Yes I can...Yes I can...Yes I can...Friday January 8

Welcome Cindy Travel-Blog readers!

In less than one month I will be off on yet another wild & wholly excursion this time to a more far-away spot than ever before...Mt. Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania. Bill, mountain man husband of mine, successfully persuaded me to go along and I said "OK but I gotta bring my trainer & buddy Donna!". He enthusiastically agreed! Joining us is neighbor and former Uruguay Ambassador Frank Baxter (73) and Bill's great friend from Williams College days (now living in SF) Jimmy Marver, and Reid, Frank's brother in law from Topeka Kansas. We will be led by Kurt Wedberg of Sierra Mountaineering, and his associate Sara, and praise God lots of Porters!

Kilimanjaro, a national park and a World Heritage Site, is Africa's highest mountain, the world's tallest freestanding mountain, and one of the world's largest volcanoes. It is one of the world's Seven Summits. The trek upwards passes through a cloud forest, alpine moorland, high desert, and a barren summit zone to reach the peak - Uhuru Peak "the roof of Africa".

We depart from LA on Saturday, February 6... land in Amsterdam and spend the night at an Airport Radisson, and then leave the next afternoon for Tanzania. We will land in the town of Moshi, which is the home of the Chagga people (most if not all of the porters are from the Chagga tribe), and the center of the region's successful coffee production industry.

After our climb (and hopefully summit - at 19,340 feet YIKES) we will take a 2 day safari - needless to say I'm bringing my camera and hope to provide you all with lots of great shots! (don't count on a photo of me at the summit though...I'm a bit nervous I'll get altitude sickness but I'll go as far up as I can manage, and then return to base camp and work furiously on the needlepoint ornaments for the ladies!) We return home on Friday, February 19.

We've been doing a lot of hiking & climbing to prepare for this trip. Yesterday we climbed up Sandstone Peak, which is the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountain range at 3111 feet. The view was incredible, as we were blessed with a clear & sunny day. This hike is located just up from Neptune's Net on the PCH.

Here's a photo of Donna and I and Bill on Sandstone Peak. Onward & Upward!!

A preview of what is to come...Saturday January 16

Hello everyone:

We are exactly 3 weeks away from departing for our climb of Kilimanjaro (now known to us all as "Kili Klimb") We continue to train in the Santa Monica mountains... tomorrow we will be departing on another 5 hour hike departing HappyHill at 6:30am. I did a little retail therapy last night at REI, purchasing a few "necessities" such as warm thermal pants for nightime sleeping, and cozy slippers to wear while I do my afternoon needlepointing. Bill and Donna continue to remind me that I need to focus on my hiking boots, wool socks, and rain & snow gear. All in good time dearies!

If you are interested in a bit of a preview of our climb, check out the website summitonthesummit.com This is a documentation of a group of celebrities (Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch), musicians, and general do-gooders (Gore and Kennedy offspring) who just completed the same climb we are doing. They did the climb in a fundraising effort to promote the need for worldwide clean water. A group of Hewlett Packard techs traveled with them so there are a lot of photos and videos. (Pluuuzzzz it's interesting but won't hold a candle to MY blog...) I just purchased a few new camera batteries, am getting my D80 Nikon cleaned inside & out, and will be purchasing a small point and shoot just in case a scene emerges and I can't find my big camera to shoot it ("Oh Porter...Porter...can you hand me the other lense? Oh not that lense, the other one... oh why is my battery saying it's run out... I need another battery... oh where did that sunrise go??? What the #&$*%! is that flashing icon?? GRIFFY where are you when I need you???")

As always...stay tuned!!

Stepping up the training...Sunday January 24

Hello everyone: Exactly 2 weeks from today (Superbowl Sunday!) we will be departing from Los Angeles to Kilimanjaro. We are having t-shirts made saying "KiliKrew"...place your orders now!

Early this morning we drove over the valley to Newbury Park for a 7 hour climb up Boney Mountain. The beginning was on a dirt road where all around us were fields and fields of green grass sprinkled with raindrops from last week's huge storm. Two coyotes roamed in the distance. The snow-capped Ojai mountains were behind us. The road led to a narrow path where we paused at a beautiful waterfall - another fellow passing by said he's been hiking this trail for 10 years and never saw the waterfall so powerful! The path turned narrow and soon we were walking on either side of a deep gulch. The rain last week had been so strong and constant, that it caused the path to collapse in the middle. Sometimes we had to walk with one foot on the right ledge and the other on the left. And in some parts we had to walk IN the gulch where the ledges were as high as our shoulders!

On either side of us, the native grasses which blew in the cool wind were taller than we were. We were glad we had hiking poles which helped us navigate over stones, creeks and slushy mud.

After what seemed forever we broke into the sunshine and headed up to the top where the huge boulders made a nice seating area for our lunch of "Donna's best" PBJ's.

After a full week of dark clouds, thunderstorms, and heavy rain, today was a crystal clear one of blue skies and wispy clouds. The view across the valley - across Camarillo and way beyond, was amazing. AND the evening was capped off with delicious dinner at Stacy's where she served us her homemade Turkey Chili. What a day!!!

