by thinkmarsh | Mar 26, 2018 | charity, climbing, Kilimanjaro, travel
|
| Please note I have 5 layers on top and 3 on the bottom here. |
The question I have been asked most in the last few weeks has been ‘how was it?’ And I usually sum it up in one word- hard. It was honestly the hardest thing I have ever done. Harder than marathon training. Harder than open water swimming. Harder than hot yoga. The persistent physical demand for seven days, being constantly breathless due to the altitude, overcoming my fear/incompetence of peeing outside, sharing a small tent in the cold and rain, eating food I don’t normally have, not having Diet Coke. All of these factors could have been the ultimate formula for a perfect storm. But luckily, it wasn’t.
 |
| Everyone who made the trip up the mountain. Asante! |
The easy part was forming friendships with the other women on the trip and crew of Eco-Africa Climbing. A typical day would start at 6 or 7am for washing from a shallow basin and getting dressed and packed. Thirty minutes later, porridge and hot drinks would be served in the mess tent. All meals included a liquid course to keep us hydrated as we were supposed to br drinking three to four liters of water a day. The next course would be omelettes and a carb- toast, chapati, or pancakes/crepes. Plus fresh fruit and Nutella. Initially, we were given sausages or another meat but two of the six women were vegetarian. As we climbed higher, I found my appetite waning. Certain smells would turn my stomach and I started to have tummy troubles throughout the day and night. I tried to avoid dairy and added water purifying tablets to my water (thank Victoria!) to see if either of these would help. This is a typical biological response to altitude plus I was on an antibiotic for malaria prevention. But I felt horrible about how much food we were leaving on the table after every meal. Luckily,the company owner told us that any food left would be shared with the tour guides and crew. They also were fed the local rice dish called pilao with a side portion of meat.
 |
| Hot cocoa, pizza, and french fries. Best meal ever. |
We didn’t have too many lunches as we were usually out hiking five to six hours a day. We did have lunch at the top of Lava Tower as part of our acclimation process (It was a winter wonderland up there, so it was nice to be inside the tent eating hot food.). About 4pm if we didn’t have lunch, we would have fresh popcorn, shortbread biscuits, and tea. It was a time to catch up with the other women as we would usually split into 2-3 different groups due to differences in pace. I would take it easy as we had most of the day to make it to our next destination. Why not enjoy the view along the way? After tea, you had free time to nap, journal, or keep chatting away. We were on the cusp of the rainy season start so it was usually too cold and/or too rainy to sit outside or explore the campgrounds. I usually opted for a nap. Sleeping at altitude is tricky and when you add in sleeping at a slant and trying not to roll over your tentmate, you end up sleeping pretty light.
About 6 or 6:30pm, hot water would be available for washing and 30 min later, hot drinks and vegetable soup was available. Each day was a different soup and they were all delicious! Our cook, Elia, was amazing. The next course was usually two different types of meat, rice or pasta, a sauce to go on the carbs, and a ‘salad’ of some sort (corn and cucumber with mayonnaise dressing, coleslaw, etc). After one of the women on our tour had to be rescued, we were down to three meat eaters. I would have happily been vegetarian the entire time and will remember that for the next time.
 |
| I highly recommend booking a tour that includes a private toilet. The smell isn’t bad and you can sit down. |
Somewhere between 8-9pm, we would start to get ready for bed. Teeth brushing, a stop at our private toilet, gazing up at the stars if it wasn’t overcast, and then journaling if I hadn’t yet. My memory for specific details isn’t great, so I wanted to make sure that I wrote down anything special that happened that day. My notes mostly consist of how long and far we hiked and how many time I used my SheWee. Some days we were really chatty along the trail while others we were lost in our thoughts and trying not to fall over slippery rocks. Our conversations on the trial ranged from learning Swahili (which some of the crew thought was odd), to finding a song who’s tempo was the same as our walking pace, to blogging tips, to how we met our partners. Of course, women can be chattier than men but we also got to know a bit about our guides, Maru, Nasri and Mussa.
