1:13 am and I still haven't finished all my packing. The screen is blurry from the fatigue so I doubt I'll be able to write anything very interesting. I just want to say goodnight and goodbye and wish me luck! I will blog and inform you all as much as possible, although I doubt that will be very much. But I promise I'll try.
A lot of people called me tonight to know how I'm feeling. I'm just so tired from the last few days, so wired from packing and thinking and re-thinking and planning, that there hasn't been much room for much more than the here and now. The next minute, the next item, the next task.
I can't really say right now that I'm SUPER excited, only that I feel that I'm on the verge of something big, sort of like standing on the edge of a cliff, or maybe more like standing on top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Walk for Water, and to everyone who has sent me words of encouragement recently. See you all later!
Kathleen's Kilimanjaro Walk for Water - An overview of my Kilimanjaro trek in support of UNICEF, as well as thoughts about my overall trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Feel free to click on photo below to donate.
Click on the photo above to donate. It will take you to my UNICEF page.
Tuesday
Thursday
Get Over Yourself
Just got home from the store with almost $200-worth of pharmaceuticals/prescriptions in tow. I am both shocked (at how much money I spent) and exhausted. I felt a little bit crazy and paranoid walking around the store for over an hour, consulting and picking things off the shelves in case of headaches, diarrhea, lice, yeast infection, malaria, altitude sickness, sunburn, allergies, and what have you. Somewhere between the Diclofenac and the Antihistimines, I began to feel guilty.
I think the feeling comes from the fact that no matter how hard I might try to live the “African Experience,” I’m always going to be a conventional White North American in Africa, vaccinations and all. I’m not sure why what I am makes me feel guilty!
I think the feeling comes from the fact that no matter how hard I might try to live the “African Experience,” I’m always going to be a conventional White North American in Africa, vaccinations and all. I’m not sure why what I am makes me feel guilty!
Tuesday
EXCITEMENT!!!
"Reaching the top of Kilimanjaro is a very significant undertaking, not to be taken lightly.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is actually a good deal more difficult than most people think. This is not a straightforward walk in the park, it is a gruelling, arduous and potentially very dangerous trek. The vast majority of trekkers do not completely get their heads around this fact until their trek is underway. Kilimanjaro may well be the most physically demanding thing you ever do, but also one of the most rewarding.
Mount Kilimanjaro also just happens to be situated close to perhaps the greatest safari area in Africa, lying just 100km east of Ngorongoro and Serengeti. It is also within an hour hop by light aircraft of the tropical beaches and superb diving off the islands of Zanzibar. Which means that a trek on Kilimanjaro can be used as the backbone to an extremely cool longer adventure within East Africa.
So long as you are sufficiently fit, well prepared and well guided, then Mount Kilimanjaro should reward you with an experience of genuinely life-punctuating magnitude. It is the closest most of us will ever come to experiencing a genuine expedition, the deep and powerful comradery of a team working together in adverse circumstances to reach an extraordinary goal. People who know the mountain understand the level of achievement that it represents. People who have successfully climbed Kilimanjaro remain proud of the fact for the rest of their lives." (African Travel Resource)
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is actually a good deal more difficult than most people think. This is not a straightforward walk in the park, it is a gruelling, arduous and potentially very dangerous trek. The vast majority of trekkers do not completely get their heads around this fact until their trek is underway. Kilimanjaro may well be the most physically demanding thing you ever do, but also one of the most rewarding.
Mount Kilimanjaro also just happens to be situated close to perhaps the greatest safari area in Africa, lying just 100km east of Ngorongoro and Serengeti. It is also within an hour hop by light aircraft of the tropical beaches and superb diving off the islands of Zanzibar. Which means that a trek on Kilimanjaro can be used as the backbone to an extremely cool longer adventure within East Africa.
So long as you are sufficiently fit, well prepared and well guided, then Mount Kilimanjaro should reward you with an experience of genuinely life-punctuating magnitude. It is the closest most of us will ever come to experiencing a genuine expedition, the deep and powerful comradery of a team working together in adverse circumstances to reach an extraordinary goal. People who know the mountain understand the level of achievement that it represents. People who have successfully climbed Kilimanjaro remain proud of the fact for the rest of their lives." (African Travel Resource)
Monday
A lot of people are asking me these days if I’m scared/nervous. Although I know everyone is probably referring to the climb, the first answer that comes to my mind is, “of what?”
