Mount Kilimanjaro routes - which one to choose?

Annually, approximately 15,000 people attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, of whom 40% do so.
 

There are 5 major routes up Kilimanjaro. It is important that you choose the right route for you as they differ in duration, traffic, difficulty, cost, location and altitude acclimatization.

 Marangu - Key points

The most popular tourist route is Marangu. It is also known as the "coca cola" route, this is due to the huts on the way up that you can buy coca cola in. You travel approx 72km on your journey.

 

- Easiest route (low-medium difficulty)
- Oldest Route

- Shortest Route

- Cheapest Route
- Ascent and descent on the same trail

- Beautiful scenery in the rain forest and moorlands

- Basic, but comfortable accommodation in huts

Machame Route - Key points

The Machame route is the route I am going to be travelling on. It is also called the "Whiskey Route" as it has a reputation for being a tough climb, especially compared to the "coca cola" Marangu Route. It is one of the harder routes and you travel approx 67km from gate to gate.

- Machame approaches from the South
- It is one of the best for altitude acclimatization with plenty of walk high, sleep low opportunities
- It is best suited for those who have previous climbing or backpacking experience
- You travel through 5 different eco-systems so you get fantastic views and animal spotting
- Traffic can be busy
- Sleep in tents - no huts on this route

 

 Rongai Route - Key Points

The Rongai route is the only route that approaches from the North, near the Kenyan border. It is the quietest route on the mountain, this is mainly due to the likelihood of people summiting. There are not enough features for the "climb high, sleep low" principle.

- Least scenic route
- Less traffic
- Pass through some amazing views - especially at the start when you go through the wilderness
- Moderately difficult
- Camping in tents
- 73km from start to end of route

Lemosho Route - Key Points

The Lemosho route is one of the newer routes up Kilimanjaro. It is considered the most scenic, mainly due to the small amount of traffic so it will be quieter and you also get some incredible views of the mountain from different sides.

- This route starts from the West of the mountain
-  One of the quietest routes
- First 2 days of the trek are through the rain forest
- Meets with the Machame route on day 4
- No huts - tents like the Machame Route
- One of the longest routes. A plus for those who need to acclimatize to the altitude.

Umbwe Route - Key Points

The Umbwe route is the shortest, and steepest route up Kilimanjaro. It is the most challenging route up the mountain and should only be tackled by those with a lot of climbing experience. Due to the quick ascent, Umbwe does not provide the necessary stages for altitude acclimatization.

- Umbwe starts from the South of the mountain.
- The traffic is low, but so are the chance of summiting.
- It is dangerous and should only be tackled by those confident in their climbing abilities.
- Fantastic views in the forest and on the spectacular ridge
- 53km from start to end of trek.

There is one other route which was closed in 2004, but then reopened in 2007. This is the Western Breach. It is a gap which has been formed by lava flow, it sits on the western outer rim of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's main summit.

The Western Breach offers one of the shortest routes to the summit. It ascends 2800ft in 1.25 miles and there are sectuons of the route that require rock climbing and scrambling. It is a beautiful route but it is very difficult due to the rocky, steep slope.
Sadly in January 2006, rockfall claimed the lives of 3 climbers. In response to this tragic accident,the route was closed. It was then re-opened in December 2007, however most operatrors will still not utilizie that route.

Photo: Courtesy of Ultimate Kilimanjaro

 

Scafell Pike: Done and dusted!!

Well, we did it! We climbed the highest peak in England, in 5 hours and 20 minutes ( not that we were counting!).

We set off about 9ish and after a short drive to the bottom of the mountain, we parked up and got our climbing kit out which consisted of a compass, a first aid kit, lots of maps and of course the trusty torch just in case!

Luckily we didn't need the compass as there were plenty of people milling around so we crossed over the river and started our adventure! The first part of the walk was mainly grassland, with a few animals on the way!



