The Trek by Loretta

Day 1: The Start!  We strike a pose at Machame Gate with our head guide, Jonas Rutta and one of the support guides, after signing in at the gate's office.  We're excited and nervous and ready to go!

 

We stop for lunch in the jungle and are surprised by how comfortable the set up is. We have to eat a lot throughout the climb to keep our energy levels up and to help our muscles recover.  We eat at a picnic table like this throughout the climb and when it rains, the table is in a tent.

 

 

After hours of walking through the jungle, we reach our first camp,

called 'Machame Hut'.

Day 2: It gets rockier as we climb all the way to the Shira Caves camp.  This photo shows a typical campsite during the trip.  We sleep in the green tents which our porters carry ahead to each camp for us before setting them up.

The washing facilities at camps are very basic.  We have to wash in the open using red bowls of boiled water like this and soap.

 

 On Day 2, we also climb a further 100m on our first acclimatisation walk to the Shira Plateau, to help us adjust to the altitude. 

 We have to do yoga at altitude to help with the adjustment.  Some have better balance than others but eventually we all get it!

 

Day 3: We climb to the Barranco Huts camp via the Lava Tower, which was formed from magma when Kilimanjaro last erupted by wind tearing up from the valley below. 

Some of the team brave the 100m scramble, shimmy and climb to the top of the Tower - it is a bit nerve-wracking coming down though!  

 Day 4: We wake up and look up at the daunting Barranco Wall, which, at a distance, has a terrifying vertical face.  We then tackle the scramble all the way to the top.

 At the top, we are rewarded with a fantastic view over the valley below.

When we turn the other way, we can see the peak and stop for a quick photo in front of it.  It's then on to the Karanga Valley campsite.

 Day 5:  Just a short walk today.  It starts with an easy decent but then we have to climb all the way up the other side to the Barafu Huts - base camp!   Then it's time to chill for a while at camp before an early night at 6pm to recover energy ready for the summit that's ahead.

 

Here's the drop-pit latrine block at base camp.  This is an example of our typical loo during the break. Some were better than others and we had to be really careful when negotiating them by headlamp at night!

 Day 6 - The summit: We're woken to much resistance at midnight.  Just time for some malt biscuits and some Milo (a malty, hot-chocolate-like drink), coffee or tea before the head torches are adjusted and we're ready to climb each gruelling step to the summit under the breath-taking starscape.  We have extra guides today to allow the team to split up based on their pace.  We're told to keep walking 'pole pole' (which means 'slowly, slowly' in Swahili) as we're advised not to stop for prolonged periods to wait for others so we don't get too cold - even with all our layers, the wind chill is painful.  After hours of walking, we first reach Stella Point, and once we do, the climb levels out and we strive towards Uhuru Peak (which means 'Freedom' in Swahili), the very top of the mountain at 5,895m.

The decent: Depending on the time each team member summited, they were treated to an amazing sunrise on the way up, at the top or on the way down.  It was worth the midnight wake-up to get there in time to it. We then climb all the way back to base camp for a quick rest before lunch and then a further decent down the Mweka route to the Mweka Huts campsite back in the jungle.  We have to plaster ourselves in a thick layer of mosquito repellent once again! 

All in all, each team member walked 14-16 hours on Day 6, turning our legs to jelly!

Day 7 - The finish!  We wake on our final day with much excitement - we're almost back and when we cross the finishing point, we're elated.  Local tradesmen try to sell us all manner of Kilimanjaro souvenirs and some members pay a premium to indulge in a luxury bottle of Coke or Fanta!

All we need to do is sign out at the gate and then it's onto the hotel for a heavenly shower!  Then in the evening we have a celebration meal, at which we're proud to be presented with our certificates.

Kili Challenge 2012

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Tony

...there ahead , all he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that there was where he was going." Ernest Hemingway, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro".
I first dreamt of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro - Africa's highest point - nearly 20 years ago when I first visited Tanzania - having also read and heard about the adventurous exploits of Ernest Hemingway.

I glimpsed Kilimanjaro then - this huge mystical mountain with snow on the top - rising up from the baking heat of the African plains - and hoped one day I would be back to climb it.

