Friday 12 June 2015

Kilimanjaro - and so it begins



In case you have missed it, I am attempting to summit Kilimanjaro in September with my two best friends. We booked our ‘holiday’ last October and the momentum of the big departure day approaching is gathering pace (I know I am stating the obvious that time ticks by and that is how life works but you get what I mean!) It seemed a long way away when we booked it. Plenty of time to read up on it all over the next 11 months - what I need to take, what I don’t need to take, training tips, hints for tackling AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), training plans, medical advice, getting fit, will I need that ‘toilet shovel’, the right down jacket, the right base layer, socks, walking boots, daypack...it really is a minefield! All of a sudden, when you realise that there is only three more paydays until the off, you wonder if the 32 articles and blogs you have read, most with differing suggestions and advice, have helped prepare you at all for what lies ahead. In short, the answer is yes. And also no. In reality, when looking at it with a calmed mind and being rational about it, we are probably more ready for it than we think. In essence, it’s.....”all about the base, about the base, base layer” (a la Megan Traynor & that annoying song of hers!) Layer it up with the bases, top it off with a softshell jacket, a down jacket, hat & gloves, chuck on a daypack and pole pole away we go! Obviously, not as simple as that but trying to adopt the approach of ‘I’ve got this, it will all be fine’ regarding the kit makes for a calmer me! Obviously look out for future posts when I am panicked beyond belief at having purchased ALL the wrong base layers, socks, jackets etc!

The kit is having an outing this weekend. We’ve done a few local training walks (blog to follow as the routes have been gorgeous) breaking in the boots, trying out the merino layers, socks, all important snacks and rain jackets but this is the first biggie. And the one that makes it all seem a bit more real! The trekking trio (not an official nickname, just came to me. Not the most original. I’ll work on it!) are heading up to Snowdonia to attend a Kilimanjaro specific training weekend with Action Challenge. It will be a weekend of firsts; first time staying in a Youth Hostel, first time trying all the kit out in one go, first time walking with poles and the first time climbing Snowdon at 1am on Sunday morning! What?! Yes, the weekend is specifically designed for those of us who are planning on reaching the summit of the highest mountain in Africa and is intended to replicate the final day on Kilimanjaro, the toughest day of the trip with a stupid number of hours of walking at high altitude with minimal sleep in the dark to reach the summit for sunrise. Thinking about that final night fills me with excitement, dread, terror and apprehension in equal measures! The training weekend will see us trekking through Snowdonia during the day on Saturday for approximately four hours, back to the YHA late afternoon for a bite to eat and rest, head to bed and then be rudely awoken at midnight to start another trek at 1am and eventually head to the summit of Mount Snowdon at around 5am. 1am?! 5am?! Seriously?! Obviously, there is the small matter of not being able to replicate the altitude but it will certainly test us with time on our feet and lack of sleep with back to back trekking. Not to mention the testing out of the kit. Even with the packing list provided, it’s been a real challenge to keep the afore mentioned calmed mind to make sure I only take what  I really need and not carry any excess clothes or equipment. My bedroom and spare room have been littered with piles of clothes, sorted into definitely, maybe, no and possibly piles, multitudes of water bottles, instructions on how to use my bite-valve on my water bladder and an abundance of snacks. I've even optimistically packed some sun cream.  And I think I have managed it, even with the weather being an arse and playing silly buggers! But I guess I won’t really know if I have managed it until we return in one piece on Sunday night.

So with my trusty daypack, overnight bag, mini bag of snacks (Hello a box of Naked Flapjacks!) all packed, this trekking trio are heading to Snowdonia. We’ll see you on the other side!