Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Day 4- Sunday 9th August 2015, 3840m, Shira Hut Camp

3840m above sea level, Shira Hut Camp.

Today I found quite difficult mentally. I think because I did not drink enough water, combined with the fact that the hot spots I got on day 1 have now turned into blisters on both of my heels.

The day began as normal at 6 am we packed, at 6:30 we washed and at 7 we had breakfast. plasters and gaffa tape strapped to my heels. The sunrise when we woke this morning was stunning! The tents were covered in sparkling ice from the low temperatures in the night and the sun rose over the summit of the mountain. I have to say it was one of the best ways of waking up ever!

We left camp a little later today as we had to wait to be given our lunch boxes, we left camp at 8:15. The beginning of the trek was quite flat, but I could feel my feet rubbing a tiny bit despite the blister

Before lunch we trekked up a peak called Shira Cathedral, the views from the top were spectacular. We were above the clouds and could see Mount Meru in the distance. The route to the top was quite narrow and rocky but we saw a lot of other groups on their way down who said the climb was well worth it.

Once we got back down we had our packed lunch, again with breath taking views and continued to camp, which we could see in the distance.

The walk took a total of 7 hours today, it didn't feel like it went as quickly as previous days. Tomorrow, I will drink more water, (because surprisingly it is still really warm during the days because we haven't had much cloud cover), as we are going up to around 4500m and then back down. I am feeling a little apprehensive about tomorrow, because of how I have felt today, but I am sure that it will be ok. I really hope no one feels the impact of the altitude tomorrow as we are going higher than many people on the trip have ever been.

We had reached camp at around 3:15, organised our tents, had a cup of tea and a wash. I also sorted out my feet and my blisters currently have padded blister plasters, gauze and gaffa tape on them and I will do my boots up firmly tomorrow to prevent my heels from slipping at all in my boots as tomorrow there is a lot of up and down hill hiking.

For dinner we had pumpkin soup and pasta bolognese which was lovely. My tent mate is not feeling 100% but the Doctor on the trip has given her some Diamox which should help her to feel better tomorrow and help her to get some sleep tonight.

The view from camp is outstanding. I am going out in a minute to go to the toilet before bed and I am sure that the stars will be wonderful. It truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The conversation at dinner was hilarious. It managed to get onto the top of the male anatomy and what the British call certain parts. The only Canadian on the trip did not know what one word meant, which caused the rest of the group to carefully explain what it was. She has just shouted across camp that she will see one tomorrow, I am pretty sure she is still unclear of the meaning of the word. The laughing gave me a headache as the air is thinner up here.

It is very chilly at night here. It is windy and above the cloud cover. There is also so much dust. Before I came on this trip I thought I would get dirty without having a proper shower for the duration of the trek but I had no comprehension of just how dusty it would be and how ingrained the dust gets even when it is freezing at night.

Ok, I am off to the toilet and to brush my teeth. I have got to add some more layers before I go out though I am nice and warm in my sleeping bag in the tent.

Night x

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Day 3- Saturday 8th August 2015, 3500m, Shira 1 Camp

3500m above sea level, Shira 1 Camp.

Today began at 6 am with a cup of tea, we packed our bags before getting a wash bowl at 6:30 am, before eating breakfast at 7. We finally set of for the days trek at 8 am.

I slept quite well getting around 6 hours sleep in total which more than the majority of the people in the group. The monkeys were in the trees howling at each other throughout the night and I think this kept a lot of people awake.

During the trek myself and the Doctor needed the toilet because of all the water you had to drink to help with the altitude. It was quite undignified, we had to find a large tree to hide behind to avoid the trail of porters and other hikers using the path. We felt much better after and were able to walk quickly to catch up with the rest of the group. As a group we stop every hour for 10 minutes for a toilet break and drink.

For the first part of the trek we walked through the rain forest which was beautiful. I saw a bird that was all black but when it flew past us the underside of its wings were bright red (Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of this because it flew away before I could get my camera out.)

After about 2 hours of walking we began to head out of the rainforest and into heath moorland. There were some stunning views of the valleys and we were able to see how far we had come which was nice, you could also see the porters ahead on the trail so we were able to see the path that we would shortly be taking.

We stopped for lunch at 11:30 am. The porters had set up a tent for us to eat in and a toilet tent had been set up, which was AMAZING! (no more hiding behind trees). For lunch we had vegetable soup and noodles. I had a small headache starting at lunch. It was very hot so while we ate lunch I took the opportunity to drink as much water as possible and that really helped. We set off again after an hour. The trek was quite steep but the pace was great so I didn't get out of breath at all and everyone was happily chatting to one another.

