New York Times - Up the Mountain Slowly, Very Slowly

Follow the link for writer Tom Bissell’s account of his painful and exhausting climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Also be sure to check out this interactive journey showing the route taken by Tom, as well as audio / video from the trek.

The article is long, but well worth it. If you're looking for a quick look instead, the interactive portion is fantastic.

If you're having problems viewing the NYT article, just use the following login & password to view.
Login: takeahike9
Password: 45457878


... on a side note, Kilimanjaro was just listed by the New York Times as one of the '53 Places To Go in 2008.'

::

IMAX: Kilimanjaro - To The Roof of Africa on OLN tonight

Produced in IMAX, this 40min film covering a climb up Kilimanjaro is on OLN (Outdoor Life Network) tonight (channel 37 on Shaw), check times for Sasktel MAX or satellite.


Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa is an adventure of the human spirit that follows five trekkers and a local Chagga guide to the top of Kilimanjaro, the largest freestanding mountain in the world. Along their journey of courage and endurance, this diverse group of trekkers encounter strange landscapes and endure harsh conditions as they travel through five climate zones ranging from the lower rainforest reaches of Kilimanjaro to the summit's arctic glaciers, all the while learning about the formation of the African continent and the Great Rift Valley.

::

Where in the World is Tanzania?

... (and other fun facts)


- Located in eastern Africa
- Approx 39000000 citizens
- About 50% larger than Saskatchewan
- Gained independence in 1964
- Shares the largest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria, with Kenya & Uganda (2nd largest freshwater lake in the world)
- Second deepest lake in the world (Lake Tanganyika
- Over 1/3 of the country protected as parks, game reserves & conservation areas.
- Sunrise around 6:30am and sunset at 6:45pm. 12 hours of daylight year round.
- Life expectancy at birth: ~50 years
- Less than 200000 phone landlines compared to 6000000+ cell phones.
- GMT +3 (9 hours difference from Saskatchewan)
- Approx 8% of the population is believed to have HIV/AIDS

::

Earth as You've Never Seen it

Popular Science recently posted an article with the above title with "Awe-inspiring images of our planet erupting, melting and more."

Among others, Kilimanjaro is featured (right)

A Landscape Changes Uphill

Africa’s tallest peak, the volcano Kilimanjaro, rises 15,100 feet from the surrounding plains, with a summit 19,340 feet above sea level. The climate changes on the way up and, along with it, the landscapes. The red areas of the image represent abundant vegetation growing near the base, while grassy moorlands are found higher up in the wine-colored region. The southern side [in the lower area of the photo] has the lushest growth; prevailing winds come from the southeast and dump life-giving precipitation on this slope before passing over the mountain. The green band near the peak is a rocky, debris-filled glacial zone topped off by a snowy summit.

Photo by Landsat 5

Follow the link above for 9 more incredible photos from around the world.

::

Working on a Comeback

Well I'm on the tail-end of this flu / bronchitis, and eager to get back into training. It's been nearly 4 weeks since I've been able to train, and a bit of panic set in as we're approaching 3 months to go.

One particularly difficult challenge I've had has been my weight. I'm in the somewhat enviable position of having a metabolism that seems to run @ hyper speed, and keeps my weight at the same as it was when I left high school. Eat more or less, and day-to-day it doesn't change.

Now the two climbs, with 8-16hr a day trekking at altitude, will burn major calories. For people like me, after I burn the energy I have from food, the body next goes to the fat deposits for energy. That isn't a very big tank for me, and once that's burnt off, the body starts eating the muscles. Not something I can have happen!

So for four weeks from mid Jan to mid Feb, I ate larger meals, as well as smaller meals in-between, snacks, and shakes in an attempt to put on a little weight. I was eating so much, I didn't even want to eat because I was hungry, I was just eating for the sake of eating. Even more on days I was working out. This added about 600-700+ additional calories/day to my regular diet. After 3 weeks, there was no change, and after the 4th week, I was up by 2lbs. With a bit of research seems that for my body type, it's a normal timeline.

To fast forward to today, I'm down 5lbs from my peak (and that's up from a few weeks ago, thanks flu+!), and working hard to get back up to that target and add a couple more. It'll be even tougher as I ramp up my training.

So if you happen to see me around, don't let me miss meals and book through lunches!

::