Follow Paul, Rich and Lois as they embark on an incredible journey, 15 years in the making, and hike to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa while raising money for Multiple Sclerosis research.
"He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures."Psalm 147:8
Day four was an interesting day in that it was actually easier than we thought it was going to be. So much of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, or any mountain for that matter, is mental. Day 4 was truly the mental psych-out of our trek simply due to the fact that the day begins with a highly intimidating ascent up Barranco Wall. The wall looms over you as you make your way to the base of it and all you can see looking up are jagged rocks and steep inclines. Fortunately for us, the wall wasn't as bad as it looked. In fact, we all found the endless line of hikers and porters, occasional scrambling in single file, and overall slow pace refreshing as they allowed us to carry on a conversation and stop to pose for several pictures.
A traffic jam on Barranco wall.
With that said, Barranco wall is not to be taken lightly--in fact, just a week prior to our trek up the wall, a porter was trying to hurry to camp to ensure his duties were fulfilled prior to his party arriving when he lost his footing on the wall. He fell over 100 feet and was killed. While this is a brutal reminder, it is also a reality on the mountain. One momentary lack of focus or one misstep by an inexperienced guide can be lethal. Thankfully, we invested in some of the most well-known and experienced guides on the mountain to lead our journey and did not have a single incident the entire time. I'll elaborate on just how crucial choosing the right guide is in my next post, as I had the opportunity to interview our head guide, Lyimo, for this blog.
But for now, back to day four. After Barranco wall the hike for the rest of the day was quite easy really. What's interesting is that I assumed the higher we went, the steeper the hikes would get. That simply wasn't the case. After cresting the wall in the morning, our journey was more a meander through rolling hills than a steep incline. Perhaps the reason for this was that we had reached the base of the summit climb and now had to walk laterally around the mountain to get to base camp. Whatever the reason, it was a beautiful hike and offered us some of the most spectacular views of the mountain yet. We took full advantage of these as we realized we probably wouldn't get too many more opportunities to capture the mountain from below on our trip, as the next time we saw her face would be from the summit!
Rich and I with Kili in the background on Day 4
As we came into camp that afternoon, we were met with a warm meal and some down time. Rich, Dad and I took advantage of the down time and decided to place a little wager on who was carrying the most weight up the mountain between the three of us. Now granted, my Dad is 63, so I'll give him a 10 lb advantage for age, but other than that, I figured we should all be hauling about the same weight. And, of course always being the competitive one, I really wanted to show Rich that I was carrying just as much weight as him. Anyway, I'll let you be the judge of who won the contest!
Day 3 was one of my favorite days on the mountain mainly because we got to see a lot of the rocks and terrain that formed the beautiful mountain that is Kilimanjaro. It was great to have my Dad (a geologist) along with us on the mountain to tell us the "stories of the rocks". The first part of day three saw us leave Shira Camp at 12,500 feet to head to Lava tower, which stands at just under 16,000 feet. This was quite an incline for us compared to other days, but overall, it was just a long, steady hike.
Lava tower as the clouds came in
Lunch was taken at Lava tower and we were definitely all hungry by the time we got there. One interesting observation on Day 3 was the dramatic change in weather. We started off the morning in light layers and quickly worked up a sweat. As we got higher, we slowly had to add layers back as the temperature cooled. By lunch, I found myself breaking out my jacket for the first time to stay warm while we ate. At that point, the clouds had really pushed in on us (granted we were at 16, 000 feet!) and the wind felt much more brisk. Just as quickly as it cooled, however, it warmed again once we started descending.
The motto of the day for day 3 was "climb high, sleep low". This strategy is used to combat the side effects of altitude sickness in that it brings you up to a height where you oxygen is depleted for a few hours, but then allows you to recuperate overnight and adjust before climbing higher again the next day. For us, I think this was a great method. Despite the fact that none of us felt the true side-effects of altitude sickness, I will say that midway through day 3, we were all draggin a bit until after we stopped for lunch and then started descending to a lower altitude.
