Velindre Walks - Brains SA Captains' Climb

Kilimanjaro Picture Diary Part 2

Having received our luggage, a day later than expected, we were finally ready for the mountain.

 Madeleine and Dai get into one of the mini buses for the 4 hour journey to Naremouru gate:

 We are all excited and a little apprehensive but glad to be finally able to start the walk:

When driving in Tanzania you need God on your side, some gnarly overtaking moves scared quite a few of the passengers and gave adrenalin junkies like me an exciting trip :)

The Diamox tablet's diuretic properties start to take effect and comfort breaks become more frequent!

Diego never missed an opportunity to get some great footage of the adventure

Even before reaching altitude the affects can be seen on some of my catalogue posing trekker buddies:

 
 

 
 

The local school children play footie but turn to wave once they see us (as we may be bearing sweets):
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Another break from the journey and everyone's pretty relaxed.
 
 

 
 

 
 

The children want their photo taken so that they can see themselves on the screen:
 
 

 
 

 
 

Colin poses for the camera!
 
 

When we reach the national park gates the porters greet us with songs of Kilimanjaro
 
 

Onyx waves the Welsh flag that he was given by the previous group who knew we were climbing after them.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Some guidelines for climbers:
 
 

A group shot but Novello doesn't realise that Gareth is using a wide angle lens!

 
(Photo by Huw Evans Agency)

 
(Photo by Huw Evans Agency)

The walk starts with Humphrey setting a steady pace, not too fast but the climb is challenging enough for the first afternoon of walking and we get our first taste of African dust:

 
(Photo by Huw Evans Agency)

 
 
(Photo by Huw Evans Agency)
 
Some are lucky to see Colobus Monkeys and I get a good view of Baboons
 
 

Rob trials one of the drop toilet, a nose holding experience every time!
 
 

After a few hours we reach the first camp and the porters welcome us with songs once again :) 
 

 
 

 
 

Everyone picks a tent and Madeleine & I go from number 13, coincidentally the chosen lucky number for each of us. We are also due to summit Kili on the 13th Sept so another good omen :)
 
 

The mess tent is set-up for our evening meal and we pass bowls of soup and the main meal along the 2 rows of diners. We are all pretty tired and soon head off to our tents but not before singing Happy Birthday to fellow trekker Steve Jones:
 
 

 
 

 
 

Before I turn in for the evening our tent neighbour, Eddie Butler, points out the Milky Way which is clearly visible in the pollution free sky above us. The stars and planets were clearly visible from our camp and every night would have the same clarity I just wish it had been warmer so that we could have gazed for longer.

Kilimanjaro Picture Diary Part 1

Unfortunately due to poor mobile signal on the Rongai route the plan to blog my way to the summit of Kilimanjaro didn't quite go to plan. I'd like to complete my VelindreWalks blog with a picture diary of the whole trip. Hope you enjoy it:)

The trip started at The Vale Hotel where the walkers and player gathered prior to setting off for Heathrow. I take the opportunity to have a pic with 2 of the smallest members of the group, Andy Moore & Colin Charvis:

Ieuan is interviewed by one of the press teams:

 

Warren Gatland touches base with Dennis Gethin, Bob Norster and Bleddyn Bowen are also in the background:
 
 

Nervously comparing kit lists Andy Moore, Scott Quinnell, Mark Taylor and Emyr Lewis:
 
 

The boys have a pic for the media with Sue & Huw Evans before we set off for Heathrow:

 
 

It was a pretty uneventful trip to Nairobi but quite surreal for all the non-players being with these stars of Welsh rugby especially when Rob Howley made us all coffee on the bus to Heathrow :) Anyhoo, we eventually arrived at Nairobi Airport:
 
 

Most of us took the opportunity to have a snooze during the 4 hour wait for our transfer flight to Kilimanjaro Airport:
 
 

 
 

Then we get on the Precision Airways flight to Kilimanjaro airport, here's Madeleine Brindley, James Osgood, Mark Poyser & Steve Jones:
 
 

I wanted beer but went for water as I'd been dry for 2 weeks which would hopefully help with acclimatisation:
 
 

We pretty much took over the flight as there were 57 of us in the group:
 
 

We all eagerly look out for our first glimpse of Kili, we were flying lower than the summit which clarified to each of us how high this mountain actually is!
 
 

Ieuan checks out Kili, I think we all felt nervous after seeing it with our own eyes!
 
 

 
 

 
 

When we land in Arusha, Kilimanjaro Airport, several sand mini-tornados can be seen. We should have realised at this point that this was going to be a rather dusty trip:
 
 

Mark Taylor & James Osgood disembark:
 
 

followed by Colin Charvis:
 
 

Bob Norster, Andy Moore:
 
 

Rob Jones & Rob Howley:
 
 

 
 

It wasn't long before we found out that 39 of us would be without our baggage plus our tents and medical equipment had also gone AWOL! Precision Airways they were not! The efficiency of the Tanzanian's was then imposed on us, we queued in groups of 4 to register our missing possessions and try to list the full content of our kit bags!
 