The truth is, Kilimanjaro will take care of itself. I will either make it, or not. But I don’t feel that my safety will be compromised at any point in time during this point of my Tanzanian adventure. The worst that can happen is that I suffer from altitude sickness, at which point I will be sent back down the mountain, feeling pretty bad, but still safe and sound.
What most people don’t know, and what has only really started sinking in for me, is that I’m going to be travelling in East Africa alone. It’s true, the purpose of this trip is Kilimanjaro (I wouldn’t be going to Africa if it weren’t for the trek), but the trip has taken on a life of its own. What scares me more than the 6 ½ days I will be spending on Kilimanjaro are all the other days I am having to work out on my own.
My closer family seems to think I am taking the whole thing too lightly, but it’s only my pride that makes me act nonchalant. Besides, they are so overly concerned that I feel I need to be the one to be “taking it easy.” But yes, I’m scared. I’m afraid of being alone mostly, of having only myself to rely on if I have important decisions to make or if things don’t turn out as planned. I’m afraid of feeling isolated because as a woman travelling alone, I might not be able to go out and do everything I would like to do. There are some places I may not even feel safe going out at all.
Still, my fear isn’t enough to make me not want to do this. For years, I’ve said that I want to go places where I don’t feel at home, and where I will feel a little bit of discomfort. I recognize that in addition to the Kilimanjaro climb, this whole trip will also be a challenge. But to me, that’s exactly the point.
The truth is, Kilimanjaro will take care of itself. I will either make it, or not. But I don’t feel that my safety will be compromised at any point in time during this point of my Tanzanian adventure. The worst that can happen is that I suffer from altitude sickness, at which point I will be sent back down the mountain, feeling pretty bad, but still safe and sound.
What most people don’t know, and what has only really started sinking in for me, is that I’m going to be travelling in East Africa alone. It’s true, the purpose of this trip is Kilimanjaro (I wouldn’t be going to Africa if it weren’t for the trek), but the trip has taken on a life of its own. What scares me more than the 6 ½ days I will be spending on Kilimanjaro are all the other days I am having to work out on my own.
My closer family seems to think I am taking the whole thing too lightly, but it’s only my pride that makes me act nonchalant. Besides, they are so overly concerned that I feel I need to be the one to be “taking it easy.” But yes, I’m scared. I’m afraid of being alone mostly, of having only myself to rely on if I have important decisions to make or if things don’t turn out as planned. I’m afraid of feeling isolated because as a woman travelling alone, I might not be able to go out and do everything I would like to do. There are some places I may not even feel safe going out at all.
Still, my fear isn’t enough to make me not want to do this. For years, I’ve said that I want to go places where I don’t feel at home, and where I will feel a little bit of discomfort. I recognize that in addition to the Kilimanjaro climb, this whole trip will also be a challenge. But to me, that’s exactly the point.
Inertia
I keep writing and re-writing new lists of things I need to do before leaving, but lately I haven't been crossing much out. I have a lot of time on my hands, and I find the more free unstructured, time I have, the more I waste it.
Since last week, I have lost three days of valuable time just sitting around, surfing the internet. I've even taken up Tetris (shows how far I would go to avoid moving forward.) It’s as if the enormity of the task at hand makes me paralysed. At the end of the day, I realise I’ve accomplished nothing, and then I proceed to feeling bad and feeling stressed, which further adds to my anxiety.
My challenge this week is to make a schedule that I will stick to in the next two weeks because I am leaving on Dec. 1st. So far, today has proven to be a failure. 3:20 PM and still no progress in my packing and planning.And still no progress in this pending translation that I wanted to finish before leaving. By this time in the day, if I haven't done anything, I'm pretty much useless. The one thing I'm usually capable of doing is getting to the gym. I may give that a try.
I’ve always been intrinsically motivated and this new idleness is freaking me out.
