive affects and side effects would be felt differently from person to person. The side effects range from ‘pins and needles’ in your fingers and feet, to complete numbness of your feet, to generally being sick! The positive effects would be that Diamox could help you to manage altitude sickness. The team were pretty much in agreement with the exception of a few people to use Diamox.

 

After a good nights sleep we load up with pills and creams, pack our main bags ready for the porters and ensure that we have packed everything required in our ruck sacks. Clean boots, clean socks and a nice white T shirt and a smell of deodorant.... ( a smell that becomes a distant memory ) we have our final breakfast and march out to the mini buses, ready for action all looking like budding Indiana Jones clones and in my view not really sure what to expect!

Another two hours rumble in the jungle on the mini bus through townships or organised anarchy with colourful stalls selling ...well...colourful things! And groups of little school children,  impeccably dressed in bright uniforms obviously the pride of mum and dad waving and shouting at us.

 

Finally, we arrived at the Rongai National Park, where we would need to register to gain access into the park. This we needed to do many times during the trek.......during this form filling exercise they seemed to be fixated with the age of each of us. Luckily I think that I came second or third on that one and the accolade went to Neil a great member of the team.

 

 

 

Outside were our team of porters........it was as if we had enlisted the help of a whole village! There was a reported 50 porters to assist us. Needless to say they had to carry all of the tents, food, toilets and general supplies as well as supplies for themselves. We were carrying back packs weighing between 6 and 8kg, however these guys were carrying our main bags which were limited to15kg along with all manner of items including the kitchen sink. It made me feel a bit guilty but later on during the trek even to carry our own back packs were a considerable hardship!

A few pictures taken, watered up and back packs on, like an army yomp, we moved into position ( pretty much two by two ) and started the climb to the top of Kilimanjaro......Today we have about 4 hours of trekking through forest on pleasant paths through small villages which greeted us with smiles and attention...... special attention was indeed given to one of our team as a little local boy of 3 or 4 years old with watery eyes and a snotty nose came running towards us and grabbed hold of her and like a long lost family friend was not going to let go.

 

That day we were constantly overtaken by our porters loaded like pack horses and still with smiles on their faces shouting Jambo ( hello ) as they passed. We were also greeted with what I think was a local ranger complete with a machine gun, very eager to pose for the camera........

 

We gained 650m in altitude that day, stopping for food and water breaks and taking photos, it was a relatively easy and enjoyable day. By about 4pm we came to an opening were the porters had already arrived and were busy erecting tents, toilets and the dining area.....and then erecting their own tents........Hmmmmm....

We were then ushered through the trees and there revealed to us in the evening sky was a breath taking view of the snow clad mount Kilimanjaro .

 

The two man tents were in fact very strong and adequate for the job and the same can be said for the toilet tents......they needed to be as they were to get some considerable use.

Collecting our main bags and setting up camp for the night actually took a lot of time. The ground mats and sleeping bags are removed and placed ready for bed, a few fleeces are placed ready, your head torch is found and readily available and before you know it the shouts of washy washy echoes from the distance. Toothbrushes to the ready we wash best we can.......and it’s now becoming pretty cold. As washing your hair is not advised in the cold weather, the use of a hat is good. In my case stopped me looking like scarecrow........however, others could not resist the temptation of lathering up with Head and Shoulders later during the trek! 

 

 

 

Before you know it we are summoned for dinner. I must say this was not only well organised with military procedure, but the quality of the food was excellent..... Our guide had set up a washing regime outside of the meal tent consisting of warm water with odour of Dettol and soap to ensure that we were clean to eat.

On camping seats and a central collapsible table we were treated each night to a three course selection of food that had been prepared by the porters in the tent next door to a standard that was very impressive. Starters would consist of homemade soup and bread, followed by rice with potatoes cooked in various ways with a selection of fruits to finish. Along with coffee, tea and ginger tea, meal times were a time that we really got to know each other, details of which we will come onto later.

Emmanuel would dine with us and ensure that we were eating enough! Details of the following day’s trek would then be discussed and we would probably have a chat or play a game ( board game that is! ) before retiring to our tents.

 

 

Now during the day we had been asked to drink 3 litres of water and along with the coffee, tea and soup meant that my bladder was already working overtime. We all learnt a hard lesson from night one. Make sure that you go to the toilet before you go to bed as if you have to get up in the middle of the night it’s an experience that you won’t forget in a hurry!

 

 

Now the toilets and their use...... after the initial embarrassment, it became a primary topic of conversation and acted as a barometer to the team’s state of health. The small tented cubicle was functional and kept very clean by the porters.

During my first night I found myself awake at about 1.30am needing to use the toilet.

