Some of our team are now on their way with the rest of us setting off early tomorrow morning. We're all packed and ready to go. We are meeting u on Tuesday morning in Arusha Tanzania for our pre-trek briefing.
On a personal note from Bob and Caroline - we would just like to thank everyone who is helping us out over the next couple of weeks with our boys. And also thank you to our house and dog sitters.
We've now all arrived. Had a busy day exploring the local town. Very frustrating couple of hours trying to sort out a local SIMM Card so that we can keep updating the blog. But we succeeded (or Bob did anyway!). Just enjoying a drink before tea and an early night prior to our big trek. Up bright and early tomorrow for a 7am start.
Team all packed sat waiting for transport and ready to go please post words of encouragement for the team. Comms will be erratic but we will try to keep you updated.
What an adventure, it was something that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have done is previous Top Gears. We were in two vehicles and due to the track being wet and rutted, the lead vehicle kept getting stuck in mud, ruts and against rocks the second vehicle was forced to help by constantly rescuing us by pushing and ramming into us.
Finally we arrived safely at camp albeit a bit brusied but in high spirits to a hearty dinner made from local produce and a very welcome glass of wine.
After a good nights rest we were all up today at 5 am, after an enjoyable breakfast we are off on day two for more adventures and incredible scenary.
Hi Bob and Caz, Hope you are ok, boys are fine, they have been doing their homework in the library so they can play games and watch movies with Uncle Ian in an evening! Take Care xxx Love Uncle Ian, Auntie Jane, Nathan and Jason xx
Sorry for not being able to update in person any sooner and thanks to Suzanne who took my calls on the couple of occasions that we were able to get through. They said communications would be intermittent and they were not joking! Whilst walking I noticed all of a sudden that the porters started to get texts but we could not stop so the calls were made on the go. The chances of sitting down, getting out an IPad and starting an update when we finally get to camp are limited and there would probably be no signal by then anyway
Day one was quite and adventure. After signing in at the Lodorossi national park gate house ( it took 3 hours to check kit and supplies), we set off in 4 wheel drive vehicles to head up to the start point. We travelled down deeply rutted clay paths, winding all over the place; our vehicle which lead the way struggled sometimes, falling side ways in the the banks and vegetation and other times getting completely stuck. The driver on many occasions managed to free it but on a number had to be shoved from behind by the next 4x4 all adding to the adventure - but you did feel like you were in a crazy version of Top Gear.
We set off to the first camp Mti Mukubwa (Big Tree camp site ) up to 2800 metres - that day's climb was to be 600 metres. We had scorching sun shine then pouring rain and then more scorching sun shine - all the joys of walking through the rainforest! we saw white Colobus Monkeys and Blue Monkeys on route. When reached camp it was a very welcome site - the monkeys, however, beat us there and continued to make strange noises into the night! We spent the night feasting well on local produce carried by our porters. We even split a bottle of red wine to toast our start. We all headed to bed approx 10.30 for a well earned rest.
Day two we all arose around 6 am with hot tea at 6.30. We quickly packed our bags and headed for breakfast - hot(ish) toast and eggs and fruit whilst the porter dropped and packed the tents. Just before getting underway we all got 2 inches of lukewarm water to wash ourselves -such a luxury - and of course we cleaned our teeth as we had our team dentist with us! We set off approx 8 am on our day's trek - hard going to Shira 1 camp at 3500 metres but it was up to 3600 metres and back down into the valley and then back up again to 3500 metres. At times it was heavy going climbing straight up, the sun beating down, taking it's toll. We have to drink 2 - 3 litres a trek easy when your sweating more than that! We crossed several streams and continued over the Shira Ridge then down to the camp located by a stream at the Shira Plateau. As I type the porters have just delivered dinner again - after a hard days trek, a welcome site. After we all ate tea we sat around swapping stories for an hour or so but the hard day had taken its toll on the team and we all retired to our tents at 8.30 and fell fast asleep; the only problem with this is that at approx.12 o'clock you start to hear the unzipping of tents as we take in turns heading off in to the darkness to the " Long drop " a term that speaks for itself! It certainly is an assault on all the senses!
