WE DID IT- Conquered Kilimanjaro and it was the most amazing, breathtakingly beautiful and exhausting thing we have ever done! There are no words to explain what it was all like- truly an unforgettable experience. Check out some pictures from our adventure on the left!

Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding mountain in the world, as well as the highest mountain on the African continent at 5896m and we climbed to the top of it in order to raise as much money to Make a Wish Foundation as possible.

It was not an easy task for sure- with a week of camping with no shower, cold temperatures and high altitude sickness to conquer- it really was not a walk in the park!

You can still support us and Make a wish...

Thanks so much for your support- it means a lot to us both.

Minna & Jamie

xxx

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The following gives you a better idea of our journey to the ‘top of the world’ and about Make a Wish charity too.

Day 1: Machame Gate – Machame Camp

The first section of the route climbs steadily and involves real jungle bashing through magnificent forest. This path is less well trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot. Night camp: Machame Camp, 3100m

 

Trek approx 8 hours, approx 18km

Day 2: Machame Camp –

The route continues on up through the forest until we are at the steep ascent on to the Shira Plateau, where there are rewarding views of the mountain.

Night camp: Shira Caves, 3840m.

Trek approx 7 hours, approx 9 km

Day 3: – Barranco Hut

Walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. We traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp at the Barranco Hut (3900m), a tin shack where we pitch our tents. The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), but we have followed the mountaineering code of ‘walk high, sleep low’ to avoid altitude sickness by aiding our bodies acclimatisation. Night camp: Barranco Hut, 3900m

Trek approx 8 hours, approx 15km

Day 4: Barranco Hut – Barafu Camp

Our day starts by descending into the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley, which is our last water stop before the summit. Scree now forms the terrain as we walk through arid and desolate land towards camp.

Night camp: Barafu Camp, 4600m

Trek approx 10 hours, approx 18km

Day 5: Barafu Camp – – Millennium Camp

We avoid walking too long in the heat of the sun today by starting early, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5750m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to Mawenzi and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit Uhuru (5896m), the highest point; Uhuru means freedom in Swahili.

We begin the descent by returning to Stella Point (5750m) and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast before finally heading down to camp for a long well-earned rest. On our descent we have fabulous views of the plains and Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro’s secondary but more technical peak.

Night camp: Millenium Camp (3000m)

Trek approx 12 hours, approx 20km

 

Plus 7km steep climb to the summit  ! ! ! This is where most of the climbers fail :(

Day 6: Millennium Camp – Mweka Gate – Moshi

A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates which we can hang up with pride! We are then met by vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi where we can hopefully treat ourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration.

 

Trek approx 6 hours, approx 10km

 

About Make a Wish organisation

Make a Wish is a charity granting magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses. Since being established in the in 1986, they have granted over 5,500 wishes.

Make-A-Wish has no cures to offer and all too often some of the endings are sad but, during desperate times when there seems to be no hope, Make-A-Wish steps in and provides positive and uplifting relief. Most of all, a wish granted brings a time of magic and joy for the special children and families they serve.

At any given time, over 20,000 children in the are living with life-threatening conditions and they believe that every one of these children deserves to experience the magic of a Make-A-Wish wish.

Whether it is to be a princess or a policeman for a day, own the latest computer equipment, meet a favorite celebrity or just enjoy some special time away from home with their family, a wish come true brings so much to a child's life and provides memories for the family that last a lifetime.

In 2009, around 1,000 children will turn to Make-A-Wish to have their special wish granted. They need to raise £5 million in 2009 in order to continue granting these magical wishes