We did it! Our
group raised enough money to build the Nursery and we triumphantly
climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Two amazing objectives, about a year in the
planning, completed all thanks to your help and support. Thank
you.
The Nursery
project will be successful thanks to the entire group's efforts of
raising a total of £18,000 GBP
(just above our target). In fact, the construction has already
commenced! Our group had a chance to stand on the site’s foundation
rapidly getting underway. The structure will be built with a sturdy
enough foundation and primary walls to allow for future expansion up to
three stories, as local inheritance laws mean there is actually a
shortage of land that can be purchased. The Kilimanjaro Village
Education Project helps the local
employment situation by using manual labour, hence spreading the
benefits throughout the community. Fortunately I had a chance as well to
dig out a few shovels of soil, an opportunity I took in principle on behalf of all my contributors. We met many young
happy school children and are convinced that the community will positively
benefit from this additional KVEP initiative. (More)
From the beginning we could see Mount
Kilimanjaro standing proud at 19,330
feet (5895m) as Africa’s highest mountain and our new
challenge. It’s difficult to judge the true size of a mountain that
defies common perspective, but soon we would fully appreciate its enormity. The distant specks of snow on the
narrowing mountain summit visibly so far away, would soon become
gigantic glaciers spread across a colossal plateau soaring almost 4
miles into the sky. Remember, that the base of this mountain is larger
than the circumference of the M25 Motorway (outer ring road) circling
beyond all of greater London, England.
Impatiens
Kilimajari
Soon our six-day trek
would have us to the top and back, the group starting as
metropolitan strangers and finishing as mountaineering comrades. We were slowly and willingly converted
from our artificial, pampered ways by each
night of new, tiring discomforts . The great outdoors allowed things to
become simple and the extraneous responsibilities of urban life
vanished. We ate, we slept, and we enjoyed each other’s conversation
while walking closer to our goal. We also were spoiled on this trip,
having a total of 25 porters and guides that made sure our trek was pleasurable.
Words cannot express the joy of ending a day’s walk and finding your
tent already up, a warm cup of tea in your hand, and the smell of dinner
in the air. Guerba donated us a great trip! (more Guerba).
All eight of us made it up to Kibo Hut
(15418 feet, 4703m), only 341 feet shorter than the elevation of Europe’s highest
peak, Mt Blanc. This is extremely high! Of the seven that made it to the crater rim at Gillman’s
Point, already well above both the Mt. Kenya summit and the
Everest Base Camp height, four (including me) went on to the actual
Kilimanjaro summit, Uhuru Peak. As a
personal memento for Jim's gallant effort so close to Kilimanjaro's top,
we all held a card showing his name (photo above left). The climb will no doubt
go down as one of our greatest accomplishments ever, and well worth the
effort.
My Father and I
had a wonderful time together. Please see our photos and text below (below).
He started his trip from Victoria, BC, Canada and was lucky enough to be
able to spend some additional time with my family in England. He
has climbed many high peaks in the Rocky Mountains as recently as last
year, but had realistically all but given up on the idea of climbing
Kilimanjaro. I can only imagine that it’s everybody’s desire to
climb this mountain, as it had always been a (now achieved) childhood
dream of mine as well.
Kniphofia
(Thomsoni)
Brian Whittaker,
Participant, Charity
Website and CD creator.