Getting Organized...Wednesday January 27

Due to my very organized and a tad bit compulsive hubby, today was the day we had to gather all our "stuff" together in order to have Sara, one of our delightful guides from Sierra Mountaineering, take a complete review and let us know what we are missing, or what we don't need.

Donna's review took about 10 minutes, as she had actually read through the list and had followed the directions. Cindy's review took much longer as she spent the morning cleaning out her linen drawer and then going through Willie's closet... clearly avoiding the task at hand! However, turns out I had most of the clothes and equipment needed, it was just a matter of being forced to concentrate on "the list" and round them up. Frank's bags were packed and he was missing nothing. I have enclosed a photo of Bill's items in which there was a lot of editing out since he had an over-abundance of stuff from his previous climbs on Mt Ranier and Mt Whitney.

Denni and Tony came by with their clipboards to make note of several last "to do's" and also to drop off our new down jackets from Eddie Bauer - a little plug here that our good friend and ski instructor Reggie Crist in Sun Valley has been hired as senior consultant for this company to design their winter athletic gear. In future photos I hope you will take notice of us all happy happy amongst the possible rain & snow, but still smiling since we are warm and dry ---I chose a red jacket so you can pick ME out from the crowd!

As a final item to toss in the duffel bags you will note my high-tech ear plugs, needed to ensure a good night's sleep despite what I'm sure will be some snoring from either inside my tent, or from the other tents. Personally, I thought my ear plug solution to be rather ingenious, do you agree? (ok ok it's my toilet paper but who wants to talk about that?)

Onward & Upward... Saturday, February 6

Well the day has finally come - honestly I'm ready to get this trip on the road! Griffy was a true gentleman and drove Donna and I to LAX, and even gave his mama a big hug and kiss on the cheek before roaring off...I think I heard him crowing "Free at last - Free at last - thank God Almighty I'm free at last!!!" Not so big guy, as Laura Blum will be keeping a close eye on the teen - Laura the "Phi Beta Kappa" graduate from Wash U that is. The same girl who told me this morning she was gainfully employed by a well-known publisher and is almost finished with her first coffee table book on Michael Jackson - this is the same girl who months ago turned down Bill's offer to be a researcher on his book "Increasing Lay Participation in the Catholic Church". Hmmm...

So Donna and I arrive at the KLM counter for check-in and what do I notice but a sign saying "Upgrade to comfort premier seating for a nominal fee". Next thing you know our credit cards are presented and we are dancing up the escalator! I was able to chat briefly with Bill, who was departing from Boston, and upon sharing our good news he mumbled something about sitting in the middle seat of a 5 row...it was hard to hear him due to the crying baby behind him. Let's just say it was a brief conversation.

After boarding, our good luck continued, as there was an empty row behind us, so Donna quickly tossed her shoes on the floor to let anyone else who might think it was available after takeoff that they were sadly mistaken. So there we were up in the air, each with an empty seat next to us in a pseudo first class setting. As I settled into reading my National Geographic magazine with the cover story "Polygamy in America", a flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder. Moral Dilemma - What would YOU do??? Situation: A very tall and big man was seated in regular coach. He was late to the airport and thus was unable to upgrade to premium comfort coach. The flight attendant would like to move him next to me in the empty seat. Would that be OK? Solution: I turn around to Donna to get her to help me out, but she has jumped up and scurried off to the bathroom! I'm left to my own devices to decide what to do. "Just curious" I ask, "Does he have to pay the extra price the rest of us did for the upgrade?" Nooooooo. A 10 hour flight ... Oh me oh my... For some people its an easy call - Anne would have graciously said "Yes of course"...she may have even offered to give up her seat and go back to regular coach to make sure he was extra comfy. Colleen, I'm going to predict, would have pretended due to her deaf ear that she didn't hear the request. Ellen? I'm going out on a limb and guessing a response along the lines of "Due to my recent bout of bronchitis I am very contagious, so No Lovey". Soooo I hemmed and hawed and finally said "Well I know how awful that must be for him - I have a brother who is 6'6"..." Then boldly out of nowhere I heard myself say, "But I'm going to be selfish and say why can't he sit in the other empty seat up there?"

The conclusion to the tale is that the guy moved into the empty seat 3 rows in front of us, and he and the guy next to him have not stopped talking ever since! I think they are new BFF's. Is there a moral to the story? Do weigh in.

A Lovely Day in Amsterdam... Sunday, February 7

No luggage was lost - the hotel shuttle was on time - the rooms were ready - Bill was waiting - so off we went to explore Amsterdam. It was a cold and dreary day but even the grey weather could not prevent this city from showing off its charm and beauty! What a lovely city - beautiful old apartment buildings and small shops and cafés set on narrow streets that line the many canals. With a population of 700,000 people (LA is 9.8 million) Amsterdam is the most bike friendly city in the world. Bikes are everywhere. Car traffic is minimal - first of all there is no where to park even if you had a car, and why bother since there exists a very reliable and efficient public transportation system with busses, street trams, and a huge train station.

