Kim Davies
Kim, Nick and Kilimanjaro
Fundraising for Gateshead College Foundation
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.Here is the report on the trek : it includes details of the hardest 8 hours of Nick's life, and photos are on the JustGiving page.
Day 1: overnight flight to Nairobi then Kilimanjaro: two films, no sleep
Day 2: arrive at hotel: Nick ill from anti-malaria tablets or food-poisoning from England. No sleep for him
Day 3: start trek through forest to edge of moorland zone and get to first camp in rain (this being the dry season). Uncomfortable in tent; approx two hours sleep
Day 4: ascent to Kikelewa Caves (1000 metres) and meet torrential thunderstorm from 8pm to midnight. Glad we didn't go in the rainy season. 4 hours sleep in the post-storm peace.
Day 5: Reach Mawenzie Tarn, huddled beneath Mawenzie, an extinct volcano. Both with altitude headaches, 2 hours sleep
Day 6: across the desert towards Kibo, the main volcanic crater of Kilimanjaro, the monotony broken by the wreckage of a fatal air crash from 2008. Reach base camp. Lunch at 3pm. 1 hour sleep. Dinner at 5pm plus terrifying briefing. Rest from 6.30 to 11pm. No sleep. Breakfast at 11.30pm (more porridge), ready for....
Day 7: Midnight start to climb over 1000 metres of scree, at the pace of 'a 90-year old laden with shopping walking backwards', in darkness with headtorches. Towards the top guides point out that Nick is walking in his sleep. Reach crater rim at Gilmans Point and Nick lies down until dragged up for photo at dawn. This is one of the three points on the crater counted as climbing Kilimanjaro. We descend by sliding down the scree with multiple collapses where Nick sleeps til roused. 2 hours sleep in camp, then 3 hour walk to Horombo. Sleep 8 hours
Day 8: final 18 kilometre descent to Marangu, the National Park Gate.
I hope this convinces you to have a go yourself - good luck and thanks again
Kim Davies
I am the retired Deputy Principal of Gateshead College (retiring in 2009 after the College had received an Outstanding Ofsted report and National Beacon College status) and still maintain links with the College.
The College has recently established the Gateshead College Foundation (www.believefoundation.co.uk) as a charity to help people take up and continue their education and training through additional financial support.
On 18th February I will set out for a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro with my younger son, with sponsorship in aid of the Gateshead College Foundation.
Apart from Altitude Sickness, malaria, and sheer exhaustion the greatest challenge will be for Nick and I to spend the whole week in each other's company without me giving him lots of helpful advice. Please support the Foundation by sponsoring this foolhardy venture through JustGiving. Photographs will be posted as evidence on the Foundation website and on this page.
So please dig deep and donate now.