Africa Plans
Boona Baana
Departure for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is December 1st at 6:45 am. Upon arrival on the 2nd, I'll get a cab to the Boona Baana Center for Children's Rights, which is a small organisation that helps children from all over Tanzania. I found Boona Baana online and decided to give them a ring because I much preferred the idea of helping out and meeting locals in Dar es Salaam than touring around. Despite the short time I'll be there, they gave me a positive response, so that's where I'll be spending my first days.
Boona Baana's most important project is the Green Door Home, an orphanage of sorts that provides a home for abandoned or orphaned children. While the Green Door Home was originally founded for very young children, the kids who live there now are between 6-17, so my principle job in the time I'll be there will to help with homework, do chores, and to alleviate the workload of the Green Door Home housemother.
Safari
The second part of my trip is the overland Safari on the Serengeti and in the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Every day will be spent in a different tented camp or lodge, so I have a feeling that the distance I am going to cover over those few days is going to be very large, and the experiences at each place will be rich and varied. I am especially looking forward to the Olduvai Tented Camp. Here is what Africa Travel Resource has to say about it:
"One of the absolute highlights of a safari in this part of the world is to go walking with the Maasai guides at Olduvai Camp. What makes Olduvai Camp really special is that it is not run like a military operation, with ex-pat managers hovering in the background with walkie-talkies. Olduvai is run by a very small team of Tanzanian staff, who look after the food and logistics, leaving the Maasai guides free to
interact with the guests. The Maasai here are not the manicured window dressing that you find in many upmarket camps, these are real warriors from the local bomas, who consider Olduvai Camp to be part of their territory. You are their guests in their lands. This makes an enormous difference to the feel of the safari. Allowing a lodge to operate in this unfettered way has its downsides ... you need to be ready to forgive and forget occasional lapses in food and service ... but for most people this is far outweighed by the upsides. Olduvai Camp is exactly the kind of place where people fall in love with Africa ... certainly one of our
absolute favourites. A safari into this region which does not include this camp is all the poorer for it."
Kilimanjaro Walk for Water
See the Nov. 8th blog for a description of the climb.
Zanzibar
This last part of the trip is entirely reserved for rest and relaxation. Zanzibar is an island located on the Indian Ocean with a great coral reef and white sandy beaches. I'm guessing all I'm going to want to do after the climb is lie on beach, read, snorkel, chill out, and eat. A great way to end the trip before I come back to the snow and cold of Quebec City.
Departure for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is December 1st at 6:45 am. Upon arrival on the 2nd, I'll get a cab to the Boona Baana Center for Children's Rights, which is a small organisation that helps children from all over Tanzania. I found Boona Baana online and decided to give them a ring because I much preferred the idea of helping out and meeting locals in Dar es Salaam than touring around. Despite the short time I'll be there, they gave me a positive response, so that's where I'll be spending my first days.
Boona Baana's most important project is the Green Door Home, an orphanage of sorts that provides a home for abandoned or orphaned children. While the Green Door Home was originally founded for very young children, the kids who live there now are between 6-17, so my principle job in the time I'll be there will to help with homework, do chores, and to alleviate the workload of the Green Door Home housemother.
Safari
The second part of my trip is the overland Safari on the Serengeti and in the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Every day will be spent in a different tented camp or lodge, so I have a feeling that the distance I am going to cover over those few days is going to be very large, and the experiences at each place will be rich and varied. I am especially looking forward to the Olduvai Tented Camp. Here is what Africa Travel Resource has to say about it:
"One of the absolute highlights of a safari in this part of the world is to go walking with the Maasai guides at Olduvai Camp. What makes Olduvai Camp really special is that it is not run like a military operation, with ex-pat managers hovering in the background with walkie-talkies. Olduvai is run by a very small team of Tanzanian staff, who look after the food and logistics, leaving the Maasai guides free to
interact with the guests. The Maasai here are not the manicured window dressing that you find in many upmarket camps, these are real warriors from the local bomas, who consider Olduvai Camp to be part of their territory. You are their guests in their lands. This makes an enormous difference to the feel of the safari. Allowing a lodge to operate in this unfettered way has its downsides ... you need to be ready to forgive and forget occasional lapses in food and service ... but for most people this is far outweighed by the upsides. Olduvai Camp is exactly the kind of place where people fall in love with Africa ... certainly one of our
absolute favourites. A safari into this region which does not include this camp is all the poorer for it."