I finally realised the dream of standing on top of the highest point on my favourite continent, in my favourite country, at dawn on 12th March 2012, leading a team of my work colleagues. The realisation that we had reached Uhuru Peak complete with its new sign, however, only set in about half an hour after summit-ing, as we descended - and the sun began to rise over the rugged African rift valley.

That moment will remain as one of the most special moments of my life... And in completing the climb all the hard work of several months of preparation paled in to insignificance.

To have raised over £32k for WaterAid - and to have seen on this - and previous trips to Africa - the huge transformation to the world's poorest people WaterAid's interventions can make, made the hard work even more special.

This was perhaps best epitomised by the response given by the spokeswoman for a community we visited who had benefited from WaterAid's work, when asked what the community would choose to have if they could choose anything in the world:

"If god could give us one thing it would be another water point like the one we have - so other villages could benefit from having safe, clean water.

So, well done team - we climbed a mountain, deepened friendships and helped transform people's lives in the process.

Tony

"What Kili meant to me" by Sallie

As one of the few people on the trip not belonging to the Communications team  (being an old fashioned analyst at heart) I’ll do my best to describe what Kili meant to me but bear with me it probably won’t be literary...

The trip started with the project visit in Qash and I’m glad we did – just seeing the villages, how people lived but how happy everyone seems really helped keep me going when the going got tough on that pesky mountain!! The villagers were so welcoming and so proud to show us their water point -  it really highlighted the simple things we take for granted but how quite a small amount of money can really change peoples lives for the better. Visiting the school with their new latrines later in the day was awesome, with the children being so well behaved and blatantly happy to see us and it was lovely to hear they were really ambitious and all wanting to be doctors, teachers etc.

Then on to that mountain – the further away from the experience I get the more I enjoyed it (similar to ‘I imagine’ to giving birth) – “never again” for the first 24 hours after completion, to already 3 weeks later having fond memories of the mess tent.

Not one component of the trip individually was that demanding but all of it together made it the hardest thing I have ever done - these components included:  the latrines (particularly the ones that required eagle eye aiming ability); the 3 girls in a 2 man tent; the ice on the inside of the tent; the insomnia; the incessant walking; the vegetable sauce; the porridge; the non English speaking guide who actually wasn’t that sure of the way on summit night (this one was exclusive to me – all the other guides were amazing); the altitude sickness; Berocca!!; the mud; the Bonnie Tyler hairstyle that developed; the cold; the constant packing and unpacking of the bags; the lack of washing facilities (although it was usually so cold you rarely could be bothered to expose your skin that even when water was available you didn’t bother); not being able to shave your legs (although the fur did help with the cold!!); and my incessant toilet requirement!!

However as all of the above start to fade (some scarred me more deeply than others!) the amazing components also come to the forefront: the view from the top; the continuous laughter; chips on I think day 4!!; the guides/ porters enthusiasm and kindness; the scrambling up bits of rock; the animal names; the “logs” of bodily functions; the teamwork; the friendships that deepened; the euphoria of knowing you have done something that not people have; the amazing and contrasting landscapes; the singing with my Director of “80’s classics”; that first shower when we got to the bottom and more importantly the first time I got to sit down to go to the toilet again!!; Harriet turning into Diana Ross as the trip progressed; Milo – the drink of champions you know!; the whirring of the wind up torches; changing my opinion of people; the sunrise on summit day; and most importantly the £32k we raised for WaterAid!!

Sallie

“Huuuuuurgh, huurgh” by Harriet

A much needed rest!

“Huuuuuurgh, huurgh”. No, that’s not a Swahili phrase we learned and remembered because it had a personal resonance for us all. It’s the sound of me not very discreetly vomiting on the side of the mountain, quickly followed with the response “it’s malaria” from a passing walker.

Oh yes, I was sick, but it wasn’t malaria and I wasn’t going to let my weak and sickly constitution (code for suspected altitude sickness) hold me back. Incidentally, if Sallie were writing this, she would probably tell you otherwise, but that’s because she misinterpreted my cries of “get me off this mountain now”. And in all seriousness, big thanks to her and the rest of the team for looking after me and keeping me motivated during my three days of curious stomach complaints and odd bouts of wheezing.