Now it’s about  -10 degrees outside, its completely dark and everyone else is asleep. Your body has chosen this time to relieve itself and could not have picked a more unsuitable time. Getting out of a sleeping bag in a two man tent will awaken your college, and if it doesn’t, turning on your head torch will!!! although very polite, I am sure he would be a little peeved!  Opening the inner and outer shell of the tent, you discover how bloody cold it is. Boots to the ready, wearing long johns and toilet paper in hand, the tent is zipped closed again. With my trusty head torch fully armed and lighting up the surrounding tents, it’s a case of getting to the toilet without falling over, unzipping the toilet door and in the freezing cold, sitting and waiting until the time is right. In the meantime, you are clearly aware that you have awoken others and they are all just 3 or 4 foot away and can hear all of your actions! Upon completion, you will have the same dismal walk back to the tent.......with a final sigh of relief that it’s over!

 

The following morning we are awoken at 6.30am by the porters delivering tea and coffee to the tents together with the sounds of washy washy bowls being delivered for the morning freezing washing ritual.

 

 

During breakfast it quickly becomes apparent that you were not the only one that tip toed to the toilet in the middle of the night!  It is clear that any ounce of self dignity is fast evaporating and a strong bond is forming within the group and an eagerness to protect and encourage each other..... ok... a common discussion surrounds how many times per day that each of us may have gone to the toilet, who was sick with altitude sickness, who has the dry dusty mountain cough keeping everyone awake, who was snoring and which ones were not eating properly......all important aspects that we begin to talk very freely about.

Breakfast consists of porridge, and then a mixture of fried bacon and eggs, together with fruit washed down with tea and coffee. Before our eyes the camp site is dismembered and packed ready to go....we will be trekking for 8 hours and gain altitude of 1000m. It’s going to be a long and hard day on route to Mawenzi.

By the end of the following day we have travelled yet another 5 hours and gained a further 600m in altitude before we reach the Mawenzi camp site. At 4330m the air is thin, the sun is much stronger and the nights now extremely cold. The camp site lies at the base of the snow capped Mawenzi peaks, which we will be climbing over the next day or so to acclimatise up to 4600m..........also great news as we receive a mobile network signal and could contact home.........as long as you had power left in your phone batteries..........Trust me a voice from home is great comfort!

 

It’s at this point that you realise that you are on your own and in the middle of nowhere..... on your own but with your newly adopted family. These are people that you hardly know but would willingly share with, help and encourage.....and even discuss things that you would not even discuss with your friends at the pub. A sense of friendship and team spirit that I was proud to be a part of prevails. A sense of achievement to date and anticipation of achievement to come binds us all..........we are now a team..... the 100% team!

 

 

It was this night that I realised how easy it was to suffer from a panic attack. Confined within the tent in pitch darkness with our dusty gear safely inside the tent to keep dry, mummified within my sleeping blanket and suffering from an annoying cough.......all I could do was to gasp for air  at times and open the tent so that I could breathe.

The same could not be said for some of our neighbouring tents where breathing and equalising their bodily airways ( both ends!) seemed to be easy and snoring reigned! Haha!

Mealtimes, especially breakfast were becoming difficult as although the quality of cooking was far above standards that I ever imagined, our appetite for porridge and bacon were wearing thin and the monotony of the perfectly cooked rice becoming all too apparent......slowly we were all beginning to feel exhausted, losing our appetites, feeling the effects of altitude sickness.......but our enthusiasm was still strong.

The following day proved to be a long and arduous trek across the lunar landscape between Mawenzi and Kibo. We trekked for 6 hours and climbed a further 420m in altitude.

We were now heading for the Kilmajaro base camp, a selection of tin huts and make shift dining areas with a shop selling Cans of Coke!......to be honest it looked like a scene from the film Mad Max!

Anyway the trek alone was exhausting and our group stretched out like a desert camel train. It was hot, desolate and the dust got everywhere. Your nose, ears and eyes were constantly filling with grit whilst our chlorinated water supplies provided a welcome break to catch our breath. In the distance we could see the base camp but as the hours ticked by it felt as if we were getting no closer!

As we approached the camp, we saw trekkers in a very pour state obviously suffering from altitude sickness, on stretchers being carried down from base camp to a lower altitude.........that was another event that shook us!........if ever we needed some motivation now was the time!

When we finally managed to reach the steep incline to get to the base camp we were completely exhausted......no knackered! All we wanted to do was collapse but no, first we had to sign into the camp and confirm our ages again!

Now during our 6 hour dusty trek along the desert, somehow and from somewhere, the porters had all overtaken us and managed to set up camp and prepare some food!....For a minute you wonder whether these guys have Land Rovers or pack horses or something to enable them to get from place to place so quickly! They don’t! These guys are just bloody strong and under the direction of Emmanuel, know what to do, when to do it and all with military precision....We were all impressed!

