Mount Kilimanjaro

September 15th, 2011 – Summated 22 Sep 2011

First day moved from Moshi to mountain by truck, this took three hours. Then a hike of four hours to camp one. Everyone felt good. Ate well and slept well our first night.

Day two was tough with eight hour trek and 1000 metres elevation. Camp two is at 3600 metres. Everyone is still feeling great.

Day three. Heading off now for camp three. Feeling strong, great views and living the dream.

This has all been sent through from Luke. Will keep you posted. Mandy

Lastest Update from the climbers

September 16th, 2011

They are at camp three at 4300 metres. It was a four hour climb from camp two and 700 metres elevation gain.

They are all feeling good with minimal effects from the altitude.

They got a good look at their destination today when the clouds cleared and the summit of Kilimanjaro could be seen.

I will update again when I hear from them. Mandy

The summit of Kili

September 19th, 2011

Well they have completed the summit of Kilimanjaro in Africa. Very tough going, very cold but all made it and are now down safely.

What a  challenging but rewarding trip we are having.

Will update more when I hear from them again. Mandy

Mother Africa

September 24th, 2011

Arriving in Africa is always a shock to the system and a reality check when realising back home in Sydney we have nothing to worry about at all. Tanzania is a beautiful landscape full of great people and in the shadows of the biggest mountain in Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro. Driving from the Airport to our base town of Moshi you will see the contrast of the rich African driving the latest series land cruiser passing a villager still pulling his cart with a bull. Africa is a nation desperate to catch up with the rest of the world but has no means or idea of how to get there.

Kilimanjaro is seen in the mountaineering community as a mountain easily accessible and of no great technicality, I think it is for this reason that Killi has one of the highest failure rates out of all the seven summits. Many come to Africa expecting an easy hike and get turned around on the last day when the hike becomes an 8 hr grind to the summit. The mountain wasn’t easy and I definitely won’t be one of the people that say they have conquered the mountain. No climber ever conquers a mountain, we ask permission to walk on her sides and stand upon her summit and if the mountain lets you up and down without injury then be thank full.

It was 4 days up to Kibo hut which is situated at the base of the steepest part of the climb and the beginning of summit day. On the 5^th morning we woke at midnight and pushed 7.15hrs to the summit of the largest free standing mountain in the world. It was a slow painful grind in the surprising cold with multiple false summits to really twist your mental when all you want to be is finished. Some quick photos on the summit for my sponsors and then a two hour decent back to Kibo. After two hours of rest and a quick meal it was a further thousand metres down and 10km before we could finally call our summit day over.

I have been to Africa three times before and every time I fall in love with its people and its simple way of life. “No hurry in Africa” is a phrase you will hear over and over again and to Sydney ears this can sound like profanity at first but once you accept it and go along with it you will find a simple way of life that just works no matter how chaotic or prehistoric it seems.

I am now in preparation mode for Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea, the next challenge on my path to being Australia’s greatest adventurer. This Picturesque Rock Climb comes with a 100km Walk in through some of the thickest Jungle in the world and I can’t wait to get into it. So in a short week’s time you will get the first blog report from the Jungles of Papua. Stay Tuned.