 |
| Present and accounted for. |
Each time we reached camp, we had to sign the official log and then we would get a photo or two at the sign. Sometimes the sun was out for these photos. Other times it was raining or snowing. We were all smiling by the time we got to camp, even if the hiking was tough. The first day we started at Machame Gate, which provided us with fairly kept trails. (Note that every day when we started hiking, we immediately were walking uphill. Kili doesn’t mess around). The rest of the time, we were walking across moorland, through snow fields, in dried river beds, or up Barranco Wall. Several times, I thought to myself this just isn’t safe. It would be raining, slippery, and I would be crawling over rocks with a heavy rucksack on. Luckily, our guides knew precisely where to step and helped us along if we needed a hand (which I sometimes did as I have short legs). The porters, who carried 15kg of our stuff, plus their our supplies, are amazingly fit. They would pack up after we left, walk by us (I would say casually only in that they made it look easy), and have camp set up by the time we arrived. It took a team of 24 people (guides, cooks, porters, bathroom dude) to support the six of us.
 |
| We were lucky enough to have three women on our crew. |
I will post more about the kit I used, my tips for success, visas, and travel insurance (and probably put it all into an e-book) in future posts. But aside from climbing Kilimanjaro, as part of the International Women’s Day tour, we also spent a day in Moshi.
Initially, I wasn’t going to do any fundraising for this trip. However, on our last day in Moshi, we visited two primary schools and a Masai village before heading to Chemka Hot Springs for lunch and a swim. The second school we visited, Rundugai Primary School (photos come soon!), really connected with me as they had students there with Down Syndrome, among other special needs (if you are new to the blog, I had a nephew with Down Syndrome who was stillborn. In the past, I have done a lot of fundraising for orphans with Down Syndrome). The school doesn’t have running water or electricity and was built in the 1960s. Our tour costs included a donation of 10 cement bags to the school, who are in the middle of building toilets for the students and staff. We met many of the children, who came in on a Saturday just for our visit. We also were able to speak with the head teacher, via a translator, to discuss the challenges of the education system. The government cannot afford to pay teachers so this school has 12 teachers for over 600 students, and one of them is in the special needs classroom. There were several classrooms, a community garden, and a large dirt lot for playing outside. We shared our very basic Swahili with the kids and they seemed to enjoy giving us high fives and then ran away, giggling.
It was obvious how big the difference was from the American education system, where most kids are given an Ipad to use on a daily basis. The head teacher at Rundugari doesn’t have an email address because no one has a computer.
Let me repeat that- no one has a computer.
You know why? Because there isn’t any electricity. It made me realize how lucky I am and my nephews are. But not having a computer isn’t the end of the world. What did strike me is that the special needs classroom doesn’t have any desks or chairs for their 12 students. The kids were sitting on the floor when we stopped by, playing with large Legos. I spoke to the special education teacher who explained the kids are at different levels, but she works with them in small groups. The children are allowed to study at the centre until they are 25 years old (most kids leave school when 13-16 years old), at which point they get a job if they are able or go back and live with their families. There are not many facilities like this in the Moshi area. I felt lucky we could visit and meet these smiley kids.
This visit really inspired me to help these kids out. I am pledging to raise £420 (£1 for every kilometer to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro) towards the purchase of 12 sets of desks and chairs for the special needs classroom. If you would like to contribute, (approximately $135 or £95 for one desk and chair set. The head teacher estimated $1600-1800 for the children and teacher set ups), please use the button below. This is my main focus, but below there are also two other ways to get involved.
Contribute towards 12 sets of desks and chairs for the special needs students (approximately $135 or £95 for one desk and chair set). All amounts appreciated.
The primary school could also use some footballs (soccer balls) for the kids to play with during recess. A leather football costs approximately $25 (£18).
Contribute towards the purchase of sporting equipment that all the kids can use here. All amounts appreciated.
We also had a candid chat with a local group of Maasai women. They live quite a ways from the local community, in huts that also do not have electricity or running water. The hut fits a mud bed where five people sleep on animal skins and small fire in the corner. The men are off grazing their animals for months at a time and will call their wives once in a while. The Masai women have to walk several miles a week to charge their mobile (cell) phones at the local community centre. I left my solar charging power bank (that will store power for later use) for the women to use, which cost about £20 ($29).
 |
| Maasai women with my charger. |
If you would like to contribute towards buying solar chargers for the Maasai women, donate here. All amounts appreciated.
If you would rather send items from Amazon than donate cash, see my wishlist here where I have made a few selections that I think the community would appreciate. But feel free to send other sporting goods that will fit into a small suitcase. A fellow Adventurous woman is headed to Kili in August and I will send her with an extra suitcase full of supplies for the children and women.