Crossing 14,500 feet...higher than Mt. Whitney!
Day 3 was also a historic day for Rich and I as we crossed up and over 14, 500 feet...why is this particular altitude important to us? Mainly because our one training hike was to climb the highest peak in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, which stands at 14, 563 feet. We both felt great crossing over this point and even remember to pose for a picture when both Dad and Rich's watches told them we were at the correct altitude. Gotta love those Suunto watches!
One other "milestone" for day 3 was my sunburn. I can not tell you how many times friends, guides, my Dad and Rich, other hikers and even the porters reminded me to re-apply sunscreen. And yet--day 3 ended with a brutal sunburn midway down my forehead from where I had my bandana situated all day. Yes--it was bad. Yes-- I regretted it the rest of the trip. But hey, I sacrificed myself so others could learn from my mistakes. So, just for you, here's the money shot of my horrible sunburn:
You can't pay for tan lines like that!
And, of course, we finished the day with our cheesy, but motivating group shot. Day 4 guaranteed to be a tough one as Barrancu wall loomed over us from camp. Next blog post I'll tell you whether or not the intimidation factor of the wall lived up to the reality!
Day 2 of our incredible adventure saw us climb 8km from 9,400 feet to 12, 500 feet over a period of four hours through the moorland region. While the climb was much steeper than the day prior and included a bit of scrambling, the day was not too difficult. The first three hours of the climb were a solid incline but well worth the work to experience the million dollar view at the crest. After that, the trail continued to climb but at a much more gradual rate.
One of the most challenging aspects of the day for me was just getting going in the morning. I woke up after a rough first night's sleep feeling tired and lethargic. In retrospect, it was probably just my body adjusting to sleeping on the mountain and the effect of the excitement and anticipation of the trip catching up to me. However, that morning I had it in my mind that I needed energy. I proceeded to force myself, despite a lack of hunger, to eat a very large breakfast. Let me just say, that was a very large mistake. I wasn't ill or anything like that, I just felt very heavy all morning long. Not fun when you're trying to climb a mountain! Lesson learned though, as after that I ate lightly at breakfast, an average lunch and then a large dinner.
Enjoying the reward after the steep section on Day 2
Another interesting observation on Day 2 was the emergence of a tingling sensation and numbness in our extremities. This is a side effect of Diamox (more on this drug will come in a later post) which we hadn't been told about, so trying to figure out why my fingers were tingling was an interesting discussion between Rich and I. We hypothesized everything from the cold weather to my multivitamin until our terrific guide Lyimo informed us that it was simply a side effect of the drug. I experienced the symptoms much sooner than my Dad or Rich, who didn't get the tingles until Days 3 and 4. As odd as it is, I found the sensation to be an ever-present reminder of the reason we were doing the climb; for my Mom, and to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. Over the years, my Mom has often experienced numbness and tingling in her arms, legs feet and fingers as a warning sign that her MS was acting up again. When she had attacks from MS, the tingling would often progress into an all-out lack of movement. As I climbed the mountain with tingling fingers and toes each day, I couldn't help but think of my sweet Mom and how she never once complained despite the fact that simple tasks like tying your shoes become difficult when your fingers are numb and unresponsive.
Dad entering Shira Camp in the clouds
We entered Shira camp that evening with a think cloud cover that seemed like a fog. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees and rather than being comfortable in t-shirts and pants, we broke out our windbreakers and winter hats. After taking a brief nap at camp, we walked a short distance to Shira caves, where Dad the geologist hosted "Rock talk with Paul" and told us all about how the caves were formed, what minerals you would find in the rocks, and why all of the rocks, including those visible on the summit of Kilimanjaro, had a red tint to them. Overall fascinating stuff, but while Dad was excited by the rocks, Rich was excited by the helicopter "landing pad" formed out of rocks nearby. Men!
