Lisa Russell is back home after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice and Breast Cancer Campaign. We asked Lisa to write something for the site about her epic adventure…
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[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ell, I’m sitting here on a rainy Sunday a week after we arrived back the UK after what can only be described as a trip of a lifetime. Life actually seems quite surreal after our time in Tanzania trekking to the roof of Africa and Uhuru peak, a thought held by most of the group! Writing this gives me a few minutes to escape back to my time on ‘Kili’.
My trip was a long-term dream and I wanted to do it for a nougtie birthday when I could fund my own place, therefore sponsorship funds raised would go straight to my charities and not pay for my, hmmm, jolly! This happened to be this year… yep noughtie in just over three weeks but I digress!
The trip! Well where to start? The beginning I guess!
We all met the first time as a group at Heathrow and immediately struck it off. I guess this has made it in a large part to be the trip it has been. The long flight including a stop over in Ethiopia, which gave us time to chat and get to know each other a little more. On arrival at Kilimanjaro International, don’t be fooled by the name its a very small airport the planes ‘park’ outside in the one parking space and you stroll in, we joined up with our tour group and headed to the hotel. After briefings and kit checks we were all signed off and ready to roll, just a bit of time to let of some steam and chill out by the pool before a last supper and onwards to the challenge!
Day 1
Saturday morning and it all began: day 1 of 7 on the hill. We set off really not knowing what to expect. We were doing the Machame trail, neither the easiest or the hardest, but the one that offers the best chance to acclimatise and therefore summit! Park formalities mean that you sign in with your passport details. The group’s porters are loaded and eventually after the obligatory photos by the gate we set off.
Soon the chants of pole pole (slow slow) and Sippy sippy (drink!) started! These lasted all trip and gradually we did this as a group they are essential to successful summit attempts. In fact one of the group took on sippy sippy that I don’t think he will ever be known as anything else again and you may well hear it shouted down aisles at a local Aldi! The first day saw us trek through the first zone…the rainforest. As I’d never been anywhere like this before it was perfectly stunning as was the whole trek to be honest but more of that later!
I was lucky enough to see a monkey as we gradually climbed up through the trees. The heat and humidity were high but manageable, not as I really expected, and as the day wore on we had the only rain we had in the whole trip while we were walking…I say rain but it actually stopped before it started and was next to nothing. We walked for around 6 hours on the first day with a brief stop for a packed lunch that included a Dairy Milk of all things and arrived at camp late afternoon. We were on the edge of the forest and had spectacular views all around us. We checked into the camp … a formality at every camp …. found our tents and quickly settled into tent life. Warm nuts and hot drinks were served in the mess tent as a snack and a chance to unwind. Day one done all good!
Now some peeps will know me as a weightwatchers leader …. Points were not counted and nearly half a stone was lost – suffice to say we ate and ate and ate but ’twas an extreme way too shed a few pounds! Dinner was served and became a highlight of the day. It was always a soup and then something with rice or pasta and one day we even had chips – yep, chips at 4000m up a mountain!
Anyway, onwards as we’d had a long few days we all turned in relatively early and camp was almost quiet …. Until the footy results came in…yep you can take the boys out of Stoke but not Stoke out of the boys. Scores were shouted across camp and this was followed by requests for other team results…a bit of a laugh at 3000m.
Next morning started the regular pattern of awake at 6.30, walk by 7.30. Breakfast saw us all popping malaria tabs, paracetamol and rehydration sachets. The latter helped with altitude but we did have food too. Often pancakes or omelettes with frankfurter and millet porridge (an acquired taste).
Day 2
Our walk on day 2 was very rocky and very steep. It took us around 5 hours to get to Shira camp on Shira plateau. A very exposed camp but again beautiful in its own way and site of the erm KILIMANJARO helipad…nope it’s not what you’d imagine just a ring of stones with an old windsock but we were told this is the medievac point. Hoped we’d not be finding out. After a small snack of popcorn ….yep popcorn… we went on a small recovery walk to the ridge where we made a small cairn by the others. At least Dougie Mac’s Team Kili has left their mark!