Our first stop (by tram) was the RijksMuseum - a huge art museum with the largest collection of classic Dutch art, showcasing many well known Rembrandts including "Nightwatch". Since the museum is under a huge renovation (only a small part was open), the featured collection was paintings by Hendrick Avercamp, a 16th century Dutch painter who was mute and deaf. He painted the most beautiful very tiny and detailed winter scenes full of people ice skating and gathering on the frozen rivers.

Next we jumped into a tram and headed over for a tour of Anne Frank's home. The Secret Annexe is now a "living museum". It was very moving to walk through the rooms as passages from Anne Frank's diary lined the walls, and TV screens showed her father Otto Frank (the only survivor) sharing his memories. The Nazis invaded the Netherlands in May of 1940 and over 100,000 Dutch Jews were sent to concentration camps - only 5,000 survived. Tragically, Anne died only 2 weeks before the war was over and she would have been released from Bergen-Belsen.

After a dinner of tomato soup and spinach quiche at a corner pub, we decided to call it a day. I was starting to get zzzzz.... We hopped in a taxi and Bill told the driver "On the way back to the hotel, if there's anything we missed, drive by and show us". So he first drove us through the famous Red Light District, called De Wallen, where prostitution is legal. If you see a window displaying a red shining light, that means it is open for business! Some of these windows had the scantily dressed ladies standing in front "encouraging" you to pay a visit. Apparently the Chamber of Commerce is worried as the number of brothels for various reasons are on the decline, and they are a huge source of tax income for the city.

The taxi driver also drove us by a few of the over 300 coffee shops where you can buy marijuana legally (up to 5 grams per person). Due to this law, he told us, drugs, gangs, and the violence that come with them are very low (although I saw a LOT of very colorful graffiti everywhere).

Tomorrow we meet up at the airport with fellow climbers Frank Baxter and his brother in law Reid, Jim Marver, and our 2 guides Kurt Wedburg and Sara, and together we all board a 10 hour flight south to Kilimanjaro! Finally!!!

Did you know: * Dutch people are the tallest people in the world with an average height of 6'1" (the average American is 5'10"). * The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world. * There are over 1,000 working windmills in Holland (I hope we see one tomorrow!)

Breaking News!!! Monday, February 8

During breakfast all power went out in our hotel. Power outage across the whole area, hopefully not airport. We walked up 6 flights back to our rooms, then down 6 flights with all of our luggage. Luckily I had a flashlight that "always prepared" Griffy had given me at the last minute. Thanks Griffy - our hero!!

Arrival into Tanzania... Monday Evening, February 8

Just checking in to say our flight was uneventful. We all noticed how friendly and accommodating the KLM flight attendants and counter personnel are here in Europe. The women wear very nice, tailored dresses and hats. But most noticeable is how happy they seem to be going about their work. We had a little snafu in our seating and they were so apologetic and solved it right away. Why is it that the flight attendants in the US are so dour and crabby all the time?


Upon landing we were whisked thru customs and grabbed our bags (except for Frank whose 2 bags were no where to be found), boarded our van and relaxed on the 45 minute ride to our little resort, Springlands. We passed through the town of Moshi which we plan on returning to tomorrow for a little souvenir shopping.

We ate our dinner of spring rolls, crackers, and "fresh from Amsterdam" cheese before heading off to bed. Our accommodations are very plain but clean. Here's some local artwork on the wall, and a photo of Donna tucked cozy in her bed!

The Town of Moshi... Tuesday, February 9

Donna and I woke up earlier than everyone else this morning. We stepped outside the tall iron hotel gates which surround (and hide ...and protect) the property to see before us a "typical morning in Moshi". Across the dusty road are inactive railroad tracks, and the local people all meander into town along these tracks - the most darling little schoolboys and girls dressed in their navy pants and white collared shirt uniforms carrying their tiny backpacks head off to school - no moms driving carpool here!

Many men were heading into town on their rickety bikes, sometimes carrying a lady on the back, or a huge pile of grasses, or firewood. The women walked lazily along the tracks, dressed in colorful and bold-print dresses, many with buckets, piles of towels, or woven baskets on their heads. Sometimes they even carry their shoes...on their heads! Some don't mind having their photo taken - most turned away. Sometimes they ask to get paid. There were women whose heads were covered in the Muslim scarves. Old men were draped in saris and carried a long stick to help them along.

The dirt road was very primitive and had speed bumps created out of mounds of dirt. Dust blew everywhere as only a few cars or tourist vans zoomed by, honking to warn people, goats, and chickens and roosters to get out of their way. Except for the few folks in the vans, no one seemed in much of a hurry to get wherever they were going -stopping to greet each other, have a chat, share a joke, then amble on their way. Donna and I had come outside as we had heard the top of Kilimanjaro was visible, and indeed it was! There majestically before us was the snowcapped top breaking through a thick layer of clouds. It was like the summit was just peeking at us, wondering when we'd be by to visit!

