kilimanjaro

Hi - there is another thread called 'kili climb' going for this one - but at the moment just me and one other - Diljit - are on there. You might want to jump over to that one - we have exchanged some details of travel etc. so you could catch up.

i dont know if we are on the same climb we depart london on friday and start our climb on the sunday you seem to be starting your climb on the tuesday let us know

Look's like different treks - although I'm surprised they are so close together. Mine has the three day safari option at the end, does yours?

Hi.  I've signed up for this one and be pleased to chat.  Take a look at ColumbusDirect.com for alternative travel insurance, they offer cover very comparable and often better cover than the Exodux insurance link; you can select a 'high altitude walking' option.

Also, for the Visa, go to the Tanzanian High Commission website where you can download an application form and deal direct for £38 without the additional £25 fee. 

Alan

hi alan good to hear u are climbing how is your training goiing thank yo also for the links

I recently received a couple of tips from someone who did the same route with Exodux last year. Firstly, It can be very dusty during the 4x4 vehicle transfers. Secondly, The climb is not serviced with sealed bottled water and it is advisable to take a water sterilisation kit.

Do note that Exodus has a 10% discount deal with Ellis Brigham for kit 

My current training is a regular schedule of exercise, walking and cycling.     Alan

Hi there, am doing a kili rongai/zanibar trip earlier in the month but thought I'd check out your thread for any advice. Much obliged for the water sterilisation pack tip.

:-)

hi alan and all in our group just wondering how your training is going and what your doing about sleeping bags

Hi guys, I'm flying out on the 25th Sept. Is anyone doing the same trip?

Trying to get everything together and realising I have hardly done anything! I'm gonna hire a sleeping bag as they sound pretty good for £25 and to buy a really good one seems a lot. Just bought my boots which cost a bomb but are well comfy!

Would be good to hear from people on the same trip

Steve

good to hear you are going on the trip myself and a friend of mine Darren are also travelling how is your training going ....still havent decided what im going to do about a sleeping bag but leaning towards hiring one and buying a liner... keep in touch

Hi mate,

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I've been doing the Amalfi Coast trip the last week for a bit of pre-training and it was really good, lots of good work for the legs and getting the boots worn in.

I'd definitely recommend hiring a sleeping bag as it's a lot cheaper and they said it is rated to -10c for comfort and -18c for extreme, plus it comes with a liner. I've just bought my poles off ebay, only £13 - a lot cheaper than I'd seen in the shops and they're £8 to hire so thought I might as well get my own. Kind of fretting about the rest of the stuff though, like what kind of thermals/fleeces and stuff to buy. Still a while to sort it out though.

How old are you guys out of interest? I'm 24 myself

hi steve lucky you back from the almafi coast ..i am 39 and daren is in his early 40s am going to rent a sleeping bag cannot believe the cost of buying one i had my yellow fever vaccanation last week but had a reaction to it so left me down for about five days so no training begining to fel better now so hopefully get back to doing a bit of training this week ...i believe the whole trip is booked up so im told there are 8 men and three women so looking forward to meeting up and having a great experience...keep in touch

martin

Damn, sorry to hear about that. I'm having mine done on Saturday so I hope I don't get the same, heard it makes you feel pretty shitty.

Are you going to be taking Diamox? I think I'll take some with me just in case

yes am definetly taking it want to give myself every chance to get to the top lol..as concerns vaccanation nurse said that 25% of people get the same symptoms as i did...but am beggining to feel a lot better now do you live in london or will you have to travel far to get to heathrow...

 

Will you be taking Diamox the whole time then? I just didn't really like the sounds of the side effects so I might just take some with me in case I start feeling ill.

I live in Kent so it's easy enough for me, what about yourself?

i live in london  only about 10 miles from airport so its handy going to my docs next week to get perscription  for diamox and going to try it out for a few days before i go to see about  the side effects...used to live in canterbury and the isle of sheppey many years ago lol...

Ah cool

Have you found any good deals on clothing? I've been looking around and it all seems so expensive

everything is so expensive !! got my down jacket on e-bay for £70 and a few other things from nomad store as we get a 15% discount  and borrowed a few things but i cannot believe how much the trip is working out at ...and then at the end we have to tip the porters and guides looking at some of the blogs thta is another big expense ...still am really looking forward to it not many people on our trip are using the forum which is strange compared to other trips ...but hopefully there all nice people ..lol

 

Yeh does add up to a lot.

Not sure why no one else is on here, maybe they are technically challenged haha. What jacket did you get?

gaot a noke down jacket x-large even tough im not that size told to get it because of all the extra layers but its massive lol..stll feeling a bit shitty from the jabs ..but going to the embassy on tuesday to get my visa one less thing to worry about ...

I'm going to check out some jackets at the weekend at Cotswold Outdoor. I told them I'm doing my climb for charity (Alzheimer's) and they gave me 20% off of my boots and anything else I wanted! Pretty sweet

I handed in my Visa application today, was well quick and there was hardly anyone there!

