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September 10 to 18 Updates from the mountain:
Tune in to the morning news on CKNW (980 AM) during the climb for periodic updates from the team! Tuesday, September 11, 2007
As the 2007 Ascent for Alzheimer’s team prepares to move onward and upward towards the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro tomorrow morning, a group of Tanzanian school children will never be the same again. "Laura Gosset taught them how to do the Hokey Pokey," laughed Don Bulmer, on the line from the Marangu Hotel. "We took some gifts to the local school, and the kids sang us a welcoming song and shared a dance with us – it seemed only fair to reciprocate," explained Ariela Friedmann. "It was such a sight, watching them learn how to Hokey Pokey and ‘shake it all around’!" Having arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport with most of their gear in tow, the 10 members of this year’s Ascent team spent the day touring Marangu.
Surrounded by rainforest and in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the village of Marangu – and specifically the Marangu Hotel – serves as home base for our Ascent team. It’s located at about 4,000 feet, on the north side of the mountain. The surrounding area is home to numerous coffee plantations and banana trees; Marangu is home to a weekly banana market, where tons of bananas and banana products are sold in various forms. This evening the team did a full gear check and met with one of their local guides, Seamus Brice-Bennett, to review the trip plan and other necessary details. "Everybody is really excited to get going," said team physician Dr. Danny Dibski, an experienced trekker who will accompany the team up the mountain. "Even just being here in Africa has been incredible." With some gusty winds, temperatures around 30C and partly cloudy skies, the team will set out tomorrow by jeep to Nalemoru Gate (6,000’) and then start their hike towards First Cave, where they’ll spent their first night on the mountain. We expect to hear from the team tomorrow after they settle in for the evening. (NB: Weather conditions may impact the team's schedule. All dates and times noted are given in Tanzania time unless otherwise noted.) Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Setting out this morning from the comforts of the Marangu Hotel, the 2007 Ascent for Alzheimer’s team started their journey in a jeep, travelling the bumpy dirt road to Nalemoru Gate (6,000 feet), just south of the Kenya-Tanzania border. The team will follow the Rongai Route, which lies on the northeast side of the mountain. The second-easiest route, this path is more remote and less-frequently used but – when the weather cooperates – it provides nearly constant views of Mawenzi and Kibo, two of Mount Kilimanjaro’s three peaks. Uhuru Peak, considered the mountain’s summit at 19,340 feet, sits at the top of Kibo.
The bottom of the winding trail took the team through fields of maize (corn) before ascending gently through a pine forest. Wildlife can often be seen along the route – but not today. "The only wildlife we’ve seen are some of the members of our team," joked Dr. Danny Dibski, adding that it’s been a great first day. "Our hike so far as been sunny; the mountain itself was socked in all day with cloud, but as we reached camp the skies cleared," he said. "Now we’ve got picture-perfect views towards Mawenzi and Kibo, and we can just see the edge of the glacier." Dr. Dibski said some freshening up was required as they settled in for dinner. "Today was pretty dusty – we’re all covered in dirt. But, we all seem to clean up pretty well! We’ve got 36 porters accompanying our team, and they’re taking great care of us." The team will spend their first night on Mount Kilimanjaro camping at First Cave (8,500 feet). On the edge of the heath and moorland zone, their camp is surrounded by brush that’s head-height or taller. Tomorrow they’ll hike 10 km to Kikelewa Caves (10,800 feet). This stretch offers a fairly steady climb to Second Cave for lunch, then on towards the jagged peak of Mawenzi.
Still in the moorland, the landscape is quite open with lots of heather, bracken, moss and increasingly large senecios – a type of succulent (a water-retaining plant) that develops thick stems capped by bunches of tough green leaves. As they dry out, it’s these leaves that collapse to become part of the weathered stem. We’ll hear from the team next on Friday, Sept. 14, once they’ve reached Mawenzi Tarn (14,200 feet) for acclimatization. (NB: Weather conditions may impact the team's schedule. All dates and times noted are given in Tanzania time unless otherwise noted.) Friday, September 14, 2007
Taking deep breaths, Don Bulmer was the first to chat on the satellite phone, speaking from their camp at Mawenzi Tarn (14,200 feet) on day three of this year’s Ascent for Alzheimer’s. "At 14,000 feet, we’re definitely up there; every breath is kind of difficult." "And it’s pretty cold," he added. "Apparently Vancouver’s finally warmed up, but we can’t be envious – this is incredible."
The weather on Mount Kilimanjaro has been pretty mixed, alternating bright sun with a pretty persistent cloud cover and fog that keeps rolling back in. "We’re above the clouds now," said Don. "It’s like being on top of the world." Mawenzi Tarn is an alpine lake – the only permanent one on Mount Kilimanjaro’s slopes. With camp set up on one side of its shores and the jagged and rocky peak of Mawenzi towering above, the view is spectacular. "We hiked up over 3,000 feet today," said Ariela Friedmann, noting that the hike from their previous camp at Kikelewa Caves (10,800 feet) took about 7.5 hours.
It was a long day of hiking, but Dr. Danny Dibski says everybody is doing really well, sticking together and keeping pace. "We’ll have a good, strong group for our summit push this weekend!" Tomorrow the team can take a brief bit of respite as they maintain their campsite for another night. The time spent at the Tarn will help acclimatize the team, with only a short hike tomorrow to the nearby north corrie - a circular hollow where they'll be able to get a close look at pinnacles of hard dark lava.