Rock talk with Paul in Shira Caves
Apologies to the US Marines...Rich may have found a new landing zone!
Shortly after our trek to the caves and just before dinner, the clouds cleared, the sun came out and Kilimanjaro revealed her majestic face--what a beautiful thing! The sky remained clear that evening, so before bed that night, Dad, Rich and I enjoyed 15 minutes reveling in the enormity of the universe and soaking in the serenity of the stars twinkling down on us. I can't think of a much better way to end an entirely perfect day on Mount Kilimanjaro.
I know it's been a few months since we returned from Africa, but I've finally gotten around to putting together my daily video logs from our hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. Each night, I tried to review the day's route, the highs and lows, as well as any observations from the trail that I found interesting. You'll have to excuse the poor lighting the first couple of days, but I was little tired and cold those nights as I adjusted to the mountain life! Oh yes, and my hair just gets worse as the week goes along.
The local butcher
Anyway, the first day saw us trek from Machame gate at 5,400 feet to Machame camp at 9,400 feet. The day began at our hotel in Moshi with out team of porters and guides picking us and our gear up. The drive from the hotel to the gate took about one hour. On the way, we stopped at a local butcher and market to get our fresh meat and vegetables for the climb. After that, we proceeded to the gate.
Once at the gate, our porters had to weigh-in-- each porter is only allowed to carry 45 kgs up the mountain for safety reasons. Meanwhile, Dad, Rich and I had to check in with the park service with our passports. I was surprised at how organized the system was the whole way up the mountain-- they collected our name, age, occupation and hometown at each camp at night. Just in case.
Sign at the gate warning hikers
After check in process and a quick picture at the gate, it was finally time to begin the adventure I'd dreamed about since I was a little girl! The first day's trek was beautiful and quite mild, despite being 11 km long (about 7 miles...something I had incorrect in the video!). We climbed through the rainforest, with African violets and orchids growing naturally alongside us. As we got towards the end of the day, the foliage changed into a heath-type growth. The soil became much more dusty and the plants turned into shrubs and bushes rather than the large rainforest trees we'd grown accustomed to during our hike.
We finished day 1! With our guide Mosha
As we walked into camp, we posed for our "we finished day 1" picture and headed to the hut to sign in. Afterwards we went to check out what our camp looked like. Each day, our porters get to camp ahead of us and set up our two tents, one for Dad and one for Rich and I, as well as our mess tent. They also setup their own tents for sleeping and dining a bit aside from ours.
Once at camp, our porters brought us a basin of water to rinse our faces, hands and feet before dinner. This became extremely important and I found myself looking forward to the "daily wash" each night at camp as the days wore on. After washing, we sat down for dinner, which started with a warm soup each night. Dinner was one of the highlights of the day, as our cook was fantastic. It's amazing that he could make a full meal each night using one propane tank--especially as the altitude started to increase.
After dinner, we usually had a brief on the next day from our guides and then headed to bed. That first night I didn't get a terrific sleep. We drank about 3 liters of water per day on the mountain, and I had to get up multiple times during the night to use the bathroom. Thankfully, it wasn't too far from camp, so it was a quick, cold trip. My sleeping bag and mat worked out incredibly well, as did my blow-up pillow from REI. Overall, once I got passed the first night, I was able to sleep quite well in my bag. The only problem I found as we progressed was that although I'd sleep the whole night, I would wake up not feeling rested. This was definitely one of the side effects of the altitude, even with taking dyamox.
Looking forward to sharing about Day 2 and my video blog for the day with you all soon!
Michelle, Me, Melissa, Noelle and Sarah @the fundraiser
Wow! I am so thrilled, thankful and humbled to announce that our combined American and Canadian fundraising efforts raised just over $12,000 dollars for Multiple Sclerosis Research! Because of each and every person who showed up at our To the Roof of Africa and the Bottom of the Barrel fundraiser in Coronado, donated online, or sent a check into our fund, we blew our goal out of the water!