Hi Steve. I'm in Kent too - Ashford. Diamox is an unknown quantity. Take it and you don't know if that's what enabled you to cope with the altutude. Ideally you need more than one high altitude trek, with and without it, to find out if it helps you. To be effective you need to start taking diamox a day or two before going high, not when you start feeling groggy. I trekked in Peru to 4300m last year and took it and was ok, but going to almost 6000m is another matter. The side effects are tingling fingers like pins and needles/mild electric shock. I can tolerate the side effects and will be taking it this trip - hopefully to give me the best chance of success. Useful information on altitude sickness can be found at www.travax/nhs/uk/registered/advicesheets/mountainsickness.     Alan

Just returned from Kili, all the group made the summit, appreciate the 'unknown quantity' bit but half the group took Diamox when we were at altitude and had been experiencing symptoms (mainly headaches), it acted as a miracle cure and we were all perfectly ok within hours of the first tablet, as long as you can tolerate the tingling/pins and needles side effects. Saw another group at the hotel who had already made it and they all swore by it too! After paying this much money to get there, a little boost won't go amiss!

 Enjoy and good luck!

Thanks for the info guys.

I got my Diamox yesterday and the nurse said to either take it prophylactically or when you start feeling ill and it will take a few hours to take effect, not like what Wikipedia says "a day or two." I think I'd prefer to do it that way because otherwise if you take it from the start and feel bad then you don't know if it's the diamox or not. But if the only side effects are pins and needles and urinating a lot I think I can handle that!

I have also read that it can help regulate your breathing when at altitude which helps a lot with sleeping so I suppose I'll just see how it goes. I think I'll do a trial run next weekend for a day to see what it's like, how'd you get on with that Martin?

Had the Yellow Fever jab yesterday as well and luckily feel fine so far :)

Good to hear from you Alan, are you going on the trip alone like myself?

 Yes, I'm alone on this one and looking forward to meeting up with the rest of the team. Together we can do this. Daniela told me we are 9 men and 3 women on this trip; but they won't publish a list of who they are - confidentiality issue.  Where in Kent are you Steve?   Alan

I'm in Orpington. Yeh I was told the same thing but was given a rough demographic, it's a nice mix really and I'm glad there's people around the same age as me as I'm 24.

I got the kit bag the other day, do we have to use it or is it just complimentary? Because I'd rather use a rucksack type bag I think, be easier to carry

Check the trip Notes Steve,  the kitbag is for your stuff which porters will carry for you and needs to a standard pack and not exceed a certain weight.  Alan

Hi guys, i'm john and i'm flying out of heathrow on friday 25th sept to climb kili on the rongai route. I think it's the same trip as you guys so if it is...pleased to meet you! Had my yellow fever jab today and as yet i feel good, yay!!

Let me know if it's the same trip as you guys and i'll look out for you all at the airport!

 

Yeh mate, it's the same trip :) Whereabouts you from?

Can't believe it's just 10 days until we go now, seems like I've still got so much to sort out! Anyone else doing it for charity? I'm raising money for Alzheimer's for my nan, should be an extra motivation for me!

Steve

Hi Everybody,

 Want to wish you all a fantastic trip.  Been looking at your comments which have been very helpful -

many thanks.  I and a friend fly out on 3rd October, do the short safari and then go fo it on Kili.

Caroline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hi steve and alan and all sorry i havent been able to answer your replies but have had the flu for over a week now but feeling better  ...only a short time to go now very exciting ...went to the embassy yesterday for my visa and was told they close tuesday and wedenesday afternoons and if i wanted my visa fastracked for today i would have to pay five pounds extra has anyone had this experience...also my doctor refused to give me diamox so had to go private to get a perscription ...but at least all sorted now..

 

That's fantastic i'm pleased that i've found some other people that are climbing this mole hill lol!

I'm from Grimsby which is on the east coast so i'm getting the train down to heathrow on friday...i can't beleive it's nearly time to go :-)

Can i ask you guys how much money you are taking with you to spend and are you taking US dollars?

John

Sorry mate i forgot to mention that i'm raising money for the british heart foundation

:-)

Hi everyone, I've just returned from Kili. WOW! What an experience...extremely tiring but well worth the effort. You really have to dig deep on summit night and it takes a lot of physical and mental stamina. You will be dirtier than than you have ever been (a nail brush is very useful and makes you very popular with the ladies! LOL) Summit clothing...I wore thermals, walking trousers, overtrousers wicking tee, fleece, thin down jacket and waterproof walking coat plus neck scarf and hat and good quality gloves. Despite thick socks and good boots my feet were like blocks of ice! Everything else was toastie! 9 out of our 11 made the summit. One bailed at Gilmans and one at Stella. 8 took Diamox. I just relied on Ibuprofen, suffered only mild headaches and reached the summit (totally knackered) Once you return to camp you will not feel like continuing for a further 3 hour trek to the next camp, but after a brief rest and food you manage to summon up the energy to continue. Take loads of photos and eat loads of energy foods. Good luck!!! Kev

Hi guys,Sorry to hear you were still feeling unwell Alan, hope you're all good now. Only 5 days to go, it doesn't seem real yet!Not sure about money. It says $50-$80 in the trip notes so think I'll stick to that, how much did you take Kev? Thanks for all your advice. What was the weather like?I'm gonna go down to Cotswold again soon to try get the last bits of stuff, still seems like so much to do. I always leave stuff to the last minute, I think I like the pressure!