On Saturday, however, the team will press forward and set out towards Kibo Hut (15,400 feet). The trail winds right past Mawenzi and then stretches across an area called the Saddle – a barren, alpine desert some have compared to a moonscape. There’s nearly nothing to mark the landscape here except Mawenzi on the path behind and Kibo looming up ahead. Arriving at Kibo Hut mid-afternoon, the team will have time to rest before midnight – when the final drive towards the summit will begin! (NB: Weather conditions may impact the team's schedule. All dates and times noted are given in Tanzania time unless otherwise noted.) Monday, September 17, 2007
There’s something indescribable – utterly beyond words – about standing 19,340 feet up looking out over the world, a mountain beneath your feet and nothing but the sky above. Indescribable…but the members of the 2007 Ascent for Alzheimer’s team will each have their own way of defining their triumph.
All ten members of this year’s team made it to the summit, supporting each other every step of the way. The journey to the summit symbolically represents the journey taken by those impacted by dementia; slowly, one step at a time. Stretching towards the summit was, perhaps, a test of the team’s resolve – but one that they all faced and overcame. "We’re all trashed," said Don Bulmer, the fatigue clear in his voice. "We’re all still in one piece, all doing well – but it’s been a pretty exhausting day." It was 4:30 p.m. on Mount Kilimanjaro when Don called from Kibo Hut – a bit behind schedule for their marathon summit day. But despite the distance yet to travel down to their camp at Horombo Hut (12,200 feet), the team was feeling elated.
It rained all day yesterday, as the team trekked across the Saddle, from Mawenzi Tarn to Kibo Hut. Arriving at Kibo Hut mid-afternoon, the team rested there until they set out towards the summit in the darkness of midnight. "By the time we left Kibo, it was snowing," Don described. "It kept snowing until maybe 2 a.m. But then it cleared, and we were hiking under the stars. By the time we reached the summit it was clear and sunny – we were even able to take off a layer or two!" The team will camp at Horombo Hut tonight, before descending the rest of the way to Marangu tomorrow. We’ll hear from the team next when they’re back at the Marangu Hotel, "once we’ve showered and have a nice drink in hand," Don mused. "Man, everyone stinks!"
(NB: Weather conditions may impact the team's schedule. All dates and times noted are given in Tanzania time unless otherwise noted.) Tuesday, September 18, 2007
"This team has experienced Mount Kilimanjaro from its most glorious right through to devastating," reflected Dr. Danny Dibski, back with this year’s Ascent for Alzheimer’s team members in the comforts of the Marangu Hotel. "We encountered some pretty challenging conditions – but, in a couple of days, it probably won’t seem so bad!" Clean and warm, still basking in the success of reaching Uhuru Peak (19,340 feet) – the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro – the team members took some time to search back through their fatigue to reflect on the past week. "It’s so surreal right now," said Ariela Friedmann. "We’re very proud of ourselves, but I think we’re all still processing what we’ve accomplished." All ten members of this year’s Ascent team reach the summit, a feat that was not an easy task. "I think this was the toughest thing any of us has done," said Arlene Rees. "Tough…but amazing." Ariela tried to describe the experience. "Imagine the Grind," she said, referring to a steep trail that runs up Grouse Mountain near Vancouver, B.C. "Then, imagine doing it three times consecutively, with little sleep and no food. That’s kind of what it feels like, only at high altitude."
"We all really dug deep to get to that summit," said Don Bulmer. "We had to adapt. It rained on us for a whole day and we got soaked. It was so cold and, at that altitude, it was hard to breath. We just kept going." "For anybody who was able to sleep, we had just three hours to rest at Kibo Hut," he explains. "We woke up at 10:30 p.m. and started hiking up, up, up…it didn’t seem like it was going to end!" "You know, we heard about another group of 20- to 30-year-old guys, and not one of that group made it as far as Gillman’s Point," said Ariela, referring to the point at 18,760 feet that was once considered the mountain’s summit. "On our own, I don’t know that everybody would’ve made it," she added. "Our success would not have been possible without our amazing guides. We did all we could to prepare, but this was truly about teamwork; we relied on our internal motivation and on each other to carry us." Arriving at Horombo Hut last night in the dark, surrounded by fog and snow, the team members capped off 22 hours of solid hiking. They hiked an additional 22 km today, a stretch that took them back into the forest where they saw several types of monkeys.
From Marangu Gate, a 4x4 jeep carried the team back to the Marangu Hotel. Gathering in the garden, the porters sang songs and held a small ceremony where each person was presented with a summit certificate. By the time they checked in with the Alzheimer Society of B.C., dinner was waiting. "I had a bath and a shower," joked Don. "Darn, I look good!" "This time tomorrow, I will be on a beach in Zanzibar, putting polish on my toe nails," mused Ariela as she set off for dinner, with a good night’s sleep increasingly high on her priority list. Many of the team members will set out on safari before returning to Canada over the next few weeks. If you would like to support this year’s Ascent team, click here. Please designate your donation to go towards "Ascent for Alzheimer’s". (NB: Weather conditions may impact the team's schedule. All dates and times noted are given in Tanzania time unless otherwise noted.)
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