It was still very early so Donna and I decided to go into the open-air communal dining room, set up with long wooden tables and chairs. We had Kili coffee with "fresh from the cow" watery milk. As we took in the morning sunshine, a tall, good looking young man chose to join US for breakfast (note he could have sat anywhere, but he chose to sit with the two over 50 chick-a-dees from the Palisades). He is a medical student in Sweden who had just summitted Kili the day before. He regaled us with his story of how sick he got with stomach cramps, throwing up and a piercing headache, all the while saying he was glad he did it, and advised us to "just put one foot in front of the other." OK - will do. (Yeesh what have I gotten myself into?)

Before long, everyone was up and ready to set out for a hike nearby. We walked through a very dense jungle with trees that had leaves the size of pillows. Then we broke out into vast rice fields where sprinkled within the tall skinny green stalks, the owners were tending their plots. I saw one guy weeding far out in the field while talking on his cell phone! Then we crossed into the jungle again and were very excited to spot high up in the trees, many black-and-white Colobus Monkeys as well as some Blue Monkeys. It was very very cool! We also spent a lot of time trying to photograph the many colorful butterflies that flitted from flower to flower.

Back to the hotel we headed for a quick shower and then we jumped in a van, as we had all been invited to lunch at our head guide's home - his name is God Listen, and we call him "Goddy". He and Bill enjoyed sharing Bill's I-Pod as they split ear buds and sang Paul Simon Graceland tunes on the way through town. We sat down for lunch in his small, modest but very comfortable home and were served his wife's specialty... Banana Soup. I am telling the absolute truth! It was served from a big pot of what looked like gravy with long bananas floating around in it. I was more than a little hesitant to try it but was also very hungry after our hike, so I went for it - actually it was quite good. We said to Goddy's wife "Asante Sana" or "Thank you very much". There was freshly picked mango and sweet pineapple for dessert. And to drink - Orange Fanta!

Bill asked to use the restroom and disappeared for a few minutes. Upon his return, Donna whispered to him "Is the bathroom ok? I mean, is it clean and all?" Bill said "Oh yes, yes...it's totally fine". So Donna disappeared for a few minutes only to return and give Bill a dirty look. I inquired what's up and she said "The toilet was a hole in the ground". Bill was ha ha ha-ing across the room.

So it was MY idea to go into town and do a little souvenir shopping. Everyone else thought "well ok", so back we got into the van and we bumped and jostled our way into the hot and bustling village of Moshi. It was full of many little shops selling everything you could imagine - mops next to wooden giraffes, soap next to beaded bracelets. Only one shop sold a carved wooden cross which I should have bought to add to my cross collection at home, but didn't. The entire trip I never saw another cross. Everywhere we went we were hounded by the locals to buy their paintings, carvings, or jewelry. Everything is bought by negotiating for the price. It was pretty overwhelming as these salesman did not want to hear "no thank you". Bill and Frank remarked that their persistence and drive would serve them well on Wall Street if they could find their way to NYC.

Bill and I broke away from the group and had Goddy take us through the huge open-air vegetable and fish market. He said we were where the "rich" people shopped for their food since this market was covered with a tarp and not just set in the blistering sun. We squeezed our way through narrow stalls full of garden grown vegetables, gigantic bags of what looked like tiny smoked sardines, and crates of live chickens and roosters. It was very dark inside and many of the stalls were tucked into corners where there was very little light - not a great place to spend your day. The noises were loud and sing-songy as the vendors tried to convince you to buy their produce and not the guy's next door. I tried to take a few photos but the people got angry so I stopped. Our guide was like "no big deal" but I felt I was being intrusive so I tried to restrain myself, but it was difficult because there was so many strange and colorful things I wanted to photograph! Meanwhile back at the shop where the rest of our group was, things were getting ugly as a few purchases had been made but the store keepers thought we should buy more. Everyone was glad (and relieved) when the van returned (to the rescue!) to pick us up.

Back at what now felt like a safe haven (our hotel), we got all our climbing stuff organized, then headed off to a buffet dinner topped off with a round of Cokes and Fantas in the bottle (no cans here). Everyone went to bed early except for me as I had taken a nap when we got back from the village so now I'm wide awake! Tomorrow we leave a 8am to begin our ascent - we start at 6,000 feet hiking on the UMBWE route (officially opened in 1963), which according to the guidebook I just glanced at tonight is "a very steep, wild and exhilarating climb". Eeekkk! After 4-6 hours we will set up tent and sleep at Cave Camp. There are no sleeping huts on this route.

Following dinner tonight, we had a long and detailed discussion on techniques to employ should you need to use the non-existent latrine in the middle of the night (or actually whenever). We all brought our own toilet paper. Again I ask - what have I gotten myself into? Until tomorrow...

