Almost time...

So the big day is almost upon us. In two days time we head off to Heathrow to begin the adventure of a lifetime. The last few weeks have flown by scarily quickly and despite two years of planning I have been rushing around buying last minute bits and pieces. In fact the last online order arrived today - talk about cutting it fine.

I have just spent the last 3 hours packing my bags which proved more complex than you might think. It isn't easy packing for a nine day trip which will include exposure to all weather extremes. On the first attempt I fitted in everything except the sleeping bag which was a slight problem. On the second attempt I had no shoes.

On the third and final attempt I managed to squash everything in and get the bag done up.  Many items are now packed into my hand luggage which should prove entertaining should they need to search my bag. I do have a morbid fear of an airline losing my luggage and always stand at the luggage hall with a mild sense of hysteria. Hence for this trip anything I cannot manage without is staying with me come hell or high water.

I have found it useful when researching this trip to read what other people took so here is my list for any future trekkers who stumble onto this blog.

1 pair of walking boots
1 pair of trainers
2 short sleeve tops
2 long sleeve tops
Thermal top
Thermal longjohns
Liner socks
Thermal socks
Summit socks
3 pairs of walking trousers (all can be converted to shorts)
Waterproof overtrousers
Goretex coat
3 fleeces (varying thicknesses)
Gloves and silk liner glovers
Fleece hat
Sunhat

Camelbak (2litre)
Water bottle (1 litre)
Water purifiers and neutralisers
Walking poles
3 season sleeping bag and silk liner
Pillow
Sunglasses
Suncream

Blister plasters
Bandages
Imodium
Toilet roll
Wet wipes
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Nurofen
Insect repellent (and bite soother if the insects aren't repelled!)
Malarone
Diamox (to take if needed)
Ankle/knee supports
Lots of snacks

I guess the question now is ... what have I forgotten?

FAQs

Over the last few weeks I have been asked a variety of questions so thought I would cover the most common ones here.

When are you going?

We fly out via Kenya on Sunday 5^th August and return on the 14^th August. Eek! Only 3 weeks now.

How long will it take?

We are spending eight days (seven nights) on the mountain.  Roughly seven and a half days is spent ascending and the remaining time descending. The slow ascent allows time to acclimatise to the high altitude.

How far will you walk each day?

We will be spending anywhere between 4 and 7 hours walking each day. However the summit day begins at 11pm and can last anywhere between 8-16 hours!

What route are you taking?

We are using the Machame route which is also known as the ‘Whiskey’ route. This route is considered the most scenic ranging from rainforest, through alpine desert to an ice capped summit. Although more demanding than some routes it does include an extra day of acclimatisation so increases our likelihood of reaching the summit.

Are you mad?

Yes, quite possibly! But if you don’t challenge yourself from time to time life gets a bit dull!

Which charities are you supporting?

I am fundraising for Teenage Cancer Trust

“Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer aged between 13 and 24. We build specialist units within NHS hospitals, bringing young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts in a place designed just for them.  They want every young person with cancer to have access to this specialist support, no matter where they live.” Visit www.teenagecancertrust.org.uk to find out more.

If you would like to donate please visit my fundraising page at www.justgiving.co.uk/leanne-hillier

Dele is fundraising for British Heart Foundation

“The British Heart Foundation is the nation’s heart charity, dedicated to saving lives though pioneering research, patient care and vital information. We rely on your donations of time and money to continue our life-saving work. Because together we can beat heart disease. Visit bhf.org.uk to find out more.”

If you would like to donate please visit her fundraising page at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/AdeleSmith

Altitude Testing

You may recall I wrote a few months back about the risks of altitude sickness or AMS. This obviously is one of the key things we are worrying about as the departure date looms ever closer.  It is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to predict who will and won’t suffer. For control freaks like Dele and I this is obviously unsettling. As a way of regaining some control we decided to visit ‘The Altitude Centre’ in London. This centre is able to mimic conditions of high altitude and provide some guidance on how susceptible to altitude sickness we might be.

So one wet day off we went.

On arrival we sat on a rather incongruous looking purple velvet sofa nervously eyeing up some oxygen masks, an alarming looking graph and two chairs very reminiscent of the diary room chair on Big Brother.  What had we let ourselves in for?

Was Big Brother watching us?

