Travelling to Machame Gate
Here are some photos, which were taken out the window of our Toyota Landcruiser, as we were driven from our hotel, to the start of the trek… Machame Gate.
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Made it…to the Roof of Africa!
As the title suggests…I made it!
That is all I will say, for now, until I can compile some more photographs, but here is one from the summit, on Saturday morning.
Made It!
Below,we have myself, and Kenny Moore, along with our guide Camanda. We reached the top together…I was so glad I had walking poles, to lean on…bent double and gasping! (more about that at a later date, when I can think about it without feeling breathless!)
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Dublin Airport…overnight
Hello all, as you have probably gathered, we are now at Dublin Airport, having arrived here at eleven-ish, Friday night, waiting for our flight at six, tomorrow morning. Having tried, unsuccessfully, for the last hour and a half, to get a snooze, I thought I’d pop on here, and say hello!
This is a dreary place, at this time of night, although it seems quite busy. We all feel it is a bit surreal, being on the threshold of this adventure…it is hard to imagine we are going to Africa tomorrow! The aches, and pains that accompany a four hour journey, are a very slight warning for me, of what is ahead.
The Motivation
It was a good time to remind myself, and Geraldine via text-message, just why I am doing this. The Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, where wee Keren spent her last week with us, is such a worthy organisation to support, that this…separation from family, not to mention the (most likely) pain, and toil, that lies ahead for me, will all be worth it. It is another reason to talk about and emphasise how much the Hospice means to us, as a family, we will never forget the way they made us feel part of a family, larger than we could imagine.
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point, supporting the Hospice so fantastically! Especially the business sponsors and all the individuals, who combined, have made this a very worthwhile venture, for the Hospice.
(thanks also to Stephen, for running over, just now, with another 50c, to keep this connection going!)
I will sign out now…try to get some shut-eye, and if I get internet access again, I will drop-in again!
Previous…So Content
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Kilimanjaro Itinerary
We are leaving home in one hours’ time, to go to Dublin Airport, to catch a flight to Amsterdam, and on to Kilimanjaro (is this the only mountain in the world, with its’ own airport?)
This is a summary of the itinerary, taken from info provided by our tour company, Adventure Alternative.
Monday: Machame Gate to Machame Camp ( 5 to 6 hours; 18kms; 1490m to 2980m )
Depart from the hotel at about 8am and arrive at the gate an hour later, where passport details are taken and all the equipment is weighed and prepared. Your duffle bags will be put into waterproof sacks. The trek is through equatorial forest, a very easy path. You carry light daysacks and must be prepared for occasional rain showers. There will be a lunch stop enroute.
Tuesday: Machame Camp to Shira Plateau ( 5 hours; 9 kms; 2980m to 3840m )
Leaving camp at around 9am the path continues fairly steeply uphill through forest and into more open ground, eventually onto the huge lava plateau which is called Shira. Allow three hours of quite hard going in the morning to reach a lunch spot. Another two hours will finish up at the camp. It can be quite dusty and exposed on Shira plateau but you will arrive latest by 3pm, allowing plenty of time to rest and relax.
Wednesday: Shira Plateau to Barranco Camp ( 7 hrs ; 15 kms ; 3840m to 3950m)
The day ascends 700 metres and then all the way back down again, with only a net gain of about 100 metres, which is good for acclimatisation. The terrain is high desert and exposed to possible rain and even snow. The path is easy to follow and clear. The route heads towards the dramatic summit massif to a junction of paths for lunch, and then descends quite steeply on often loose ground to the beautiful Barranco Valley. This is a long day so be prepared with extra warm clothing and your waterproofs. If can be very sunny, so prevent sunstroke by wearing a hat. The pace will be slower and try to keep together as a group.
Thursday: Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley (3 hours ; 5kms; 3950m to 3950m)
This is a short day with no net height gain, although the route goes up and down over two valleys. It is very dramatic. The day starts with a scramble up the Barranco Wall (the porters call it ‘breakfast’) which is enjoyable and fun (don’t carry poles, they will get in the way), and then follows a rocky path to a high point with great views of the Heim Glacier. This is followed by an easy route down into the next valley and across to the Karanga Valley. Be aware of a few sections of rock which can be wet and slippery. The route effectively circles the summit massif. The lack of height gain means that people should be sleeping well and generally
feeling strong. If not, then consideration must be given to not summitting.