I’m sure everyone in the team will write about the scale of the challenge; the ever changing scenery; the great comaraderie between us all; and the sheer elation of reaching the top. They were all highlights for me too. The thing that really struck me though, and even more so because I was ill, was how difficult it was not to have running water or proper toilets. It’s probably an odd thing to note, but I hadn’t realised just how much I take them for granted in my own life. It all made me appreciate, and so much more than I had before,  just how great the work that WaterAid does is. And if I had to give just one highlight of the trip for me, it wouldn’t be the mountain, it would be visiting Qash village and seeing a WaterAid project in action. Witnessing the difference a simple water pump had made to the villagers was genuinely awesome.

And, I really want to emphasise that we couldn’t have done it without the great support we had from: the porters on the mountain; our colleagues at Severn Trent Water; the Water Aid team in York (particularly for translating our fatigued ramblings over the satellite phone into a really great blog); and everyone who sponsored us. The £32,000 we’ve raised so far has made it all very worthwhile.

Harriet

"Ain't no mountain high enough" by Eva

Last October an email dropped into my inbox which stood out from all the others and immediately made me sit up and take note. It was looking for people to be part of a STW Strategy and Regulation team to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. We had two weeks to think about it and send off our reply. I think it took me two hours to send mine. A resounding ‘yes please’. I then received another email a few days later saying that I had been chosen to go. Oh my God! J

Now, anybody who knows me well knows that I like a challenge. And this was one hell of one. I’d never been up a mountain before (didn’t even own any walking boots), never camped outdoors and needed to raise a substantial amount of funds to make the trip a success. Where do you even start?! Well for me, it was dressing up as a tap in New Street station collecting funds (much to the amusement of children, annoying BlackBerry-addicted teenagers and stag dos) and making copious amounts of rocky road. My first taster of what the trek would be like was a team weekend away to Snowdon in January. It quickly became very apparent that I wasn’t a natural mountaineer and also highlighted how woefully ill equipped I was. All of a sudden it seemed like I now had two mountains to climb...

After several months of preparation and nervous anticipation we finally boarded the long flight to Tanzania. What struck me when we first arrived was how flat it was. Apart from this huge, imposing mountain in the distance, which however you tried, you really couldn’t get away from and that was to be my home for the next week. Before we started the climb we spent a very humbling but extremely rewarding day visiting two projects which had directly benefitted from WaterAid’s assistance. The first was Qash village which had recently received a water pump enabling each household to obtain approx 20 litres of clean water a day. This doesn’t sound a lot, given that the average daily British household consumption is probably more than fifteen times this, but the difference this had made to the villagers lives was immense. They were so welcoming and when asked what they would like if money was no object, they simply replied ‘another water pump for the village’.

The second visit was to a school which had recently had a block of latrines installed. These enabled the children to have access to proper sanitation facilities for the first time – something that we in the UK take for granted. The children were so happy and well behaved and seemed to genuinely want to be there. Many had ambitions to be teachers, engineers and doctors and when we asked about their favourite subjects, they simply said ‘all of them!’.  It was a very emotional but rewarding day that would stay with me for a long time and I knew that it would definitely keep me going when the going got tough-which it would undoubtedly do.

So, onto the climb... My resounding feeling is that it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. There were parts of it that weren’t great – the latrines (enough said), three of us being squashed into a leaky two man tent which often had ice on the inside, the maize porridge that resembled a cross between frog spawn and wallpaper paste and the vegetable sauce/pasta combo that we were forced to eat copious amounts of pretty much every day, trying to sleep on a 45 degree angle slope with boulders under your sleeping mat, the constant packing and repacking of your equipment at 6am every day, being unable to shower or wash my hair for the entire time I was there which led me to resemble Worzel Gummidge, the constantly changing temperatures meaning you were contemplating frostbite one minute and getting sunburnt the next, the sheer terror at the thought of the summit and the ever present threat of altitude sickness hanging over us.