It was a long walk up, pretty steady and we had some gorgeous views so really enjoyable.We were very lucky with the weather, temperatures of 15c and lots of sun which probably made it a lot easier than trudging through the wet moors!

We stopped ever so often for a little leg break and a swig of water, admired the views and then went off again.We weren't really sure how long it would take so we were cautious with time as we didn't want to be lost in the dark!



About a third of the way up, the path split left and right. There were people on both paths, but the right hand path was definitely a quieter one. We asked another walker what the difference was between them, he said "left is longer but easier, right is shorter but steeper" ......being new to the mountain we took the sensible route and went right. Yes you read this correctly! We decided to join the other nutters and tackle the steep cliff side leading up to the summit. It was hard, the hardest part of the walk and it was more scrambling than walking at this point. The higher you got, the harder it was but the end was at least in sight (or so we thought)

After what felt like hours, we were near the top of the cliff and as we pulled ourselves over the top expecting to see the summit, we sadly saw that the summit was still a fair way to go. But it was a great feeling knowing we had made it so far.




The terrain was mainly big rocks and stones at this point which was pretty hard work, much preferred the grass at the bottom. It's funny, when you are walking up there you sometimes feel so isolated as you don't see anyone for ages but the closer you get to the summit, people seem to pop up from everywhere! We made it to the summit in just over 3 hours and the view from the top was incredible. It made all the hard work worthwhile and the sense of achievement was awesome!






So, one peak down, 2 to go so the next one will either be Snowdon in March or Ben Nevis before that. I want to get all 3 done as it is a fantastic achievement and more importantly excellent training for Kilimanjaro.

My top 5 bits of advice before climbing Scafell Pike are:

1 - Train for it! Do lots of walking, preferably hill walking before you go. Joe put me through a lot of squats and lunges at bootcamp, tough at the time but very beneficial on the mountain!

2 - Get some suitable footwear and clothing. I have invested in some fancy walking shoes but that is because I will be using them in Tanzania. You can get some very good shoes for under £100. Good grip, ankle support and waterproof are the key things to look out for.

3 - Pack the necessities, but don't pack the kitchen sink! The key things you need on the mountain include a compass, a map, a torch, a whistle and a fully charged mobile phone. You may not need all of it but it's better to be safe than sorry. But remember, you are carrying it on your back for a long time so don't overdo it! Get a good bag, with back support and it will make the journey a lot more comfortable.

4 - Check the weather. The weather can change rapidly on the mountain and can either make your climb enjoyable, or dangerous and utterly miserable! We noticed a sudden change in the temperature around 3/4 of the way up, it gets chilly so make sure you pack a fleece. If the weather looks a bit iffy, I would advise you not to risk it as you don't want to be 1000m up and get stranded.

5 - Take plenty of water. We both packed a litre bottle each but we could have easily of drunk 2 litres each. It was hard work and very warm so you do sweat, and therefor will lose water. This needs replacing. We did actually fill our bottles up with water from the running river on the way down. Not sure if this is advisable but hasn't done us any harm!

Five top training walks to do before Mount Kilimanjaro

So it is now less than a year before I board the plane to Tanzania ready to climb the impressive Mount Kilimanjaro.

When August 16th came round this year, I thought I would be nervous and start to wonder why I had signed that form but I didn't, honestly! I was weirdly excited and wished it was a year down the line so I could go right there and then! Probably just as well it wasn't really, my boots are not worn in yet!

So with less than a year to go, my thoughts drifted to my training walks that I want to complete before I go. So below are my top five walks that I am aiming to do before August 16th 2013....

1 - Scafell Pike, Lake District



We are climbing Scafell Pike next Friday and will travel the 6-7 hours up to the Lake District and then stay overnight before we head out early Saturday morning.

> Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England
> It is 978m / 3209ft above sea level
> Kilimanjaro is 6.5 times taller than Scafell Pike......yikes!
> 4 main routes, vary in difficulty and distance. One route will take you 7 miles, while another will take 15 so choose wisely.
> It's part of the "Three Peaks" challenge, which is where you compete to climb the highest mountain in England,Wales and Scotland in 24 hours. It is do-able, amazingly!