At 2:30 pm we walked around a corner and saw the most wonderful sight! THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO!!! What we have all come here to see and conquer. It truly is the most stunning sight. I am sure that my camera will not do it justice. The feeling of seeing it in the distance was amazing, and truly brings home what this trip is about for everyone in the team.

We got to camp at around 3:15 pm and unpacked, at 4 pm we had a cup of tea and some nuts and sat around admiring the view until dinner which was at 6 pm. I got a stomach cramp before dinner, not sure why, which went away while we were resting before dinner but came back during dinner. I feel a lot better now as I sit here writing in bed so hopefully that has gone away.

The word of the day has been 'WOW' every corner we turned was stunning which I am sure will only get better. Even the view from the door of the tent is breathtaking.

I am very excited for tomorrow. We climb a little which will be good fun. The trek today took 7 hours and tomorrow is set to be 5-6 hours, with stunning views apparently. I am excited!!!

Good night. x

P.S. The sunset this evening was gorgeous it turned Kilimanjaro a beautiful shade of orange.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Day 2- Friday 7th August 2015, 2700m, Mti Mkubwa Camp

2700m above sea level, Mti Mkubwa Camp (Big Tree Camp)

Today was the first day of hiking. We had breakfast at 6:30am and left the hotel at 7:30am after our bags were weighed, (mine was 14kg, the maximum our porters are allowed to carry is 15kg), and we had a group photo.

The drive to the bottom of Kilimanjaro took 3 hours. We stopped during this for a toilet break, the toilets had a working hose in there which is very different to most toilets back home. We drove along some very bumpy roads to reach the gate, they really reminded me of Kenya.












We finally reached the gate at about 11:30 and signed in, got a stamp in our passports, took some photos and got back onto the bus.










The drive from  the sign in gate to our starting gate took about 45 minutes, we had lunch (a packed lunch which included chicken, egg, juice, an orange, chocolate bar and a sandwich) and then set off.














The trek took us through the rainforest, which I really enjoyed. It only took us 2h 40m which was very good we were expecting it to take us 3-4 hours. I got a tiny bit out of breath on the steep sections but nothing major or any different to the rest of the group. It was raining lightly for most of the walk but it was still very warm.













We got to camp at around 4pm, got a bowl of water to wash, unpacked our bags and settled in. My porters name is Jeremy and he is also one of the guys that helps to serve our dinner, he seems really lovely and has done a great job putting up our tent. Monkeys came into camp just before dinner, I have taken photos.



Everyone has had a really good day. I have felt some hot spots on my feet and have put some blister plasters on which has made them feel so much better.




Tomorrows trek is meant to take 6-7 hours, so hopefully I will not develop blisters. The altitude goes up again tomorrow, hoping that it does not have any effect on the group.


I am off to bed now.

Night. xx

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Day 1- Thursday 6th August 2015, Flight and Hotel.

In the last 30 hours I have had a 30 minute nap. I have just taken a ibuprofen to get rid of the tired headache I had, it is working.


I am sharing a room with another woman who seems lovely. We have organised our bags for the hike tomorrow. I am really excited and a little nervous about starting the trek and the challenge ahead of us. I really hope that the altitude does not effect me, as I managed to avoid it when climbing Mt. Kenya.

Everyone in the group seems really lovely and we are all getting on so well.


The flights went very smoothly. It was nice being back in Nairobi airport again, it brought back many memories of 2009. The flight from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro airport was AMAZING! as we got closer to the airport you could see Kilimanjaro above the clouds. The extent of the challenge really has hit home, I cannot wait to get started.

It is currently 3:30 and dinner is at 6. I am not really sure what to do for the next few hours, I am sure that I will be going to bed nice and early tonight.

I may add more later but for now I am going to go for a wonder around the hotel.

xx










(N.B. I never did go back and add to the diary entry for this day. Before dinner I sat outside with a few of the other team members and enjoyed the African sun, while trying to not fall asleep. We also, had a group chat about why everyone had decided to do the trip and the reasons they had chosen their particular charities. It was really lovely hearing everyone's personal stories, it made everyone more motivated to reach the top. We had dinner and everyone swiftly disappeared to bed.)

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Day 0- Wednesday 5th August 2015, Heathrow Airport

Today is the day that I met the group I will be climbing Kilimanjaro with. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. I had spoken to a few people via email and social media and they all seemed really friendly.

In the morning I had gone to my local hairdressers to have French Plaits put in, hopefully they will stay in for the duration of the trek.

When I arrived at the airport I found a few people who were on the trip everyone seemed a little nervous but we all got on really well. Slowly everyone began to arrive we all checked in and waited for our flight.

I am currently on the plane. Super excited to land.

xx