Kilimanjaro Walk for Water
See the Nov. 8th blog for a description of the climb.
Zanzibar
This last part of the trip is entirely reserved for rest and relaxation. Zanzibar is an island located on the Indian Ocean with a great coral reef and white sandy beaches. I'm guessing all I'm going to want to do after the climb is lie on beach, read, snorkel, chill out, and eat. A great way to end the trip before I come back to the snow and cold of Quebec City.
Friday
Stairs to Kilimanjaro
Number of stairs coming up from Champlain Boulevard onto the Plains of Abraham = 398
Number of weeks I’ve been doing these stairs after getting the OK from the physio = more or less 8
Number of times I train on these stairs a week = 2
Number of times I train on these stairs a week = 2
Number of reps = 3-4 in the first weeks, 5-7 the last couple of weeks
= 28258 stairs upwards + 28258 downwards = 56516 stairs!!! (and counting)
Monday
Description of the Climb
For those curious about how long and how much and how high and how everything, you will find what I am being told about the climb below. It'll be interesting to compare with my impressions afterwards!
Situated on the northeastern side of the mountain, the Rongai Route is the "easiest" of the more remote quality routes on the mountain. I chose it because it'll be better for my knee, but still not too easy or too crowded.
Day 1
To Moorland Camp : 2600 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
After a short walk through the banana and coffee farms of Rongai village, the trail enters a pine forest full of colobus monkeys and several varieties of birds. This side of the mountain doesn't receive nearly as much rain as the western flank, so the underfoot conditions should be good. The trail gradually emerges from the forest into the next climate zone, the moorland. The first camp is reached in mid-afternoon.
Day 2
To Kikelewa Caves Camp : 3600 m
Ascent: 1000 m
Walking time : 6 to 7 hours
Early morning is normally clear at camp and as we make our way across the moorland, we get increasingly good views of Kibo, the Eastern Icefields, and also of the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Kikewala Caves is reached shortly after lunch.
Day 3
To Mawenzi Tarn Camp : 4330 m
Ascent : 730 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by great all round views and " a feeling of real remoteness." Shortly after, the vegetation is left behind and the immensity of the mountain begins to loom.
The next camp is at Mawenzi Tarn, situated right below the towering spires of Mawenzi. The afternoon is used for rest time as an aid to acclimatisation. At 4330 meters, some people begin to feel the effects of altitude. Headaches, lack of appetite, and dizziness are all possible symptoms.
Day 4
To Kibo Camp : 4700 m
Ascent : 520 m
Descent : 100 m
Walking time : 4 to 5 hours
Day 4's trek leads directly between the two volcanoes of Mawenzi and Kibo. While crossing the alpine desert, we get our first glimpse of the winding summit path, wherein lies what my guidebook calls "the nightmare." We are advised to keep snacking throughout the day despite a loss of appetite, because we will be needing all that energy for the day after. Everyone tries to wind down by 6 PM, as we are waking up between midnight and 1 AM for the final climb!
Day 5
To Summit 1 : Gillmans : 5681 m
To Summit 2, the ultimate! : Uhuru : 5896 m
Horombo Huts : 3720 m
Ascent : 1146 m
Descent : 2016 m
Walking time : 9 to 15 hours
Between midnight and 1am, the final trek begins. The ascent is by torchlight and the plan is to get to Gillman's point on the crater rim in time to watch the sun rise over the jagged peaks of the Mawenzi. This is the "nightmare": "Five to six hours of trudging up generally well-graded zigzags, this way and that, backwards and forward in the dark, uphill all the way." This is when I'll be cashing in my countless hours on the Cap-Blanc steps of the Plains of Abraham. Hopefully the training will get me to the top, but at this altitude, the air is incredibly thin, and nausea can easily set in. If at any point the guide says that someone isn't fit to continue, there is no disputing his decision.