As we are doing this next weekend, i'll let you know how we get on and put some pics up!

2 - Ben Nevis, Near Fort William in Scotland.



Locals affectionately call it 'The Ben' and it is the highest peak in the British Isles. It's popular with the locals and tourists and attracts 250,000 people a year. As this is the tallest of the 3 peaks, I will probably be leaving this one till last!

> Highest peak in the British Isles
> It is 1344m / 4408 ft above sea level
> Kilimanjaro is 4.5 times taller than Ben Nevis
> The simplest and most popular route up Ben Nevis is the Tourist Path , also known as the Mountain Route.
> The three peaks challenge normally starts at Ben Nevis and then heads south

3 - Snowdon, Gwynedd, Snowdonia, Wales

I am going to be climbing Snowdon in March 2013 as part of a training weekend with Discover Adventure who I am travelling to Tanzania with.

The Welsh name for Snowdonia is Yr Eryri which translates to Eagle's Nest.On a very clear day at the peak, you can often see Ireland, Scotland, England and the Isle of Man.

> Highest mountain in Wales
> It is 1085m/3560ft above sea level
> The summit can be reached by foot or by jumping on the Snowdon mountain railway
> It was first climbed by botanist Thomas Johnson in 1639
> The easiest, but longest route up Snowdon is the Llanberis Path. It is also the route used in the annual Snowdon Race. The most demanding route is the Watkin Route, this route has also been used in many films including Carry on...up the Khyber.

4 - Exmoor/Dartmoor, Devon - England



We visited Dartmoor and Exmoor this summer. Although the summits aren't necessarily high, the terrain's are vast and we encountered everything from woodland to cliff walks to coastal areas.
Our top places to visit were:
> Tarr Steps - A bridge made of stone slabs, which you walk over to get to the woodland. It dates back to the tudor times and is the longest of it's kind in Britain.
> Lydford Gorge - Deepest gorge in the South West. It's a national trust property, in fact most of the walks in Exmoor and Dartmoor are so it might be worth taking out a membership. Visit the Devil's cauldron, a little on the scary side as it's a narrow ledge at the end but definitely worth visiting it.
> Clovelly - A historic fishing village which is famous for it's steep, cobbled high street. No public transport is allowed on the high street so the only way up and down is to walk, and believe me it's a long way up! Fantastic view from the top and it was a great workout on the legs! If you really can't face walking, you can pay a small fee and the village land rover will take you up and down.

5 - Old Man of Coniston - Lake District



The Old Man of Coniston is a fell in the furness fells in the Lake District.
>  It is 2634ft/803m above sea level
>  It is the 12th most prominent mountain in England
>  On a clear day, you can see the Isle of Man, Morecambe Bay and Blackpool tower from the summit
>  Routes can vary, but you can do it at an easy pace in about 5-6 hours
>  Lots to see on the way up, including copper mines and waterfalls

So that's it, these are my 5 top walks that should hopefully break me into hiking, and prepare me for Mount Kilimanjaro.

I will update after Scafell Pike next weekend!

JW Training fun run!



JW Training Fun Run - Sunday 19th August

Today was the day, I had my fancy dress sorted (nice and easy, or so I thought - hospital scrubs!), my sun cream on and my BIG bottle water of water ready. Now to just run the 3 miles!

I met Dave at Lily Hill car park and I watched as he transformed into a fruit machine. Yes, that's right.....a fruit machine.! He insisted it was a good idea so off we went with our families to meet the others. We met the team down at the start line and were registered and given our running numbers, unlucky for some I got number 13 but hey, someones got to have it!!

Joe wore his weekend dress for the run, combined with glasses and wig and he transformed into Lady gaga nicely. Joe led the warm up and we were the first session to go so we lined up and waited, then it was GO GO GO!!!