Friday: Karanga Valley to Barafu Hut ( 4 hours; 7 kms ; 3950m to 4550m )
A short day but gaining height on a fairly easy path which is still semi-desert, rocky and often dusty. The route aims towards an obvious ridge ahead and you will see the silhouette of a ranger hut and probably some tents. Barafu means ‘ice’ but it is now all rock, and after lunch we organise an early dinner and an early night. Arrive by noon and take a rest, the guides will give a pre-summit briefing and dinner will be at 5.30pm.
Midnight, Friday night-Saturday afternoon (sometime): Barafu Hut to Summit and down to Millennium Camp
( 12 hours in total , 7 hours up and 4 hours down with up to an hour on the top (weather permitting); 5kms to top and 13 kms back to Millennium Camp; 4550m up to 5895m and then down to 2800m )
We awake at midnight for tea and biscuits, and leave before 1am. The route up seems never-ending and it will be cold. The terrain is mostly rock and scree. Much of the path is zigzag and but never precipitous
although early on there is a section on rock which will require care. We reach the crater rim itself (Stella Point) shortly after sunrise, with extremely scenic views over the Kibo crater, before continuing to the
summit itself. This will take about 45 minutes. The path is easy but there may be snow, which can be slippery. Many glaciers are visible from the top, and generally the weather is clear
very early in the morning. After about 45 minutes taking photos on the top, we start the descent.
It is immediately obvious that going down is as tiring as going up, and probably harder on the knees. People often split into small groups as they take their own time with the initial descent back to Barafu. As long
as you are with one of the guides they will ensure your safe descent. Back at Barafu camp lunch is served and the group then descends to Millennium Camp where there is greenery and a dinner waiting. You
will need to pack your bag before leaving Barafu. Generally the walk down to Millennium takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Sometimes this day is very long, up to fifteen hours, and it is always challenging. Climbing at night is,
for most people, a first time experience and there is always an element of the unknown and
apprehension. Once it is over and everyone is back at Millennium Camp, this is replaced by euphoria
and relief. You may be too tired to eat but it is important to do so. More important is to drink lots of
liquid because the ascent will have left you dehydrated.
Sunday: Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate (4 to 6 hours ; 2800m to1200m)
People with sore knees will be moving slowly but the path is quite easy and passes through beautiful forest with unique indigenous plants. We reach the gate and have to queue to pass out of the Park and to receive
the gold certificate (if you get to the top ), or a normal certificate (if you get to Stella Point). Then we pick up the transport and go back to the hotel for a shower and well earned celebration dinner.
So…God willing, I will get back to you, when we get back! In the meantime, check out Climb Mount Kilimanjaro for some great info, and photographs. Kilitrekker has some good reading too!
Bye for now!
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Kilimanjaro Expedition info
Here is some info about Kilimanjaro! I have taken this from information received from our tour company, Adventure Alternative.
The Trek of Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the finest in the world, ascending the highest point in Africa, it also being the highest free-standing mountain in the world. It straddles the equator on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. It’s height is 5895 metres (19,340 feet) and over a total trek distance of around 120 kilometres you will pass through five distinct habitats, from equatorial jungle to ice cap.
Trek organiser:
The trek is organised by Adventure Alternative (owner Gavin Bate) and their subsidiary Cappello Adventures, which is run by their representative Castro Kapela. They are one of the leading companies operating in Tanzania, and have an office in Moshi, a town at the base of the mountain. They average 24 trips per year and have a summit success rate of 88%, although the overall summit success rate, taking in all routes and companies, is reported to be 50%! They have a 100% safety track record and the ratio of porters to trekkers is 3:1.
Route and Weather:
We will climb the Machame Route which is a total trek distance of around 120 kilometres, over 7 days with a net height gain of 4405 metres and passing through five distinctly different habitats – cultivated farmland, montane forest, alpine heath, semi-desert and ice-cap. Temperature will be warm during the day dropping to an average minimum of 5 degrees. Summit morning can be as low as minus 8 degrees, with the wind chill factor making it much colder. (Click here, for a 6 day forecast) Rainy seasons are during April and October, but Kilimanjaro can be climbed any time of the year.
Food:
They provide a high quality menu, and can cater for vegetarians. Breakfasts are a variety of fruits, porridge, sausages and eggs, toast, tea, coffee and herbal teas. Lunches are salads, soups, sandwiches and fruits with beverages.
Dinners are three course with soup starter; main dish of meat (commonly chicken) with vegetables, pasta or rice; dessert of fruits or jelly or pastries. Water is provided every day, boiled and treated, by the cooking staff. We can also bring our own supply of water purifying tablets.
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One week to go…to Kili!
Well, with just one week to go, till we strike off for Kilimanjaro, God willing, I thought I would share a photo from a walk we had last Saturday. We had beautiful weather again (just a few spots of rain, to remind us what country we were in!), and fantastic scenery was the order of the day, here is a shot, taken from the top of Binevenagh.