The first test measured something called Forced Vital Capacity. This assesses lung function by measuring the amount of air blown out after a full breath. So we had to take a big breath in, sucking in as much air as possible then blowing it all out into a little tube like machine as quickly and for as long as possible. Take it from me; it’s a lot harder than it sounds. “Who wants to go first?” asked the friendly man. “It was your idea to do this so you go first” was Dele’s reply.  I couldn’t argue with that! We did have to complete this task with our backs to each other as we have been known to get the giggles – a lot!

The second task we did together.  Take a breath in, breathe out completely so that your lungs are empty and then see how long you can wait before taking a breath.  Go on, have a go. 

I may have looked a little like this...

See, it isn’t easy is it? You are effectively fighting your body’s reflex to breathe and it is quite painful after a remarkably short period of time. It measures your body’s tolerance to carbon dioxide. I managed about 25 seconds; Dele beat me by about 5 seconds. Apparently that’s a good result for both of us.

Finally we got to see what happens in our bodies when breathing in a low oxygen atmosphere such as at 4000 metres.  It was like being in hospital with a mask on your face and a monitor attached to your finger measuring your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. Whilst attached to this you watched two lines on a graph to see what was happening.  The worst thing was you couldn’t talk, which for Dele and I was the most torturous part.  My blue line (blood oxygen) dipped and levelled out at above average whilst my red line (heart rate) stayed relatively stable – I was very proud! Dele’s blue line dipped a bit more alarmingly and her red line shot up which was a tad worrying. Apparently this means I am less likely to suffer from AMS and Dele is borderline sensitive.  Although not a definite predictor the testing has allowed us to feel more reassured about what to expect in terms of symptoms.

We also got some useful advice. The piece I seem to have retained is that Mark’s and Spencer Percy Pig sweets are very good for energy levels! I'm sure there was more but in the meantime I'll stock up on these!

Nom Nom Nom!

The written report we received a few weeks later stated that we were “Normal”. I know a few people who might disagree with this...

A very useful gift

The other day I received the best gift in the post ever.  I’d had to wait a while to collect it and anticipation was building as the friend responsible had already hinted that it was something special. I took my little red card to the sorting office and excitedly opened the unassuming envelope. After one look I was chuckling in the street and getting some very odd looks.  This amusing item linked to one of the main questions I have been asked about the Kilimanjaro trek.

The first questions are obvious – When? Why? Who with? The next most common question tended to be asked in hushed tones, usually accompanied by a surreptitious look over the shoulder, "What about going to the loo?” I must admit this question was one of my early concerns and has since been thoroughly researched. In short there are 3 options:

1.       Long drop toilets – as far as I can work out these are basically holes in the ground with a shed around them.  Could prove tricky with tired legs but hopefully all the squats at the gym should help.

2.       Our porters will carry a portable toilet with us – I think this is a seat over a bucket enclosed in a tent. Very glamorous!

3.       A big rock or bush to hide behind. Not at all elegant.

I can deal with all these options but was very concerned about night time ventures.  You are advised to drink a lot and one sign of good acclimatisation is needing the loo a lot, especially at night. I have no sense of direction at the best of times let alone in pitch darkness halfway up a mountain so was distinctly worried. I had visions of never finding my tent again or walking off the edge of a cliff! This gift provided a solution. It's not pretty or glamorous but to me is an essential item of kit: The 'Discrete Foldaway Urinal'!

Not something I had even heard of or even considered but there it was! Don't worry, I'm not going to explain how it 'works', I'll leave that one up to you! All I will say is that I'm very happy that I won’t be visiting a stranger’s tent in the middle of the night or plummeting to a painful death! Thanks, Cath!

Lessons Learned

Our second day of walking in the Malverns was a short but memorable one. It rained constantly and we could barely see the hills we were walking up. Still it was a good opportunity to test out the waterproof coats and covers and we learnt many lessons in the few hours we were out.

1. Waterproof trousers should be put on before your trousers get wet.
2. Waterproof covers for rucksacks should be put on before starting the walk.
3. Rain and wind equals a permanently runny nose and your tissue gets very soggy.
4. Walking in the rain and wind is unpleasant.
5. Learning what the different toggles on your hood do is best done before you are halfway up a hill and it has started to rain.

Looking happier than I felt!

I was alarmed when my coat started frothing!

Still at least we found all this out in a place where we could head back to a cosy house with a log burning stove, hot showers and a comfy bed. Kilimanjaro will be a snug two person tent, wet wipes and a sleeping bag - hmmm...

Bank Holiday Training

With the trip rapidly approaching we decided it was time to fit in a training walk or two so headed back to the Malvern’s with a clear objective. We were going to walk the full length and back again – a distance of about 18 miles according to the map I looked at.

