Mt. Kilimanjaro Random
Picture of the week 37
Our first real break on the Breach route was at 17,300-feet.
Mt. Meru can be seen off in the distance. Lava Tower camp is the beige patch in the lower right with the Shira Plateau beyond, an outstanding view from any angle.
Pictured is our head guide, Stephen. He’s standing in a spot where I had no intention to venture. I was content to sit with my son, drink water, consume what seemed like our 50th Snickers bar and catch my breath.
Date: September 10th, 2007 |
No Comments
Picture of the week 35
Dawn, at Arrow Glacier Camp, the morning we would finally attempt our assent of the Western Breach. It was very cold, but the early departure would minimize our exposure to rock fall.
The shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro is draped atop the 12,000-ft cloud layer stretching all the way to Mt.Meru some 30+ miles away.
Although I had the presence of mind to take this photograph, the lack of oxygen at 16,000-ft of altitude prevented me from fully appreciating this wonderfully visual gift until I returned home to 750-ft. It was the very same cognitive limitations, however, that helped us steel …
Date: August 27th, 2007 |
No Comments
Picture of the week 33
This image still invokes awesome emotions three years after it was captured.
Upon our arrival at Arrow Glacier Camp, our head guide and my son & I continued part way up the Western Breach Route as part of our acclimatization program.
As our head guide, Stephen, and my son descend, both Arrow Camp (middle left) and Lava Tower (middle right) can be seen delineated by the long shadows cast by the setting sun. Even the Shira Plateau can be seen off in the distance, the very ground we had covered over the preceding 7 days. Seeing almost our whole route …
Date: August 13th, 2007 |
1 comment
Picture of the week 32
This is a second image of Arrow Glacier Camp as cloud came in and hid the upper sections of the Western Breach. As I study the photo now I count 16 tents, 3 dinning tents, 4 black public outhouses and our own orange loo (just for my son and I). This represented three teams from Montreal (2), Wisconsin (2) and South Africa (6), a small community.
As it turned out, the only clients that made it to the top of the Breach the next day were the couple from Montreal and us. The South Africans had attempted to …
Date: August 6th, 2007 |
No Comments
Picture of the week 30
This picture was taken as I stood in oxygen starved amazement at an altitude of 16,000 feet. This is one of my favorite photographs because not only is it a spectacular image of our hard working porters cresting the last rock strewn ridge into Arrow Glacier with the Shira Plateau and Mt. Meru in the distance but it reminds me of the awesome feelings we encountered of accomplishment mixed with the trepidations of the Western Breach climb we would attempt the following morning.
Date: August 1st, 2007 |
No Comments
Picture of the week 36
As we inched up the Western Breach Route, I invested most of my limited cognitive and physical resources, rest stepping and breathing. While we were still in the shade provided by our early start, I happened to look to the left and saw the sun just beginning to touch the top of Lava Tower 2500-ft. below.
The only way to arrest the pace of our head guide was to call, “maji” (water) or “photo”. (This was also the technique, yours truly used, to grab a quick rest). At any rate, we stopped and I snapped the photograph. Like …
Date: September 4th, 2007 |
No Comments
Picture of the week 34
For the acclimation run up the Western Breach, Steven our head guide produced some very cool Sherpa glasses to combat the increasing UV levels at 17,000 feet. My son on the other hand wore dime store aviator shades over his regular glasses. Both strategies worked just fine and remember, big checks don’t always have to be written for gear.
Date: August 21st, 2007 |
No Comments
Mt. Kilimanjaro - How dangerous is it, really?
OK, you’ve been warned…
“But when I say that our sport is a hazardous one, I do not mean that when we climb mountains there is a large chance that we shall be killed, but that we are surrounded by dangers which will kill us if we let them.” George Mallory
Mallory’s comments are in reference to the Himalayan “giants”, but the call for personal responsibility; making good decisions and managing your own situation can be taken to any adventure, including Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Recently, I’ve seen some questions on the BootsnAll, Kilimanjaro blog concerning the level of risk involved in climbing to the roof of Africa and how to handle the negativity from people (like parents) that have only heard about some of the tragedies on the mountain. This article is my attempt to put these issues into perspective and promote safe, successful adventures.
It is true that 8 or 9 trekkers per year die on the mountain from 30,000 attempts. A few of these make the headlines and unfortunately, that is what people remember. Heart attacks and Acute Mountain Sickness are the main reasons. But it is also true that if 60% (18,000) make it to the summit then a whopping 40% (12,000) trekkers, every year, have turned themselves around or been told to turn around and walk off the mountain with everything from knowing they did the very best they could, to crushing disappointment, or perhaps a steeled resolve to return and conquer. In addition, a small number of people have needed rescue.
In the following paragraphs, I will discuss all these different issues so that the first-timers can understand the choices and probabilities for success.
What can kill 8 to 9 people per year?
Date: August 7th, 2007 |
3 comments
Picture of the week 31
This is Arrow Glacier Camp and the Western Breach with our yellow Eureka Scorpion Tent sitting ready and waiting. The line up the Breach is directly above the orange tent although it did zigzag to the left out of the photograph occasionally.
We weren’t afraid exactly but were overcome with a thunderous anticipation of the, as yet, unknown challenges of the breach climb. I’d never seen any pictures of the scrambling sections or the type of exposure to falls we could be hiking through. All my trusted guide would say is, “If you go slowly, the mountain is …
Date: August 1st, 2007 |
No Comments
Picture of the week 29
Looking back at Lava Tower during our ascent to Arrow Glacier Camp the Shira Plateau can be seen off in the distance over 20 miles away and Lava Tower Camp is the light beige patch to the right of the tower.
Even with the absence of most plant life, the textures and colors of the geology were a constantly changing visual kaleidoscope.
Date: July 16th, 2007 |
No Comments