Day 3 we all arose just before six after a long nights sleep. The same ritual in the morning and pack your bags ready for the day ensuring you have whatever is needed to cope with the day ahead. Breaking camp again around 8am after cleaning teeth and 2 inches of water again to wash in. This time the temperature was decidedly lower so we were even less keen! Today we are heading for Moir Camp at 4100 metres. Heading across the Shira Plateau which is a world heritage site. As you look back you are rewarded with spectacular views across to Mt Meru. In total we climb 600 metres taking 7 hours. Unfortunately on the way we lost Dave our UK guide from Adventure Peaks. He had been coughing for a couple of days on and off but today it really got to him and he was unable to carry on. The porters took him back down the mountain to a rendezvous point where he will be picked up and taken back to the hotel to recover. Dave understandably was gutted he has climbed KILI before but not via this route. The general feeling was that he had picked up a chest infection which was making it difficult to breathe. The team wished him all the best and said we would meet him at the end. We are in very good hands with the local guides so the team carries on to the summit. The joke on the trek is that it's windy up here - we think it's the 'Climbers Diet'. If in doubt ask the trekker behind you! What is apparent is that there is a great deal of banter and camaraderie developing between team members which all adds to the enjoyment! Steve is even holding an impromptu surgery not by choice I may add, just that everyone is taking advantage of having a orthopaedic consultant on board!!
Day 4 and we are getting used to the routine - up at 6 am or sooner - cup of tea at 6.30 - then breakfast - followed by 2 inches of water to clean your teeth and wash in - and then on our way after packing up at 8am. One thing to note is how cold it is in the night and first thing in the morning before the sun comes up. We were told we needed a sleeping bag that would go down to - 15 degrees and they were not joking. The last two mornings the tent and ground have been covered in frost -no fun when you have to get out of your sleeping bag and get dressed. Today we faced a 7-8 hour trek stopping at Lava Tower at 4600 metres where the porters had cooked a hot meal of chicken stew. The mist had descended so a hot meal was very much welcomed and then we descended down to the Barranco Hut at 3950 metres which has splendid views of the Breach Wall and the Heim and Decken glaciers. I would estimate that a good half of today's trek has been in freezing mist, punctuated with a small helping of sunshine. The team is getting on well with the local guides and porters who are all very informative and helpful they want to tell you about the mountain as we trek along. We arrived and found that for the first time in days that we could get a phone signal be it very weak and intermittent, but unfortunately not strong enough to access the internet. We live in hope!
Day 5 Sunday we got half an hour more before we set off on the trek - pity we didn't know as we could have had a lay in! We set off in glorious sunshine but we were soon in the shade of the Barranco Wall. A spectacular day which gave us ever changing vistas of the summit. We started by crossing the valley and scrambling up the Barranco Wall via a series of rocky ledges. Once at the top a broad, rocky ridge traverses around the mountain with wonderful views of the Heim glacier. A short sharp descent past some amazing rock formations leads us down into the Karanga Valley and then the final climb up to the camp site. On the way the wet gear was on, off and then on again and mist just kept rolling in. Today was a shorter but steeper climb, approx. 5 hours and then rest. The idea being that today and tomorrow are shorter but steeper with a good rest to conserve energy ready for tomorrow night when at midnight we go for the big push to the top! The last day is down as being 14 hours but can take longer depending on conditions. Team moral is high but in the back of our minds the big day is looming - just over a third of people we are told by our guides don't make it to the top. Today's delight was chicken, chips and coleslaw for lunch yum yum so welcome after our efforts today. A quick foot note to this update as it would not send we spent a pleasant evening discussing the big day and thanks to Martins blue tooth speaker and Steve iPhone to back ground music of Jazz and African music with an interlude of The Clash.