The weather forecast was not good, rain, wind and more rain but we philosophically decided that we would face whatever the skies threw at us. Feeling slightly anxious we carefully packed our bags with the items we will have to carry on Kilimanjaro and laced up our boots – this would be a real test; had all those hours of gym torture and circuits classes paid off? We were both hoping to make it up the hills without being overtaken by little old ladies and their dogs!

Despite it supposedly being spring the weather was a tad on the cold side and the gloves and fleeces quickly went on, however there was no rain, a definite bonus. Dele had sensibly remembered a hat whereas I was destined to spend the day with cold ears. Reaching the top of the first hill we were pleasantly surprised, a bit out of breath but nothing compared to the torturous AMT machine at the gym. The walk settled into a very regular pattern – on the down side of the hills we chatted, gossiped and giggled. On the up slopes it all went rather quiet apart from the occasional groan. We developed a strategy of not looking too far ahead as a quick glance would often reveal how far we had to go to get to the summit and dampen the spirits somewhat! Despite the moans and groans we made it to the top of every hill in one go and before we knew it had reached the end.

All the gear and some idea!

I was jealous of that hat!

The walk back was slightly tougher as the legs were getting a bit tired but we persevered and had the welcome distraction of what seemed like hundreds of hang gliders and gliders filling the skies above us. There is something both eerie and beautiful about a plane swooping through the sky without a single sound.

All of the equipment was carried up a very steep slope.

We were heading back to British Camp car park but had a dilemma, would we attempt the hills on the other side of the camp or head home? Neither of us was willing to be the one to back down and there was a lot of “What do you think?” questioning.  Finally working on the logic that a) we would regret it if we didn’t try and b) on Kilimanjaro we wouldn’t have a choice we decided to give it a go. 

I won’t lie to you, it was tough. Muscles we weren’t previously aware of made their presence known and I think it was sheer stubbornness that got us to the top. Feeling rather smug and very pleased with ourselves we headed back to the car and home. We had come a long way since our first disastrous attempts and for the first time felt we were fit enough for the challenge that was creeping ever closer.

At the top of British Camp!

The Biggest Bag in the World

In my research for this trip the subject of what bags to take has been a tricky one. Lots of references to different sizes and types, waterproof covers, adjustable straps, 30 litre capacity (I thought this was how you measured liquids?) etc etc. My mind has been well and truly boggled! Essentially it boils down to the fact that I need two. The first a smaller daysack to carry up the mountain with the day to day stuff such as fleeces, waterproofs, snacks, water and camera. The second to contain things like my sleeping bag, clothes and other items only needed at the end of the day. This bag is carried up by the amazing sounding porters who seem (from most videos and pictures I have seen) to carry them on their heads! This was the bag that was proving a dilemma. I have a nice daysack that will fit in all the daily essentails and I have been using  this on my walk to work so have got the straps adjusted just right. The second was proving tricky until along came a generous gift from a family friend - the biggest rucksack in the world!!

Six pockets and counting!

The photo really doesn't do it justice, I think you could smuggle children in it! In addition it has at least six different sections (I keep finding more!) and I keep planning what to put in each. I suspect that I'll pack some things and only find them on my return to the UK or spend most of my time searching for them - maybe I should create a map for the bag?! The most excitement I had was finding the attached waterproof cover stored in its own handy pocket. I may never find it again but at least I know it's there!

You'll spot me in the dark!

The mega bag also has an unbelievable number of straps, clips, toggles and buckles making it fully adjustable. The only problem is that I have no idea how to adjust it or what each one is for! I am going to have to experiment and hope I don't do myself an injury! I have a vision of me proudly and correctly putting on the bag and connecting all the clips only to fall over backwards and lay stranded like a turtle while others laugh hysterically and take photos.

More clips and straps - help!!

Lots of adjustable straps - but how?

Oh well, maybe there's an instruction manual in one of the yet undiscovered pockets!

Healthy Eating?

So, it's now less than four months until the big trek. Excitement is building as are some muscles (not very big but undeniably there!). Dele has created a beautiful spreadsheet with our exercise plan which is both inspiring and terrifying.

Last week we decided that we would start eating more healthily to go along with our exercise regime. Not a diet, just more fruit and veg and less chocolate (me) and crisps (Dele). I don't know how she's doing but I'm struggling a little (ahem). Yesterday I demolished a roast dinner followed by apple pie and cream (thanks, Dad) plus an entire Easter egg (Dad again)  two hot cross buns (thanks, Mum) and two flapjacks (thanks, Uncle Mick). On the positive side I did eat a banana!