I will update totals on the post every few weeks, so keep checking back to see how we are getting on. If you have any questions about this, feel free to email me: mollie@ptmollie.com.
So that is a brief recap of my trip. If there are any specific questions, you have leave a comment below. As I mentioned, I will be adding more posts about different aspects of the trip, so keep checking back over the next few weeks for new posts.
by Mollie Millington | Mar 9, 2018 | climbing, Kilimanjaro, travel
We started climbing at 11pm, in the dark and through knee deep snow. At 8:30am, I was on the roof of Africa with my new besties. Big thanks to Eco-Africa Climbing for a tremendous trip and to the Altitude Centre for all the expert training and preparation.
Many more blog posts to come but for now, I rest.
by thinkmarsh | Mar 9, 2018 | climbing, Kilimanjaro, travel
We started climbing at 11pm, in the dark and through knee deep snow. At 8:30am, I was on the roof of Africa with my new besties. Big thanks to Eco-Africa Climbing for a tremendous trip and to the Altitude Centre for all the expert training and preparation.
Many more blog posts to come but for now, I rest.
by Mollie Millington | Feb 12, 2018 | Kilimanjaro, product review, travel
In less than a month, I will board a plane to Tanzania. It is hard to believe that a Sunday night tweet in September would bring me to 5895 meters. I thought I would send you an update as to what I have been doing to prepare. I tend to overplan things because like any good Girl Scout, I like to be prepared. There is still plenty of time for you to borrow kit, book flights, and get your jabs though if you are still thinking about signing up.
|
| Starting to put essentials into my suitcase. |
Since I last checked in, I have been sorting out my kit and vaccinations. I made £400 on eBay, selling stuff we had around the house but didn’t use. Not only was my husband happy because we were less cluttered but I saw my Kilimanjaro fund increasing. I also started asking my outdoorsy friends info if could borrow things, like hiking poles, gaiters, and rain gear. These items I knew I would only use once, so it seemed silly to purchase them brand new only to store them under the bed. For snacks and a waterproof duffle bag for the porters to carry, I hopped on Sport Pursuit to see what great kit they had on offer (you seriously need to join their flash sale website). I ended up with Bounce Balls and protein cookies to satiate my sweet tooth mid-climb. It is going to be hard enough without Diet Coke- I can’t imagine doing it without chocolate!
 |
| Walk-In Clinic reception area |
The vaccines turned out to be a bit more complicated. You can read about my experience at the Walk-In Clinic, where I reviewed in detail with the GP what the risk factors were if I got sick on the side of a mountain in Tanzania, in addition to my upcoming trip to Thailand. Over two appointments, I ended up with three jabs, one fizzy vaccinated drink, and a prescription for anti-malaria tablets. These treatments were divided up over two appointments to avoid lots of shots (which could result in sore arms) and one vaccine had to be ordered in. Unfortunately, I am allergic to the anti-altitude sickness pills so I will not be able to bring them with me.
 |
| Plane ticket confirmation |
My flights are now booked, which makes it seem like this is really happening. I found flights for about £600 on Kenyan Airlines using Google Flights. The outbound overnight flight made it very tricky not to be traveling for 24 hours straight just before some serious physical activity. Hopefully I can catch up on my sleep the day before we start our ascent. I could have found a cheaper flight if my work had been more flexible with time off. But £600 is less than what I pay to go home to USA so not too bad on my travel budget scale.
 |
| I am excited about my new boots. Oldland is not. |
Doing research for this trip, I found A Walk in the Park and Kilimanjaro:Tips for the Top books to be insightful. Both describe other trips that people with little to no experience climbing big mountains have taken. These contained a lot of the stuff I wanted to know. How bad are the toilets on the mountain? Will I be able to get enough sleep? How cold does it feel at night? How many spare batteries will I need? There are many blogs out there too with similar info. I have also started looking through the Swahili phrasebook my mom got me for Christmas. I am posting seven mini lessons up on Instagram if you would like to learn a few key phrases.
 |
| “Thank you” |
We have our Facebook group set up for the women on the trip to get to know one another before we set foot in Moshi. I am also still working with Ellis Brigham for our discounted shopping night in London for all the women who register for the trip. This will be the perfect time to talk to experts about our trip and select exactly what you will need, while sipping on some celebratory fizz.