I need to give special recognition to the incredible woman that inspired these efforts--my Mom. She helped keep track of all the donations, setup the fund through the MS Society in Canada and then link the fund to the American MS Society's page. She's an incredible woman, mother and friend and we're hopeful that this money will help find a cure for the disease she's battled half her life. We love you, Mom!
Busy street in front of WineStyles...good news!
Secondly, I need to give a HUGE thank you to all the fabulous ladies who helped me plan, organize and setup the even on Coronado. To my board members: Michelle Amthor, Sarah Garza, Laura Lopez, Noelle Salucci, and Melissa Trombetti--Thank you so much and I love you all dearly. This event would not have gone even half as well as it did without your help.
I would also like to recognize WineStyles Coronado for allowing us to host our fundraiser at their wine bar and providing such a fun environment for the party. They were incredibly easy to work with, extremely helpful and also provided some excellent wines to taste!
Mom drawing the raffle winners as everyone awaits
I would also like to thank each of our raffle donors. Michelle Amthor provided a Pampered Chef basket as a business donation. Be sure to check out her business page here. Sarah Garza generously donated two flower arrangements to raffle off in honor of my Mom (since she loves flowers!). My Dad, Paul Bennett, donated a fantastic gift basket with reserve wines and cheeses included. And WineStyles provided one wine and italian fare basket to include. THANK YOU!
And last, but certainly not least, I would just like to thank any and everyone who came out to the event. It was such a fun way to raise money and I appreciate the support from each and every one of you. God bless.
Well... We made it to the summit! Now we're enjoying a little bit of rest and relaxation at a lovely hotel in Arusha before we head out to Serengeti for a safari tomorrow.
Dad & Rich enjoying lunch poolside and recovering from our climb.
Our first picture IN AFRICA! At our hotel in Moshi
Well, after 22 hours of travel, I'm happy to report we are all safe and sound at our hotel in Moshi and enjoying a day of rest before we start up the mountain tomorrow. Everything has gone extremely smoothly so far. We met Dad in Amsterdam without trouble and our flights were all smooth and on-time. Our bags were waiting for us when we got here, and we were first in line for customs due to securing our visas before arrival. On that note, I'm so glad we took care of our visas before getting here! I would say 90% of the people on our flight did not per-purchase their visas, so the line to apply and receive one when you got there was about 2-hours long. Needless to say I was glad we didn't have to stand in that line!
We all slept well last night and had a meeting with our mountain guide at 10 a.m. He talked to use about our route, what to expect, how much to pack and also the different flora and fauna we'll encounter along the way. We will start our journey at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow by doing the 1-hour drive to Machame Gate and then hiking 18km (12 miles) to our first camp called Machame hut. We spent our afternoon today rearranging things from our base camp bags into our day packs and the duffel bags our porters will carry.
It's hard to believe this day is here! Our plan for tonight is to eat dinner and play a game of Scrabble around 8 p.m. and then head to bed early. I'll keep you posted on who wins at Scrabble, as it's sure to be a lively round.
Tomorrow we're off to begin realizing our dreams of reaching the "Roof of Africa"! Thanks so much for all your prayers and thoughts. Can't wait to share our adventure with you all in about 8 days!
We used Google+ with Mark in Edmonton-- he was the only one awake!
Wow. Is today really here?! I've literally been dreaming about this day since I was seven years old. The weeks leading up to today have been so busy that they haven't really allowed Rich and I time to think about the trip. But here we are, sitting at the San Diego airport at 5:30 a.m. waiting for our flight. I finished my MBA program just two days ago, Rich wrapped up learning to fly a new aircraft on Thursday, the movers picked up all of our belongings on Friday and now we are leaving for Africa for three weeks. No wonder these last few days in San Diego seem to have flown by! That's a lot going on in a short time.
Our journey today will take us from San Diego to Detroit, Detroit to Amsterdam where we'll meet up with my Dad, and then Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania, Africa. Who knew there was an international airport just for Mount Kilimanjaro?
