Kilimanjaro Climb 2002

Four USA conservationists each contributed or raised one dollar for every foot of Kilimanjaro for the African Elephant Conservation Trust (AECT). lain Allan, world-class mountaineer and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, guided the group up the exclusive northwest Outward Bound route: his 28th ascent. I tagged along as a Trustee of the AECT Kenya chapter, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants.

The climb was organised to generate funds for AECT. The goal of the Trust is to conserve Africa's elephants within the realities of human needs and pressures. The Trust aims to create an endowment fund to support the Amboseli Elephant Research Project and similar projects throughout Africa.

Amboseli National Park elephants are arguably one of the longest-studied, best-known populations of

mammals in the world. Since 1972, Cynthia Moss, elephant expert and writer, (Portraits in the Wild, Elephant Memories, Echo of the Elephants) and over a dozen international and local scientists have built a huge body of knowledge on all aspects of the lives of over 1,800 known individuals - a unique b1ological and conservation treasUie. After a briefing at the historic Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, the climbers drove to Tropical Ice's luxury tented camp near Amboseli, where they enjoyed sundowners and Kahinu's gourmet cooking m the shadow of their objective, IGbo peak - 40 kilometres due south and 15,000 feet (-l,SOOm)straight up During the first two days of acclimatisation, Soila Sayialel, and her co-worker Norah Njiraini, gave the climbers an extraordinary up-dose-and-personal elephant encounter. After three decades of intimate observation, the elephants virtually come up to say "jambo" to pro1ect vehicles (the only ones permitted off-road).

The Climb Day 1 Drive up a dusty road, cross the international border between Loitokitok and Rongai, to the Forest Department camp where we meet porters (18, no less) from the African Walking Company, Iain's Tanzanian affiliate. Sort out gear, don hats, sunblock and daypacks. Set out at noon through plantation forest, Iain pacing us at some 70-80 steps a minute.

Steady rhythm is the key. An hour's walk and then a ten minute break. Porters overtake at a cracking 90-100 strides a minute carrying tents, tables, chairs, cooking gear, food and water on their heads.

Clear the forest into heathland. Head-high heathers.

Duetting Hunter's c1sticolas most of the way. Reach Simba camp at 15:45. Only one other party sharing the 9,000 foot campsite. Last year only 130 of 20,000 climber's enjoyed 'our' unspoiled northeastern side of Kili.

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Supper at 18:30: homemade zucchini soup, fried tilapia, roast potatoes. Bedded down on· insulated mattresses by 19:30.

Day 2 Wake-up call with tea 06:30. Porters break camp during breakfast. Set off at 08:00. Continue trekking through the dry giant heather heath, dotted with rosewood trees (Hagenia). As we finish sit-down alfresco lunch near 'Second Cave', a gaggle of excited schoolgirls arrive on a day outing from Rongai. We set out, trying to regain sense of intrepidness. Reach Iain's private campsite in upper Kikelewa valley at 16:30. Long day to 12,300 feet, well into the Alpine Moorland zone. Valley full of giant groundsels, oversized Senecios that look like 4-year-old's drawing of a tree. Sun sets behind Kibo, lighting Mawenzi. Increasing cold staved off by cucumber soup, chicken and rice with lentils, followed by pineapple fritters.

Day 3 Awake to the squawk of a pair of whitenaped ravens. A lammergeyer (bearded vulture) thermals up the valley. Leisurely start at 09:15 after fruit, bacon, eggs and toast. Short acclimatising day. lain paces us at 60 steps a minute on the steep bits; gives a tutorial in yogic breathing; reminds us to keep drinking. Feet, breath and water: these will get us up the mountain.

All but Iain are taking Diamox, a diuretic. Seems to work: no trace of water retention or oedema, not even a headache. Reach Iain's Mawenzi camp at 14,000 feet by 11:30. Real sense of 'getting into' the mountain.

Light lunch followed by loafing, breathing, reading, watching Kibo and Mawenzi change colours and fend off clouds. Another early bedtime. Midnight dash from warm sleeping bag to below-freezing outside thanks to diuretic. Crystalline stars over the looming mass of Kibo - breathtaking.

Day 4 Long day: gradual climb onto the 'Saddle', barren stretch between peaks. Pace sometimes hits 75 steps per minute, but porters still bound by us.

We dearly see the last bit of zigzag track up the scree to Kibo's rim. Looks steep. Living things noticeably scarcer in the Alpine desert zone, although Marty spots a jumping spider. Reach Outward Bound Hut at 15,600 feet (4750m) by 13:40. Sun gone behind the mountain; temperature tumbles.

Despite available bunks in large corrugated iron shed, we stick to our tents: respiratory infections lie in wait in mountain huts. Early night after last supper of delicious minestrone soup.

Day 5 The Longest Day Reveille just after midnight. Iain coached us how to lay out gear for packing by headlamp. Tea, biscuits and final word of encouragement: "We'll have five hours of hard work, no time at all, really. Just keep at it, keep going. Concentrate on the boots in front. Think of anything that keeps your mind on the rhythm.

Breathe from the belly. Keep it steady."

Set off by 01:00, trudging slowly, 40-50 steps per minute or less. A 3.5 hour traverse to Hans Meyer's Cave at 16,900 feet (5,150m). Short rest and then the

dreaded zigzag. 30-40 paces on the zig, back on the zag, 20-second standing rest with deep breathing.