   

    

We were now at the bottom of the Kibo crater wall base camp. It was either the altitude sickness or I am sure that I saw Tina Turner and Mel Gibson from the film Mad Max having lunch! ..........The funny thing was that all of us looked anything but film stars......we all looked a bit rough, all had a few aches, pains, sickness spells and the trotts and on top of it all we were so exhausted.....

I don’t think that any of us wanted to get up for dinner that day. The thought of another bowl of soup, homemade bread and rice was just not agreeing with me. Nevertheless , the washy washy routine was carried out, we were breathless, it was getting cold, a few of us were really quite ill and we had a rather large summit to climb that night!

We all attended the meal and the detailed briefing held by Emmanuel. I must say irrespective of how many times that we had used the toilet that day, his motivational speech and shear belief that we would all make the summit was inspiring. At the end of the day, this was not some ‘jolly up’ and it was definitely not a holiday! We were here to raise money for our charities, we had a purpose and getting to the summit of Kilimanjaro was our team aim.....

Up to this point, my diary of events will probably reflect most of the team’s view, however, from 12.30pm, in the black of night and with temperatures at -18 degrees I am sure we all have our own stories....... this is mine....

Summit Night.

 

After dinner it was a case of preparing our gear for the final climb later that night. I think that we were all quite nervous and although we had read all the stories, and articles available, we were still not sure what to expect.

Long Johns to the ready, a T shirt, two fleeces and encapsulated with a down jacket meant that we all looked like colourful Michelin men! We all had to try and sleep until 12.30pm......haha....I don’t think so!! At about 12pm we get a call to get up and given a coffee.....

We put our head torches on and start to get dressed.... bloody hell its cold out there! A pair of thermal socks and a pair of heavy duty climbing socks, we then strap on our boots and open the tent. It’s a clear sky dotted with stars and really freezing cold. Wearing a Biggles hat and a pair of glasses we quickly put on the thermal gloves...... Next is to load the back pack with essentials only. This means 3 or 4 snack bars, some headache tablets, walking poles, spare batteries and a camera. At this temperature, the drinking water freezes so  the porters had warmed the water placed in our flasks.....another quick toilet visit  and we were ready to go!

Well I could not see a thing....how the hell did Emmanuel know where he was going? .....We were asked to line up and with the help of 4 guides dotted amongst us we were lead up the mountain trail by a grinning Emmanuel.

I may have said earlier that the oxygen levels here are about 50% that at sea level, so controlled steady breathing is a must. However, the depletion of oxygen means that it’s a struggle to lift your legs and walk and you are constantly catching your breath. We had 10 hours of steep climbing to go through to reach the summit and I was feeling short of breath and with a headache after just half an hour.

Like a train of Christmas tree lights we slowly trailed in a zigzag manner up the mountain. There was not much to see except for another trail of Christmas tree lights further on up the mountain which seemed to get further and further away.... this was demoralising. So I only concentrated on the feet of the person ahead of me,  taking slow deliberate breaths and making a step every time that I exhale.....now that gives you an idea of the speed that we were climbing........slowly!

My breathing was pretty noisy but that’s because I like to get into a rhythm of listening to my breathing and walking, it sort of takes my mind off things. Within about half an hour one of our team drops to the ground and is overcome by altitude sickness. The Christmas light train stops and tries to help but it’s nearly all you can do to stand up yourself as you stare propped with your walking poles.

The guides are to the rescue within seconds and with a bit of rest and encouragement our man is back on his feet at the tail end of the group climbing at a much slower rate......... I think that this shook most of us!

We now had to stop every 10 – 15 minutes as the team were exhausted and we had only climbed for an hour or so. Then another of the team stops and drops to one knee and starts to be sick, this continues throughout the climb with most of the team being constantly sick 3 or 4 times over and all with headaches.

We reach the first cave where we rest. The guides are constantly checking us and making sure that we are ok to continue. The Doc...... (the veteran) was holding up very well and more concerned about looking after us..... a quick drink of warm chlorinated water and a snack and we were off again. The monotonous climb was very steep and to be honest you were glad that it was night time....... that way if you looked down you could not see anything.

After about 3 – 4 hours the ground was becoming much more steep and the volcanic ash meant that we were slipping with each stride. The top of the mountain was still nowhere in sight, my fingers were freezing, my water had lumps of ice in it and I wanted to go for a weeeee!.......... But frost bite was always on my mind so I left that one!  I felt like calling it a day............

Nobody spoke anymore as we were concentrating on the next step up the mountain. The selfish thing was that I looked forward to the next person being sick or struggling so that we could stop and rest.....every rest period even for a minute was needed.

After about 6 hours, we could see the sun coming up. The terrain changed dramatically to rocks and it became more of a ‘hands on’ climb than a trek. Still, this bloody summit felt miles away....