As I reflect on the last twenty years it took to get me to this point, I can't do anything but thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed. My life has changed a lot over the last two decades! I've taken on new adventures and challenges, seen the priorities in my life shift from soccer to school to marriage...and I've even taken up citizenship in a new country! Throughout everything, things have always just seemed to work out. This trip is no exception. The timing, the finances, the opportunity. There's no way it could have happened without help from above.
So, as we depart this morning, I am just filled with gratefulness and thanks...thanks for all the blessings I've been given, including this one. Thanks for the amazing family and friends we have praying for us along this journey. And thanks for this precious time with my Daddy and husband as we undertake the adventure of a lifetime! We'll see you after the summit :-)
Rich and I were discussing what we learned from our treck up to the summit of Mount Whitney and I decided to share them with you. Here are the top three tidbits of info we wish we'd known before Whitney, but are glad we figured out before Kilimanjaro:
1) Bring Poles! Prior to hiking Mount Whitney, Rich and I had been told by several people that poles were a necessity for a successful hike. Rich and I were both extremely skeptical about this fact, however, and secretly thought that these people were just lightweights and that we definitely didn't need poles. But, as the trip grew closer, and everyone else on our trip listed poles in their gear plans, I decided we'd each borrow a pair to bring with us just in case. Well, I'm very happy to eat my words and say the poles were awesome. They were the perfect tool not only for extra balance when crossing tricky streams, but also when coming downhill after 14 hours of hiking. Upon returning the poles we borrowed for Whitney to their owners (thanks again, Melissa and Chance!), Rich and I headed straight to REI and picked up our own collapsable shock-absorbent poles for the trip. We both opted for REI-brand poles, just the men's and women's versions.
2) Buy a Walter Filtration System. Rich and I both went back and forth on this subject, as well. We knew we needed some way to treat our water, but had read mixed reviews about wawter filtration units and didn't really want to shell out the cash for a pro system. For Mount Whitney, we ended up skipping the system and opting for the chlorine tablets. Again-- we should have spent the $100 and bought the filtration unit. Chance's Dad Bob brough a unit with us on the trip and all I can say is it was glorious. It took about 5 minutes per camelback to fill, but it had an attachment that went directly onto the camelback spout, so that made it easier. The water from the filter, unlike that from our tablets, tasted great...and it was safe to drink. We are planning on investing in an MSR Hyperflow before we leave for Africa.
3) Liner Socks really do help! Rich and I experimented a bit with our socks on Mount Whitney. We both brought a pair of Smartwool Medium Weight Hiking Socks, a pair of Smartwool Heavy Weight Trekking Socks, and a pair of Smartwool Merino Liner socks. In the morning, we both started out wearing our mid-weight socks without problem. Around lunchtime, Rich decided to put his liners on under his mid-weights, while I still felt pretty comfortable in just my mid-weights. However, by the time we reached the summit, both Rich and I felt like we needed a change of socks. At that time I threw on my liners and heavy-weight socks and Rich just added his heavy weight socks over his liners. While I didn't have too many perspiration problems without the liners, my feet just seemed slightly more comfortable having the liners as a friction point rather than my skin. Neither of us had blisters from perspiration (although I did have a blister from trying to tape my toes!) and overall, we decided the liner socks are the way to go.
Those are just a few of the lessons learned from our hike a few weeks ago. We're less than two weeks out from the big journey to Africa now and everything is going in warp-speed. I packed this weekend, as the movers come in just over a week and I want to make sure everything I need is in my bag so there's no confusion the day-of with the movers. Everything's falling into place and there's just a few days and one tiny little MBA thesis standing between me and leaving for Africa! I can't wait. :-)
22 miles, 7,000 feet of elevation change, a summit of 14,500 feet and 16 hours later, we summitted Mount Whitney in one day. It was one of the toughest challenges Rich and I have faced, but thankfully we had some very patient seasoned hikers with us "sea level" hikers to encourage us along the way. Our group included our best friends Chance and Melissa Trombetti, Michelle Amthor, Chance's parents, and their friend Jacob. Melissa joined us for all of the prep hikes, but unfortunately wasn't able to climb Mount Whitney with us this year. For a great reason, though--She is expecting their first child due in December!
