Why I quit smoking: My Kilimanjaro Climb Adventure (Post 5 of 10)

Tuesday 19 August 2008
We drove from Moshi towards Arusha and then headed for Machame on our way to the starting point. I was disappointed cloud cover prevented us from having a clear view of the mountain. After registration, the Kilimanjaro Park rangers inspected our porters' climbing gear. Our group consisted of 9 porters, our guide Yahoo, and the assistant guide, Hamisi.
Many of Kilimanjaro porters work in difficult conditions and carry heavy loads with tents, sleeping bags, food, and water to ensure that climbers reach Uhuru Peak in relative comfort. However, their poor working conditions sometimes endanger not only their health but their lives. We heard stories of porters who died because they were inadequately clothed.

We were dropped at the end of a rough road, the kind of road made for off road vehicles, at the edge of a thick forest to begin our climb. It was the slowest walk I have ever walked since I learnt to walk. Yahoo, in front, set the pace during the four-hour trek. Later, when tackling the toughest sections of the climb I understood how important it was to set a slow pace to maintain steady progress. We spent the first night at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) Camp, in the company of Velvet Monkeys.

The greatest difficulty of the first night was sleeping early. Trying to sleep at 8 was tortuous, but only for the first night. In the subsequent seven nights I was so tired from the day's walk that I could have slept at midday. The other test was trying to fall asleep in a sleeping bag. Try to imagine being rolled up in a carpet and falling asleep. Towards the end of the climb I had said so much against sleeping bags that Le recommended I look up an Australian version that offers more room.

Surprisingly as I tossed and turned I could hear someone snoring in the next tent.

Wednesday 20 August 2008
Today, I believe I accomplished the longest walk ever. I suspect not even Nelson Mandela whose autobiography is titled Long Walk to Freedom, has taken a longer walk. Except for a one-hour lunch break at Shira One Camp, we walked from 7 in the morning until about 8 in the evening, encountering a steep climb early during the day as we moved out of the forest and onto the Shira Plateau.

The toughest section of the day was after sunset when Yahoo pointed to a distant light on top of a ridge and said that was our destination. It was a long difficult climb that seemed endless. At one point I handed my day pack to Yahoo and completed the section without a load. At this point I began to doubt whether I would reach the peak.

Though never bothered by the cold I suffered from a shortness of breath which Yahoo said was a symptom of altitude sickness. He said the acute symptoms included the tongue turning green.

Next post: To Barranco Camp and the "breakfast climb."

Posts related to this one:
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_22.html
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_24.html

Why I quit smoking: My Kilimanjaro Climb Adventure (Post 4 of 10)

Sunday 17 August 2008

Having dropped the Pare Mountain trek I kept reassuring myself with Jose’s words: I need not be exceptionally fit for the 7 to 8-day route he recommended: Lemosho – Southern Circuit, Barafu, Uhuru Peak. The long route permits a gradual acclimatization of the body and it is an almost foolproof tested method of reaching the summit.

My friend Jose has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro 12 times and would have joined me in this year’s climb for his thirteenth climb. But as bad luck would have it he suffered an ankle injury and will not climb this time. He has also climbed parts of the Himalayas, up to Mt. Everest Base Camp.

He said Mr. Le Hu Dyuong, a software engineer from Vietnam, will join me for the climb. Le had also been to Everest Base Camp and had also climbed Mt. Kenya before his Kilimanjaro ascent. In fact, he asked me to postpone the Kilimanjaro climb so that he would get a few days’ rest after climbing Mt. Kenya. [A few days after climbing Kilimanjaro, he climbed Mt. Meru. Then he took two weeks’ rest and planned to climb Mt. Oldoinyo Lengai, but logistics prevented him from climbing the volcano.]

Monday 18 August 2008

In the morning I met Le at Moshi bus stand. We stayed at the Springlands Hotel and during lunch sat with a couple from Manchester, originally from South Africa. They told us Kilimanjaro was a tough climb, but a worthwhile attempt. They suggested we should also try to climb the Lava Tower on our way up.

