Kilimanjaro - Thanks very much to everyone who supported me

[petedalby]

Thanks very much for your generous support to our fundraising for Cancer Research UK.

I was able to send brief emails and texts whilst we were in Tanzania which I wasn't able to send here - sorry.

I've now produced a fuller account and also added a link below to some photos which hopefully add context.

http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii28 ... =slideshow


Day 1 - Saturday – we assemble at Heathrow airport at circa 4.00 pm for a 7.00 pm night flight to Nairobi in Kenya.

Day 2 - Sunday – night flights are never great are they?
The wheels go down to land at Nairobi airport and then suddenly we're climbing again. Fog has closed the airport and we're diverted to Mombasa – the weather will play a full part in our trip. We're not allowed off the plane so we try to sleep. Eventually we refuel and fly back to Nairobi where we land at about 10.00 am. Kenya is 3 hours ahead of GMT.
We've missed our connecting flight to Tanzania so we have to hang around the airport. We are promised a hotel and a meal off the airport so queue for a Kenyan transit visa. The hotel decides it doesn't want us so we elect to stay in the airport and we are fed and given water. The flight to Tanzania is scheduled for 6.00 pm but we are then put back to 10.00 pm. 12 hours in Nairobi airport does not pass quickly but several of us catch the Liverpool Chelsea game which helps to pass the time.
The flight to Tanzania takes less than 30 minutes! More form filling when we arrive and then it's on to buses to Moshi and a night in a hotel.
We eventually arrive circa midnight and do little other than go straight to bed and sleep until 7.15 am.

Day 3 - Monday The toilet has leaked in the night and much of my stuff is wet!
Although yesterday felt like a wasted day it brought the group, 29 of us plus Malcolm the Trek leader, closer together very quickly.
We meet Janice and Jonathan, our medics. Both are at St Georges in Tooting although we are surprised to learn that none of our 3 'experienced professionals' has been to Kilimanjaro before.
After breakfast we pack and leave excess belongings at the hotel. We then have several hours back on the bus on dodgy roads to the start of the trek. Along the way we stop at Marangu Gate to link up with the porters and guides who will support us. In all the 32 of us have a support team of 111 locals, made up of guides, cooks and porters. It sounds a lot but 3 to 4 support staff to one trekker is normal for Kili. Roman Abramovich took rather more and still failed twice.
Eventually we get to the start of the Rongai Route at Nare Moru this is the least used of all the ascent routes. We start at 1980m.
Initially it is very easy going – we see some Colubus monkeys but other than that we could have been in any country as the lower slopes of Rongai Forest are managed woodland.
Toilets are very basic long drop structures. Some are clean – some are awful. We pass the First Cave.
We arrive at Simba camp – 2620m, after about 4 hours easy walking for our first night under canvas.
We have our first electrical storm that night with heavy rain. I discover that Paul snores and that my side of the tent leaks!

Day 4 - Tuesday Wake up very early – circa 6.00 am to see a Ranger with an AK47 doing the rounds.
It's a beautiful morning and we have our first view of Kilimanjaro – it looks awesome.
We pack up and move on. We walk in 2 groups, 1 led by Malcolm and 1 led by Janice with Jonathan, a qualified doctor, in the middle.
We have another straight forward walk to the Second Cave at 3470m. After lunch we carry on up to 3800m and then descend back to camp. Total trek time was about 7 hours but it is still easy going.
It's getting noticeably colder at night. We've gone from 28C to 4C in one day! We have a totally clear sky and the night sky is amazing. Unfortunately with no cold cover it is really cold and I discover that my 30 year old sleeping bag is not as warm as it once was. After tonight I will add a silk sleeping bag liner and numerous layers of clothes and a hat to help me stay warm during the night.
This will be the only night on the trek when we don't have an electrical storm.

Day 5 – Wednesday The temperature drops below freezing and we wake to a hard frost. But the day will be clear and sunny.
As with most days the cooks do an excellent job on all meals and we start with porridge to which we add jam, honey, sugar and fruit. We also get toast and occasionally omelettes and sausages – plus lots of hot drinks.
The going is getting a little more challenging but it is clear that most of the group have put in a decent amount of training and only a couple of people are showing any signs of struggling.
We have our usual early start and the cumulative effect of lack of sleep is the only real concern.
Today we trek to the Third Cave at 3900m – easily the worst camp site and 2 of the 3 toilets are foul. The high point of the day is when the porters and guides sing us into camp. We can hear them before we can see them and it sounds amazing.
We climb on up to 4290m and then return to camp. This is intended to help with altitude sickness but a couple of the group are now suffering. Paul and I are very fortunate and headaches will be our worst symptoms. This is in part due to the copious amounts of liquid that we both drink every day. We've been told to aim for Champagne coloured pee but we quickly get to Pinot Grigio in no time. This does mean we take regular pit stops and if there was a prize for the most regular, Paul would win, with me a close second.
We have another major electrical storm in the night but we have secured a tent that stays dry – hurrah!