All that remains is the mug!

Never mind, I'll be better today I thought. One hot chocolate, a pain au chocolat and a strawberry milkshake later I realised I had hit another epic fail. I have had no fruit or veg today unless you count the strawberry sauce on my milkshake?!

Does strawberry sauce count as one of your five a day?

Obviously Monday is a bad day to start a healthy eating plan! Tuesday is clearly the day to begin...

The Exercise Plan 1

It's been an exciting time recently. After much research and discussion we booked the flights and the trip. No backing out now! Suddenly the enormity of what we are attempting hit home and we realised that perhaps we should start taking things a bit more seriously. Most of my focus had been on clothing and I had happily spent a small fortune on a waterproof, windproof, goretex ,bullet proof coat (ok so maybe not bulletproof) plus a pair of trousers with zip off legs (which caused me much excitement) walking poles (now leaning against a wall in my bedroom with the tags still attached), a money belt and a travel towel which folds up into a little bag the size of a pack of cards (my favourite item, I'm easily pleased!).

I have two of these. They go longer and shorter and have an anti-shock system. Now all I have to do is work out how to use them!

So in a more serious frame of mined we discussed fitness and Dele found several 8 week exercise plans online. All of these seemed to involve about 4 hours a day which we simply do not have time for. We barely fit in the essentials of life after long working hours, general chores and the neverending housework. The housework element does apply to Dele more than me, she seems to have an obsession with sock fluff on the carpet and as long as I have known her irons virtually everything in sight. I on the other hand buy clothes that need little more than a trip in the washing machine and a quick hang on a dryer, and being the owner of a permanently moulting cat, sock fluff is the least of my worries. Anyway I digress, right from the start we were determined that we did not want to fail to reach the summit because of a lack of fitness. Also we would quite like to enjoy the trek rather than spending most of it in a sweaty wheezing heap. With an 8 week plan an impossibility we decided that a longer, focused effort was more suitable. After spending a few weeks playing with the incline and speed settings on a treadmill and doing battle with a cross trainer we realised we really didn't have a clue! Enter Carly, our Circuits instructor. She kindly agreed to work out a gym programme for us and talk us through it.

So we dutifully turned up to our appointment, water bottles and towels in hand and enthusiasm high. It was amazing! She had a full programme designed specifically for our needs and time limits and took us through every stage together. Having been our instructor for quite some time she was well used to our general silliness and ability to get the giggles over pretty much anything  so employed a patient teaching manner that would probably work brilliantly in a primary school classroom! We sailed through the treadmill activity (suprisingly our own efforts hadn't been that wrong) then met the AMT, a machine that was to become our nemesis, not that we knew it at the time.

Doesn't look too scary does it?

After a brief foray into the mysterious world of weights we completed our ab crunches, lunges and pull ups and headed home in a confident, excited mood ready to share (bore) friends and relatives with our shiny new workout plans. Little did we know how much our mood would change during our first full session where we entered our own personal hells!

The Scary Bit

"Extreme fatigue, persistent headache, dizziness, a loss of appetite and disturbed sleep" This cheery sounding description leads into a more serious side to our Kili adventure, altitude sickness, or as it is often referred to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). The symptoms above sound like (and indeed are compared to) a hangover but actually refer to mild AMS as experienced by the majority of people who attempt this climb. You might think a lack of fitness would be a major reason people fail to reach the summit but this is not the case. The vast majority of those who fail to complete the trek fall victim to AMS. So what is it? And why are we taking it very seriously indeed?

We all know we need oxygen to breathe and many of us have a vague idea about the air getting thinner as you get higher. At sea level oxygen forms around 20% of the atmosphere and this percentage remains constant as the altitude increases. What does change is air pressure, this reduces by approximately one tenth for every 1000 metres of altitude. It is air pressure which helps push air into our lungs as we breathe so as the pressure decreases the amount of air we take in with each breath reduces. AMS symptoms can start to appear at 2500m and Kilimanjaro's peak stands at almost 6000m meaning that climbers take in 50% less oxygen than at ground level.

Ok, so mild AMS although unpleasant doesn't sound unbearable, a small price to pay for the experience surely? After all you can just take an aspirin can't you? And anybody can cope with a few days of feeling a bit tired? Unfortunately this is where the real risks begin and I start to scare our mothers (sorry mum!).

I have described mild AMS but there are two further stages - moderate and severe. If you are unlucky enough to progress to moderate AMS the nausea becomes actual vomiting, aspirin and paracetamol will not touch the headache and you will be permanently out of breath even when sitting still. Not pleasant. But it can and does get worse.