In the afternoon we assembled for the pre-climb briefing and were introduced to one tall lanky mountain guide with dreadlocks called Pius. He told us he was also known as “Yahoo” to his colleagues.

We had a short argument with him when he tried to dissuade us from the 7-8 day climb Jose’ suggested and, instead, proposed a shorter route. We insisted on the longer route and, especially, spending two nights at Barafu Camp (the last camp before the final attempt on the summit) to get our bodies acclimatized to the high altitude.

I suggested to Yahoo he was in a rush to get back to Moshi to pick up another group of climbers and earn extra cash but, unfortunately, he was stuck with one inexperienced climber and another experienced climber who knew enough about altitude sickness not to take any chances. Yahoo reluctantly agreed.

After I picked up a Kilimanjaro mountain map the shop attendant tried to sell me mosquito repellent, but Le quickly dismissed any possibility of finding mosquitoes on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Tanzanians are aware how enterprising the people of Kilimanjaro are. Well, if I had any doubts, I knew today the Chagga were exceptional salespeople.

Next post: I take the first step towards the summit

Posts related to this one:
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_21.html
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_23.html

Why I quit smoking: My Kilimanjaro climb adventure (Post 3 of 10)

Friday 15 August 2008
Left Butiama for Mwanza early in the morning, intending to drive through before any traffic police officer was on the road to inspect my car insurance that had expired by a few days. My problem was I realized too late the relatively high cost of climbing Kilimanjaro and was not sure whether I had enough money to pay for both the insurance premium and the climb.

At Mwanza, I picked up my rebate ticket offered by Air Tanzania Corporation Limited (ATCL) for the Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb 2008 for my Mwanza – Kilimanjaro - Mwanza flight. I continue to be amused that it sounds like a grand fund raising campaign, but there I was, one person who had cornered himself into a difficult situation. I was the campaign. I flew to Kilimanjaro International Airport in the evening.

Saturday 16 August 2008
I woke up early to file my article for the Sunday News, late as usual. I have a problem of coming up with a new topic for the column every week. I spend most of the time thinking through a subject and by the time I sit down to write the article, it is way past the deadline. One advantage of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro will be I might be able to squeeze out more than one article for the column.

I spoke to Zainab Ansell, owner of Zara Tanzania Adventures and she informed me that her company was offering me a fully-paid 8-day Kilimanjaro trek worth $US1,500. I was elated.

In the afternoon, my friend from Mwanga sent a car to pick me up at Moshi and I slept in a room that had about a hundred mosquitoes. I spent more than an hour reducing their number using the cloth-canon technique. The technique involves waiting for a mosquito to land on a wall and then hurling clothing against the wall. It is one one of the most environmentally friendly mosquito-eliminating method that I know.

Next post: I meet Le, an experienced climber and Yahoo, our mountain guide.

Posts related to this one:
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_19.html
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_22.html

Why I quit smoking: My Kilimanjaro climb adventure (Post 2 0f 10)

In 2007 when it looked like I had lost yet another opportunity to climb Kilimanjaro, I decided I had to do something drastic or else I would continue dreaming of reaching Uhuru Peak. I had to place myself at a point of no return. I decided to tell a few people that "I will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro this year to raise funds for education." The first one was Sr. Stephanie Blaszczynski, headmistress of Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls’ Secondary School near Butiama and she said, “Why don’t you raise money for us? We need a dormitory for the students.”

I also wrote an e-mail to Howard Chinner, a resident of Sevenoaks, England, with whom I have corresponded after he read one of my columns. He suggested I could raise funds for Village Education Project Kilimanjaro (VEPK) located at Mshiri, Marangu, on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

It was partly from his suggestion that what would have been a nameless event, involving climbing the world's highest free standing dormant volcano, became The Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb*. As I gradually built my confidence during the climb, I decided to add “2008” to the event, signifying that it will become an annual event.

With those two commitments it was not possible to excuse myself out of the climb. I then sent out an email to appeal to all those who I felt will have sympathy (and a generosity to match) for one or both of the targeted beneficiaries of the climb. I received some positive response, further preventing me from making any plans that excluded climbing Kilimanjaro.