Day 6 – Thursday The itinerary says we should stay here for an acclimatisation day but the toilets are so poor the local guides recommend a detour to Mawenzi Tarn, a small lake that sits below Mawenzi peak. Mawenzi is one of 3 of Kilimanjaros peaks at 5149m but specialist climbing gear is required to get its summit.
The trek is becoming more challenging and today has quite a bit of up and down. We pass the snow line and despite the fine weather it is noticeably colder. A couple of our group are struggling but most continue to be fine.
After 6+ hours we arrive at Mawenzi Tarn – 4330m – a much nicer site with awesome views but the weather deteriorates quickly. We get to shelter but the second group are caught 20 minutes away in heavy rain which turns to sleet, then snow, then sleet again.
More of the group are suffering from altitude sickness now and for me this is the highest I've ever been, higher even than Dead Woman's Pass in the Andes. The afternoon walk is cancelled due to the poor weather and spirits start to flag a bit. The cooks surpass themselves by producing chicken and chips which is a big hit with everyone!
That night we have another violent electrical storm and the combination of the noise, the cold and the altitude makes sleeping difficult – we do get some sleep but it is fitful rather than restful.

Day 7 – Friday The day starts off very cold and miserable but when the suns come up it provides an opportunity to dry out our gear from the day before.
With the benefit of hindsight we should have moved on to Kibo Hut today but the trek leader's priority was to ensure our kit stayed as dry as possible so it becomes a bit of a wasted day.
The medics demonstrate the portable pressure chamber on willing volunteer Veronica.
We do a short walk in the afternoon up to 4700m as the weather continues to improve but it feels like a wasted day.
It is still extremely cold and we have another major electrical storm in the night. It starts off as hail and then becomes snow.

Day 8 & 9 – Saturday & Sunday Today is effectively the start of Summit day and we have a 6.00 am start after another poor nights sleep to find very treacherous conditions akin to an ice rink although things improve when the sun comes up.
We lose our first member of the group today. Francesca was suffering very badly with the altitude and she is taken down on a stretcher as we set off for our final stop at Kibo Hut before our attempt on the Summit.
We cross what is known as the Saddle, an extensive alpine desert and pass the site of a previous helicopter crash.
It takes us 7+ hours to get to Kibo Hut at 4700M and most of the group are very tired when we get there.
After a hot meal we try to get some sleep knowing that we will be woken at 10.00 pm for our attempt on the Summit. Paul and I get about 2 hours sleep.
We have the usual electrical storm which brings around 2 inches of snow that night although it isn’t snowing when we get up. We set off at 11.15 pm after a final hot drink and cold toast.
27 of us set out - only 1 of the group, Chloe, stays at Kibo as she is unwell. We also have the trek leader and 2 medics plus around 11 local guides.
The night is clear but bitterly cold as we split into our 2 walking groups. The going is made easier by the fresh snow but Paul & I are in the 2nd group so the snow is compacted and slippery for us.
After an hour we lose Janice, one of our 2 medics, who is too unwell to continue which is very disheartening. We know that without medical support the trek will be abandoned.
As we continue our painful progress up the mountain other members of the group begin to drop out. The weather also deteriorates and it begins to snow once more. Our only light is from head torches and our water begins to freeze. The group is becoming badly strung out and communication is increasingly difficult.
Most of us are extremely cold but some of the group begin to suffer from exposure and others from altitude sickness. It is pretty chaotic to say the least. Another learning point – why hasn't the lead guide got a radio?
After many hard hours of slogging up the mountain Paul and I are in a group of 4 with 1 local guide. We can see torches above us and below us - our water is frozen and we are all bitterly cold and very tired - it is very tempting to give up but we press on.
Eventually the lead group stop and deploy emergency shelters which we get into for some welcome respite from what by now is a blizzard. I have never been colder in my life despite all of the layers that I am wearing.
It is now about 5 am (on Sunday) and it takes some time for the remaining walkers to regroup. We are in extreme conditions and it is time to decide whether to press on or to quit.
Just 12 of us elect to continue accompanied by our remaining medic Jonathan. The trek leader, Malcolm, will take the others back down - still not an easy task in these conditions.
We finally make it to the top, Gillman's Point – 5685M, at around 6.45 am - I'd love to say I am elated but I am more relieved than anything else. The conditions are still awful and there is virtually no view although it is at least daylight now.
Kilimanjaro has 3 recognised summits, Gillman's Point, Stella Point and Uhuru Point, all of which are on the rim of the ice crater. It will take at least 2 more hours for us to get to Uhuru Point – the highest point in Africa at 5895M. Some of the group wish to continue but with only 5 local guides left – the others have gone to escort those making the descent – Jonathan ends the debate by declaring that no-one is to continue. With all of the responsibility on his shoulders he has deemed it too dangerous to continue.
After a brief stop for photos we begin our descent.
It will take almost another 4 hours of slipping, sliding and falling before we made it back to Kibo Hut. The snow conceals a thick layer of shale which loosens as it thaws until it is like compost. The locals call it Tanzanian skiing and it saps the remaining energy we have.
I have never been more tired, both from the sheer physical effort and from the lack of sleep.
We eventually get back to Kibo Hut to find we will be setting off again at 12.15 pm for Horombo Huts - another 4 hours walk away.
The upside is that we get to stay in a hut rather than a tent and we all have an excellent nights sleep despite yet another storm.
By the end of Sunday we have been up for over 38 hours, other than a couple of hours snatched sleep, and walked for nearly 24 hours at extreme altitude – absolutely the most physically demanding challenge I've ever faced.
With the benefit of hindsight we could have been at Kibo Hut 24 hours earlier. This would have broken up the walking and I'm sure more of the group could have made it with more rest.