The first leg of the run was up a hill and then when you think you are getting close, it gets steeper again! But with every up hill is a down hill and I thoroughly enjoyed flying down it, the poor marshall at the bottom probably thought she was going to get flattened!

The race was hard, mainly down to the hills, the heat and the fact that scrubs are NOT suitable running clothes which I discovered pretty early on! I was worried about how my legs would cope after suffering with DOMS after my FIT 400 test with Joe but I didn't feel like it was hampering my running and they actually felt pretty good afterwards! I crossed the line in about 28 minutes (time tbc!) and it felt so good :)

Dave finished in about 35 minutes - a great time and he also shaved 2 minutes off his PB so he is chuffed!



  

 The JW Training runners post run! 

 

 

Me and Dave before the run started

 

 

 Me and Joe. JW Training owner and my Personal trainer

 

 Finished :)

A great day out so a big well done to Joe and the JW training team who organised a fantastic event and raised lots of money for a worthwhile cause - Youthline.

For more information on upcoming events and what JW training can do for you, visit their website on http://jwtraining.net/



Fit 400 Test: 2nd Attempt.....7 months on

Back in August last year, Joe put me through the Fit 400 test which comprised of the following exercises:

- 100 star jumps
- 50 push ups
- 50 sit ups
- 50 burpees
- 50 punches
- 50 lunges
- 50 squats

I had to complete all exercises whilst being timed. Last year I did it in 19 minutes and 2 seconds.

I have just re-done it and this time I did it in.........*drumroll please*........11 minutes and 22 seconds!

7.5 minutes off!! Woo hoo!!

As I am sure you can imagine, I was over the moon with the result. It was a great feeling as it has shown how far I have come in the past 7 months with the help of Joe. All those 6.30am bootcamps have paid off!

I want to do it again just before I go and I am determined to do it in Sub 10 minutes as that was Joe's target for me in a year. Will post on here to update you.

I have also been training with an altitude mask, more info & photo's to follow....

Vx

Exciting news..............

Exciting news........I now have a sponsor for Mount Kilimanjaro!

JW Training is a fitness company that runs bootcamps and personal training sessions for clients in the Berkshire area. Joe Webb (company director) has been in the industry for over 8 years and helps clients achieve their goals, whether it's weight loss, muscle building or changing their lifestyle. Their clients vary hugely, from body builders and Bracknell Bee's ice hockey team to the average Joe (pardon the pun!) just like you and me!

JW Training is going to be a valuable addition to the Kilimanjaro team and I am looking forward to working with them to promote Alzheimer's Society and the challenge ahead. 

Joe is going to be training me so that I am going to be physically prepared for the trek. Training will include different aspects but I am hoping to focus on strength work and also cardio.  The fitter I am, the more I will enjoy it so I’m looking forward to starting.

Next month I have booked a long weekend in the Lake District for Mat's birthday. We are going to be climbing Scafell Pike (one of the 3 peaks) and then staying somewhere special for a couple of days. Can’t wait!!

For more information on JW Training, pop onto their website: http://jwtraining.net/about/

Next time: Charity auction

Five things you need to know before organising a charity car boot sale

My first big fundraiser was a charity car boot at Chocolates for Chocoholics’ HQ in Hurst. I have only ever been to car boots as a buyer so this was something very new for me.

We set the date (1st Sunday in July)…..then the fun started!

I sent out a press release to the local media and they kindly promoted the auction and the trek. The key thing with press releases is to find out exactly who covers your area and their contact names. I have done several fundraising events over the years and I now have a good relationship with most of them which always helps when you want some cheeky promoting!

I then designed a poster with all of the details and literally sent it to friends, family, social media sites, local newspapers, radios, companies, pubs....you name it, and it went there! 

I then contacted the Alzheimer’s Society and they sent me lots of promotional materials, including collection boxes, balloons and leaflets. This definitely helped on the day as it draws attention to exactly who you are supporting and they can see it’s a trusted charity.

