Tanzania - Kilimanjaro (Lemosho Glades)

An early start found me standing at Manchester airport at 4am waiting for Amber and Jess. They were easy to spot, not just thanks to their large red Jagged Globe bags, but also the fact they are identical twins. Identical rucksacks too, except that Amber's is blue and Jess' is green - although it took quite a while to work that out because Amber's hat is green and Jess' is blue. Luckily they both respond to either name and are very easy going about the numerous mistakes the team made throughout the week. 

The three of us made our way to Amsterdam where we met the rest of the team - except Juan who was already busy relaxing in Tanzania after flying out early from Costa Rica. A delay in the flights meant arriving in the middle of the night.  Luckily the excitement of the next day kept us alert and early on Saturday morning the entire team met for the first time to prepare for departure into the Kilimanjaro National Park.

A 3 hour drive had us arriving at the Landorossi Gate for lunch and a talk about altitude.  We eventually started making our way towards Big Tree Camp mid afternoon and the pleasant and gradual climb was an ideal start for an exhausted team of trekkers.  Everyone was going to have to eat and sleep hard in order to regain strength lost by two short nights sleep if we were to have an chance of enjoying ourselves on the mountain. 

Luckily an excellent in country crew provided a fantastic three course meal in a mess tent lit with shiny new black diamond lamps. That, combined with spacious tents and our own private toilet tent made all the difference in making everyone feel comfortable (especially Elaine who was over the moon to see the toilet tent). 

The next morning got even better as everyone was treated to a hot drink I'm bed - to serve as their wake up call - followed by warm washing water and a three course breakfast (porridge, cooked breakfast and fruit along with plenty of hot drinks). This set the team up perfectly for the days walking and the treatment remained as high quality throughout the entire trek. 

The walk across the Shira Plateau took two days with a side trip to Shira Cathedral offering breathtaking views onto the plains below and over to Mount Meru. The path, which started in the forest, first becomes a savannah of tall grasses eventually becoming meadow and then semi desert.  From Shira Camp 2 we can see Kibo Peak clearly for the first time and the reality of what the team have embarked on begins to dawn on them. 

With this new clarity of purpose, it is an excited group that prepares for the long walk to Barranco Camp via the Lava Tower. A long walk up followed by a descent that takes us into a camp so close to Kibo Peak that you can almost touch it. With the Barranco Wall looming down on us, Elaine prepared herself for her toughest day yet.  An incredibly determined woman with a fear of scrambling she clambered up the wall holding onto local guide Davis' hand all the way. 

By this time the team have begun entertaining themselves with various word games and inventions - generally on Johns initiative but with a lot of support from Michael.  Keep your eyes peeled for the forthcoming Stallion drink with specific medicinal properties which John assures us all will soon be on the market.  

With entertainment and moral taken care of by John, we arrive in high spirits at Karanga Camp from where the best views of Mount Meru can be seen. For lunch, we are treated to chicken and chips before resting at 4050m in preparation for the big day tomorrow. 

Finally with no headaches in sight and five days of trekking behind us we make our way to our final and highest camp before attempting to climb to the roof of Africa.  Barafu Camp is situated at 4650m and is a busy camp full of excited people preparing to climb and exhausted people returning from a long night out. 

We arrive for lunch with plenty of time to eat, rehydrate, pack, plan and prepare for our big summit departure. Final checks of summit outfits, removal of all un essential gear from rucksacks and as much sleep as can be obtained when at that altitude and excited about climbing one of the seven summits.

At midnight we quietly eat our porridge and drink as much as possible before walking out into the cold night air to begin the long ascent.  After a number of hours we say goodbye to Roger as he returns to camp.  A few hours after that the team stop for a hot drink.  Constantly checking on the team for cold, exhaustion and signs of AMS, everyone is doing well.  Juan is always "great" but finally, an hour before sunrise I receive the reply "I've downgraded from great to very good". Retaining a sense of humour when undertaking a mountain like this is a must!

Exhausted we arrive at Stella Point at 7:30am taking the time to eat, drink and rest for a short while before saying goodbye to Jess who makes her way back down.  The rest of the team reach Uhuru Peak at 9am with just enough time for a few photos and self congratulation before heading back to camp.

The views on the way down can be appreciated now and the form of Mawenzi Peak is seen clearly in the distance.  An hour of rest is much appreciated before trying to eat something and making our way down to Millenium Camp for a nights sleep at a lower altitude.

Finally, our last day on the mountain and our last in Tanzania.  We reach the Mweka Gate  by midday have lunch with our guides back at the hotel before indulging in a much deserved shower and heading to the airport.  Jess, Amber and Juan are lucky enough to be staying on for a few extra days of Safari - we are all jealous and can't wait to hear about it.