Twinkle of headlamps above and below: traffic building on the 'tourist' route. This is the most intimate, personal part of the climb. My world doses in to the circle of light in front; only sound, scrunching footsteps in the frozen scree. Trme measured step by step, breath by breath. Then suddenly, during one gasping pause, Iain is cajoling me over rocks. They seem impassable. The instant 'Team Elephant' passes, and I tumble over the rim onto scrambled up the Gillman's Point. Sun rising over Mawenzi; final stretch of scree we're there!

Well, almost there. We can now see across the to Gillman's Point, I-mile (2.5-km) crater, ashen and stark, and just as the sun rose along the ascending sweep of the southern behind Mawenzi, Kilirim to Uhuru Peak. "Ten minutes," says Iain, manjaro's second but he gives us less. If you're on the edge of peak. An hour and a losing it, Gillman's is the place: Hey, this is close enough, what's another thousand feet? half later, we reached But Iain gets us going for the last push. And Uhuru Peak,the we just do it. highest point on the The day's far from over. After oohing-and-ah- African continent. hing, hugs and handshakes, we're back at 8:oo am, Tuesday the Gillman's, removing thermal wear. Over the 16th of October 2001: rim, and then scree-skiing past the dreaded the first ascent of Kili zigzags. By 11:30 we've tumbled down to Kibo Hut, a trekkers' village. Lunch, and then on behalf of African off down the well-worn track, lighter of step elephants ...

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and fuller of lung. A long, but easy walk down through giant heather to, Horombo Hut, another village at 12,200 feet (3720m) by 14:30.

Stunned, we wash, nap, wake, eat and fall into a deep, deep sleep.

Day 6 A pleasant ramble through moorland and heather. A totally unfussed scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird probing between the leaves of an endemic giant Lobelia. Lower down, the near-pristine cedar forest full of little red and yellow endemic Impatiens kilimanjari.

Trail now relatively crowded. To each climber coming up, we indulge a secret pleasure of a cool nod tempered with the steely wisdom of those that have made it. "Bon courage", we say, although, "Don't litter!" would be more apt. Hard to believe that some folks who go to the expense and effort of climbing this world heritage can be so stupid and callous to mark their petty passage with chocolate wrappers and plastic water bottles. A pox upon them!

At Marangu Gate Park Headquarters, we guzzle a beer, buy self-congratulatory T-shirts and the new Kilimanjaro National Park Map (a gem produced by Hoopoe Adventure Tours), complain to the authorities about the rubbish, hug and tip the guides. Then a short drive down to the tidy Nakara Hotel, which, only for its hot water and cold Kilimanjaro Lager, we unanimously award at least seven stars.

Next day we take a long game drive through Tsavo East to Iain's Galana River Camp: gourmet food during two Out-of-Africa days.

We walk with Iain, his venerable guide Mohamed and two armed KWS rangers, along the totally unspoiled banks (so wonderfully flat!).

Finch-Hatton landed his aeroplane and hunted not far from here.

Encounters on foot with Tsavo's lanky elephants, who are only now becoming more tranquil after decades of poaching, is a thrilling contrast to our earlier chat with their rotund and friendly Amboseli cousins. The enormous, rangy lions, some probably great-great nephews to the notorious Man-eaters,

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February 2002 Travel News

are a similarly striking contrast for those who know the fluffy-manned icons of the Serengeti. Mohamed spots three females with six half-grown cubs.

Finally, Team Elephant spends the last two days wallowing in the mellow Indian Ocean at sumptuous Hemingway's Hotel.

The Africa Elephant Conservation Trust plans another mountain-to-sea adventure for elephants in 2002.

Iain Allan has a genuine concern for elephants and is keen to continue the 'Team Elephant' tradition.

He is no ordinary 'tour outfitter': he is one of those rare virtuosos willing to share his expertise with enthusiastic amateurs. In 1997 lain led a 300 mile trek from the Kilimanjaro summit to the Indian Ocean, chronicled in Rick Ridgeway's book In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (London: Bloomsbury).

Tropical Ice has taken people of all ages and levels of experience on over 75 expeditions up Kilimanjaro with a 98% success rate. Although Kilimanjaro is not technically difficult, any climb above 18,000feet is strenuous. Good advice: be in good physical condition, undertake some sort of conditioning program and seek medical advice in advance.

In order to maintain Allan's high standards the next climb will be limited to 15 people. If you are interested to join the adventure in 2002 (date to be an· nounced), please let us know as soon as possible.

African Elephant Conservation Trust 65 Valley Streak Parkway Malvern, PA 19355 USA (610) 415-9601 or Amboseli Trust for Elephants PO Box 15135 Nairobi, Kenya info@elephanttrust.org or www.elephanttrust.org

SHORTER, BUT STILLTOPS. Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that we have given the height of Kili as 19,330' (5,892m) instead of the usual 19,340' (5,895m).

Reason: a team of geologists from Berlin, Dar· es-Salaam and Heerbruug Universities used the latest GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) equipment last year to re-measure Uhuru Peak to the nearest millimetre. We have not heard why the mountain has 'shnmk'. Is it just better measurement techniques? Only a few years ago, the last stretch to Uhuru Peak was across ice and snow. Was the original measurement made earlier this century on a layer of ice? Kill, like all the world's mountain glaciers over the past two hundred years, is rapidly losing its glaciers due to global warming that has accel· erated recently from our contribution to atmospheric 'greenhouse gases'. If early surveyors were obliged to estimate ice thickness, they could have been off by a couple of metres. Does any reader have more information?