Melissa, Michelle and I at Chance's parents before leaving for Mt. Whitney
Our journey started at Bob and Lydia's (Chance's parents) house in Wrightwood, CA. They were kind enough to provide an awesome breakfast of pancakes, bacon, fresh mango and melon to get us started off on the right foot. Afterwards, we packed in two cars and headed to Lone Pine, CA to pick up our hiking passes from the interpretive center at the base of Mount Whitney. That night we carbo loaded with pizza and pasta and went to bed early for a 3:00 a.m. wakeup call to begin a very long day.
Early the next morning, we groggily rolled out of bed and headed to the mountain. My day began poorly not only due to the fact that I'm not the least bit of a morning person, but also because the first thing I saw at the mouth of the trail was a bear! As exciting as this was, it also worried me as I recalled all the food I was carrying on my back which then led to images of bear attacks flashing through my mind. Sometimes this overactive imagination isn't all its cracked up to be lol. Nonetheless, our fearless group hit the trail and quite quickly we were 2.3 miles in at Lone Pine Creek where we saw our first bit of snow.
Michelle at Lone Pine Creek
From there, the trail wound up a large stone staircase and we found ourselves using our poles quite a bit. Eventually we reached the next major checkpoint, Trailside Camp, 6.3 miles into our trek. We stopped here for a quick bite and to refill water using Bob's awesome filter (more to come on that in a later post) before heading up the 96 switchbacks that lead to Trail Crest.
Taking a break on the switchbacks with the summit behind me
Upon reaching Trail Crest at 8.5 miles, I could tell our whole group was excited and hopeful that we would reach the summit. What I didn't expect was how hard the last last 2.5 miles to the summit would be. Trail Crest is gorgeous because you can see the valley you've just hiked to your right and Mt.Hitchcock and the Great Western Divide to your left. At this point, you are on the back side of Mount Whitney approaching the summit from behind. It was here that I realized how tired I was and that we still had a long way to go on this back side. The hope that came from seeing the summit from the front side quickly faded when I saw the little specks of black on the ice field nearly two miles away and realized they were people heading to the summit and I still had to get to that point. But, the views of guitar and hitchcock lakes quickly captured my attention and helped me keep thoughts of giving up at bay. It also helped to have such supportive friends there pushing me along and telling me I could do it!
Rich and I on the backside with the lakes.
After what seemed like another 10 miles (but was actually just 2), we crossed the last snow field and found ourselves at the summit of Mount Whitney. I was so completely exhausted that I teared up a bit and was overcome with a feeling of accomplishment I haven't experienced in a long time. I was also extremely proud of our whole group for persevering and pushing each other to make it to this point. We spent a few minutes at the top, signed the log book, changed our socks and then turned around to head back down the mountain.
Bob, Michelle, Me, Rich, Jacob and Chance at the summit!
Overall, the journey up and down Mount Whitney in 1 day was far harder than I anticipated. My body responded pretty well to the altitude but I was definitely more challenged physically than I'd imagined. All of my equipment faired well and I learned a lot about what I do and do not need for Kilimanjaro. Despite the fact that we took 5 hours longer than we'd originally thought we would, I was still impressed with everyone in our group for finishing. I was also extremely grateful to Bob, Lydia and Jacob for their patience with us in reaching the summit. I have no doubt they all could have finished in a much more timely fashion, but their presence and guidance were greatly appreciated by all of us first-timers. At the end of the day, it was humbling and fulfilling to know that we climbed to the highest point in the contiguous United States and back. I'd say we earned our t-shirts!
