Hello everyone
Here's hoping you all enjoy the weekend regardless of what you have planned. Of course I hope you manage to get out exercising and getting some fresh air at some point.
Good diet and exercise is proven to prevent certain cancers, so always another bonus to getting yourself up and at it!
So booked, confirmed and now we just get on with our training knocking the days off until we finally land in Tanzania.
So we are really pumped up fro this epic journey. We will depart from Manchester airport on Jan 30th 2015 landing at Kilimanjaro International on Jan 31st.
We will be picked up at the airport and transferred to our hotel for the night.
Bright and early on Feb 1st we will set off for our 8 day climb of Mount.Kilimanjaro! - we are actually doing a private climb ( climb companies decision not ours ) so there will be the three of us...Bec's,Ali and myself with are crew. We are doing the Lemosho route - which will give us....well me the best chance of successfully ascending to the summit. I believe if I tried to do any quicker I would fail, this route gives more time to acclimatise to the altitude and hopefully will help prevent altitude sickness, which is the biggest killer on Kilimanjaro.Every year an average of 1000 climbers are evacuated off the mountain and 10 people die. Altitude sickness is often under-estimated and many climbers don't even learn what the symptoms are before attempting to climb.
This is our actual climb itinerary!
Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 8-Days
Day 1 : Drive to Kilimanjaro National Park Londorossi Gate, Hike to Mti Mkubwa Camp
Visiting: Moshi to Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 8-Days
After breakfast and briefing, drive to Londorossi Park Gate (2-3 hour dirve). From here a forest track requiring a 4WD vehicle leads to Lemosho Glades. Walk along forest trails to Mti Mkubwa (big tree) campsite.
- Elevation: 1830m/6000ft to 2650m/8700ft
- Distance: 6km/4mi
- Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
- Habitat: Montane Forest
- Meals: LD
- Mti Mkubwa Camp
Day 2 : Hike Mti Mkubwa Camp to Shira 1 Camp
After breakfast, we continue as the trail gradually steepens and enters the giant heather moorland zone. After several streams are crossed we continue over the Shira Ridge then gently downwards to Shira 1 camp located by a stream on the Shira Plateau.
- Elevation: 2650m/8700ft to 3500m/11,500ft
- Distance: 8km/5mi
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
Day 3 : Hike Shira 1 Camp to Shira 2 Camp
After breakfast, a gentle hike across the plateau leads to Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream. A variety of hikes are available on the Plateau, making this an excellent acclimatization day.
- Elevation: 3500m/11,500ft to 3850m/12,600ft
- Distance: 8km/5mi
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
Day 4 : Hike Shira 2 Camp to Barranco Camp
From the Shira Plateau we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth” (elev 4650m/15,250ft). Shortly after the tower we come to the second junction which goes to the Arrow Glacier. We now continue down to the Barranco Camp. Although you end the day around the same elevation as when you began, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
- Elevation: 3850m/12,600ft to 4000m/13,000ft
- Distance: 8km/5mi
- Walking Time: 5-6 hours
- Habitat: Semi-desert
Day 5 : Hike Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail.
- Elevation: 4000m/13,000ft to 4050m/13,250ft
- Distance: 5km/3mi
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
- Meals: BLD
- Karanga Valley Camp
Day 6 : Hike Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
We continue up to the Barafu Camp. You have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day.
- Elevation: 4050m/13,250ft to 4700m/15,350ft
- Distance: 4km/2mi
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 7 : Hike Barafu Camp to Summit, down to Mweka Camp
Visiting: Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route 8-Days
Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit.
From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. Once at Uhuru Peak you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa!
From the summit we begin our descent by continuing straight down to the Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You may want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. We arrive at Mweka Camp and enjoy our last evening on the mountain.
- Elevation: 4700m/15,350ft to 5895m/19,340ft
- Down to 3090m/10,150ft
- Distance: 5km/3mi up / 13km/8mi down
- Hiking Time: 5-7 hours up / 5-6 hours down
- Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
Day 8 : Hike Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate, drive to Moshi
After breakfast we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).
From the gate, continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi. Don’t forget to tip your guides and porters.
