Beth Gifford
Stuart Helps Heroes
Fundraising for Help for Heroes
Story
What am I up to in 2009
After 2 years of doing a team event, the UK 3 Peaks challenge for charity which involves the ascent & descent of the 3 highest peaks on the mainland UK in a 24 hour time limit, I’ve decided to “up the anty” as it where and use the 3 Peaks challenge as a training exercise in preparation for the grueling challenge of tackling Kilimanjaro in October with all monies raised going to Help For Heroes, the British Forces charity I’m very passionate about.
Why?
As you may be aware, in my youth, I served a stint in HM Forces with the 2nd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets (now known as 4 Rifles) and i still have friends serving.
In April \ May 2009, the Battalion will be deployed to Afghanistan on a 6 month operational tour of duty.
By time the Kilimanjaro challenge has been completed in mid October, the Battalion will be close to being on their way home after the 6 month operational tour and the chances of fatalities and very serious injury’s which will include lost limbs will sadly be very high.
All money raised by way of your generous sponsorship will go towards not just helping members of 4 Rifles but to all members of the UK Armed Forces affected by the life changing consequences of the conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Who are Help for Heroes?
Help for Heroes has become, in the words of the Prime Minister, a ‘National Institution’ and it is hard to believe they only started in October 2007. Since then they have raised £1 million a month to help support our wounded servicemen and women injured in the current conflicts.
To learn more visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk
The Climb
Kilimanjaro rises from plains at approximately 2000 meters, right up to 5895 meters.An ancient volcano, it now lies dormant except for some tell tale signs of fumaroles in the ash pit. Two other peaks, Mawenzi and Shira, flank the main peak of Kibo.
The different routes to the summit pass through five ecological zones, being the cultivated lower slopes, Montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert and the ice capped summit.
The lower slopes of the mountain are mainly used for agricultural purposes.
The climate is ideal for the production of coffee, an industry that Tanzania is famous for. Further up, a rain forest belt encircles the mountain up to about 2000 meters. As you proceed higher, you pass through the heath which changes into moorland, semi-desert at altitude, progressing into total desert and finally into an alpine region with permanent ice glaciers. The higher slopes are covered with scree, loose stones resembling gravel, making it more difficult to negotiate. The main glaciers edging their way down the slopes of Kibo are Heim, Rebmann, Decken, Arrow and some smaller ones. These glaciers form the permanent ice cap of the mountain, although they are, as a result of global warming, believed to receding each year.
How difficult is the climb-Can I do it
About 22,000 climbers set out every year to conquer the Kilimanjaro peak, hiking to the "roof of Africa" is physically and mentally demanding and should not be under estimated. As much as 40% of those who set out to climb Kilimanjaro turn back before they reach Uhuru peak. Around 10 climbers die each year on Kilimanjaro.
Preparation both physically and mentally is the keywords for success
The final ascent to the peak is the toughest part due to the extreme change in altitude.
The failure of the body to adapt quickly enough to the reduced level of oxygen in the air as one reaches higher altitude is the reason a person experiences altitude sickness. Altitude sickness seems to affect people indiscriminately, regardless of age or fitness level, yet becoming physically fit before my hike will increase my chances of having an overall enjoyable trip........so there is much work to be done!