On our return to camp we were treated to over an hour of African singing and dancing including the Jambo KILIMANJARO song. This was a real experience that we all threw ourselves into: one of the many magical times we had. The pattern of dinner and briefing for the next day followed and as we weren’t so tired we sat and looked at the stars and ‘she’ made appearance. My friend and I decided the peak looked awful at night but not so bad in the day, so admired but not for long! Stars were phenomenal, far better than I’d ever expected and as it was dark by sevenish we had a bit of time!
Day 3
Day 3 saw us trek from Shira to Barranco. Again a very different terrain, wider paths to start and less vegetation we were climbing and going a little slower as the guides made sure of this. En route to Barranco we climbed to 4600m at Lava Tower, our first test of altitude and a remanant of the time KILIMANJARO was an active volcano. A few people suffered a bit more but most had headaches and felt a bit dizzy. We were still 1200m lower than the peak eeek! As this was high for us we had a quick lunch and then onwards and Downwards to camp. The weather closed in a little here but was still fine. What can you expect at 3500m. The path into camp was lined with the native Silencio trees but I haven’t enough space to write all about them…fascinating if you get chance to google! The weather cleared up and we could see the Barranco or Breakfast wall, more later. The usual pattern of dinner, briefing, stargazing and as it was our first camp with a signal we called home.
Day 4
Day 4 and the Barranco or breakfast wall and a 2 hour climbing section…well scrambling and for someone who now hates heights this was tough and yep I did throw my rattle out of the pram I had jelly legs and was scared stiff but hey I got there and that was another hurdle crossed off onward to Karranga. After the breakfast wall the day was quite short and we arrived fairly early allowing a little more down time as summit day approached and the group changed a little to more apprehension than had been. All day today we could see the ultimate goal and boy did it look big and a long way off!
Day 5
Day 5 saw the push to base camp another shortish day about 4 hours but then in the middle of the night our summit attempt was going to start. The terrain now is very barren no vegetation and very rocky. We were now well above 4000m. Water for base camp is carried from Karranga as no water exists at base camp itself. After about 3 hours we could see it. A strange camp set high on a rock that leads to the foot of the path up to the peak. Another hour and a half saw us get there to find our camp was as far as possible from sign in but hey what’s a few 100m climb more now! Back to camp for about 1 and full summit prep started. We had already had a few discussions about what we were going to need to do so it was starting to get kit together and get a rest in. The dinner routine was similar just earlier and a full summit briefing followed before we bedded down only to be kept awake for a while by a huge hail/snowstorm. Still at altitude a rest is as good as sleep and both me and my friend managed some sleep before 1030 when we were woken up. This was it the night I’d waited so long for.
Day 5 overnight / Day 6
We were up ready to go at 1130 and the doc to checked everyone’s pulse and oxygen saturation level before clearing us to go. I think I omitted to say about this but we had our doctor with us 24/7 …Innocent…no that’s his name! he checked pulse and sats all the time after we crossed 3500m, we were well looked after. And so the climb started. It was magical…a trail of head torches up the side of the mountain in a slalom not able to tell where they stopped and stars started. The cold was ok to start aided by lots of heat hottie packs to be honest! We walked out of camp and started to climb up steeper and steeper. Our first break after a couple of hours came really quickly, spirits were good and everyone was happy. We were all hydrating well, packs hadn’t frozen and the chocolate was ok and our medicine diet of paracetamol and nurofen was going well! You don’t stop long as it’s so cold so onwards…Another hour on and my wheels started to fall off, suddenly my legs just had nothing!
