Trip Reports

Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Glades 19 - 28 September '09

Dawn on summit day - Kilimanjaro Lemosho Glades
Trip Report

Written by Team Member Alexandra Brown, October 2009

Saturday 19th September 2009 - (with funny Geordie accent) Day 1 on the Lemosho Glades Expedition to summit Kilimanjaro. 14 unsuspecting Westerners swarm in ever decreasing circles to reach Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. Even the lady - brand new on her job on passport control - cannot stop them from entering the country and beginning their African adventure. Successfully united with trek leader Jeremy Windsor, they descend on the Keys Hotel in Moshi for their last night of civilisation. Dinner is served. Jeremy recites a terrible limerick. We go to bed.

Day 2 - (don't forget Geordie accent) It's raining. The group of intrepid trekkers set off with approximately 67 porters / guides to help them achieve their ULTIMATE goal. Goodness - we get a mini safari en route, seeing sacred Ibis, Zebra, Wildebeest and Colobus Monkeys. An exciting off-road session leads us to the moment we start to walk. Up and up through the jungle to Big Tree Camp at 2,800 metres. Joy of joys, someone's packed a portaloo............

Day 3 - (still Geordie) The intrepid explorers climb out of the jungle to the moorland, constantly changing scenery intrigues them as they pass along. Camp at Shira One is reached by about 2.30pm and Jeremy introduces some games to entertain - Jenga and a dice game I think called Profudo. Fortunately no more limericks are forthcoming, but there is great banter and joviality in the camp as the house mates - I'm sorry - trekkers, get to know each other. Time to introduce the merry band:-

Jeremy Windsor - trek leader - anaesthetist by trade, fortunately not poet.
Martin - Irish, clean shaven EVERY DAY!!
Sui - Martin's partner, very caring
John - Swedish undertaker, fortunately his skills were not required en voyage, although became known as "F*** me, you still alive John".
Alan - Scottish, amusing in a Scottish kind of way.
Terry - ditto, friends with Alan.
Mark #1 - left behind wife and 4 (yes 4!) children for some peace and quiet.
Mark #2 - brought wife (see below) and left behind 2 boys, although their photos came to the summit.
Nicola - Married to Mark #2, very glam!! Gorgeous throughout and a great Profudo player
Amanda - my tent buddy. Much talc and many wet wipes swapped. Talked a great deal in her sleep, clearly a liar as she said I snored!!!!!!
Kit - Our artistic champion. Made the most wonderful birthday card for Jeremy out of nothing, no really nothing in her tent one afternoon
Andrew - Kit's partner. Very lovely, very good Perudo player.
Rachel - Great person, great suntan on face - nuff said!!
Sue - Very lovely girl, didn't make full use of the portaloo - nuff said!!
Alexandra "Bear" Brown - (me), the quiet, shy type.

Day 4 - (becoming slightly Scottish now). Went for a walk around the mountain.

Day 5 - Really lovely walk around the mountain.

Day 6 - Climbed a big wall (sounded a bit like Barak Obama but actually called Baranco) and then walked to Kangaroo camp. Noted lack of kangaroos at 4,050m possibly because camp really called Karanga.

Day 7 - Final camp - Barafu - before summit attempt.

Day 8 - 14 intrepid trekkers, our leader Jeremy and several wonderful guides made it to the summit - Uhuru Peak - of Kilimanjaro. One of the group was with us in spirit rather than in body.

Day 9 - Back at sea level. Cars, lots of people, beer, children, running water....all very alien stuff. Lots of presentations of certificates and words of thanks. Finally a decent limerick dedicated to Jeremy (and requiring a Scottish accent to ensure "Jerry" rhymes with "hairy") -

"Three cheers for our team leader Jerry
His face, on this trip, has got hairy
Summitting Kili with no fear
Though it aged him a year
And he kept us all chippy and merry"

Great great fun. Really hard but absolutely worth it. We had a ball!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the memories.

Alex
xxx « | »

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