First Day of the Ascent… Wednesday, February 10

The morning was clear skies and the view of Kili from our hotel was spectacular. We could see the whole mountain which looks like a long arm with a fist at the end (the summit). We headed out for a one-hour van ride, which brought us to the beginning of the trail. The porters met us and began packing up all of our stuff: food, pots and pans, tents, tables and chairs, all stuffed into big white bags. Incredibly we have 27 porters on our 8 person climb! A group of women stood nearby and I assumed they were the wives, but we soon discovered that they were the carriers of the water jugs. *Interesting note: Kurt explained to us that the porters are from the “Chagga Tribe”, who have historically lived at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro for many centuries. They accompanied the very first ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1889 with Hans Meyer, and they have traditionally been porters on the mountain ever since. Kurt said they have become like family and are a very intrical part of his staff. They welcomed us by saying in Swahili "Jambo", meaning "Hello"!

The 8 of us started up a long wide road in the midst of tall thin trees that formed a canopy over us. Moss of every shade of green hung off the limbs and climbed up the trunks. The road was littered with leaves forming a soft cushion for our feet. Two hours along, the trail turned narrow and steep. We were in the middle of a deep forest with occasional breaks in the trees which let sprinkled light in. I expected there would be many bird sounds of the forest but it was actually pretty quiet. Soon the porters passed us by with their big loads. The women had sprinted up the mountain and were already on their way back down before we were even half way up the 6 hour climb! It was cool in the forest but we were sweating through our clothes. We took a few breaks for water and food. After a while, we split into 2 groups - I started feeling woozy from the altitude so I was in a slower paced group, which included Sara (our guide), Bill, and the head porter who accompanied us. Our pace was like a slow drip drip drip as we went up up up. The Swahili phrase that is mentioned over & over is "Pole...Pole..." which means "Slowly...Slowly".

Bill decided that the best way to get me pumped and keep me moving (forward) was to sing with the porter, so for the last two hours of the climb, they regaled us with "Hakuna Matata" in Swahili! Lord knows the words seemed to change in each rendition and who knows what words Bill was actually singing, but I will say it did make for a cheery climb! I have instructed Bill that by end of the trip he is to have learned the entire song as I want him to perform it when we show all of you the video. My favorite word is "digee a la, digee a la" which we say all the time at various levels of volume - meaning "all's well".

Finally we arrived at Cave Camp (Camp #1), which is 9350 feet (having started at 6000). Donna and I immediately took our "pan of warm water" bath which was heaven on earth and I'm not exaggerating. Then to dinner of some kind of fish sticks, cabbage + carrots, and soup. I don't think I'm going to gain weight this trip! My head was starting to really hurt from the altitude so I popped a Diamox pill, and 3 Excedrin migraine pills. Loving husband Bill walked me to my tent and there I fell into a deep sleep.

But the story does not end there, as the night was not calm and cozy! But more on that later as my battery is running out! Just imagine a shrieking bird nearby, night walking without my head lamp (where the $#@! did I pack that thing??), a tent that smelled like fish but none I had ever tasted, and... Well, stay tuned.

Second Day of Ascent - Thursday, February 11

Hello Everyone… Tony Winston here. So I’m afraid today’s post will only be a partial one because Bill encountered some cell phone connection issues while dictating the blog entry onto my voicemail early this morning. Apparently, Mt. Kilimanjaro is not included on AT&T’s “in-network” blue coverage map! Nevertheless, I have included what I could in a few short paragraphs. But don’t worry, there will be more to come so please stay tuned and enjoy!

“Jambo Kaka na Dada.” (Translation: Hello brothers and sisters)

Greetings from husband Bill and the Kili-Krew! This morning, I am dictating this narrative from the Barranco Camp (Camp #2) at 12,926 feet to talk about an amazing day we had yesterday.

We began at 9,350 feet in the jungle zone and started our ascent at about 9:00am - after a breakfast of eggs, coffee (good thing I brought my instant Starbucks), peanut butter, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and papayas.

CINDY ABLE TO TAKE OVER HERE... We broke camp together with our wonderful crew of porters led by God Listen, known as Goddy. We also had a second porter, a young man named Rogate. Little did I know then how indispensible he would be to my goal to reach the summitt.

We ascended immediately into the forest zone - one of the 3 temperate zones that we walked through during our 7-hour hike yesterday. We continue to hike through a jungle with huge trees filled with branches wrapped and dripping with hanging moss. Our path is dense and narrow and we walked single file. Occasionally porters would come up behind us with their heavy duffle bags and folded tables and chairs, food and tents and we would all move over to the side to let them pass through. Because my shoulders were really bothering me in the beginning, I was able to pass off my backpack to one of our guides. Then I'd see a porter walking by me with this huge basket or duffle on his head! We heard that new safety rules now permit the porters to carry loads weighing no more than 42 lbs. There is actually a weighing scale at the entrance to the trails to be sure this rule is followed. It's good for the porters in that doesn't completely kill their backs (I guess...), and also creates jobs as due to the weight restriction more porters need to be hired.