Congratulations to everyone for putting 100% into the trip. Everyone pushed themselves to the limit and should be proud of their achievements. A special congratulations to Elaine, Irene, Amber, Carl, John, Michael, Juan and Simon for reaching Uruhu Peak.

Well done everyone, a fantastic trip and a lot of fun. 

Leading for Jagged Globe

www.jagged-globe.co.uk

Summer IML Assessment, Switzerland

Aiglon College, Villars-sur-Ollon one of the most expensive boarding schools in Switzerland, educating students from all over the world. This was to be our base for the International Mountain Leader Summer Assessment.  












On the first  morning, meeting the other 10 candidates we were told which area we would be assessed in, sent out to buy maps and make sure our 'mini team' was prepaid with all emergency kit – groups shelter, rope, sling, karabiners, first aid kit, ice axe.


I was lucky enough to be put into an assessment team with Hannah and Sam.  We worked well together, complementing each other with our differing knowledge and experience base.  With each of us taking a different leg of the trip, being leader for that period, we were to navigate, enthuse, interest and entertain our team with our local and general knowledge.

Other tasks involved mini presentations, knowledge of emergency procedures, rope work, language skills, hut etiquette, altitude and general knowledge of leading trip throughout the world.

The three day trip took us through the mountains and over the magnificent Col des Chamois with its steep descent and great exposure.  The Cabane de Plan Névé was very welcoming and the display on the Swiss horn made it an unforgettable experience.  Our thoughts were with the warden who was retiring after spending his entire life running the hut.

The lead assessor, Simon made us feel relaxed and we even enjoyed some of the assessment.  With such a good team, it was unsurprising but a great relief that all three of us everyone passed with flying colours.  We are all looking forward to completing the final part of our IML qualification – the Winter Assessment – as soon as the snow comes.

Congratulations to everyone who passed their Summer IML.

Bring on the winter!

http://www.baiml.org/

Tour des Mouverans, Switzerland

Arriving at Geneva airport, I realised that the journey was only just beginning.  I met John off the plane and we quickly found a train to Aigle, journeying along the beautiful lakeside. A swift change onto a local bus taking us up to the mountain resort of Villars-sur-Ollon.  The next bus took us even further up to Solalex and the final 400 metre of ascent we walked arriving the Refuge Giacomi by the evening. It was a long day of travelling but the views and remote location we had arrived at, in just 12 hours, was well worth it.  What's more, we were sitting on the Tour des Mouverans ready to start the trek early tomorrow morning.

The first day of trekking took us down to Derborence, situated on the impressive Lac de Derborence, site of a tragic avalanche over 250 years ago. Finally, a 1000m ascent takes us up to the Refuge Rambert.  This refuge, situated on the Col has breathtaking views across the mountain range and Chamois living within throwing distance of the hut.  Although the thin walls of the dorm rooms made for quite a disturb night, we were tired enough after our long first day to appreciate anywhere to lay our heads.

The next day we made our way down a perfect glaciated valley identifying alpine flowers and their medicinal uses along the way. Our arrival at lunchtime at the Cabane du Fénestral meant we were able to shelter from the brief rain-shower whilst enjoying a cup of fruit tea and consuming our sandwiches.  Every mouthful eaten was a benefit as it lightened our load.  The logical aim for the day became to eat as much of our lunch food as possible.    

Once the rain had subsided we made our way to the Cabane Demecre, belonging to the Trotteurs running club.  This delightful hut manned entirely by volunteers was extremely welcoming. The smell of fresh bread being taken out of the oven as we arrived from the rain helped no end with this and the friendly chatter of the volunteers made us feel at home.  Once the rain had stopped the sun warmed the air and we wandered out to admire the view, practice some rope work, identify some more flowers and generally make the most of being in the area.

Day 3 took us along the high route over the Col des Martinets and down the Nant valley to Pont de Nant where we were to stay the night.  The valley was very long and the descent harder than any ascent we'd done while we were there.  However the magnificent views along the way and thoughts of a good meal when we arrived made it possible to drag ourselves on to the Refuge.  Once the typical afternoon storm had passed we visited the local botanical gardens where, once some interesting flowers had been identified, we were lucky enough to see a bat, drying itself on the leaves of a plant. 

The final day completed our Tour des Mouverans and brought us back to Solalex via the Col des Essets.  This circular trip of 70km and 4000m ascent is well worth the effort offering magnificent views and incredible diversity as it works its way round the mountain range.  Many thanks to John for accompanying me and testing my local knowledge along the way.  

http://www.tourdesmuverans.ch/carte-geographique.html