- Elevation: 3090m/10,150ft to 1680m/5500ft
- Distance: 10km/6mi
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Forest
So that is our climb agenda, it's going to be an amazingly tough climb - but the rewards will be magnificent!
When we get back to the hotel we have a couple of days to chill, celebrate and reflect our success! we'll take in the town, stretch our muscles out and just soak up the sunshine and culture!
Then we are off on a three day safari! - can't do Tanzania without getting a safari in. We have got a great deal on a wonderful three day taster. It's actually called the Taste of Tanzania.....it will even take us to see the famous tree climbing lions! And here it is.....
3 days Taste of Tanzania Safari
The 3 days lodge safari will offer you the chance to watch a wide variety of wildlife amoungst some of the most varied landscapes. Not only will you see parts of the Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks but also the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater.
Day 1 Arusha – Tarangire National Park
In the morning you will be collected from your hotel and taken to Tarangire National Park. The Tangire National Park with its endless tree savanna and seasonal marshes is also home to the largest elephant herd in North Tanzania; with over 4000 at the last count, it takes some beating. To add to this you also can watch giraffes, buffalos, lions, zebras, gnus and different types of antelopes and gazelles.
Upon your arrival at the Park your driver will open the roof of the vehicle and the extensive widlife watch will begin. Lunch will be taken at a picnic spot and in the afternoon you will get to see more of this amazing and beautiful park. Late in the afternoon you will arrive at Maramboi Tented Camp outside the park for overnight. Lunch; Dinner
Day 2 Tarangire National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
A nice early start then a drive pass the Rift Valley (Africa’s graben fault) up to the cooler regions of the crater uplands. The Ngorongoro Crater is almost 600m deep and in this massive caldera you will find an amazing variety of animals. Alongside the “big five” (elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards and rhinoceros) you will find virtually all of the animals that can be found on the entire east african savanna.
At a chosen picnic spot you will have lunch and the rest of the afternoon will be devoted to more wildlife watching. Later on you will leave the crater and be driven to Ngorongoro Farm House for dinner and overnight. Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 3 Ngorongoro Crater – Lake Manyara National Park – Arusha
After breakfast you will continue on your “Northern Circuits” tour to the next National Park in Tanzania. Lake Manyara Park is one of the smaller parks in Tanzania. It covers an area from the north western edge and a large proportion of the lake itself. The lake is the seasonal home to thousands of flamingo, pelicans and more than one hundred other types of birds that also make this lake their home.
On the partly forested edges you will find and get a chance to watch the proud elephants with their impressive tusks search for food and go about their daily business. You will also get to see giraffes, buffalo, gazelle, antilope, baboons, and last but not least the famous tree climbing lions.
After a jammed packed wildlife tour it will be time to leave the national park and return to Arusha.
We then return to our hotel for a further two days to do whatever we decide at that time before making it back to the airport.
We'll fly out of Kilimanjaro on Feb 16th, landing back into Mnachester on Feb 17th.
There ends our tremendous adventure.
I will be doing my climb on behalf of two charites -
Airedale general hospital - HODU - the department where I received my chemotherapy.
Alopecia UK - to help further research into a disease which has no known cure currently. This is in support of my brave little buddy Molly who has patchy alopecia which she started with aged 8 years old.
I will be setting up justgiving pages or the equivalent charity online pages for anyone who wishes to donate to two very worthy causes, both give hope to those currently suffering and those who will be diagnosed in the future, with the hope research will eradicate the diseases for future generations.
Bec's has genuine concerns for me regarding our trip to Tanzania because of the anti gay laws and deep homophobia in the country. I have assured her and other friends all will be fine, Bec's has heard about the violent reactions against gay people which have resulted in death by stoning.
I'm not going for a holiday romance , as you can see above it's all go,go,go! I have calmly told everyone I won't be growing my hair.....but for the duration of our stay in Tanzania I will say I have a boyfriend back home if I feel the situation calls for it.
I'm in no way playing down the risks for myself, but won't allow it to prevent me going to complete the challenge I set myself so long ago. As long as I'm/we are sensible - all will be good.
Until next time
Tracy
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