After being in the jungle zone for several hours we finally broke into the sunshine and with the scenery opening up we were able to see our first glimpses of Killimanjaro. Now we are hiking on a trail that is less muddy and a little wider. We see some very pretty tiny yellow flowers that cluster around the rocks, as well as some big purple flowers. We are now in the Moorland zone. We come up to our first "wall" of rock to climb, requiring us to use our hiking poles and hang onto the helping hands of our guides as they pull us up the wall. Before long we come into fields and fields of the strangest looking trees - Giant Senecio trees. Some stand alone, many stand in clusters. They look like a tall thick stick with a burst of green shooting out of their tops. It is now late afternoon and the clouds and mist are coming in.

We reached Barranco Camp in time to wash up (remember just a bucket of hot water...) and have some dinner. Unlike our previous camp, this one had many other climbing groups alongside ours, and that makes for interesting conversations...we met people from Belguim, Australia, Slovenia, and Idaho! There was a lot of activity outside into the wee hours, with the many porters catching up with each other. Still, after the climb we had today, it was not difficult to quickly fall asleep.




To be continued…

Third day of Ascent...Friday, February 12

(Bill narrative)

Today was another terrific day on the mountain. We started in Barranco Canyon which is at the elevation of 12,926 feet. It was clear weather in the beginning of the day, but then got cloudy and eventually rainy as the day wore on. We started our hike at about 9:30am and hiked for a couple of hours. The 1st group stopped at about 13,500 feet, and the 2nd group went on to about 15,000 feet. This was really more of a practice hike to get everyone “climatized” to the higher elevations, which of course we will be hitting later in the trip. Tonight we will be returning to the same camp, not moving higher to another camp.

The first group arrived back at camp at about 12:30pm and had a nice lunch of spaghetti and meat sauce, as well as empanadas – very delicious!! The second group, which went up to an area called “Lava Tower”(15, 190), came down at about 3:00pm and had lunch as well.

During the course of the afternoon, it was raining pretty hard, which was a new experience for us, as we have been very lucky with the weather conditions thus far. Then later in the afternoon, we had an absolutely hysterical card game with our porters. We weren’t exactly sure what the rules of this card game were, as they seemed to keep changing. In fact, there were so many rules that at one point, one of our “krew members”, Jim Marver asked if there was a handbook – which really cracked everyone up!!

We played cards until dinnertime which was at 6:30pm. Afterwards, everyone was so exhausted from the successive days of hiking that we all went to bed at about 8:00pm. For the first time on the trip, most of slept right through the night (although some of us got up here and there for various reasons). During one of my stirs, I looked up into the night sky and I was completely awestruck at what I saw.. I can say that I have never in my life seen a night sky like this before. There were thousands and thousands of stars, shooting stars. I could see the Milky Way as if it were literally right in front of my face. It was truly amazing!

(Cindy narrative)

Today was a rest day to help us acclimate to the higher altitude. It was very cold this morning, and when we started our hike, it was overcast, which had quite an effect on the photography. We hiked for 3 hours up to what is called “Lava Tower”. Well that was our intention anyway, but some of us were really exhausted and ended up turning back half way while the rest continued. At one point of the hike, we were sitting on the side of the mountain on a plateau. We had passed through a really big waterfall and had to cross over the stream at the waterfall’s cause. Here I dipped my hands in the really cold water and washed off my face. I was part of the group that decided to return to camp early, and was very thankful as it was starting to get very misty. By the time the other group returned, it was pouring, which must have been just dreadful! But having returned early, Donna and I were snug inside our cozy tent (me zzzzz....., Donna reading her book).

A couple of hours later, I and woke up and ambled over to the big tent to join in a card game, called “Cardy” that Kurt, Sara, Bill and the porters were playing before dinner. This game was very similar to Uno and it was quite a raucous as Bill was at the height of his hilarity...the altitude seemed to enhance his sense of humor. We really enjoyed ourselves and hope to play another game tomorrow evening...although I never did understand the rules (which seemed to change with every hand. Luckily no money was being wagered!)

After dinner, it was right back to bed. This whole trip I never had any trouble sleeping - even though I was in a very small tent with a thin mattress under my sleeping bag, wearing regular clothes and often a wool hat - I would still drop off to sleep in a flash. Others had trouble with stuffy noses or coughs. It was a good thing I took that Diamox as I never really had any altitude issues other than an occasional mild headache - which cleared up after I downed 3 Excedrin Migraine pills!! It was today that I started fanaticizing about In & Out and Sophia's spaghetti and meatballs… Sweet dreams!

Fourth Day of the Ascent... Saturday, February 13

(Bill narrative)

This morning we rose a little bit early at 6:30am. It was a beautiful morning. The camp was crowded. There were many other campers there, and some of them were dancing and singing African songs. Now THAT was an experience I will never forget!

We started the day at about a 13,000 foot elevation and immediately went to the Barranco Wall – a very famous and a very difficult climb. I must say that the views from here were spectacular. We could see the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and then down into the valley… the geologic formations were just incredible. We saw many waterfalls spanning hundreds of feet. The sun was shining and the sky was blue.