Severe AMS has a new range of fun symptoms on top of the existing ones including confusion, slurred speech, lack of coordination and an inability to stay awake. It can also include a gurgling sound on breathing, a watery cough and blueness around the lips. The risk of death is very real. At this point the only option is to go down the mountain, and quickly. Figures are difficult to find but my book says that there are at least ten deaths per year. As many as 50% of people are forced to descend because of AMS. Surprisingly the fittest people are more likely to suffer from AMS as they tend to ascend faster and not follow the advice to go slowly. Dele and I would not be classed as superfit and have every intention of going slowly, in fact we may be in danger of being asked to hurry up a bit!

So having thoroughly scared our families, what can we do? Although it is impossible to predict how our bodies will react there are some things we can prepare for. We have chosen a longer route with a higher success rate and have included an extra day to acclimatise and thus improve our chances of success. The body can, given time, adapt to higher altitudes. It does this by producing more red blood cells, making your heart beat faster and making you breathe faster and deeper - our bodies really are miraclulous things! On the mountain eating and drinking are very important (which shouldn't be a problem for us!) and we have a pact to look after each other and force each other to descend if necessary.  Other than that we have to wait and see!

So, when you start to receive sponsorship requests from either, or both of us please pause and remember that although this will be an amazing experience we are taking significant risks and would really appreciate all you can offer our chosen charities.

How We Lost the Malverns

After our slighlty problematic first walk we decided to go bigger and better and headed off for the weekend with the intention of tackling a route across the Malverns. Walking boots on, waterproofs packed, water bottles filled and packed lunch checked we set off from Dele's house in Ross on Wye. Having learnt our lesson in Horsham (or so we thought) we stopped along the way and purchased a range of maps and carefully selected a challenging but straightforward route across the hills. Knowing that we were going to be walking for several hours we stopped at the public toilet for an essential last stop. Chatting away and laughing at my Dad's joke about rescue helicopters we followed the path into some trees. Stopping to admire some flowers we forgot to actually check the map and had in fact headed off in completely the opposite direction to the hill footpaths.

Dele and the pretty flowers

Unaware of our error we strode on happily confident that we wouldn't go wrong this time. We were slightly puzzled when we came to a fence with no gates or gaps but shrugging we clambered over and continued. We did start to wonder about the lack of hills but as we could see one in the distance we weren't too worried. Why it didn't occur to us to check the map at this point we'll never know.

We became increasingly aware of the lack of hills and also of the fact that we seemed to be the only ones who had used this route in weeks. I think we both knew we had made another mistake although neither of us wanted to admit it.

A tad overgrown!

It was at this point we found the cows. Now we both grew up in a small village and had in our schooldays even milked a cow. This however was something different. At the sight of us what seemed like hundreds of cows started running across the field cutting us off from the exit. We were convinced that they would move once we got nearer but they didn't, they just started heading closer in what we somewhat hysterically decided was an attack pattern. Whilst I gibbered incoherently Dele decide to phone her other half to inform hin we were being chased by mad cows. Quite what we expected him to do I don't know. We eventually escaped the mad cows by essentially shutting our eyes and running for the gap.

They look small and harmless here but trust me they were big and loud and very very scary!

An hour later we found ourselves near a very tempting looking pub. We discussed our options in depth and eventually (and somewhat reluctantly) decided to continue walking as if we gave up so easily in England how would we manage halfway up a mountain in Tanzania? Little did we know it but the car was in fact a mere 15 minutes up the road. I won't repeat what we said when we discovered this fact later but it would require a lot of bleeping if broadcast before the watershed.

Several more hours later the rain had set in and we were to be found at a road junction, swearing at our multitude of maps and wondering where on earth we were. Convinced we had found a route we decided to cut round the edge of a farmer's field. What with a recent ploughing and the almost constant rain we were quickly back in the muddy hell of our first walk. My boots acquired an inch thick layer of mud which weighed a ton and my sense of humour faded rapidly as once again we ended up back where we started. Finding yet another footpath we ended up in a field of corn taller than we were. This time it was Dele who lost her sense of humour!

Seriously muddy and cross!

Trudging along in despair we sought directions from a woman on a horse who I think thought we had escaped from a lunatic asylum. We were wet, scratched, hot, tired and extremely muddy so I can't say I blame her!

Not a happy face!