Day 6 Monday The usual morning routine which we now have down to a T. All the talk over breakfast is of the big day ahead and how we feel we all will cope with the trek and the potential of altitude sickness and the head aches we have be warned of. To date thankfully none of us appear to have been suffering with. We did last night manage to get a weak but intermittent phone signal and we all called home to check in with family and friends. Today's trek was the final short stretch of the approach which follows a rocky wind-beaten ridge close under the south flank of Kibo and crossed a large desolate bowl before climbing up onto the obvious ridge to the Barafu Hut (4500m) and our camp. It is here we are resting as I type getting ready for tea at 5 local time and then back in to our tents for rest until 11 when our guides will wake us. We need to be ready to be underway at 12 midnight in the cold and dark, guided only by head torches as we hope to reach the summit for day break.
Well it was always about the one day and what a long and hard day it was! We all ate at approx 5 pm and then to our tents to try to get some sleep before the guides would wake us at 11 pm to meet up in the mess tent at 11.30 for tea and biscuits. Only a couple of us managed any sleep worth noting, most managed one or two fitful hours. All togged up in our cold weather clothing and ready to go with all our additional gear for the climb packed in our rucksacks - anything that we may need for the final climb to the summit including 3 litres of water and various snacks for energy. Head torches on we set off in to the pitch black darkness in a line following the lead guide with another one at the back and one guide either side. The climb was long and arduous, the air was thinning all the time and the cold was biting at your hands and face even though we had thick gloves and balaclavas on. We carried on steadily trudging step after step on a path marked by stones, climbing the rocky slopes and into the wide gorge to the right of the Rebmann glacier. A section on the more friable ground precedes the last slopes which we were advised is sometimes covered in snow but thankfully not this time. The final push to the Stella Point (5795metres) is particularly draining. From below you look so close but the steepness of this final leg leaves it's mark on your breathing and saps your energy. Once at Stella Point you need time to rest before going for the top -Uhuru Peak (5895 metres). This is a bleak and wind swept point and trying to get your breath back whilst sheltering against a large rock is difficult. Once you feel ready off you set to reach Uhuru Peak. We reached the top approx 8am, overjoyed and elated that Ed's idea almost 3 years ago had now been realised. Along the way the team we're affect by the altitude and cold in different ways some felt dizzy some felt sick but others remained unaffected. We zig zagged across the mountain to give our bodies time to adjust to the conditions we faced. We did, however, see one hardy bunch of individuals at the top 6 guys dressed only in walking boots and shorts! They looked absolutely frozen with ice forming on their beards but on they marched to the top. We can only guess it was for charity or some insane bet! Now here comes the sting in the tail -every one of us talked about climbing KILI but if you climb up KILI you have to climb down KILI. We set off down at 8.30am the idea being to get back to the camp we had left eight and a half hours ago. But this time no zig zagging just straight down virtually running down the shale and dodging the rocks sticking up out of the shale. We split into teams with our guides and off we went. The descent was far quicker than the ascent. But still took just over 3 hours you could see the camp but it never seemed to get any closer, right up until the end. When everyone reached the camp we sat down to a well earned cup of tea and bean stew with rice. However our day was not over we still had to carry on descending KILI and at this point we were tired as we had missed a nights sleep and we had to carry on. We packed up and broke camp approx 2 pm. We walked over some of the most arduous terrain we had encountered in fact we walked for another 5 hours to meet our goal of reaching the next camp Mweka camp. When we arrived we were all shattered from the day -possibly the physically hardest day of our lives. A quick tea of banana and meat stew and off to bed we had all achieved our goal.
The final days trek. The guides had wanted to give us a lay in after our big day and set off approx. 10 am but the team had other ideas mainly revolving around getting back to the river lodge for a well-earned celebration drink or two! We advised the guides and porters that we wanted to follow the usual routine - up for 6am and on the road for 8am. After the big day, having to get up again and star trekking, be it only for 3-4 hours, was something of an anti-climax. However the thought of a good shower, washing your hair and for the guys a shave, kept us going. We reached the park gates where we meet up again with Dave our UK guide who after a course of antibiotics had made a full recovery - just as well as Dave was staying for 3 more weeks and had two more teams of clients coming out. With Dave’s assistance we tipped all the Porters, Guides, and the Cook, and a few got additional tips for going beyond what was expected of them. We remarked that you could quite easily award additional tips to them all as they all appeared to have gone the extra mile for us. We climbed aboard the coach, waved goodbye and headed back to the Arumeru River Lodge. Whilst the girls all headed straight to the showers, the guys headed straight to the bar! That first beer tasted so good! Just the one then we all headed for the showers. Approx. 45 minutes later we all sat down to lunch and a well-earned drink in fact we were still sat there when they served dinner later that evening, so there was no need to move, just carry on drinking and eating. We chatted and recalled the various events from the climb discussed our initial expectations, our feelings and fears and generally put the world to rights. Many hours later we retired to bed.