However, these things seem pretty trivial compared to the positives which outweighed them ten fold over- the amazing landscapes and views that made every day different, the fresh air and crystal clear star-strewn night sky, the great camaraderie in the camp and knowing that there were people around to give you support if you needed it, getting to know colleagues as people rather than just somebody you see at work, the brilliantly supportive team of porters and guides who were with us every step of the way, knowing that our fundraising will make a real difference to people’s lives and most importantly, feeling literally on top of the world when standing under the iconic ‘congratulations, you’ve made it Uhuru Peak’ sign knowing that over the previous seven hours you’ve sweat blood and tears in the pitch black in temperatures of -15C and been so exhausted you’ve contemplated giving up. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such an amazing sense of achievement on only my second time on a mountain and it’s an adventure that I would recommend to anybody. So, who’s with me on Everest...? Eva :-)    

"Hakuna Matata" by Rob

‘No problem’ said our Tanzanian guide Jonas Rutta, “Hakuna Matata”.  Everything would be OK and in the end it was and we got to see the sun rise on the summit of Africa’s highest mountain, the almost mythical, Kilimanjaro.

The picture of me, the one every walker wants, is of a tired but elated pilgrim next to the sign that reads:  ‘Congratulations, you have are now at Uhuru Peak’.  To get there we had battled intense biting cold, a long dark zig-zagging climb and creeping altitude sickness and in the long hours stumbling back down the mountain in the blazing sun, it had all seemed like some sort of dream.

The reality of what we were about to do and why we were doing it had come home to us seven days earlier, when our mini-bus bumped along a long dirt track through sun-flower groves and under a vivid blue sky, to arrive at the village of Qash, (pronounced ‘cash’) in the Manyara district of Tanzania. 

In the midday heat, we had learned how a new ‘water-point’ had become an essential resource for the village, allowing precious clean water to be drawn up from the red parched earth.  Later we saw how a school had benefited from sanitation and a new toilet block, transforming the health and wellbeing of over 600 children.

It is often said that climbing Kilimanjaro can be a life-changing experience and driving back from Qash that day, I think we all realised that what we were doing would indeed change lives by giving people like those in the village access to something which we all take for granted in the UK.

The rest of the trip I remember as a kaleidoscope of moments and experiences: The nerve-jangling descent from Lava Tower; the sleepless nights under canvass; the astonishing star-encrusted night-sky; the long drop toilet trips with head-torch;  the daily routine of chlorine tablets in the water and blood-oxygen tests.  And most of all, the camaraderie and the slowly getting to know people I hardly knew at work,  as we trudged the long miles together, ‘pole, pole’.

Humbled, cold and completely exhausted, we had reached Uhuru Peak and overall, it felt like we had all done good.

Rob

"Reflections" by Andrew

The twelve days we spent in Tanzania climbing Kilimanjaro and visiting Wateraid projects are not ones I will readily forget.  They were challenging and rewarding, fun and thought-provoking.
We began by visiting Wateraid projects:  a village now supplied with safe water and a school that now benefits from clean, but basic, latrines. 

Neither project was particularly glamorous or complicated.  But both had a huge impact on people’s health, livelihoods and happiness.   It was inspiring to see simple but effective ways in which to give people in much need a helping hand.

The climb up Kilimanjaro was immensely rewarding. In addition to the satisfaction of  the physical challenge,  the scenery was amazing, and the sunsets and night skies were breathtakingly beautiful. 

For me, however, the underlying theme of the trip was one of fun and hope.  The climb up the mountain was peppered with banter and mutual support.  I had feared the visits to the projects might be dour or unduly worthy.  They weren’t.  They were inspiring and uplifting.  It was a privilege to be there.

Andrew

Treks, tears and tweets of Team Kilimanjaro!

Recently returned from a Tanzania project visit and gruelling Kilimanjaro trek intrepid Izzy tells all.

So tell us about the project visit

Well we set off from Arusha early on a three hour drive to meet WaterAid Tanzania Staff and partner staff from ADRA. We met them in a town called Babati before continuing to Qash village another 30km away. Along the way we had to transfer to ADRA vehicles as the bus we were in wouldn’t have made it to the village because of the roads – some were having work done and we had to wait a bit while a hole was filled in. Not the smoothest start to a project visit but really did demonstrate to the team some of the challenges faced in the countries where WaterAid work.

So did you make it to Qash village?