Following the directions we found ourselves at a church that didn't appear on any of our maps and which had at least five different footpaths leading from it. It was late afternoon and starting to get dark so we finally admitted defeat and summoned a taxi to take us back to civilisation.
Our final conclusion: thank god we'll have guides on Kilimanjaro!

Things we learnt

- we cannot read maps
- we have little sense of direction
- cows can be scary
- we can laugh at ourselves and each other
- even in stressful situations we didn't argue
- it is possible to lose very big hills
- mud is very heavy


More recently we have successfully both found and walked the Malverns without a hint of a problem (unless you consider being overtaken by little old ladies and their dogs a problem!).

Training Walk One

Having decided to climb a mountain we decided we ought to practise this walking lark. As a gentle introduction we decided to walk around some local woods. Route plotted and maps in hand off we headed only to be greeted by pouring rain and lots of mud. Undaunted we set off in good spirits and munched our way through some energy giving supplies (lollies!). About an hour later the path ran out and we were faced with a rather busy looking road. The rain had become heavier and our mood had changed somewhat. After trekking along the verge for what seemed like forever and ignoring the puzzled looks of speeding drivers we finally found a route off the main road. We then encountered another problem with a rather friendly dog that followed us for at least a mile before finally losing interest.
Back on muddy footpaths once again we felt very wet but increasingly pleased with our progress.We walked on happily chatting and ignoring the rising mud levels before realising we were now ankle deep in it and finding it increasingly difficult to move at all. As we struggled on we came across a sign declaring that the footpath was closed due to muddy conditions under foot. After wondering how we ended up on a closed route we forged a route through some bushes and brambles onto a sturdier and drier path. We checked the map carefully and concluded we must be at that particular spot. Happier now we confidently strode on ignoring the strange feeling of deja vu. However it became impossible to ignore the fact that we had gone in a complete circle and were now back where we started only significantly wetter and muddier. Clearly we need to work on our map reading skills!

Getting Fit

As I mentioned before I am not exactly known for my physical fitness but it was finally dawning on me that this was going to be quite difficult and perhaps I ought to start the mysterious process known as ‘getting fit’.  This was where Dele stepped in; she had been frequenting a gym for at least a year and suggested I joined her. Several classes later and the discovery of muscles I didn’t know I had I realised that I was actually enjoying the classes, well most of them. We never quite got the hang of Zumba, it requires a degree of coordination which we clearly lack and after repeatedly bumping into people, heading in the wrong direction and getting very frustrated we admitted defeat. Boxercise became a favourite, mainly because it involved punching things which proved a fantastic stress relief after a manic day.  With the fitness schedule going well we decided to start some training walks. However things did not quite go to plan...

And then there were two

Quite early on I realised that while I was happy to climb alone it would be much nicer to travel with a friend. So I took to Facebook again and employed my best persuasive skills (obviously I didn’t mention the sickness and death part!). After various rejections I finally found a travelling companion. Adele (Dele) and I have been friends for as long as we can remember. We’ve had the odd falling out – I slapped her because someone told me to; she retaliated by chasing me home and hitting me with her lunchbox – but our friendship has lasted over 30 years, surely it could survive ten days up a mountain? With the two of us the planning took on a new dimension – what sweets should we take (for energy of course) and exactly how many toilet rolls would we need? We also started thinking about equipment and visited an outdoor leisure shop. It was a whole new world with its own language. Within days I was discussing the wicking properties of various fabrics, the thickness and thermal qualities of socks and the merits of different types of water purification.  Shopping lists compiled we finally sat down and set the date – August 2012.

The Beginning

So there I was in the summer of 2010 having listlessly done all the usual holiday pursuits – the beach, the ice cream, the frustrating attempts to get a suntan (people need to put on sunglasses to avoid the glaring whiteness of my legs)  I thought to myself, let’s find a new challenge. This proved trickier than expected – all the usual options sprang to mind – bungee jumping, a marathon, jumping out of a plane – but none seemed appropriate. I don’t trust what is essentially a piece of elastic, collapse in a wheezing heap if I run ten yards to the bus and spend my time on aeroplanes praying for them not to fall out of the sky, jumping from one just seemed ridiculous.  Quite by chance I noticed a picture of an old work colleague on Facebook and remembered that she had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. A spark was ignited and so began an obsessive research process where I read everything Google had to offer and purchased two books in as many days.  Somehow whilst making careful observations about the importance of eating and the lack of toilets I skirted around the issue of altitude sickness (more on that later) and potential death. Kilimanjaro madness had caught my imagination and that was that - the decision was made and the planning began in earnest.