Hi Sparkes, if you are referring to tips, we all put in $80 each and believe me the guides and porters are worth every penny! Most of our group also gave extra tips to their personal porters and guides that offered extra help. They were all very pleased with the tips, although one guide tried tapping us for a bit more apparently to help his daughter through education. The weather for us was superb with every day being hot and sunny. The nights were cold and we woke most mornings to frost and ice. Views were magnificent! Although the water is boiled it can still have a nasty taste. I fitted a water filter (£45) to my camelbak and the water was perfect so justified the cost. Despite blowing back down the tube on summit night the mouthpiece and tube froze which left me to drink from a spare bottle I had. The taste was yeeeuk! U S Dollars are accepted everywhere although I did change some to Tanzanian Shillings. Get small notes because that helps with tips...trust me...everyone in Tanzania expects a tip, even if they only carry your luggage 2 metres!! LOL Please feel free to ask for any more advice. Cheers, Kev.

Thanks for your tips Kev and well done mate on your climb, lets hope our group is as successful eh.

Well i think i'm ready for this challenge but i'm sure there will be something that i need when i get there. I'm like you sparkes leaving things till last minute, somehow feels better lol.

Do you wanna look out for each other at heathrow and grab a coffee before the flight guys??

John

What you guys doing for your main bag then? I know we've gotta take the Exodus one but I'm thinking I might leave it empty and try and fit it in my large rucksack to use when we get there as I don't really fancy carrying it around plus it will be hard to recognise them if everyone uses them as their main bag! What did you do Kev?

Good idea to meet up mate. Anyone on Facebook?

Steve

You had the same idea as me steve, i'm gonna try and put my rucksack into the big black bag for when it goes on the plane and then take it out on the other end.

I tried on all my clothes today which i'll be wearing on the summit climb...wow!! it's quite hard to move about with somany layers on but i'm sure when we're up there in the freezing cold it'll be a godsend!

I'm on facebook mate...john tomlinson...

Yeh I tried all mine on and certainly felt toasty :)

There's a few of you on there mate. Add me up:

 www.facebook.com/uobirac

Hi Sparkes, I put my 30 litre rucksack in the Exodus bag with most of my walking gear and the rest in one of those pull along cases as hand luggage. Worked a treat. To be honest you don't really see much of your Exodus bag other than check in an baggage collection, the rest of the time the porters carry it. One thing I will say though, those that hired sleeping bags were shocked at the size of them! Quite bulky...taking up about 50% of the Exodus bag space.

The bag is packed and i am ready to roll, just gotta put the toothbrush in friday morning. Can't wait now getting really really excited, just wanna get there now and conquer!!

I've requested your facebook profile Steve so we'll get that sorted then i can look out for ya at the airport and grab a beer :-) 

That's a bit annoying about the hired sleeping bags as I've hired one myself, nevermind!

Can't believe you've packed already mate, I still have some stuff to buy! I've added you on Facebook, think I'll stick to water at the airport though ;)

Nice one, I'd go tomorrow if i could haha.

I've got it all packed but i know i'll be getting it all out on friday morning to double check i've got everything! Changed some money yesterday so that's another job done, just need to get some batteries and snacks and hey presto, done. I don't even wanna add up everything i've spent on this trip cos i know it's a small fortune but i keep telling myself it's a once in a lifetime experience and you can't take it with ya so might aswell spend it!

Did you get any sponsorship from local companies to help with your equipment?

I know what you mean, I've spent so much money on stuff I really don't want to know what the grand total would be!

I didn't get any sponsorship for that no, you? I've had a lot of help from my company, Capita though with organising various things. The total will be well over £1,000 once it's all in which I'm really pleased with :)

its good to see everyone is getting excited ...just went to get the last few things got home and then remembered other stuff i needed to get lol...looking forward to meeting you guys at the airport and will seek you all out in facebook now

 

john found 399 of you on facbook which one are you lol

 

wow, that's great it definately helps to have people helping out on the financial side isn't it.

I got various donations from different companies like bags, coats, sunglasses and money so i'm over the moon with all the help i got. Raised quite a bit of money for charity through my club too.

Just keep thinking about the trip now and how cool it's gonna be! Been reading a lot on this diamox stuff and read through the comments earlier. I'm not taking any with me just because i don't really know much about it and when i asked my doc he nearly bitch slapped my ass out the office so got the feeling he didn't want to give me any haha.

Have you solved the bag dilemma yet mate?

Hi Martin, thanks for searching me out on facebook, i'm the one doing a flying kick in the air, add me and we can get a face to the name.

If it's any easier mate just go on www.gfkc.co.uk which is my website.

 I'm seriously excited about this trip now with only 1 day left i just hope i haven't forgot anything!!

Hi guys,

Any good tips about water treatment.  Iodine or Chlorinr or nothing????????

Thanks.

 

Caroline