In the morning we had arranged to return to the CCBRT hospital at Moshi that we visited on our first day in Tanzania. It is difficult to describe the effect it had on the team, the great work achieved by the staff with so little funding was truly inspiring. To see the difference they made to people’s lives with such minimal and basic resources was incredible. Steve planned to go back the next day to carry out some staff training and perform a number of procedures before he went to Dar a salaam the next week where he would carry out the bulk of his work in Tanzania. As we viewed with the facilities with the manager he explained the operation of the hospital from the training of approx. 20 outreach staff to the workshop where they make their own wheelchairs. We came across a 4 month old boy who had been born with club feet. Steve spoke with the two staff preparing to set the little boys’ legs in plaster. After discussing the case and reviewing the charts the staff asked if Steve would like to assist. Steve set the little boys’ legs in plaster whilst at the same time explaining to both the staff and to the rest of our team what he was doing and why. The baby was so clam and well behaved and her mother looked on and attended to him as she watched. It was great for the team to see what a difference the money raised will make to people’s lives and how the money will be used. We continued our visit of the facility and came across twin boys playing together; they were back for a check-up. Both boys had been born with club feet, both had been cared for by this facility and both now had a chance to lead a normal life thanks to the work done here.
Some of our team are now on their way with the rest of us setting off early tomorrow morning. We're all packed and ready to go. We are meeting u on Tuesday morning in Arusha Tanzania for our pre-trek briefing.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note from Bob and Caroline - we would just like to thank everyone who is helping us out over the next couple of weeks with our boys. And also thank you to our house and dog sitters.
ReplyDeleteWe've now all arrived. Had a busy day exploring the local town. Very frustrating couple of hours trying to sort out a local SIMM Card so that we can keep updating the blog. But we succeeded (or Bob did anyway!). Just enjoying a drink before tea and an early night prior to our big trek. Up bright and early tomorrow for a 7am start.
ReplyDeleteTeam all packed sat waiting for transport and ready to go please post words of encouragement for the team. Comms will be erratic but we will try to keep you updated.
ReplyDeleteThe porters are all packed and we are ready to set off on the first stage of our Trek. We are all well and cannot wait to get trekking.
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of Team Kili.
DeleteOn behalf of Team Kili as Comms very erratic
ReplyDeleteWhat an adventure, it was something that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have done is previous Top Gears. We were in two vehicles and due to the track being wet and rutted, the lead vehicle kept getting stuck in mud, ruts and against rocks the second vehicle was forced to help by constantly rescuing us by pushing and ramming into us.
Finally we arrived safely at camp albeit a bit brusied but in high spirits to a hearty dinner made from local produce and a very welcome glass of wine.
After a good nights rest we were all up today at 5 am, after an enjoyable breakfast we are off on day two for more adventures and incredible scenary.
We all arrrived safely
Hey hope your all doing ok? Your journey sounded very rough you never know we might see you on top gear! Keep up the good work guys! Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob and Caz, Hope you are ok, boys are fine, they have been doing their homework in the library so they can play games and watch movies with Uncle Ian in an evening! Take Care xxx Love Uncle Ian, Auntie Jane, Nathan and Jason xx
ReplyDeleteOn Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteSorry for not being able to update in person any sooner and thanks to Suzanne who took my calls on the couple of occasions that we were able to get through. They said communications would be intermittent and they were not joking! Whilst walking I noticed all of a sudden that the porters started to get texts but we could not stop so the calls were made on the go. The chances of sitting down, getting out an IPad and starting an update when we finally get to camp are limited and there would probably be no signal by then anyway
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteDay one was quite and adventure. After signing in at the Lodorossi national park gate house ( it took 3 hours to check kit and supplies), we set off in 4 wheel drive vehicles to head up to the start point. We travelled down deeply rutted clay paths, winding all over the place; our vehicle which lead the way struggled sometimes, falling side ways in the the banks and vegetation and other times getting completely stuck. The driver on many occasions managed to free it but on a number had to be shoved from behind by the next 4x4 all adding to the adventure - but you did feel like you were in a crazy version of Top Gear.
