training

I went on my first training hike with the Toronto Bruce Trail Club today. It was stinking hot. I think the leader shortened the route so we ended up doing about 13k.

For this first hike, I decided to focus on my boots so carried a waist bag which held food and a bike bottle of water instead of a knapsack. I almost ran out of water but other than that, felt strong and boots/ double socking worked well. I was tired when I got home but not sore. It is great to feel so much fitter than when I was training for the Inca Trail 2 years ago.

9 weeks to go!

bits of headway

Spent a few hours at mec today trying on daypacks (amazing how they feel completely different when you shove some weighted bean bags into them!), hunting for insulated water bottles for summit night (no luck), trying on pants (no luck). I did buy a 55l waterproof stuff sack for the actual trek as another blogger had suggested. A duffle will do for the plane and to leave unneeded items at the hotel. I decided to wait until the winter clothing comes in for the fleeces I need and focus on the summer clothes (try to catch some sales).

My list for the trek is quite long. Some of the items I have from Peru: a headlamp, decent hiking boots, socks and a rain poncho, for example; some I have because I am Canadian: wooly underwear, hats and gloves. I'm renting a minus 20 sleeping bag, a down jacket and trekking poles so I don't have to lug them about on safari.

I am learning a lot along the way and that makes me happy. I met a cute young man at mec who looked at me differently when I explained I was going to Kilimanjaro. I find that interesting too, and in some ways gratifying. One minute, a middle-aged grey-haired woman and the next, an ageless bold adventurer who's climbing Africa's highest mountain, lol.

batteries on the mountain

"I just came back from Kilimanjaro a few weeks ago and it was an incredible experience! As the previous post mentioned, definitely keep your batteries (including headlamp batteries) in your sleeping bag at night. On summit night keep a spare battery in a ziploc bag to prevent condensation caused by your body. Also bring a cleaning kit for your camera and lenses. It's very very dry and dusty on the mountain!! "
Post in BootsnAll forum

different

I wasn't really aware of it at first -- it was such a rushed trip and then boom! I was back at work -- but slowly it has creeped into my consciousness. I feel different after climbing Kilimanjaro. I can't accurately describe why or how different. Do others feel this way after? I think it's a bit of awe that we actually did it but it runs deeper than that.

Ooooh scarey

Advice given to another trekker by his group re the final climb:

Tonight is very difficult - particularly the final 500m - and you’ll need to commit to fight for the summit. You will inevitably feel like giving up and going to sleep. This is normal and can be overcome with perseverance. When resting please ensure you only stand or sit and do not lie down or close your eyes.

When you reach Gilman’s Point you will sit and rest. At this point the body often thinks you have finished your uphill fight and will be trying to coerce you into giving up and turning around. While you may genuinely believe that you have already exhausted your reserves in reaching this point, this is actually very unlikely to be so. Remember that you are only 214 vertical meters short of the summit, the journey from here is much less steep, and you have plenty of time for further pauses. If you do feel the need to give up at Stella Point please proceed towards the summit for just two minutes.

On the summit your guide will advise how much time you can spend there in consideration of your condition, your timings, and the weather. The brain does not function very intelligently at this altitude so please remember to take many photographs in all directions or you will probably regret not having done so at a later stage.

I love the way they write. When I am on that final push, I will likely think back to these words, especially about the brain not functioning very intelligently, lol.