While we were sleeping.........

At 9:05am Tanzania time (12:05am Saskatoon time) Dustin and Dale made the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. They tried to call a few times but as you can imagine reception on the top of the African world can include a little static. I could hear them but they could not hear me. Dustin wasn't able to dial out from then on, so it was a few short text msgs to let me know that they had made it, and he would call me later tomorrow. 6 out of 11 trekers made it to the top, while the others had to unfortunately head down due to AMS related illness'. Exhausted but proud, they were heading for some well deserved rest. I can't wait to hear from him tomorrow and I'll let you know how they're doing.

Resting a little easier,

Stacey.

On The Top Looking Down.

Hello!!
More e-mails from Dustin this weekend, and as I sit here and type this, Dale and Dustin are making their last leg up to the top. They're probably sitting at the top looking down on their climb. A few members of their party we no longer able to carry on due to acute mountain sickness (AMS) and fatigue and had to make their way down a little prematurely. A few other members were able to continue climbing after taking Diamox. Both Main boys were feeling great and they were able to acclimatized easily, most likely due to their Mt. Meru climb. Dustin met another climber (Ryan) who had the same weight issues as him, but unfortunately he had to make and early descent due to illness. They had been sleeping under a blanket of stars the last few nights, and some constellations were in view that we in Canada would not be able to witness. All is well, and I am anxiously awaiting a call or msg to see how their few moments on the summit played out. (DUSTIN I HOPE YOU TOOK MANY PHOTOS!!!)

This is what you've waited for

Dustin called me about 20 mins ago, it was 6am and they were just getting up to have a quick shower, eat and then it was off for their first leg of the Kili trek. A few more text msgs have trickled in over the last few days. He shared with me some interesting things that some of us will only dream of experiencing. Whether it be trekking up a mountain in freezing rain trying to keep yourself going (both mentally and physically), or standing on the ridge of a mountain with 100km winds nearly blowing you off the side, either would be more challenging then most of us will ever experience. He talked about seeing 11 giraffe along the trails and encountering some of the poorest people he'd ever seen, both of which will stay in him memory for the rest of his days. He'll be on Mt. Kilimanjaro for 7 days, and he will push himself to his limits to make it to the top. Not many of you may know how hard Dustin has trained for this trip, although you may have some idea from reading his posts on this blog. Dustin trained for over 6 months to gain muscle as well as weight for this trek. He wore those crazy hiking boots everywhere (and I MEAN everywhere) for months trying to break them in. He would lug around a 30 pound backpack on evening walks, running up and down black strap mountain with it on, run on the elliptical machines and snowshoe for hours in the field behind his house in the winter trying to get his cardio up, not to mention the weight of a pack on your hips. He DOUBLED the amount of food he ate everyday, consumed some pretty nauseating protein bars and drank power shakes on a daily basis. He cut out many foods that didn't give additional nutritional value (and we ALL know how much that kid loves the candy) even getting to the point where he actually stopped enjoying food itself. For the most of us, gaining weight seems so simple, I can't tell you how many times I wanted to strangle that boy (sorry Shirley) for not being able to gain weight, must be nice right? Not so much. Watching Dustin struggle with his weight became very worrisome in the last few weeks. If he missed a meal, he would lose up to two pounds, something he worked at for months and months to gain. In the end, it was 6 pounds. 6 pounds in 6 months, and today he makes his trek up to the roof of Africa to accomplish a dream he and his dad have talked about for years.Be careful up there, so you can come home safe to me and share your stories of this once in a lifetime opportunity you have in your hands. We're all thinking about you guys.With love,Stace.

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.'

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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.

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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.

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To Make a Mountain (or two)

Kilimanjaro is not only the tallest mountain in Africa, it is also one of the tallest freestanding mountains in the world. What many people do not know is that it is a dormant volcano.

It began about 750000 years ago when molten lava burst through the Great Rift Valley (a large fault in East Africa), pushing the Earth's Crust upwards, creating the oldest of the 3 volcanos forming Kilimanjaro. Over the hundreds of thousands of years since then, huge eruptions have brought Kilimanjaro to it's current height around Kibo's crater rim to apporx 5895m (Uhuru Peak). The most recent volcanic activity of note was about 200 years ago which left the 'Ash Pit' in Reusch Crater.

Mount Meru, the first of our two planned summits, is an active volcano about 70km west of Kilimanjaro. In an eruption similar to that of Mount St Helens in 1980, Meru lost much of it's bulk in a volcanic blast about 8000 years ago, leaving huge cliffs 1500m above the crater floor. That is about as high as the Grand Canyon is deep.

Below is a Landsat/Radar image from Nasa showing the two mountains, and other volcanos in the area as well. Height is exagerated two times. Click for a larger image.

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Prelude to a Journey

As many of you know, I'll be off to Tanzania in June of this year for what really may be the trip of a lifetime. Over the following months, I'll be using this site to provide a window into the preparation required, the people of Africa & Tanzania, and what it all means to me. Following the trip I will have photos to post, stories of my experiences and the people involved. There may even be some updates while I'm away.

The original idea behind this trip was a climb of Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m (19340ft), the tallest mountain in Africa. Obviously though, you need to make the most of your time 1/2 way across the world, so we've also planned a climb of nearby Mt. Meru (4566m / 14980ft), and to finish it all off, some time in the Serengeti & Ngorongoro National Parks. I'll be filling in some information about these places over the next few months as well.

In the meantime, I've been preparing my gear, working on getting my conditioning in order, and in what has been the toughest for many to swallow... working VERY hard to gain some weight.

Stay tuned, I'll be popping up new info often.

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