We set off to the first camp Mti Mukubwa (Big Tree camp site ) up to 2800 metres - that day's climb was to be 600 metres. We had scorching sun shine then pouring rain and then more scorching sun shine - all the joys of walking through the rainforest! we saw white Colobus Monkeys and Blue Monkeys on route. When reached camp it was a very welcome site - the monkeys, however, beat us there and continued to make strange noises into the night!
We spent the night feasting well on local produce carried by our porters. We even split a bottle of red wine to toast our start.
We all headed to bed approx 10.30 for a well earned rest.
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteDay two we all arose around 6 am with hot tea at 6.30. We quickly packed our bags and headed for breakfast - hot(ish) toast and eggs and fruit whilst the porter dropped and packed the tents. Just before getting underway we all got 2 inches of lukewarm water to wash ourselves -such a luxury - and of course we cleaned our teeth as we had our team dentist with us!
We set off approx 8 am on our day's trek - hard going to Shira 1 camp at 3500 metres but it was up to 3600 metres and back down into the valley and then back up again to 3500 metres.
At times it was heavy going climbing straight up, the sun beating down, taking it's toll. We have to drink 2 - 3 litres a trek easy when your sweating more than that!
We crossed several streams and continued over the Shira Ridge then down to the camp located by a stream at the Shira Plateau. As I type the porters have just delivered dinner again - after a hard days trek, a welcome site.
After we all ate tea we sat around swapping stories for an hour or so but the hard day had taken its toll on the team and we all retired to our tents at 8.30 and fell fast asleep; the only problem with this is that at approx.12 o'clock you start to hear the unzipping of tents as we take in turns heading off in to the darkness to the " Long drop " a term that speaks for itself! It certainly is an assault on all the senses!
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteDay 3 we all arose just before six after a long nights sleep. The same ritual in the morning and pack your bags ready for the day ensuring you have whatever is needed to cope with the day ahead. Breaking camp again around 8am after cleaning teeth and 2 inches of water again to wash in. This time the temperature was decidedly lower so we were even less keen!
Today we are heading for Moir Camp at 4100 metres. Heading across the Shira Plateau which is a world heritage site. As you look back you are rewarded with spectacular views across to Mt Meru. In total we climb 600 metres taking 7 hours. Unfortunately on the way we lost Dave our UK guide from Adventure Peaks. He had been coughing for a couple of days on and off but today it really got to him and he was unable to carry on. The porters took him back down the mountain to a rendezvous point where he will be picked up and taken back to the hotel to recover. Dave understandably was gutted he has climbed KILI before but not via this route. The general feeling was that he had picked up a chest infection which was making it difficult to breathe. The team wished him all the best and said we would meet him at the end.
We are in very good hands with the local guides so the team carries on to the summit.
The joke on the trek is that it's windy up here - we think it's the 'Climbers Diet'. If in doubt ask the trekker behind you! What is apparent is that there is a great deal of banter and camaraderie developing between team members which all adds to the enjoyment!
Steve is even holding an impromptu surgery not by choice I may add, just that everyone is taking advantage of having a orthopaedic consultant on board!!
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteDay 4 and we are getting used to the routine - up at 6 am or sooner - cup of tea at 6.30 - then breakfast - followed by 2 inches of water to clean your teeth and wash in - and then on our way after packing up at 8am. One thing to note is how cold it is in the night and first thing in the morning before the sun comes up. We were told we needed a sleeping bag that would go down to - 15 degrees and they were not joking. The last two mornings the tent and ground have been covered in frost -no fun when you have to get out of your sleeping bag and get dressed.