Rich, Michelle, Me and Chance with our Mt.Whitney t-shirts after summitting.
Wow. I just looked at the calendar, and it hit me-- one month from today we'll be on a flight from San Diego to Amsterdam, where we'll meet up with my Dad before heading off to Tanzania. It's absolutely amazing to me that this dream I've carried since I was a little girl is actually going to be a reality in four short weeks. I'm seriously overwhelmed with all the well-wishes, support and just general interest in our trip.
We still have a few big-ticket items left to take care of before we leave, including getting our immunizations and altitude sickness medicine as well as picking up a few last items from REI. Rich and I both started packing by laying all of our trip clothes and particulars out on the bed in the guest room. So far, I have about three times as much clothing and gear as he does, but I have a feeling his pile will grow immensely over the next few weeks and we'll end up having about the same amount of gear. Rich still thinks I'll out-pack him, though. If shoes are omitted, there's no way! What do you think? Who's going to win this packing war?
So many items to choose from-- which ones are right?
We are heading to climb Mount Whitney this weekend and I'm struggling with one thing right now...food! I'm not sure what we should/shouldn't take in terms of what will be best for energy and yet still be convenient while hiking. Mount Whitney is 22 miles total and we'll be hiking the majority of the day, so it's suggested we eat a little something every hour. This will help not only with energy, but also as a deterrent for altitude sickness. Usually, I would plan to pack some simple snacks like a peanut butter sandwich and luna bars, but I'm obviously going to need something more substantial for this trek.
Being a former competitive athlete, I'm pretty particular about what I put in my body before working out. In college, I had a very strict regiment in terms of food before soccer games and knew exactly what my body responded well and poorly too. From researching the food for climbing topic online, I've read a lot about ensuring I have simple carbs, complex carbs and fats (proteins) in the forms of items like peanut butter sandwiches, clif bars and jerky. I've also read a shot block every hour helps even out sugar intake and counter the symptoms of altitude sickness without feeling like you're eating too much.
So based on all of that information, and the fact that we'll be on the trail for anywhere from 12-18 hours, here's what I'm planning to bring:
Uncrustables peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (2)
Dried mango
Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
2 Luna Bars
2 packs of shot blox
Apple
Oatmeal cookies
What do you guys think? Any suggestions on other foods that are good to include?
Paul is doing great with his training and has made it out to Kananaskis the past two weekends for training hikes. Here's the latest update in his own words:
"Brian and I climbed Nirahna Ridge which is in Kananaskis Country near the head of the Elbow River west of Calgary. I climbed about 680 metres ( max elev. 2280m asl) in a space of 2.5 km over a scree covered slope with some short vertical climb sections. Fun but very tiring."
Sounds rough, but he doesn't look too tired in these incredible pictures!
I'm pretty sure this is a snapshot of heaven!
Looks like you're all outfitted for Africa, Dad!
You're making me jealous with these views, Dad!
This picture of Kananaskis makes me miss home...and the mountains!
Sooo...Rich and I made a trip to REI yesterday to buy a few final things before Mt.Whitney next weekend. Anyway, in the clearance section was an itty bitty tiny version of my massive North Face basecamp bag. It's for toiletries, and it was such a cute mini version that I had to get it-- thankfully the $12 clearance price wasn't too much of a splurge. I guess the girly side of me will never take a backseat to the adventurous side. But seriously, how cute is my toiletries bag?!
I was a little bit nervous mailing off our passports and checks for $100 each to the Tanzania Embassy a few weeks ago...but I am happy to report that our passports were returned to us today complete with travel visas. Phew! We're one step closer to leaving for Africa. All that stands in our way is: My MBA thesis, finishing my job, packing, moving, Rich learning to fly the 46 and our MS fundraiser. Just another relaxing summer in the Arbogast household :-)
Paul enjoying in the scenery in Burstall Pass, Canada
This past weekend, Paul (Dad) headed out to the Canadian Rockies (oh how I miss them!) and took on Burstall Pass in Kananaskis. He went with his friend Brian Elder, who also served as cameraman for the expedition. Here's a little quote about the hike from Paul:
There were 4 feet of snow above 2100m -- the last 200m elevation gain was really hard work. I have never seen that much snow in Kananaskis this late in thesummer.