The team was now spread down the mountain with Emmanuel trying to keep everyone together however, the strange thing was that the first man to drop was now just about heading the field.......what was he on?..... Ha ha

After a few more hours of exhaustion and sickness there was a shout as someone saw the Gillman Point sign..... the first of the three summits.... Yes, you guessed it,  we had a new lease of life, there was now something to aim for and within another half an hour we had made it.. ........ok....... made it to the first of three peaks!

 

 

A few hugs and pictures and a well earned rest we were then told that we would have another 200m of altitude climb and a 2 hour trek to get to Uhuru Point......Wow!!!..... that took the sparkle out of things.......

As you can see from the photos, the summit of Kilimanjaro is covered with snow and glaciers which are getting smaller each year due to global warming.....it is a wonderful sight and all in the middle of Africa!

 

We get ourselves together and prepare for a very icy trek with open edges into the crater. The guides were excellent, so helpful and encouraged us to slowly slowly make our way forward. I since found that in many cases the guides had carried the back packs of some of our team!......we could not have done it without these guys.

The pace had now slowed to a crawl and every incline was a bitter battle of wills. We reached Stella Point ( the second peak ) after a further 40 minutes as we passed trekkers coming down from the summit with huge grins on their faces and with appreciated encouragement shouted to us.......well I think it was encouragement!......we were determined to get there.

My god! The last hour and a half was painful and draining. My chest felt like it wanted to explode, I had a terrible dry cough which was taking my breath away, every step was an effort........and I still wanted to go for a weeeeee!

The views of the glaciers are something else but not as good as the green sign in the distance marking the Uhuru Point summit.

Some of us ran to the sign.....well hobbled! most of us just collapsed on the floor and yes there were a few tears........it was probably the most exhausting and physically demanding thing that I have ever achieved.

We were 5895m above sea level, we were above the clouds, we were amongst the glaciers......... we were at the top!!!

Some of the best photos were taken as a group at the top.......every time that I look at them I can remember how bloody hard it was and the great team spirit, lead by Emmanuel that got us there and I am very proud to be a member of that team......family!.......... the 100% team.

 

 

 

 

 

Few Tips.

We spent about half an hour at the top and then embarked upon a further 6 hour descent to base camp only to have lunch and then trek for a further  3 hours down to the Horombo camp were we would stay for the night.

 

My toes were blue and bruised after the descent as all pressure is on the front of your foot....watch out for this....Also, the Rongai route requires such a vast final trek of descent after you have reached the summit, when all you want to do is sleep.......it’s very stressful!!!!!....

 

I can’t stress enough the level of fitness, self determination and focus that you require for this trek, don’t fool yourself by hoping that you will be ok, read the documentation that Charity Challenge send out and definitely start training early.

 

I found that the guys with iphones managed much better than us with Blackberries. They found signals quicker, the battery life was also better and to be honest I am now changing from Blackberry to iphone.

 

Buying a solar panel such as a Solar Monkey is a great idea for re charging things. Just a warning...... I took along a standard Solar Monkey and found that it held little charge. A colleague took along the more expensive Solar Monkey Extreme and was more powerful and a worth while buy.  

 

Don’t skimp on the snacks.....bring plenty and make sure that you bring a selection.

 

A friend told me to buy wax ear plugs...... trust me, when you want to sleep you have to sleep and if the porters are having a late party, you will thank me for this advice.

 

A good tip to ensure that your clothes for the next day dry out ( such as socks ) or at least are warm and dry for the next day, is to sleep with the clothes in your sleeping bag...... it works!.....nothing worse than damp socks for the day.

 

The porters will do everything they can to keep your main bag dry. However, my bag and some of the clothes got damp.... bring along with you a few plastic bags and put socks underwear and T shirts into the bag to keep dry.

 

The chlorinated water taste horrible....... but you will get used to it. We all agreed that to bring a flavouring to add to the water would have been the answer. Remember you need to drink 3 litres of water per day and the Team leader will be watching!

 

Some of the guys had gaiters. I did not!......coming down the mountain, you can slide down the ‘Scree’. Sounds good fun but after three hours the fun wears thin and if you are not careful you will have a boot full of stones.....I’ll leave that one to you.

 

A friend told me to go a buy a cheap watch and wear it.... When push comes to shove it’s a good gift or bargaining tool with the locals if needed.....I still have mine, it was not needed or it looked too cheap! Ha ha..

 

Finally, there has been a lot said about other more high profile treks to Kilimanjaro. It is important to understand that there are many routes to the summit, some much more difficult than others and some much longer than others to allow for acclimatisation. The Rongai route was by no means an easy route and  probably has the most difficult final 2 days of ascent of them all. It is described as extreme.....and it is!....   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the best............the 100% team.