Anyway, after 5 or 6 hours, we should reach Gillman's point. A short rest is taken there, and then we push on towards the summit in the final 2-hour climb to Uhuru Peak: "It is this summit experience that climbers talk about most enthusiastically when they get off the mountain. That may seem like an obvious thing to say, but there is something strangely surreal about the summit in the early light of the day. The light plays tricks on the ice and the thin air plays tricks on the mind. Many people talk of a peculiarly uplifting experience" (Africa Travel Resource).
As if this were not enough for one day already, it is only 7 am and we are now faced with the descent!
The descent is generally undertaken in a kind of post-summit daze. The fact that we descend on the busy Marangu Trail is apparently neither here no there, with our asethetic appreciation being replaced almost completely with a simple desire to get back down.
Day 6
To Marangu : 1650 m
Ascent : 0
Descent : 1890 m
Walking time : 5 to 6 hours
Final Stop: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort, and off to Zanzibar for me!
Situated on the northeastern side of the mountain, the Rongai Route is the "easiest" of the more remote quality routes on the mountain. I chose it because it'll be better for my knee, but still not too easy or too crowded.
Day 1
To Moorland Camp : 2600 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
After a short walk through the banana and coffee farms of Rongai village, the trail enters a pine forest full of colobus monkeys and several varieties of birds. This side of the mountain doesn't receive nearly as much rain as the western flank, so the underfoot conditions should be good. The trail gradually emerges from the forest into the next climate zone, the moorland. The first camp is reached in mid-afternoon.
Day 2
To Kikelewa Caves Camp : 3600 m
Ascent: 1000 m
Walking time : 6 to 7 hours
Early morning is normally clear at camp and as we make our way across the moorland, we get increasingly good views of Kibo, the Eastern Icefields, and also of the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Kikewala Caves is reached shortly after lunch.
Day 3
To Mawenzi Tarn Camp : 4330 m
Ascent : 730 m
Walking time : 3 to 4 hours
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by great all round views and " a feeling of real remoteness." Shortly after, the vegetation is left behind and the immensity of the mountain begins to loom.
The next camp is at Mawenzi Tarn, situated right below the towering spires of Mawenzi. The afternoon is used for rest time as an aid to acclimatisation. At 4330 meters, some people begin to feel the effects of altitude. Headaches, lack of appetite, and dizziness are all possible symptoms.
Day 4
To Kibo Camp : 4700 m
Ascent : 520 m
Descent : 100 m
Walking time : 4 to 5 hours
Day 4's trek leads directly between the two volcanoes of Mawenzi and Kibo. While crossing the alpine desert, we get our first glimpse of the winding summit path, wherein lies what my guidebook calls "the nightmare." We are advised to keep snacking throughout the day despite a loss of appetite, because we will be needing all that energy for the day after. Everyone tries to wind down by 6 PM, as we are waking up between midnight and 1 AM for the final climb!
Day 5
To Summit 1 : Gillmans : 5681 m
To Summit 2, the ultimate! : Uhuru : 5896 m
Horombo Huts : 3720 m
Ascent : 1146 m
Descent : 2016 m
Walking time : 9 to 15 hours
Between midnight and 1am, the final trek begins. The ascent is by torchlight and the plan is to get to Gillman's point on the crater rim in time to watch the sun rise over the jagged peaks of the Mawenzi. This is the "nightmare": "Five to six hours of trudging up generally well-graded zigzags, this way and that, backwards and forward in the dark, uphill all the way." This is when I'll be cashing in my countless hours on the Cap-Blanc steps of the Plains of Abraham. Hopefully the training will get me to the top, but at this altitude, the air is incredibly thin, and nausea can easily set in. If at any point the guide says that someone isn't fit to continue, there is no disputing his decision.
Anyway, after 5 or 6 hours, we should reach Gillman's point. A short rest is taken there, and then we push on towards the summit in the final 2-hour climb to Uhuru Peak: "It is this summit experience that climbers talk about most enthusiastically when they get off the mountain. That may seem like an obvious thing to say, but there is something strangely surreal about the summit in the early light of the day. The light plays tricks on the ice and the thin air plays tricks on the mind. Many people talk of a peculiarly uplifting experience" (Africa Travel Resource).
As if this were not enough for one day already, it is only 7 am and we are now faced with the descent!