 

Latrine Block

 Yes! We were greeted by the village singing and dancing which was so lovely. We then attended a water committee meeting. We were then taken to the village water point installed in May 2011. We had the opportunity to talk to the community and we heard from one of the members of the water committee Maimuna Omari about the difference the village water point had made. Before they would walk for 3km to the unsafe water source, now they walk 500m to the pump. 

When asked about how they used to collect the water Maimuna told us of the risks they would take: “We used to use donkeys to carry the water, we would take our children with us to collect the water and the children would ride on the donkey but sometimes the donkey would get tired and throw the children off giving them injury. We don’t have donkeys anymore”

We asked about the difference this has made Maimuna said “Now we have more time for farming. We used to spend a lot of money at hospital for medicine because the water made us ill. We can get water when we want; the children are healthy and hygienic so they are at school now. There is harmony in our household. There is love and peace now.”

When asked now they have a pump what else would they wish for Maimuna simply replied: “Another pump so the neighbouring village can get clean water”

Sounds like you got a lot out of the visit?

hygiene in practice - shoes off before entering
 the pump location to keep it clean Qash Village

Project visits are so vital to connect our Water Company supporters to our work and are so inspirational. Qash village and the conversation with the community really helped demonstrate to the Team what a difference water supply makes. There is so much to tell from this visit. We then went to Endonga Primary School to view the latrine block. What struck the team here was how motivated all the school children are, all with big aims and ambitions to be doctors or teachers. The latrine block has made a huge difference at the school, before it was built through WaterAid and ADRA the school and parents had built a latrine block but it has collapsed, until the  new functioning latrine block was built the children defecated in a pit while balancing on a log running over the pit. The Team gave soap to the school hygiene club who not only demonstrate hygiene messages at the school but also to other children in the surrounding community – a bit like peer to peer mentoring.

Huge thanks to WaterAid Tanzania and ADRA for helping bring our projects to life.

So project visit over what next?

We then all made it back to the bus for the long drive back to Moshi where we were due to have a Kilimanjaro trek briefing before starting our climb the next day, arriving in Moshi in time for tea, the briefing and bed!

So the Kilimanjaro trek starts?

 And the nerves kick in! Suddenly we all realise that the months of meetings in Severn Trent’s Head Office in Coventry are long gone! We arrive at the starting point Machame Gate, there are a few last second kit panics. You can’t see the top of Kili from this point just the forest. We sign in, grab our poles, fill up with water and set off with excitement and adrenalin as our fuel! But are quickly pulled into line by the tour guides who start (5 mins in) with their trademark phrase: “pole – pole” meaning “slowly - slowly”.



The Start! At Machame Gate with our guides 



A few of the group try to mutiny and form a splinter team but are soon brought into line. We had a 16km 6 hour walk ahead of us where we would ascent over 1500m to 3000m. We meet different groups also doing the trek and are amazed when the porters hop skip and jump past us carrying up to 20kg on their head. We learn a new phrase “Mambo” which is hi and “Poa” which is the hello response back. A few hours in and a few mambo-poa’s later the guides inform us we will be stopping for lunch just up ahead, we are all thinking sandwiches and sitting on a rock but we are greeted by a table with a table cloth, strange flower centre piece and actual chairs! We are served hot soup in 27ºC heat and 60% humidity, in the middle of the rainforest! We all think we are at the Mad Hatters tea party and that altitude has already kicked in. Soup is followed by rice with a meat or special vegetable sauce. All served by Jeff – one of the trek staff accompanied by a new phrase not in Swahili in English and with equal measure of concern and force “eat – eat”. If you don’t eat your portion you’re reported to the ‘Commander’ (our ever so big friendly group leader Jonas)

So what happens when you reach camp?

Camp site aka 'Home'!

We select our tents – the girls are three to a tent and the guys are two in a tent. We are then given about an inch of warm water to wash with; we all have a wash, which we soon discover is a bit of a logistical nightmare. After a bit of signal searching me and Tony call in to the York Office to give an update. We all go about setting up our sleeping stuff so inflatable ground mats come out – we can already feel that the air is a bit thinner as they take a few more puffs of air which we struggle to do. We are then called for tea in the mess tent; served hot soup, rice and stew. The Commander comes in and gives us our briefing for the next day, what the walk will be like, what kit we need in our bags and ask who wants more water – we are meant to drink about 4 litres each day. He does tell us that this water has been collected from the streams on the mountain and to add in our purification tablets. We all go to bed – it’s only about 8:00 but it is pitch black and we are all surprised how tired we are, Head torches at the ready we find our tents and start the show of trying to get into sleeping bags without thumping or kicking our tent mates, then realise that you need the toilet so off to the long drop latrines you go.