Day 10 – Monday Another early start, 6.00 am, and most people are still extremely tired.
After breakfast we say goodbye to most of our porters and guides with lots of singing and dancing. It is pretty emotional.
The day will be an easy downhill walk - but still a full day – and several people trip and stumble as they are so tired.
It warms up very quickly and the terrain changes rapidly.
We stop for a packed lunch at Mandara Hut before we head on down to the finish at Marangu Gate.
From Marangu Gate we take a bus to Arusha where we arrive at around 8.00 pm after over 3 hours on the bus.
That evening we are presented with our Summit Certificates and some alcohol was consumed.
Despite our fatigue we manage to keep going until the early hours of the morning.

When I got home I found that I'd nearly a stone a weight! But it was a terrific experience. I reckon that 90% of reasonably fit, able-bodied people could manage Kilimanjaro. The 2 big unknowns are susceptibility to altitude sickness and of course the weather. But if you are thinking of going I'd stay clear of November if I were you!

Paul and I are delighted that we were able to complete such a gruelling challenge - easily the most difficult thing we've ever done - whilst raising money for Cancer Research and want to thank everyone who supported us.

To check on how much we raised or to make a donation, please click on the link below.


Thanks again,

[davidandlynda]

Very well done all of you,Lynda and I were thinking of you especially during our trips to the hospital
David

[babyshark]

Sounds like a very cool trip.

Marc

[Scrumpy]

Sadly my step-dad's battle against this most evil of diseases is slowly being lost. His bladder cancer has spread to his spine, and it is just a matter of time. My wife's son & daughter-in-law have both suffered from the disease, luckily for them they seem to be winning their fights.

I truly believe that thanks to efforts from heroes like you Pete the war will be won, it has to be won to stop decent people & their families having their lives ruined. My step-dad climbed Kili when he was younger, and I've sent the link so my mum can read your exploits to him, I know all of my family both in the UK & the US thank you & Paul for your efforts too.

In a world where someone who kicks or catches a ball is described as a hero sometimes we have to stop and realize the real heroes are the unsung-ones who strive to make a difference to all our lives without the fanfare.

Good luck Linda in your battle too, may all the dice you roll against cancer be 6's.

[Scrumpy]

My step-dad lost his battle around 1 am this morning, my mum had been reading him some of your exploits yesterday evening and he had smiled weakly as he recalled his journey there. Again Prete & Paul many thanks for your efforts.

[nikgaukroger]

My step-dad lost his battle around 1 am this morning, my mum had been reading him some of your exploits yesterday evening and he had smiled weakly as he recalled his journey there. Again Prete & Paul many thanks for your efforts.

Sorry to hear that - best wishes to the whole family.

[Scrumpy]

Thank you Nik.

[petedalby]

So sorry to read your sad news Paul. Thanks again for your support and your kind words.

All the best

Pete