The descent is generally undertaken in a kind of post-summit daze. The fact that we descend on the busy Marangu Trail is apparently neither here no there, with our asethetic appreciation being replaced almost completely with a simple desire to get back down.
Day 6
To Marangu : 1650 m
Ascent : 0
Descent : 1890 m
Walking time : 5 to 6 hours
Final Stop: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort, and off to Zanzibar for me!
Thursday
How it all began...
This story starts with me on the ground at the Loyola Campus rugby field last June with a newly torn ACL. And hopefully it ends with me standing on Africa's highest point, Uhuru Peak, at 5896 meters in December 2010.
At first, the thought of such a long-term injury terrified me. For one, I had never been out 6-9 months and had no idea how I would get through such a long period without sport. I was also devastated about the opportunities lost, especially with the new Quebec Senior Women's team I was enjoying so much. My teammate, Suzy, told me I had one week to wallow in self-pity following the injury, and did I ever use it. Anyone who has been through an injury like this one before- or even just lived a huge disappointment- knows that the "self-pity" part of the process is important. It's not fair for anyone to ask us to "look on the bright side" at that point, and we're not being fair to ourselves if we even try to do so. Indulge in the disappointment. Take the time to feel like crap.
And then... get over it.
At the end of one week I was tired of eating pear sorbet and whining over the phone to everyone about my knee. (I'm sure they were tired of hearing about it too.) It's then that the injury became an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Rugby is my passion, but it keeps me grounded here almost year-round. So I decided that since I couldn't play rugby, I would change everything and take advantage of it: For one semester, I decided to quit school, to work full time in Sept.-Oct., and to go on a trip in Nov.-Dec.
Originally, I wanted to get involved with a humanitarian organisation. I thought long and hard, contacted many organisations, and realised that just two months wasn't enough for me. If I ever did get involved in a humanitarian organisation, I would want it to be a more long-term project. I put it aside and wondered if there was anything else I could do to make a difference.
And then I thought about Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea, and about his goal to educate children around the world, especially children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Was there anything I could do, concretely, to help children as Mortenson did (and still does)? Interestingly enough, Mortenson grew up in Tanzania and climbed Kilimanjaro at 12 years old. Then the idea hit me.
At first, the thought of such a long-term injury terrified me. For one, I had never been out 6-9 months and had no idea how I would get through such a long period without sport. I was also devastated about the opportunities lost, especially with the new Quebec Senior Women's team I was enjoying so much. My teammate, Suzy, told me I had one week to wallow in self-pity following the injury, and did I ever use it. Anyone who has been through an injury like this one before- or even just lived a huge disappointment- knows that the "self-pity" part of the process is important. It's not fair for anyone to ask us to "look on the bright side" at that point, and we're not being fair to ourselves if we even try to do so. Indulge in the disappointment. Take the time to feel like crap.
And then... get over it.
At the end of one week I was tired of eating pear sorbet and whining over the phone to everyone about my knee. (I'm sure they were tired of hearing about it too.) It's then that the injury became an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Rugby is my passion, but it keeps me grounded here almost year-round. So I decided that since I couldn't play rugby, I would change everything and take advantage of it: For one semester, I decided to quit school, to work full time in Sept.-Oct., and to go on a trip in Nov.-Dec.
Originally, I wanted to get involved with a humanitarian organisation. I thought long and hard, contacted many organisations, and realised that just two months wasn't enough for me. If I ever did get involved in a humanitarian organisation, I would want it to be a more long-term project. I put it aside and wondered if there was anything else I could do to make a difference.
And then I thought about Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea, and about his goal to educate children around the world, especially children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Was there anything I could do, concretely, to help children as Mortenson did (and still does)? Interestingly enough, Mortenson grew up in Tanzania and climbed Kilimanjaro at 12 years old. Then the idea hit me.
Click on the link below to sponsor Kilimanjaro Walk for Water in Support of UNICEF!
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1034108&langPref=en-CA
Once on my UNICEF page, you will find a quick and easy way to donate online. All funds go directly to UNICEF.
Once on my UNICEF page, you will find a quick and easy way to donate online. All funds go directly to UNICEF.
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