Climbing Kilimanjaro
Susan's Account:
I would like to add my personal account of our climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro. I tried to blog earlier but being a “non techie” I was unable to get on. Kerith is helping now.
I think our trip was amazing and I feel very blessed to have been part of Team SideStix. I [...]
Sarah's Account of the Summit Night
I feel double my age as I lay here careful not to exert any energy while staring out of my bedroom window at the carefully manicured English gardens that surround the Marangu Hotel. I am convalescing from my climb up Kilimanjaro. Less than 24 hours ago we returned from our expedition, celebrating our [...]
The Day AFTER The Longest Day…
Surprisingly enough, we all awoke early. It was Monday January 12th, the last day of the expedition. I had assumed we would all sleep like the dead, however our anticipation of returning to the ‘real world’ and also the gentle suggestions from the guides, that 8am would be a good time to start the (long) [...]
Repaired SideStix
Here’s a picture of Sarah’s SideStix. The repaired one is on the left.
TTFN.
Ellen's Summit.
Time stopped when Sarah’s crutch broke…a new plan had to be formed. Kerith headed down the mountain to fix Sarah’s crutch. We had previously made a pact that whoever could go on would, without guilt. The cold leaves no time for long goodbyes, Susan and I hugged Sarah and started our climb upward.
Surreal does not [...]
The Longest Day.
Our summit attempt on Kilimanjaro really started at Horrombo Camp at 8am on Saturday tenth of January. Packs on and the snowy peak of Kilimanjaro beckoning, we started out on the trail to Kibo Camp. Inside each of us, a kaleidoscope of emotions flickered from elation to fear. Our personal acclimatization experiences hadn’t been too [...]
These boots have climbed Kilimanjaro!
At 3pm on Monday 12th January, we arrived back at the park entrance. We left Horombo Camp at 8.00am and walked for 4 hours down though moorlands and rainforest to the Mandara Camp.
A hot lunch was waiting for us (brought up from the Marangu Hotel) and after eating and a brief rest we walked the [...]
From the summit of Kilimanjaro!
Well, against all odds, Sarah and I summitted the crater’s edge (Gilman’s Point) after a 9 1/2 hour ordeal including Sarah hopping 1000ft up the mountain with only one crutch. Sarah was spent after the climb but I still had enough of a stubborn streak in me to want to make it to Uhuru – [...]
Enroute from Kibo Camp to summit
Disaster struck when at 16,500ft Sarah’s crutch handle broke at the handle bend. I ran down 1000ft to camp and jury-rigged a fix using the spare parts we brought and a rock as a hammer. Am now almost back up to Sarah – exhausted. It’s 5AM.
It seems one leg and one crutch won’t stop this [...]
From Kibo Hut, 4703m
It’s 10:40 on Saturday night. In 20 minutes we’ll be getting up and suited up for our summit attempt. It’s too bad that there is no reception here at Kibo Hut (15,400ft) because these messages are delayed however I’ll try to connect as we get higher on the mountain. Saturday started out at 6AM with [...]