Prior to the climb, I spent some time trying to raise my fitness level by trekking around some of Butiama’s mountains. I changed my usual 5 kilometre walk around the Muhunda Forest, Butiama's ancestral forest, to a longer trek up Mt. Mtuzu, adding perhaps 3 kilometres to my trek. As I settled into my new exercise regimen I became convinced I was transforming my body into a formidable climbing machine.

A friend who lives near Mt. Kilimanjaro told me my convictions were fragile, that Butiama does not have mountains but only anthills, and that the closest I would get to experiencing climbing Kilimanjaro would be to join him in Mwanga and spend some time climbing the Pare Mountains.

The Pare Mountains, seen from Uparo in Kilimanjaro Region.

I spent two days in Mwanga, but did not climb any mountain. Instead I took a rest and prayed that I was fit enough to climb Kilimanjaro.

*I have since changed the name to: The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb

Next post: I leave a village and head for a mountain.

Posts related to this one:
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_18.html
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_21.html

Why I quit smoking: My Kilimanjaro Climb Adventure (Post 1 of 10)

I cannot remember the first time I decided I should climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, but it could have been eight years ago. For no particular reason, I decided I wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Making that decision was the easiest part, implementing the decision was a totally different matter. Years came and went and I realised if I did not take drastic measures, I would never climb the mountain.

As the years passed, I found more reasons for climbing the mountain. I kept on meeting people from all over the world who had climbed Kilimanjaro and I felt deprived of the fact that Tanzanians had a treasure that an increasing number of foreigners were discovering and yet few Tanzanians climbed. At a certain point I decided I could not live anymore with a situation where I would meet a foreigner who had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and not being able to say I have also been there.

In the past decade a lot has been said and written about global warming and its effect on the natural habitat. Some experts predict that because of global warming the snows of Kilmanjaro will melt away in the not-too-distant future. I was compelled to climb Africa’s highest peak to see that snow before the effects of human development wiped it off the face of earth.

It has to be said that an opposing view suggests that the glaciers on Mt. Kilimanjaro are retreating, not because of global warming, but because of a combination of other factors. I was not going to wait for the experts to agree.

In August 2005 I met Gen. Mirisho Sarakikya, former Chief of Defence Forces of the Tanzanian Army (1964 - 1974) and a veteran climber of Kilimanjaro. He has climbed Kilimanjaro 46 times. I promised him I would join him in September of the following year but I did not and his words kept haunting me: “I would be very disappointed if you were one of those Tanzanians that I meet once and never see again.” Read: those Tanzanians who pledge to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro but never show up for the climb.

One reason that may account for few Tanzanians reaching the summit is the cost. It costs an average of $US1,500 to pay for the 8 day trek, a sum which is beyond the reach of most Tanzanians. There is a large number of Tanzanians who can afford to pay that sum, but the question is whether they can have a matching resolve to tackle a climb that, to most average human beings, is considerably tough.

I was surprised to find out that, apart from the guides and porters, there were virtually no Tanzanian climbers on Mt. Kilimanjaro. I probably met more than 100 climbers during the climb, but I met only one Tanzanian on his way up when I was descending. Sadly, he succumbed to altitude sickness and was brought down on a stretcher.

Next post: Preparing for the climb.

Post related to this one:
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-quit-smoking-my-kilimanjaro-climb_19.html

The Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb 2008, the latest

A few important milestones have been reached since my last post on the Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb 2008. First, I successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro between 19 – 26 August 2008 and reached Uhuru Peak just after 3:00 on a sunny afternoon. I will post details of the climb in the next few days.

Mt. Kilimanjaro's Kibo peak, seen from Shira 1 Camp.

