Nataly 38 #1 December 13, 2009 My mom has been talking about wanting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.. It's been obsessing her a little bit lately.. And I started thinking.. She and I could do it together. The only thing I'm wondering about is how tough it is?? I mean, I'm reasonably confident that I can do whatever training is appropriate to get myself in shape for the trek, but I have no idea if it would be appropriate for my mom.. Has anyone here climbed it? Or do you know anyone who has? My mom used to be super-fit, but as with a lot of people her age she's not the athlete she used to be.. She has the typical sedentary-office-job/back-pain/bad-knees you would expect a lady of her age to have.. Overall, though, she is in good health. And about 10 times more stubborn than me, so that must count for something!! Any tips or advice would be great Edit - spelling! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danornan 79 #2 December 13, 2009 A local friend of mine did it two years ago and thought it was an easy trip. I'll have him PM you.Dano Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #3 December 13, 2009 I hear the locals will be very fond of you and your belongings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy0689 0 #4 December 13, 2009 I've heard it's a great trip and that the approach even without a summit attempt is an adventure in itself. The high altitudes are no joke. Even the lower peaks (14.4k and 13.7k) I've done were enough to feel the effects. Had someone in my group on the Grand Teton get acute mountain sickness and she was no slug either. Being stubborn is definitely an edge in mountaineering. Alpine Ascents which is Seattle, WA based has some good info on Kilimanjaro and training.Andy I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #5 December 13, 2009 Yeah.. Been reading up on Altitude sickness.. Reckon even though I'm in good shape it sounds like it's mostly about being sensible and not climbing too high too fast.."There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #6 December 13, 2009 Breathe Deep! Slow in through your nose, out through your mouth. There are many people who will not or can not breathe deeply enough to scrub the O2 from the air, deep breathing exercises help and also allow for your lungs to pick up all available O2 Use your diaphram, not your upper chest. There are a few people here more current than I am in high altitude training, but these principles will remain. Also make sure your gloves have removable liners that can be dried and carry an extra set. Extra socks and boots that have been worn continuously for a few months. Lots of water needed, you will dry out very quickly. I suggest pilot flares and cayume sticks. Also a SAT phone, a personal locater beacon is nice as well, you may not be the one in peril and needs assistance NOW. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #7 December 13, 2009 Kilimanjaro is serious altitude. Read this: http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200910/mountains-thin-air-brain-cells-intro.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #8 December 13, 2009 Wow.. Good info.. Slow & steady wins the race, huh?!"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thedude325 0 #9 December 13, 2009 The last episode of NOVA was an expedition up Kilimanjaro. If you get there before 2015, you'll be able to see what's left of the glacier up there. It looks amazing. I have now added Kilimanjaro to my bucket list, which already has Denali on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,375 #10 December 13, 2009 Hi Nat, Send me an email at: jerrybaumchen(at)verizon(dot)net and I will put you in contact with an old jumper pal who did it a year or so ago. He did say that it was not easy; and he is is rather good shape. JerryBaumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #11 December 13, 2009 Where is your buddy from?"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #12 December 14, 2009 A co-worker who is an avid hiker and has done many of the peaks here in CO told me about this: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/12/ann_curry_still_pissed_about_t.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stitch 0 #13 December 14, 2009 Just ask Alan Quartermain."No cookies for you"- GFD "I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65 Don't be a "Racer Hater" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BDashe 0 #14 December 14, 2009 Hola- Havent climbed it personally, we opted for a 5 day safari in tanzania due to money/time restrictions... I have some great pics though. One of my buddies i met up with in kampala has climbed it twice with his dad. He is a fit dude and said it wasnt easy. decent advice in the thread already, he said the main thing was to do lots of cardio training, especially in the 5 weeks before you make the climb. They have a few different tours that take varying lengths of time, i want to say 3-7 days. if you're concerned about reaching the summit, definitely take the longest option. Beautiful country out there... leave only footprints -Brett Edit: couple pics for ya 1. kilimanjaro from the air flying from kampala (Entebbe) to Arusha 2. I'm pretty sure this is from Arusha nat'l park 3. Me (eyes closed, awesome pic, sweet...) and my buddy dave, he climbed it about 6 months before this pic. Us wasted in kampala off of $2 worth of beer So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,375 #15 December 14, 2009 Hi Nat, Oregon, USA. He's currently in Italy until late this month. JerryBaumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #16 December 14, 2009 do you want to go on expedition to build a bridge between the two Kilimandjaro's ? ? scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pbwing 0 #17 December 14, 2009 HA! That's good stuff right there!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #18 December 14, 2009 Lots of good advice & links guys - thanks Spent hours reading up on it last night.. I think my mom hasn't done tons of research, or else I'm not sure she would be so blase about it.. That, or she really is more of a nutter than I realised!!! Still, it sounds like a tremendous adventure.. Would be great to share it with my mom, but before we go I want to learn more about it.. It just sounds like kind of a big deal!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #19 December 14, 2009 Nat it's not just bout the decreased O2 with regards altitude sickness. The atmospheric pressure decrease also has an effect on a cellular level, causing the cells to swell (a little) this can and did with me in Tibet, cause massive headaches. I was even on Altitude meds, they helped somewhat but i still had a bad head ache for 3 days, day 4 i started to acclimate. this was oddly at Jump altitudes 14K -16K feet.I dont drink or smoke and I'm generally in good physical condition, my wife on the other hand DOES drink and smoke and she suffered NOTHING You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
millertimeunc 0 #20 December 14, 2009 YES! I was waiting for the Monty Python reference! The best things in life are dangerous. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vitriol 0 #21 December 14, 2009 Hi, my ex-girlfriend guided that trek very often, like 10 times in two years, and it is a very very hard trek for someone not used to that kind of activities. Also the weather can have some impact on your motivation, as rain and cold are common. But if you are in good shape and do it the right way, you should be able to do it. It is important not to expect it to be a walk in the park... it's not just a trek, is an ascencion, just not a technical one. If you can read french or want to see nice pictures (not only of africa) i suggest you look at karavaniers.com website. It's an adventure travel company in Québec that offers some amazing trips and their website has a lot of information. In fact, i think it's the nicest website I have ever seen! The link to the kili trip is :http://karavaniers.com/voyages/repertoire/kilimanjaro/index.html What they do is climb mount meru to acclimatise, and then do the kili. Afterwards, they do a safari in the serengeti. they do the trip in 16 to 20 days depending if you do the safari or not. The acclimatisation climb of the Meru (wich gives you amazing views of the kili) makes the Kili a lot safer, and also gives you better chances to make the summit. Hope this helps! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,460 #22 December 14, 2009 That sounds really, really cool. We looked at Kilimanjaro for this winter, but that's not the season, and we don't want to do it out of season. If we're going to be sick & exhausted, it'd better be when it's not quite as likely to be nasty out Wendy P. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #23 December 14, 2009 No reason to get sick, filters for water are not that expensive and 2 drops of bleach per gallon of water does wonders. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vitriol 0 #24 December 14, 2009 I think she was talking about altitude sickness Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BDashe 0 #25 December 14, 2009 Tanzania is south of the equator, though very close to it. I was there in July and August, very tolerable weather/climate So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