I must say there is quite a bit of intrepidation now, when I think about what is ahead next week, I think it is a bit of ” fear of the unknown”, not really knowing what to take, not wanting to forget anything, and I suppose we will just have to try to be prepared for anything.
I am not really looking forward to leaving my wee family for 12 days, but I suppose I knew from the start, that that side of things would be difficult. We will just have to trust that God will help those at home, as He helps us.
Have a look at this 6 day weather forecast for Kilimanjaro, you can see the weather for the next six days, at the summit (5895m), at 4524m, and at 3152m. Just click on the different heights, on the free 6 day forecast link.
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Flights Booked! Kilimanjaro here we come!
We have finally got the flights to Kilimanjaro booked!
Thanks to the tireless efforts of team member Stephen Fletcher, trying (and managing) to please everybody, and Lorna Henry, Travel Counsellor, from Ballymoney,we are now booked to fly out on the 1st November 2008, at 6:15am!
We fly from Belfast to Amsterdam, for a connecting flight with KLM direct to Kilimanjaro airport, arriving there at 20:55hrs.
This is some of the terrain that will greet us!
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Kilimanjaro 2008 Team Update!
The Kilimanjaro Challenge 2008 team now has 5 confirmed members, the latest being Kenny Moore. (nice to know we will have a paramedic on the team!)
Kenny has plenty of experience of long distance walking under his belt, and I have enjoyed his company on quite a few walks around the Antrim Hills, and along the coast here. I am looking forward to covering a few miles together with Kenny and the rest of the team this year.
You can read more about the team at the Trekkers section on the Kilimanjaro 2008 site.
All five of us are together in this photo…do you know who’s who?
This photo was taken on a walk some time ago, on Knocklayde, and that is the destination for our next walk, on Saturday.
Knocklayde is not exactly a huge mountain, but with the long grass, and soft ground, it makes for quite a good workout…and very convenient to get to. On a good day, you can have great views of Rathlin Island, Scotland, and Donegal. I particularly like Knocklayde because, on a clear day, I can see it from my work, maybe 25 miles away. I have a fond memory of a trip up it with some friends, which I may share sometime.
However, this time, when Irwin suggested Knocklayde, I thought I detected a strange look in his eye…and, when pushed, he admitted he was considering a more unusual approach than normal. He didn’t give much away, but implied something about a figure-of-eight? Does this mean climbing it twice, I wonder?
I will keep you all informed!
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Trek Company Chosen!
My companions on the trek, Irwin Holmes, Stephen Fletcher, and James McConaghie, and myself, have decided on a company to guide us on Kilimanjaro (and help us with advice in the months preceding it).
We spent some time researching various companies offering guided treks on Kilimanjaro, and we liked what Adventure Alternative had to offer. After a meeting with the company Director, Gavin Bate, and his Expedition Coordinator, Chris Little, we were totally united in choosing them.
We have booked the date to commence, and God willing, the 1st November 2008 will be the day we will fly to Kilimanjaro Airport (pending getting flights, as they are not on sale yet!). The following day, the Sunday, will be a rest day, with the trek beginning on Monday morning!
From left we have… myself, Stephen, James, and Irwin.
P.S. There could be more names added to this list!
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So…Why Kilimanjaro?
How did I arrive at the point where I am now, planning to go on a fundraising challenge, to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, for the Children’s Hospice?
That…is a long story. (I will try to be brief!)
I had been wanting to do something for the Hospice for some months, when a couple of friends, that I had already been on hill-walks with, approached me with an idea. They were planning a fundraising trek, to Kilimanjaro, for a Christian school in Kenya. Very worthy cause…I knew, but right from the beginning, I was thinking “that would be a great thing to do for the hospice!”, but I didn’t tell them for quite a while, that I was seriously thinking about it.
I prayed about it, for quite some time, and I believe that it is God’s will, firstly, that I do the challenge, and secondly, that I do it for the Hospice. As soon as I knew in my heart I was going, I told my friends Irwin, Stephen and James, that they had another candidate for the trek. Oddly enough, they were delighted!
My Companions
You can read more about them, at their site, Kilimanjaro2008, and when you see the school, you might understand why I agonized so much over my decision. They very kindly all agreed, wholeheartedly, to support me, in my fundraising ventures, and I will support them in theirs.
The Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice deserves so much to be supported, and to have their work recognized, that I can put my all into this challenge. The way they looked after wee Keren, and the rest of us, while we were there, and ever since, is second to none. They really “go the second mile”.
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