Jambo (Swahili for hello)

Day 1
The time has come, we are now the 18th Sept and here I am going to Heathrow Airport to meet the other 22 adventur-ous nutcases who are going to attempt to go up to the 5895 metres of the Uhuru Peak of Kilimanjaro.

Day 2
After a long flight via Addis Ababa and Nairobi we arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Moshi town where we check into our overnight hotel late in the afternoon. The last chance to sort the kit before the trek - or to pull out. After many months of preparation and hard work, everyone is eager to start trekking.

Day 3
After breakfast we head for the one hour drive to the gate of the Machame route where we meet our porters before starting the climb. Here we go! The first section sees us climbing steadily through the plush vegetation of the rainforest of Kili – after a 7 hour trek we arrive at Machame Camp 3100m. This is the first camping night of the trek and the first opportunity to sample the hole in the hut toilet. An experience in itself!

Day 4
After a sleepless night and a porridge breakfast “à l’Africaine”, we start making our way up through the last of the forest. We reach the steep ascent on the Shira Plateau where the views of the mountain are stunning. In the horizon through the moving clouds we can discern the summit of Mount Meru. After a steeper trek of seven hours we arrive at Shira Caves 3840 m. The tented accommodation offers very basic protection and a good quality sleeping bag together with a good hiking mattress is essential to avoid the cold during the night.

Day 5
The night was very cold and I suffered another long, sleepless night; the lack of sleep is starting to have an impact. The headache is omnipresent. Appetite is poor but food is vital if we want to
succeed and most of us are forcing ourselves to eat to provide the energy needed for the day. Today’s trek sees us climb to and trek at 4600m; noticeably the landscape changes as we come around the southwest side of Kilimanjaro. We pass underneath the Lava Tower and Western Breach until we set sight upon our camp at Great Barranco set at 3900m in very interesting cacti plant surroundings. This is a typical altitude sickness “Walk high-Sleep low” process and an eight hour trek. The process doesn’t seem to work too well as the altitude effects are starting to be felt throughout the group in various degrees: nausea, headaches, coughing etc. I call it the altitude hangover. I certainly have had it for three days already. Bring on the red wine!

Day 6
This morning my appetite is lacking and signs of fatigue are showing. The exit from the camp is a steep wall of the Great Barranco. The terrain is mostly rocky and although it is not technical this part of the trek is long and challenging. Heading towards the Karanga Valley, the last water stop before the summit, we pass underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers. My head is
pounding as we get closer to our camp at Barafu, the terrain turns to scree and we arrive at the camp 4600m after a nine hour stretch. The group’s mental and physical exhaustion is starting to show; however the excitement of being so close to the top is stimulating. Dinner is served
followed by the last brief before going to bed. The night is very cold and the sky is beaming with a constellation of scintillating stars.

Day 7
At 11.45pm the camp is woken up. We are travelling at night for the last stint to help us avoid
trekking in the heat of the sun. It is minus 13oC. We ascend steeply toward the summit glaciers with the aid of the head torch to show the path. The painstaking ascent is slow, air is in short supply and the night is dark and cold. The platypus water reserve pipe is frozen. The group is starting to come apart. Breathing is getting worse as we have gone over the 5000m. The pace is slower and slower and my pounding head is not helping. I am nearly at 5300m when the doctor arrives to check my progress. Exhausted, running out of water, and suffering from altitude sickness, I evaluate the odds and take the decision to go back to camp, overwhelmed by the mighty Kilimanjaro. So close to the summit Uhuru The wall of the Great Barranco 5896m and yet so far. An assistant guide has been assigned to me to take me back to camp. The descent on the shifting gravel is treacherous on the slope. On the way down the breathtaking view of the sunrise over the horizon gives me enough vigour to get back to Barafu camp. After a couple of hours’ rest, the casualties of the last stretch head down to Millennium
Camp at 3700m to escape the symptoms of altitude sickness. Although we have reached Millennium camp, members of the group are still uncomfortable and suffering. After consideration, the decision to trek all the way down to the Mweka gate is unanimous; the idea of sleeping in a clean bed and the prospect of a hot shower seems to galvanise everyone. The rain forest steps are the last hurdle before the gate. We have trekked for 14 hours and are happy to see the bus which is taking us to our final destination to a well deserved beer.

Day 8
Essentially today is a free day which allows us to explore the town of Moshi, have a shave at the local barber, do some shopping in the markets and relax!

Day 9
Today, it is time to depart. Back to Kilimanjaro International Airport for our flight back to Heathrow, via Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Rome. Asante Sana (thank you in Swahili) to all the sponsors who have contributed towards the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign challenge hoping to reach the 5K target (Currently £4.6k).

In memory of Roger

Serge