It took us an hour and a half to get up the Barranco Wall, and it was not as arduous as we were led to believe, in great part because of our amazing tour guides – Kurt and Sara. Everybody did a great job getting up the Wall, which brought us to an elevation of 14,000 feet. Over the next 4 hours, we hiked a series of ascents and descents ranging anywhere from 500-700 feet. After going up and down, and up… and then down again, we ended up at a place called “Karanga Camp” (Camp #3), which ironically is nearly the same elevation as where we started - 13,000 feet.

Along the way, there were many beautiful rock formations, a couple of zigs and zags, and a number of plants that we had never seen before. There were times that it felt like we were walking on the moon. Sometimes, the landscape was sparse, sometimes it was lush, and other times it was a hybrid of both. Sometimes we would pass large boulders which had smaller rocks piled one on top of the other. Our porter told us people built these as "good luck" mementos.

There were lots of other people on the trail as well from all over the world, and we enjoyed talking with all of them. There were people from Slovenia and Germany and other far away places, and it was fun comparing notes. Some of the members of our crew actually had mutual friends in some of the other groups, which was quite a pleasant coincidence.

We ended up returning to camp at about 2:00pm and then had lunch. Afterwards, we set up our packs and tents – as you can imagine, we have all developed our own routines in setting up our tents. During this process, it began to rain (pretty hard) for about an hour. We decided to play another game of Cardy with many of the porters, and had such a great time. It was great having fun with this wonderful group of people that we have gotten to know very well. We all laughed and sang and joked around with each other, just like it is back at home. It was a truly memorable experience.

Then at 6:15pm, we had dinner as we usually do, which worked out well because that’s the same time that Cindy and I have had dinner for the last 24 years! But the dinner was interrupted when the sun came out - it was so beautiful! We could see Mt. Kilimanjaro which was about 6,000 feet up - although it didn’t look like it was 6,000 feet up… but I’m sure we’ll be doing a great deal of climbing between now and the peak. We could also see Mt. Meru off in the distance, which was quite spectacular.

All in all it was another unforgettable day.


(Cindy narrative)

This morning, we woke up to a brilliant sunshine – similar to that of a bright, clear Los Angeles morning after a gloomy hard rain. We also woke up to some peculiar yet lovely sounds coming from outside our tent. We opened the tent and looked to find some of the porters from the other groups singing to each other on opposite sides of a hill next to the camp site. One group sings one phrase and the other group responds. Many are dancing and waving their hands. Perhaps they smoked a little “changa” this morning..? Of course you KNOW that Bill and I ran up to watch them, and....well before you know it Bill is right in the middle singing along and yes, dancing. It was a very fun song, and to witness this performance was really quite something. I just wish I had a tape recorder to capture the sounds of this memorable moment. Although I did take a few photos which you will want to see…

Duly noted… OUR porters were not a part of that wild group - they are hardworking, very respectful, and cheerful ALWAYS. Really a remarkable group of young men who told us often how appreciative they were to us for providing them with work. (Apparently after doing a climb, the porters often have to wait for a month or so before getting another climbing job).

One more thing - the head porter said BY FAR the Americans are the nicest and most generous people to work for. (I won't tell you what he said about the French).

Fifth Day of Ascent - Valentine's Day! Sunday, February 14

This morning we woke up to clear skies and more singing by the porters "next door". We've been so blessed with great weather. This morning was a special one - Valentine's Day! I had brought some paper valentines from home, and during our climb we ladies had carefully searched the ground for heart shaped stones. Donna, Sara, and I got up a little earlier than usual and met in our tent to prepare a surprise for the gentlemen. We wrote each fella's name on a paper heart, and attached several heart shaped rocks with duct tape to the front. Then we snuck over to the food tent and carefully placed each one on a breakfast bowl. Upon arriving for their morning coffee, the guys were so surprised!!! We also gave a valentine to several of our porters, who said they celebrate Valentine's day in Tanzania.

After breakfast, we packed up our duffles (again!) and left Karanga Camp to head up to our final camp Barafu Hut (Cam #4), where we will rest a few hours before before the BIG CLIMB to the summit. Slow and steady we walked through what looked like the moon - wide expanses of dark dusty sand-like dirt called "scree" and small volcanic rocks. We are now in the sub-alpine zone. It was a very slow & stiff walk up and then down into valleys several times. On occasion we'd encounter other climbers - there were a group of Germans who seemed to keep the same pace as us. But for the most part we didn't see anyone else as we walked slow and steady for 7 hours, finally arriving at Barafu Camp - 15,100 feet.

While Kurt filled out the necessary forms at the park ranger's hut, we pretty much collapsed outside on a stone wall. Donna spotted a box of Coke cans, and we asked the price for one and were told $4.00. Note, at the previous camp they were going for $5.00 a can. We speculated that due to the high price they must not have sold any so economics being what they are, they lowered the price at the next stop! We paid $4.00 and gave the fella a $1.00 tip! Everyone was happy.