Now the rest of my summit goes in a bit of a haze…frozen water pipes, frozen chocolate, being fed tablets, the intense and painful cold, walking 10 steps and stopping, counting a minute then 30 seconds, asking if we were nearly there, thinking I can’t do this, remembering why I was doing this, why all of us were, the Inskips and their parents, Rich and his Mom, Mike’s babies. Every step was a step closer and gradually it started to get light. I by now had a guide, charlie, who was carrying my pack, holding my hand, making sure I ate and drank and basically made sure I was ok. He was taking me up to Stella point our first goal and little did I believe at that point all the way to the top! I remember a few times his voice saying we were going there and I vaguely remember saying almost not on your Nellie, this was tough physically and mentally. My head said yes most of the time but my legs were increasingly saying….no chance!
Perseverance rewarded me with a backwards glance towards Mawenzi and a sunrise I shall treasure forever as I got to Stella point. I remember asking was I far behind and I actually wasn’t your head does so many things in the dark and cold at altitude. I was so relieved to see everyone at the first point. The friend id persuaded to come with me at this point said there was no way I was going back without summiting now so After a quick sweet tea I was pushed on my way to the ultimate goal and Uhuru peak, another 150m up and about 45 mins. Just a gentle walk round the rim of the caldera with views to the glaciers stunning stunning stunning! Unbelievably I was first in the group there closely followed by EVERYONE else. We’d all done it and together a feat we now understand is very rare!
The weather was glorious but bitter bitter cold with ice being whipped up by a vicious wind so we couldn’t stay for very long. Several obligatory pictures it was soon time to start the descent. I’d got up but how was I going to get down eeek. A thought some of the others wondered but didn’t share with me especially as at this point apparently my lips were blue and I didn’t look like I was coming down!!!!
Anyway I’ll spare too much detail of the down just revel in the glory of getting up. I was met by a KILIMANJARO rescue squad….2 boys who hold you up no more and help you get down, but only after about 2 hours of a 4 hour descent. My tent was a really welcome sight and with about 5 of us there when I got there the others arrived in a trickle after. Camp became a strange place….we’d all done it but were all a little whacked now and faced another 3hour trek to our camp for the night so most of us had a sleep…surprisingly one of the best all week before we had lunch and set off DOWN to Millenium camp.
By now a second wind had descended and we were in glorious sunshine not that it ever really disappeared it just got colder! We decided that all our guardian angels were definitely watching out for us…even the guides said the weather was unusual so it must’ve been the case. So with summit done we sat out in the sun chatting and playing games and trying to believe we’d done in the last 20hours or so. The night became a celebration on camp but as all were still tired not a late night…that was to come.
Day 7
Day 7 homeward stretch up and going to the Mweka gate. Down through the rainforest with a quick stop at Mweka camp for a snack we descended to the finish line! Spirits were getting higher and higher the lower we went! The temperature went up too. A monkey was spotted and a chameleon and then the GATE we’d done it. More photos and as we’d done on day one we had to formally sign out this time detailing the highest point reached. I was so proud to be able to write UHURU. Without the team I know I’d never have done it.
And….beer!!!!! Well suffice to say I don’t think the first one touched the sides for any of us! We all revelled in our successes before heading off for a lunch at the tour operators with our guides and finally onwards to our hotel where a shower yes running water and a bed awaited us!
Friday then went by in a haze… then let’s say we had the party we deserved after the week we had. We were taken to and treated like VIPs at the local Glacier Bar nightclub (open air) another amazing night where we received our certificates from the national park confirming our successful summits.
Saturday came for a lazy day with a trip into Moshi town which was an experience before our long trip home
Sat here writing this has been great. The most awesome trip with the most amazing memories. Would I do it again…no…would I recommend it to others…yes but just be wary it’s tough. They really don’t say that enough. My motivation was personal challenge as well as my fundraising. At time of writing I’m still suffering with frost nipped fingers and toes so have numbness and pins and needles but no feeling but the £3k+ I’ve raised so far is great though I’d dearly love to raise a little more.
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