More important, however, is the amount that has been raised so from the climb:

Currency Abbreviations:
Pound Sterling £
Tanzanian Shilling TZS
US Dollars $

Total Raised So Far:
£440
TZS 2,200,000
$12,015

Sponsors' List: Village Education Project Kilimanjaro (VEPK) :
Vicki Boman £20
Vince Robbins £25
Kathleen Bolger £25
Brent and Darlene Bolger £100
Nancy Fairbarn £50
Torin Macpherson £50
Karen Versluys £20
Joan Sarazin £50
Global Resource Alliance £100

Sponsors' List (Tanzanian Shillings): Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School (CEWGSS) :
Milton J. Nyerere TZS 100,000
Mama Maria Nyerere TZS 200,000
Exactline Engineering (Group) Ltd / Eng. E.K.E. Lima TZS 2,000,000

Sponsors' List (US Dollars): Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School (CEWGSS) :
Resurrection High School graduates and their families $12,155

A big 'Thank You':
During the toughest moments of the climb, I pushed myself to my limits to reach the peak because I felt that those who had donated and those who will donate after the climb had to get the maximum value for their donations. For all those who inspired me to the top, I say thank you.

I must also thank Mrs. Zainab Ansell who, through her company, Zara Tanzania Adventures, offered a fully-paid package worth $US1,500 (mountain guide, porters, tents, food, etc) during my eight-day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I would also like to thank Air Tanzania Corporation Limited (ATCL) who, on my request, gave me a complimentary ticket, Mwanza – Kilimanjaro - Mwanza worth TZS 441,500/-.

I also thank my friend, Jordan Rugimbana, who donated TZS 200,000/- to cover part of my climbing expenses and who shares my idea that the Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb should be an annual event.

A message from the Headmistress of Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls’ Secondary:
I should have posted this appeal from Sr. Stephanie Blaszczynski before the climb but I was overwhelmed by tasks before and after the climb. The message is still relevant because donations are still accepted.

I am grateful to Mr. Godfrey Madaraka Nyerere for his initiative in climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as a fundraising event for building dormitories for Chief Wanzagi Secondary School in Buturu. We currently have 110 wonderful girls at Chief Edward Wanzagi Secondary School. We could easily have had over 300 girls in Form 1 of the almost 600 who applied to our school if only we had dormitories for them. Our students study very hard and have been most gracious about 28 sleeping on double decker beds in one of the four classrooms used as dormitories. They are in good spirits as they line up for food at the temporary outdoor kitchen in which their food is cooked on huge rocks and sitting outside on the ground while eating all their meals.
The people of Tanzania are so good, the countryside is awe-inspiring and we teachers are privileged to work with the girls. The most difficult part of my job as Headmistress of the school is refusing admission to so many, many girls whose parents or guardians come begging us to take “just one more girl”. During our break between terms, there were over 50 students desperately asking for admission for the second term of school. It is so hard to hear the parents’ agonizing stories of why they want their daughter needs to be in our school. Just this morning, I had this fine young man who is ready to go to the University, but is desperately trying to find a place for his younger sister now that their mother has just died and there is no one to care for his sister. Without dormitories, there is just no way that we can begin to even think of responding to these very real needs.
Already people are coming asking for applications for Form 1 for the next school year. The only way that we can begin to respond to the very real needs of people who come to us and the only way we can accept the next class of students is to have dormitories ready by the beginning of the next school year in January, 2009. I beg you to consider supporting Mr. Godfrey Madaraka Nyerere’s The Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb 2008 for the benefit of dormitories at Chief Wanzagi Secondary School. You are certainly in the daily prayers of the Sisters of the Resurrection who staff the school.

--Sr. Stephanie Blaszczynski, C.R.
Headmistress

Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb 2008 update: Sponsors' List

Mwalimu Nyerere Charity Climb 2008 update: Sponsors' List

Curreny Abbreviations
Pound Sterling £
Tanzanian Shilling TZS

Total Raised so far £420 and TZS 100,000

Sponsors' List: Village Education Project Kilimanjaro (VEPK)
Vince Robbins £25
Kathleen Bolger £25
Brent and Darlene Bolger £100
Nancy Fairbarn £50
Torin Macpherson £50
Karen Versluys £20
Joan Sarazin £50
Global Resource Alliance £100

Sponsors' List: Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School (CEWGSS)
Milton J. Nyerere TZS 100,000

Thank you for your donations.