Soon we lumbered up to our campsite alongside a lot of other climbers and organized our tents. We had an early dinner, where Kurt set forth the plan for the FINAL Ascent! We would go back to our tents on the early side, as we'd be sleeping only a few hours tonight. He would moniter the weather, and if the winds were calm, as we hoped they would be, then the plan was to awaken at 10pm or so, have a light "breakfast" and begin the climb to the summit. After a few questions like "Do you really think we can all make it?", we returned to our tents and set aside what we would need - our headlamps, our heavy down jackets, gloves, wool hats, long underwear. We nestled into our sleeping bags and tried to go to sleep but it was difficult as we were very nervous and excited. We slept in the clothes we would be climbing in, as no one would want to change at 10pm!

Turns out the winds were minimal, and the night sky was clear with a million stars. The weather was just right for our climb (p.s. - two weeks earlier, the celebrities who did the same climb encountered snow and heavy rain on their ascent... once again we were blessed with perfect weather).

BREAKING NEWS - SUMMIT DAY!! Late Sunday Night into Monday, February 15

By 11pm we set off for the summit. It was cold but not that bad in the beginning. It was a bit disorienting as it was in the middle of the night and we only had the light from our little headlamps to lead the way. Of course our guides had done the climb several times before, and our head porter said this was his 30th ascent...but still it was pitch black outside. As we began the climb, several other groups were ahead of us, and many more behind us. Walking very slowly and doing our deep breaths, we inched up the mountain, using our poles to climb over boulders and to help navigate the switchbacks. Sometimes we had to set aside our poles and climb with both hands over rocks. I was in the back of the pack between our guide Sara, who was in front of me, and Rugate, one of the porters who was behind me. Often Sara would offer me her hand to help climb over a big boulder or slippery rock, and Rugate would give me a little push from behind to get me up & over! I called Sara my "angel" because she not only carried my backpack every day filled with water bottles and various clothing items (due to my chronic shoulder/neck pain), but because she believed in me from the very beginning and was determined to lead me up all the way to the top! Rugate was a 24 year old very bright and ambitious young man who through his 4 years of being a porter had acquired very good English. He was intellectually curious and we got into many interesting conversations through the course of the 2 weeks.

But no one was talking as we climbed up and up and up in a weaving line in the dark. It was a mysterious and strangely beautiful site to see the dots of the many headlamp's light winding up the mountain. It was all anyone could do just to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other in what seemed like an endless slow shuffle upward. Occasionally we'd stop to rest, but the stops were short, just to catch our breath and drink some water. Many people have asked WHY this climb is done in the middle of the night, and it's a valid question. My answer would be "If you saw what we were climbing in the light of day, you'd never do it!" But the actual reason is three fold - #1 to ensure you arrive on the crater rim or at the summit in time for sunrise, and #2 In case the weather turns at any point, you will be descending in daylight, and #3 By setting off early, you will guarantee that you will have sufficient time to descend from the summit not only to Barafu Camp, but then 5 hours further down to the next camp where you will spend your final night (ie you won't want to spend another night at Barafu Camp - remember it's 15,100 feet in altitude).

After climbing for 7 hours, daylight came upon us in a beautiful and dramatic sunrise over the African plains. By this time the switchbacks had ended and we were walking up a direct ascent on fine, loose gravel...almost like a sand-dune. We paused a few times to catch our breath and take in the incredible red and gold colors before us on the horizon. Suddenly before us we see the huge, enormous glaciers in the whitest of white color..sheer walls of white. We reach what seems like the top, but it isn't! We are now at the crater rim, called Stella Point at 19,000 feet. (Stella Point is named after the wife of Kingsley Latham, a member of the Mountain Club of South Africa. They both reached this point in 1925!) Mentally you feel like you've done it!...but you still have a ways to go. We walk around the rim which gradually still climbs upward for well over another hour to FINALLY the high point called Uhuru Peak at (can you believe it?!!!) 19, 340 feet.

There were some in our group that knew they'd make it. They were mentally and physically prepared, and were confident from the get-go. Then there were those (ie ME!) who told everyone beforehand that "I have NO intention of going all the way to the top...I'll go as far as I am comfortable and then will relax in my tent and do my needlepoint until the rest come down". But here I was at the very top of Kilimanjaro...I couldn't believe it! No one was more surprised than I was...it is a testament to simply putting one foot in front of the other and slowly but surely going forward. It was an amazing feeling and we all were very excited at our accomplishments! We took a million photos next to the Uhuru Sign, including a special one of the 4 Palisadians - Cindy, Bill, Donna, and Frank - holding a copy of the most recent Palisadian Post. We will be submitting this photo to our local newspaper in hopes that we make the front page (above the fold, pluuuzzzz)


(Later that night...Phone message from Kurt Wedberg - 9:45pm)

Hello everyone. Sorry for speaking softly but everyone is asleep now. Cindy had planned on calling herself but she is also asleep. Just wanted to let you all know that we 100% summitted today, and reached 19,340 feet!! Everybody is safely back down at camp now, and tomorrow we will be walking out (hiking down the mountain) – it will be about a 4 hour walk-out. It was an absolutely lovely and memorable day today, and something that we are all very very proud of.

I just wanted to give you all the good news... I’m sure Cindy will follow up with more details.

Off to bed now. Good night.