What happens the next day?

We are woken at around 6:30am by Jeff with what would become our alarm sound for the week; the zip on the tent being opened followed by his calm tones of “Izzy, time to get up would you like a hot drink”, blurry eyed after a not so successful nights sleep we crawl forward and begin the logistical task of getting out of sleeping bags, dressed, re pack all of our kit in our bags and to breakfast. We pack up as the trek staff clear down the tents and start on the way to the next camp. At breakfast we have maize porridge made with so much sugar you need a filling after it. Other hot breakfast items are served. We are all told to “eat-eat” then we are told to get ready to go.

Sounds like quite an experience, was every one ok?



Just climbed the Baranco wall with
Uhuru peak in the background!



It was! Each day followed the same routine; walk in temperatures starting cold enough for fleece and thermals, lunch would be warmer and a few layers removed, get to camp would be cold so the fleece would come back on, wash hands and face (we soon gave up on washing completely as it was too cold), set up sleeping stuff, call back to the UK, change for the next day, eat, head torch, latrine, purify water, bed, tent zip opens, pack kit bag, eat, walk. When we reached the camps from day three onwards a few people got a bit poorly tummy, all were feeling the thin air – walking back to your tent and you were out of breath. Some people really struggling with sleeping others having the best sleep of their lives – really a mixed bunch of ailments, illnesses and affects from the days walking mixed with the altitude.

 

So the summit night – what happened then?

We were woken at 11:00pm to eat quickly before starting the walk at about midnight in freezing temperatures. We all start making our way up the final 1300m to the top, pole-pole and in a line. After a while different people start going at different speeds, again the guides make it look easy. There is silence in the group as the air is too cold and thin to talk. All you can see up ahead is some faint lights from other people head torches, all you can see directly in front are the rocks that you need to climb up.

So did you make it?

Every one in the group except me made it to the top. About 4 hours in to the walk I started getting altitude sickness, feeling really faint and I felt like I was walking with my eyes closed. Absolutely gutted I had to turn back – I was at around 5,400m only 600m from the top but the risk of me getting an injury was too great, also I didn’t think that WaterAid would appreciate a member of staff being evacuated from a mountain! The guides later told me that I told the mountain off for beating me but I don’t recall doing that! 



Would you do it again?

If you had asked me when we landed at Heathrow I would have said not a chance, now more time has passed I would like to give it another go perhaps in a few years time my knees need longer to recover! I have been describing it as the best and worst challenge I have ever done and all hats off to our many supporters who sign up to do things like this for us on a daily basis.

The Finish!

Day 7: A shower has never felt so good!

We've made it!

After a 3 hour walk we successfully completed the kili trek and made it back down to the National Park gate, where we had started the challenge 7 days ago. Signing the National Park register marked the end of our challenge and left us with mixed emotion; melancholy that the challenge is over but pleased to be off the mountain and looking forward to returning to the UK.

We were all blessing our walking poles as the walk down was very tough, steep terran, tired legs and aching joints were really taking their toll.

The high point of today's walk was seeing monkey's playing in the Cloud Forest, an amazing sight seeing these wonderful animals in there natural environment. The monkey's seemed to be keeping their distance from us; we think it may be the fact we SMELL after not having had a wash for a week. :-)

Our clothes have all been packed in thick plastic bags and sealed with gaffer tape, I think they should carry a health warning!

We are now back at the hotel and pleased to be clean. Going for a week without running water, not being able to wash and having to use long drop latrines really has brought home the reality of the work that WaterAid does. I don't think any of the team will ever take water for granted again.

The team is looking forward to being back in the UK soon.

Love to all our families and friends, we will be home soon. x

Sorry for the short post but we are all SO tired!

The Kili Challenge Team