Well, it looks like Paul is right on track with his training and is possibly even enjoying the scenery. Looking good, Dad!
A few weekends ago Michelle, Rich and I headed to Lakeside, CA for another training hike. On the agenda was an 11-mile strenuous hike. El Capitain is know to be the hardest hike in the local San Diego area and I must admit, none of us took this claim too seriously beforehand. In fact, we took this claim so lightheartedly, Rich and I met up with friends for dinner in San Clemente the night before. While I called it a night early and went back to our friends house to get a good night's sleep, Rich went out with the boys and arrived home around 3 a.m....to then get up at 6 a.m. to head off to our hike. So, needless to say, neither of us was well-prepared.
Regardless, the three of us headed off around 8 a.m. and saw the temperature climb over the first two miles from 90 degrees to 105 degrees. By the time we reached the 3-mile marker, it was a sweltering 110 degrees and we still had 8 miles to go. While this hike ended up being miserable for Rich and I due to our lack of preparation and planning, I will say this-- we learned our lesson. We did not bring nearly enough water or the right gear and both started out dehydrated. Thankfully, Michelle is a major planner and saved our butts. She was perfectly prepared and we learned a lot from the "backup" supplies she carried. While I am a bit embarassed it took us almost getting heat stroke to realize we needed to take our training a bit more seriously, ultimately, I'm glad we had this wake up call now and not in two weeks when we try and head up Mount Whitney.
So, after all that, a big thank you needs to go out to Michelle for always being prepared. She's a rockstar in every regard and while the hike was miserable, the company was great! Thanks Michelle.
Michelle and I shouting to the rooftops at the summit of El Capitain!
About halfway down and we're still alive...it was a hot one!
Michelle, Melissa and I got up early last weekend and headed to Poway, just Northeast of San Diego, for our second training hike. It took us about 3.5 hours round trip from the lot at the base, and all three of us felt good throughout. Michelle & I tested out our new socks and both of us loved them. No rubbing or slipping and overall just very comfortable.
We have a couple more hikes planned with the guys before Mount Whitney, but with busy schedules, we're all training on our own and hitting the gym, as well.
Michelle & Melissa cold at the trailhead before we started.
The three of us at the top! Looking West towards the ocean.
Proud husband to Beth and Father of Mark, Claire and Lois. Paul has a Masters degree in Geology from the University of Toronto and spent the majority of his life working as an oil executive before retiring in 2004. Since then, he's started three successful small public oil companies, and enjoys traveling the world with his wife. When he is in Canada, he can be found at the family home in Calgary or at the cabin in British Columbia. Paul started the dream of climbing to the summit of Kilimanjaro when he took his 10-year-old daughter Lois (me!) to an Imax in 1994.
Rich "The Husband"
Rich hails from Stittville, NY and has been happily married to Lois for nearly five years. He has a degree in Biology from St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY and is a USMC Ch-53E helicopter pilot in his spare time (haha). Rich first began dreaming about climbing Kili when he heard Lois talk so passionately about making the journey herself during their dating days. Since then, he's deployed twice to Iraq and Afghanistan and once to Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami. Rich is excited to have the chance to return to the Eastern Hemisphere as a tourist.
Lois "The Wife and Daughter"
That's me! I'm the author of this blog and the dreamer that has carried this crazy idea with me for the last 15 years. I'm equally proud to be happily married to Rich and also to be the daughter of Paul and Beth. I have a degree in Journalism from St.Bonaventure University in NY and an MBA from San Diego State University. I love living each precious day like the gift from God that it is, and can not wait to embark on the journey of a lifetime with my Husband and Dad!
