The climbing of Kilimanjaro!
Trip Start
Apr 13, 2005
1
5
40
Trip End
Feb 09, 2006
Moshi, Tanzania
Friday, April 22, 2005
The last climb night was a fukn killer!!! Gilmans point is a challenge and Uhuru Peak is another bout 40mins to an hour on topa that - well, more when you cant breathe and have no energy due to altitude sickness!! But got there in the end so thats the main thing i suppose!! :-)
Dont have time to write much at mo so will fill in the details at a later stage.. enjoy the picts that are up so far and all that jazz..!!
**Ok so update on the kili climb for yas..**
Started walkn the 1st day throu the rainforest - beautiful there.. amazing how green it is, waaaaay greener than the 'garden of ireland'!! Saw some blue monkeys and different types of plants specialised to the area / climate and some mad birds! Stayed that night at Mandara Huts. Had a hut to myself! 4 Beds in it.. got a bit cold from 8ish onwards... There was a gud few others doing the hike by themselves as well so we were all chattn away and socialising in the evening. Was a bit mad coz the porters, guides and cooks etc are kept seperate to the climbers. Their accomodation is always a bit away.. and theres a reception book / office etc at each set of huts where youve to sign in - take your name, nationality, date of arrival, etc etc and have a log of everyone whose been on the mtn.. Oh youve to put down your job / work area as well.. There was LOADS of doctors, medics, lawyers etc doin the climb!! Thought that was a bit mad.
Day 2.. Off to Horombo Huts. Walked it in about 4 hours i think it was.. One lad did it in 2 (he was fastest, think i was 2nd to get there) then the last person did it in about 8 or 8.5 hrs! To get there walked throu half desert conditions - well, we were clear of the rainforest and it was more arid land.. still grassy in parts but rocky as well and very hot coz no shelter from sun with rainforest trees!! All good thou..
Oh got some amount of food every day as well.. like theyr feeding an army or sumthn with the portion sizes and variety of food..!!
Horombo had amazing views and at night could see the stars so clearly! Next day was supposed to be my acclimitization day, but conditions for climbing kili were good and my guide sed it'd be better to just go straight to Kibo Huts (situated at base of the last climb) So said okay and off we went. Was first to get there (Lol, think that was coz the fast ozzie lad that had been 1st the day before was taking his altitude day instead of going straight!) Anway, was FREEZING up at kibo. Well, my hands went numb so had to sit for about 30 mins holding a cuppa coffee and sipping it (think id about 3 cups!) So anyway. Had dinner earlyish and then sleep - well, tried to, till 11.15.
Up then to do the climb and first few hrs was grand. Once i got to about 5600 feet thou i was wrecked. Hard to move coz lacka oxygen etc and the gradient is extremely steep!! Zig zags al the way up it really.
Eventually got to gilmans point for sunrise, then gud while later and much effort as well.. made it to uhuru peak! Class to be so close to a glacier and see them views.
Computer time is up here so gotta go but will get more picts of kili climb and the summit up soon!!
