Kilimanjaro with Bad Weather and Altitude Sickness Advice for Women

8. Kilimanjaro Challenge: Lemosho Route - Day Seven - Summit Night....My Story

7. Kilimanjaro Challenge : Lemosho Route - Day Six - Karanga Camp to Barafu Base Camp 4,673m

6. Kilimanjaro Challenge: Lemosho Route - Day Five - The Great Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp 3995m

5. Kilimanjaro Challenge: Lemosho Route - Day Four - Moir Hut to Lava Tower and down to Barranco Camp 4,600m

Jambo Jambo!

Thanks for sticking with me up to Day Four of my Kilimanjaro Challenge along the Lemosho Route. We had now from the start travelled 28km up 1,950 metres and made it to Moir Hut at 4,200 metres amsl and aside from the dose of nausea and the occasional pang of a light headache I made a habit of sniffing peppermint oil and was okay to press on. 

But Day Four was going to be our toughest day so far physically and mentally, as we would be following the golden rule of 'walk high, sleep low' passing up to 4,600 metres at the Lava Tower and then dropping down to Barranco camp at 3,950 metres to sleep, where the real signs of any altitude would come into affect - it is 'part of the game' our guides would tell us. A tough game to play in the undulating highs and lows of the Kilimanjaro experience.  

4. Kilimanjaro Challenge : Lemosho Route - Day Three - Shira 1 Camp to Moir Hut 4,200m

3. Kilimanjaro Challenge : Lemosho Route - Day Two - Mti Mkubwa - Shira Camp 1 3,610m

Jambo Jambo!

Thanks for joining me on my next blog documenting Day Two of my Kilimanjaro Challenge as I attempt to hike 6 days along the Lemosho Route heading out from Mti Mkubwa Camp and ascending 960 metres to Shira 1 Camp.

'Howwwlllllllll!!!!' a deep scream reverberates outside my tent. I snap my eyes open and listen hazily in the darkness, the African rain drops still softly pattering on my roof. The guttural yowls of a troop of monkeys punctuated the air of the forest outside again, causing me to groan and roll over in my sleeping bag. I wrestle around a few times and manage to squint my eyes at the light of my watch as I push it.

2am. Damn Colobus Monkeys.

2. Kilimanjaro Challenge: Lemosho Route - Day One - Londorosi Gate to Mti Mkubwa Camp 2,650m

1. Kilimanjaro Challenge - Lemosho Route: Jambo Tanzania and Meeting Kilimanjaro...

Jambo Jambo!

That's hello in Swahili! Welcome to the first blog documenting my attempt to climb the highest free standing mountain in the world and also the highest dormant volcano in Africa. Now as you know if you'd be following my training over the last 6 months for this challenge, you know I have trained to be as ready as I'll ever be and fully aware that this was going to be the most relentless, gruelling physical and mental challenge of my life. So lets start right from the beginning, returning to Africa after 12 years to experience the mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro.....and what challenges would lay ahead on our journey to reach to the top of the Roof of Africa.

9. My Kilimanjaro Training - 5 months in....Seaford to Eastbourne and the Seven Sisters

Hi!

Thanks for dropping into my latest blog from my Kilimanjaro Training - time is flying by and I now have only 6 weeks to go before I head out to the big 'K'.

So, let me fill you on my trip news and updates on my training - this time heading to Sussex and the South Downs, right to the seaside to take on the 21km hike from Seaford to Eastbourne over the Seven Sisters...

Lake District - Lake Windermere and In the Footsteps of Beatrix Potter...

Howdy folks,

Thanks for dropping by again for my next blog from the Lake District. If you'd read my last blog where I slogged my way up and down 7 mountains over 24km in one day, this is a little less intense post this time round. The weather in the Lake District over a week has been very changeable this summer, one day its fine and sunshine and the next you're soaked by shifting thunderstorms!

Why Travel and Kindness is the best thing the Doctor can't prescribe

I have to admit, when it comes to gloomy winter time, I go back to animal instincts and prefer to be in hibernation mode...until I start getting cabin fever. 

At the start of every year I like to make a winters outing to two travel events The Adventure Travel Show and The Destinations Show, both held at Olympia, London.

I go purely to spend the chilly wintry day or weekend listening to other people, people with inspiring spirits of adventure and can-do attitudes as they regale tales of journeying around the world for all sorts of different reasons and needs - a real pick up from the dark, dreary days of British winter.

At the shows this year, there were a couple of talks that I felt were worth talking about in this blog post and the message that I myself have inwardly felt as I've embarked on various adventures in my short life so far.

'Travel is my medicine'

16 Interesting Places I've Crashed for the Night Travelling ZZZZZZZ

Huh 'Yawn, Yawn' yes hostels, back of camper vans, hotels, couchsurfing, Air BnB, camping grounds - I'm sure everybody who has travelled ovenight has stayed in official and comfortable accommodation to lay your head.

When you're travelling you've got to crash somewhere for the night, and it isn't always going to be in said places - but that's the whole experience right? Now I'm not one to regularly shy away from a unique adventure to test my tolerance; but thinking about the situations and journeys I've taken over the years - here's a list of interesting places I've found myself crashing to catch some zzzzzzs (and not always warm and comfortable either!)

New Zealand Adventures : 17. Animal Friends of Kaikoura, Whale Rider, Aquarium Volunteering, and Flying a Plane!

Kia Ora!

Greetings from mid- winter here in Aotearoa!

But here's a introductory video diary from my visit on route to the pretty peninsula whale town of Kaikoura

New Zealand Adventures : 16. Farewell North Island, The Cook Strait Crossing, Happy Daisy's of Nelson, Tall Ship Journey on the Alvei and the Abel Tasman National Park

Kia Ora!

You know that saying 'Its the choices we make, and chances we take, determine our destiny'? Well its none other true when you experience the serendipity surprises of life on the road....

Greetings from Te Waka a Maui (The canoe of Maui) or in English - New Zealand's South Island! which Maori believe was the waka canoe that demi god Maui was sailing in when he pulled up the North Island or the Fish of Maui. Well, after 8 adventurous months (really its been 8 months!) of my explorations of the North Island and with NZ winter rolling in, I had come to the end of the road or....end of the fish head....and jumped on board the Interislander ferry Kaitaki at Port Nicholson (Wellington) to cross the Cook Strait and the passageway to the new world of the South Island....thank god I picked a beautiful morning....

New Zealand Adventures : 12. Hoppin' into Hobbiton, Apple Picking in Napier and Swimmin' with Sharks!

New Zealand Adventures : 11. In The Footsteps of The Maori of Rotorua and Encountering the Kiwi.....

New Zealand Adventures : 10. Strayin' The North - Surfin' Raglan, Swingin' Waitamo Caves and Night in the Mourea Marae....

New Zealand Adventures : 9. Waka Canoeing with the Ngapuhi Tribe, The Treaty of Waitangi and Help Xchangin' for Maori Family

New Zealand Adventures : 4. Ahoy Athos! Moonlight Waka Adventure and Resurrecting Aoteroa One

Kia-Ora!

Ahoy from Auckland, I seemed to have fallen into life as a water baby and was lucky enough to get a new day job working as an Engineers Assistant on board my now even BIGGER office in Auckland's boat yards - behold the big and beautiful ATHOS....minus the sails..