Today we faced a 7-8 hour trek stopping at Lava Tower at 4600 metres where the porters had cooked a hot meal of chicken stew. The mist had descended so a hot meal was very much welcomed and then we descended down to the Barranco Hut at 3950 metres which has splendid views of the Breach Wall and the Heim and Decken glaciers. I would estimate that a good half of today's trek has been in freezing mist, punctuated with a small helping of sunshine. The team is getting on well with the local guides and porters who are all very informative and helpful they want to tell you about the mountain as we trek along. We arrived and found that for the first time in days that we could get a phone signal be it very weak and intermittent, but unfortunately not strong enough to access the internet. We live in hope!
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteDay 5 Sunday we got half an hour more before we set off on the trek - pity we didn't know as we could have had a lay in! We set off in glorious sunshine but we were soon in the shade of the Barranco Wall. A spectacular day which gave us ever changing vistas of the summit. We started by crossing the valley and scrambling up the Barranco Wall via a series of rocky ledges.
Once at the top a broad, rocky ridge traverses around the mountain with wonderful views of the Heim glacier. A short sharp descent past some amazing rock formations leads us down into the Karanga Valley and then the final climb up to the camp site. On the way the wet gear was on, off and then on again and mist just kept rolling in. Today was a shorter but steeper climb, approx. 5 hours and then rest. The idea being that today and tomorrow are shorter but steeper with a good rest to conserve energy ready for tomorrow night when at midnight we go for the big push to the top! The last day is down as being 14 hours but can take longer depending on conditions. Team moral is high but in the back of our minds the big day is looming - just over a third of people we are told by our guides don't make it to the top. Today's delight was chicken, chips and coleslaw for lunch yum yum so welcome after our efforts today.
A quick foot note to this update as it would not send we spent a pleasant evening discussing the big day and thanks to Martins blue tooth speaker and Steve iPhone to back ground music of Jazz and African music with an interlude of The Clash.
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteDay 6 Monday The usual morning routine which we now have down to a T. All the talk over breakfast is of the big day ahead and how we feel we all will cope with the trek and the potential of altitude sickness and the head aches we have be warned of. To date thankfully none of us appear to have been suffering with. We did last night manage to get a weak but intermittent phone signal and we all called home to check in with family and friends.
Today's trek was the final short stretch of the approach which follows a rocky wind-beaten ridge close under the south flank of Kibo and crossed a large desolate bowl before climbing up onto the obvious ridge to the Barafu Hut (4500m) and our camp.
It is here we are resting as I type getting ready for tea at 5 local time and then back in to our tents for rest until 11 when our guides will wake us. We need to be ready to be underway at 12 midnight in the cold and dark, guided only by head torches as we hope to reach the summit for day break.
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteWell it was always about the one day and what a long and hard day it was! We all ate at approx 5 pm and then to our tents to try to get some sleep before the guides would wake us at 11 pm to meet up in the mess tent at 11.30 for tea and biscuits. Only a couple of us managed any sleep worth noting, most managed one or two fitful hours. All togged up in our cold weather clothing and ready to go with all our additional gear for the climb packed in our rucksacks - anything that we may need for the final climb to the summit including 3 litres of water and various snacks for energy. Head torches on we set off in to the pitch black darkness in a line following the lead guide with another one at the back and one guide either side. The climb was long and arduous, the air was thinning all the time and the cold was biting at your hands and face even though we had thick gloves and balaclavas on. We carried on steadily trudging step after step on a path marked by stones, climbing the rocky slopes and into the wide gorge to the right of the Rebmann glacier.
A section on the more friable ground precedes the last slopes which we were advised is sometimes covered in snow but thankfully not this time. The final push to the Stella Point (5795metres) is particularly draining. From below you look so close but the steepness of this final leg leaves it's mark on your breathing and saps your energy.
Once at Stella Point you need time to rest before going for the top -Uhuru Peak (5895 metres). This is a bleak and wind swept point and trying to get your breath back whilst sheltering against a large rock is difficult. Once you feel ready off you set to reach Uhuru Peak. We reached the top approx 8am, overjoyed and elated that Ed's idea almost 3 years ago had now been realised.
