Although I promised the group of girls who I supported in 2018 that they will be enjoy my support for 5 years, I was conflicted whether to do the Kili hike again. The hike and summit was an awesome experience but the lead up to it was not. I’ve since vowed never to join a very large group again hence my conflict of wanting to continue the programme with the #caring4girls but not wanting to join a large #trek4mandela hike again.

When Richard Mabaso (CEO of Imbumba Foundation) called me to discuss my invite to do the Executive Challenge Hike to Kilimanjaro with Prof. Thuli Madonsela (ex Public Protector of South Africa), I jumped at the chance. The Woman’s Day hike, as this is coined, is on special invite only and normally has a smaller group. With my conflict resolved, I accepted Richard’s invite.

Preparations

I must admit, preparations for the 2019 hike did not go as planned. There was one thing after another that prevented me from training. Injuries to my hip, a torn right hamstring, cramping right calf and a sprained right ankle all these injuries conspired to derail my preparations.

The Imbumba Foundation prepares the hikers extremely well with mandatory training weekends planned from December 2018 through to July 2019. These include 3 trips to the Drakensberg and 3 hikes in Suikerbosrand on the Saturday with the Westcliff Stairs on the Sunday. As at end June 2019, I had not attended a single official training session due to my constant injuries.

Medical Assistance

My Chiropractor, Dr Nicola McLean and her husband run a renown chiropractic clinic in Rivonia, South Africa and her meticulous work on my injuries saw me recover within record time to attempt some training.  Little that that was, it was enough for me to keep my training on-going although I could not attempt any field or road work.

Thank you Dr McLean for all of your assistance and and putting me back together again so that I may do my life’s work. It is an absolute pleasure knowing that you are in my corner and that you will do everything possible to get me back on the road again; understanding my passion for the work of the foundation and my absolute love for the mountains.

As the time nears, I am still carrying a niggle in my ankle and I am hopeful that this won’t become a problem on the hike. I will focus on every step and ensure that I don’t turn the ankle over again and mess up my hike.

Woman’s Day Hike

Our schedule is pretty tight this time around. We are scheduled to depart Johannesburg on Sunday 4, August and arrive in Kilimanjaro around 18h00 that Sunday. Our hike starts at 09h00 on Monday morning 5, August. Summit will be on Friday 9, August (Woman’s Day) and we return to the hotel on Saturday 10th and depart for Johannesburg on Sunday 11th, arriving in Johannesburg around 18h00 on that Sunday.

Our Route

Below is an overview of the various route on Kilimanjaro. We are following the route that starts at the bottom right of this picture (Marangu Village)

Following this picture is a day by day view of the trip, the altitudes that we will reach each day, with the distance and stop-over and overnight points.

Packing for Kili

My kit has been spread across the guest room couch for at least 3 weeks. I was keen to carry even less gear and weight into Kili this time around. I’ve been shaving off pack weight on every trip and am getting better at managing what I carry to the mountain. To ensure that I am at my ideal weight and that I continue to shave off weight, I shoved all the kit into the duffel bag and weighed it. Voila, I am at 10.40 kgs. This is a whole 8 kgs lighter than I was at this point last year. I have a sneaky suspicion that I must be missing something but as the Tanzanian’s would say “Hakuna matata”, “itakuwa powa” – “No worries, it will be fine”.

I’ll re-pack and run through my gear list one last time and then its packed and sealed for Kili. No more messing around with that.

My next entry will be my account of the trip. Speak to you then.

1 September 2019

As I sit to mark assignments on this Sunday night, I am reminded that I’ve not completed my story of my 4th Kili summit attempt. A lot of this ill-discipline has to do with me not being successful on this attempt of the Kili summit and the thoughts that swirl in one’s mind having to deal with my first failure on a mountain.

Not writing about is is one thing but everyone I know ask me how the trip went and I start by saying “I was not successful but….” – always looking for an excuse as if I let them down somehow.

I realised this weekend that I need not apologise for my lack of success. To cut through the philosophical stuff, I actually got sick getting to base camp on the 4th day. The initial signs were an erratic heart rate followed by a slight fever and then a ENT congestion. This rhythm continued from 15h00 until 02h00. Knowing that effort that I needed to expend to climb to the summit and noting where my heart rate was at that point, I made the call not to go with the summit team.

As I lay in my sleeping bag contemplating my decision, I had other opportunities to join other ascent teams and catch up with my team. I decided against this and I was glad to have listened to my body and submit to the mountain then. The decision was not easy and it played on my mind over and over again. I compare how I was feeling now to my 2015 hike when I was really sick but still made it to Uhuru Peak. Perhaps its my experience 4 years down the road or maybe it is just that I am a different person now and having been successful on 3 prior attempts, this abandonment was an easier decision. I don’t know but I reconcile with the fact that I am here to relay my story and plan another attempt of Mt Kibo in the very near future.

So that’s that but what about my 4 days leading to up to base camp. Well, uneventful, to say the least. It was a pretty easy hike on days 1 thru 4. I’ve been on this path before so, there was not much new that I could take in. Being in a group with “strangers” (note that I did not meet all of the group members during the training events and they had already bonded in groups) I realised that I actually wanted to be more on my own and withdrew from the group.

Day 4 was probably my worst day with the group. I tried sticking to the back of the group and could not find my place there so decided on sticking in the middle and walk with the local Doctor. After lunch and more speeches on the road, I decided to join a fellow hiker who was not feeling well to walk ahead of the group so that he could get maximum rest at base campo prior to the summit attempt tonight. Approaching base camp, I felt the altitude and could feel my body struggling with the effort. I actually had to call time to catch my breath, something I never do. On careful inspection of the recording of my health stats, I could see that my hear rate started climbing around 12h00 and probably was the when my body started responding to the virus that was attacking my system. I could tell then that my pulse has increased by 20-30 beats per minute hence I was feeling the effort getting to base camp.

Returning to South Africa on Sunday 11th August, I was glad to see my family waiting for me at the arrivals hall. Having met with everybody, I bade my farewells to the group and left the airport precinct immediately. My behaviour was so unbecoming of me that it took some people by surprise. I am always the person to please others and to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone is ok.

I think that I am through with the group expeditions. I am sure that I will be back on Kili in my own way and with people who I have a relationship with whether as leader or as their friend.

“Kwaheri Kilimanjaro, mpaka nitakapokuona tena”

“Goodbye Kilimanjaro, until I see you again”