 

 
 

Colin chills out in the middle of the chaos!
 
 

After a 2 hour journey to The Impala Hotel, Arusha we check in and then gather for a Kili briefing:
 
 

There's no definite update on the luggage situation but the trip is officially delayed for 24hrs. This meant that our extra acclimatisation day would be scrapped and we would aim to reach the summit on day 5 rather than 6. Most of us had no spare clothes or toiletries but we make the most of things and a group of us decided to take a wander around Arusha.
 
 

 
 

 
 

We are soon targeted by the local sales guys, artists, jewellery vendors, etc:

 
 

 
 

As we look around Arusha we realise that being without our luggage was a small inconvenience and we were still lucky to be staying in a lovely hotel being fed and watered:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Eddie's new mate tries his best to sell his wares:
 
 

Once we figured out that the people are the main attraction in Arusha we return to the hotel and decide some chill out time by the pool was the only decent course of action:
 
 

 
 

A nice omen was seeing this tortoise which is the speed that I intended to adopt on Kili, should we ever get there!
 
 

The day ends in uncertainty but with the knowledge that our tour operator Ultimate Travel Company were working hard to get the situation sorted.

Arrive back home #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: We arrive back in Heathrow early in the monirng and transfer onto the buses which will take us back to Cardiff and the Brains SA Captains Climb will be complete.

Depart for Wales #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: Late afternoon transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for our flight to Nairobi, then connecting to our overnight flight back to the UK. 

Day 6 on the mountain: Horombo 3700m – Marangu Park Gates 1900m #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: We descend from Horombo through the moorland and forest to the gate at Marangu, arriving at around 3pm. From here we will transfer to our Hotel for a long awaited shower, celebration drink (or 2) and of course dinner.

Day 5 on the mountain: Kibo 4700m – Gilman’s Point 5680m – Uhuru Peak 5985 – Horombo Camp 3700m #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: This is an extremely long and challenging day walking up to 16 hrs. We get up shortly after midnight and climb Kibo for about 6 hrs to Gilman’s point (5680m), on the rim of the volcanic crater, for sunrise. If the day is clear, there are spectacular views over the savannah plains with the possibility of seeing Mt Kenya some 360km away.
 
We then continue across the snow around the rim for a further 2 hrs for the final push to Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Africa’s highest point.  It is a hard hike but is worth it to see the glaciers and have our photo taken with a sign confirming our achievement. If we reach Uhuru we will have walked about 4 km for about 7 - 8.5 hours and ascended 1200m.

We go down the way we came, back to Gillman’s, onto Kibo and then continue our descent on the Marangu route all the way back to Horombo Huts where we will spend the night in tents at 3700m. This will be another 4km which will take 4.5 to 7 hrs and we will have descended 2200m.

 

Day 4 on the mountain: Mawenzi Tarn 4295m - Kibo 4700m #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: Early start 7am and a 5 hour trek to either school Hut or Kibo hut (camping nearby) at 4700m. It’s a slow 5 –6 hour trek across “the Saddle”, an alpine desert between the volcanic peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. Upon arrival at 4700m we will rest and prepare for the summit day.

Day 3 on the mountain: Kikelewa Camp 3678m - Mawenzi Tarn 4295m #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: A steeper trek to Mawenzi tarn Hut at 4295m, 4-5 hours, 600m climb arriving for lunch. It’s a pretty campsite set in moraines in a glaciated valley with good views of the jagged peaks of Mawenzi above us. In the afternoon we will have a short acclimatisation walk to a higher altitude and then back down to camp.

Brains SA Captains Climb reach First Camp #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Just a quick update from the mess tent. We had a short 3.5 hour walk.

We all coped well, I was pleased to see camp as I had used all my water 10 mins before arriving.

Drinking water is key and those on Diamox are taking frequent toilet breaks, au naturale.

Tent is ready, we've washed off the dust from the walk and we're all in our warm clothes. All good in camp and ready to celebrate Steve's 49th Birthday.

Happy Campers

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Day 2 on the mountain: Simba Camp 2650m - Kikelewa Camp 3678m #BrainsCaptainsClimb

Today's Plan: After an early breakfast we leave Simba Camp and climb mostly on a narrow path through the moorland with some fine views over Kenya to the north.

As we climb the trees become sparser and later disappear; even the Heather starts to shrink at higher altitudes. However there is still plenty of interesting wild flowers such as the elegant Scarlet and Prickly Thistle. 

We trek up approx 3hrs to second cave (a lava tube) where we break for lunch. After lunch a 3 hour traverse to Kikelewa Cave – a pretty campsite just over 3600m on the edge of the lobelia zone.  In total we will trek for approx 8-9 hours and climb 1000m+.