Along the way the team we're affect by the altitude and cold in different ways some felt dizzy some felt sick but others remained unaffected. We zig zagged across the mountain to give our bodies time to adjust to the conditions we faced. We did, however, see one hardy bunch of individuals at the top 6 guys dressed only in walking boots and shorts! They looked absolutely frozen with ice forming on their beards but on they marched to the top. We can only guess it was for charity or some insane bet!
Now here comes the sting in the tail -every one of us talked about climbing KILI but if you climb up KILI you have to climb down KILI.
We set off down at 8.30am the idea being to get back to the camp we had left eight and a half hours ago. But this time no zig zagging just straight down virtually running down the shale and dodging the rocks sticking up out of the shale. We split into teams with our guides and off we went. The descent was far quicker than the ascent. But still took just over 3 hours you could see the camp but it never seemed to get any closer, right up until the end.
When everyone reached the camp we sat down to a well earned cup of tea and bean stew with rice. However our day was not over we still had to carry on descending KILI and at this point we were tired as we had missed a nights sleep and we had to carry on. We packed up and broke camp approx 2 pm. We walked over some of the most arduous terrain we had encountered in fact we walked for another 5 hours to meet our goal of reaching the next camp Mweka camp. When we arrived we were all shattered from the day -possibly the physically hardest day of our lives.
A quick tea of banana and meat stew and off to bed we had all achieved our goal.
On Behalf of Team Kili
ReplyDeleteThe final days trek. The guides had wanted to give us a lay in after our big day and set off approx. 10 am but the team had other ideas mainly revolving around getting back to the river lodge for a well-earned celebration drink or two!
We advised the guides and porters that we wanted to follow the usual routine - up for 6am and on the road for 8am. After the big day, having to get up again and star trekking, be it only for 3-4 hours, was something of an anti-climax. However the thought of a good shower, washing your hair and for the guys a shave, kept us going. We reached the park gates where we meet up again with Dave our UK guide who after a course of antibiotics had made a full recovery - just as well as Dave was staying for 3 more weeks and had two more teams of clients coming out.
With Dave’s assistance we tipped all the Porters, Guides, and the Cook, and a few got additional tips for going beyond what was expected of them. We remarked that you could quite easily award additional tips to them all as they all appeared to have gone the extra mile for us. We climbed aboard the coach, waved goodbye and headed back to the Arumeru River Lodge.
Whilst the girls all headed straight to the showers, the guys headed straight to the bar! That first beer tasted so good! Just the one then we all headed for the showers. Approx. 45 minutes later we all sat down to lunch and a well-earned drink in fact we were still sat there when they served dinner later that evening, so there was no need to move, just carry on drinking and eating. We chatted and recalled the various events from the climb discussed our initial expectations, our feelings and fears and generally put the world to rights. Many hours later we retired to bed.
On Behalf Team Kili
ReplyDeleteIn the morning we had arranged to return to the CCBRT hospital at Moshi that we visited on our first day in Tanzania. It is difficult to describe the effect it had on the team, the great work achieved by the staff with so little funding was truly inspiring. To see the difference they made to people’s lives with such minimal and basic resources was incredible. Steve planned to go back the next day to carry out some staff training and perform a number of procedures before he went to Dar a salaam the next week where he would carry out the bulk of his work in Tanzania.
As we viewed with the facilities with the manager he explained the operation of the hospital from the training of approx. 20 outreach staff to the workshop where they make their own wheelchairs. We came across a 4 month old boy who had been born with club feet. Steve spoke with the two staff preparing to set the little boys’ legs in plaster. After discussing the case and reviewing the charts the staff asked if Steve would like to assist.
Steve set the little boys’ legs in plaster whilst at the same time explaining to both the staff and to the rest of our team what he was doing and why. The baby was so clam and well behaved and her mother looked on and attended to him as she watched. It was great for the team to see what a difference the money raised will make to people’s lives and how the money will be used. We continued our visit of the facility and came across twin boys playing together; they were back for a check-up. Both boys had been born with club feet, both had been cared for by this facility and both now had a chance to lead a normal life thanks to the work done here.
Well done to all of you. It sounds like an exciting albeit hard climb, but for a worthy cause.
ReplyDeleteSafe trip back.
Julie J