The morning of the sale came and the sky was clear with a few clouds.....it looked like a good start. We had told the sellers setting up from 8am but our first one arrived at 7.15am! Luckily my sister was on hand to help organize them and help with the setting up of tea’s and coffees! We had Simon (our best man) on the gate organizing the sellers/buyers, Matt (my husband) and Dave (friend from work) and on the BBQ, my parents running the Chocolate sale and looking after their own car boot plot and friends bringing in homemade cakes to sell ( Thanks Sorsha and Nick!). 

The busiest part of the day was probably between 10-11 and it was fantastic to see so many people coming along to buy, and also to see so many empty car boot tables at the end of it! 

3pm came around very quickly and Simon collected all of the money together and started counting. We all made our guesses at how much we had raised, our target was £350 and we absolutely smashed that...........we raised £635!!!

I was thrilled and still am, this means I have now raised (with help from my awesome team) £1365 which means I am 34% of the way towards my £4000 target.

The car boot was hard work, but it was so worth it. It takes a lot of planning and you need to work out costings to make sure you don't spend unnecessarily. If you want to organize one yourself, here are my Top 5 bits of advice:

1 - Tell EVERYONE about it! Friends, family, social media, local advertising on signs, pubs, restaurants, companies, newspapers, radios - go through your phone/address book and get ringing!

2 - Produce a colorful poster with all the details. Put it in the car, at the school, local shops, outside your house, send it to the newspapers and to local websites who may have an events section

3 - Get a team of helpers - Ask friends and family if they could spare a few hours, it’s amazing how many things need attention on the day.

4 - Date of the sale: Find out if any other car boots will be happening on the same day as you. You don’t want to be competing, especially if the other ones are better established. Most happen on the 2nd Sunday of the month so maybe choose a different date.

5 - Serve food/refreshments if you are allowed. We made about £200 on the food so it was definitely worth doing. Ask your local butchers, bakers, shops, patisseries if they might donate some of their produce to save you spending out of the pot.

Good luck!

 *A little shout out to my parents who kindly let me use their land for the car boot, couldn’t have done it without you both so thank you J *

First steps...

First steps.....

Well, first thing's first.....get some walking boots! I did some research online but I figured the best thing to do was hit the shops. I never thought I would be so excited to go try on boots but I really was!

We went to the Cotswold Outdoor store in Reading and we were looked after by Jack who was fantastic. The staff are a credit to the company, they know their stuff inside and out and he spent a lot of time with us making sure we got exactly what we needed.

He picked out 4 pairs for me to try on, these were:

Scarpa Womens SL M3 (B1) Boot £130
Salomon Womens Quest 4D GTX Boot £155
Berghaus Womens Explorer Trek GTX Boot £120
The North Face Womens Verbera Lightpacker GTX Boot £160

 

After 1.5 hours, lots of walking around the shop, climbing up "practice" slopes and numerous pairs of socks.....I chose the Salomon's.

 

They were all fairly similar in prices (see above) but I felt the Salomon's were overall the best for the following reasons:

 

> Ankle support - higher support than some of the others, I felt more stable especially when on uneven ground

> Waterproof - Goretex lining and waterproof leather, no chance of getting wet feet!

> Lightweight - Only weighs 550g so very light, but yet still feels supportive and sturdy

> Lace hooks - 3 Sets of lace hooks on each side of the boot above the ankle. This gave my ankles lots of support and it also means I can undo those laces if I was getting hot which will air my feet, but I don't have to remove the whole shoe.

 

My husband ended up buying a pair of shoes too, same shoe but in the male range!

 

I bought the shoes with the idea of "wearing" them in when I went to Exmoor a few weeks later. We definitely did that! We walked about 30 miles over 4 days and although my calves ached a little, my feet felt great! No rubbing, no blisters, not too hot or too cold and no wet feet!

 

Fantastic buy and it feels great knowing I can confidently wear them when climbing Kilimanjaro.

 

Next time.....Car boot fundraiser!