I would really love to have you come along. The deadline to register for Kilimanjaro is 20 February, so this will be my last email to you about the trip. If you have any questions or want to discuss logistics, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please remember to use my name as a referral to receive your free gift worth £30 posted to you or I can bring it to Kili for you.
by thinkmarsh | Feb 12, 2018 | Kilimanjaro, product review, travel
In less than a month, I will board a plane to Tanzania. It is hard to believe that a Sunday night tweet in September would bring me to 5895 meters. I thought I would send you an update as to what I have been doing to prepare. I tend to overplan things because like any good Girl Scout, I like to be prepared. There is still plenty of time for you to borrow kit, book flights, and get your jabs though if you are still thinking about signing up.
|
| Starting to put essentials into my suitcase. |
Since I last checked in, I have been sorting out my kit and vaccinations. I made £400 on eBay, selling stuff we had around the house but didn’t use. Not only was my husband happy because we were less cluttered but I saw my Kilimanjaro fund increasing. I also started asking my outdoorsy friends info if could borrow things, like hiking poles, gaiters, and rain gear. These items I knew I would only use once, so it seemed silly to purchase them brand new only to store them under the bed. For snacks and a waterproof duffle bag for the porters to carry, I hopped on Sport Pursuit to see what great kit they had on offer (you seriously need to join their flash sale website). I ended up with Bounce Balls and protein cookies to satiate my sweet tooth mid-climb. It is going to be hard enough without Diet Coke- I can’t imagine doing it without chocolate!
|
| Walk-In Clinic reception area |
The vaccines turned out to be a bit more complicated. You can read about my experience at the Walk-In Clinic, where I reviewed in detail with the GP what the risk factors were if I got sick on the side of a mountain in Tanzania, in addition to my upcoming trip to Thailand. Over two appointments, I ended up with three jabs, one fizzy vaccinated drink, and a prescription for anti-malaria tablets. These treatments were divided up over two appointments to avoid lots of shots (which could result in sore arms) and one vaccine had to be ordered in. Unfortunately, I am allergic to the anti-altitude sickness pills so I will not be able to bring them with me.
|
| Plane ticket confirmation |
My flights are now booked, which makes it seem like this is really happening. I found flights for about £600 on Kenyan Airlines using Google Flights. The outbound overnight flight made it very tricky not to be traveling for 24 hours straight just before some serious physical activity. Hopefully I can catch up on my sleep the day before we start our ascent. I could have found a cheaper flight if my work had been more flexible with time off. But £600 is less than what I pay to go home to USA so not too bad on my travel budget scale.
|
| I am excited about my new boots. Oldland is not. |
Doing research for this trip, I found A Walk in the Park and Kilimanjaro:Tips for the Top books to be insightful. Both describe other trips that people with little to no experience climbing big mountains have taken. These contained a lot of the stuff I wanted to know. How bad are the toilets on the mountain? Will I be able to get enough sleep? How cold does it feel at night? How many spare batteries will I need? There are many blogs out there too with similar info. I have also started looking through the Swahili phrasebook my mom got me for Christmas. I am posting seven mini lessons up on Instagram if you would like to learn a few key phrases.
|
| “Thank you” |
We have our Facebook group set up for the women on the trip to get to know one another before we set foot in Moshi. I am also still working with Ellis Brigham for our discounted shopping night in London for all the women who register for the trip. This will be the perfect time to talk to experts about our trip and select exactly what you will need, while sipping on some celebratory fizz.
I would really love to have you come along. The deadline to register for Kilimanjaro is 20 February, so this will be my last email to you about the trip. If you have any questions or want to discuss logistics, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please remember to use my name as a referral to receive your free gift worth £30 posted to you or I can bring it to Kili for you.
by Mollie Millington | Jan 24, 2018 | Kilimanjaro, product review, travel
I am really starting to get excited about my upcoming holidays. The ski slopes of Verbier are getting dumped with powder, more women are signing up for our Kilimanjaro climb, and I am pretty sure I want to scuba dive in Thailand. There are so many adventures to be had and not enough time to plan them all.
Turns out when you travel to tropical places (which is something my husband and I rarely do), you need to do a bit of research and planning to make sure you are prepared with adequate vaccinations and medications. With my trips to Tanzania, Thailand, and Cambodia coming up, I contacted the Walk-In Clinic to see what jabs I would need to be safe.
You may remember that I had a wellwoman physical with the Walk-In clinic over the summer. I found utilizing a private practice gave me the luxury of time. I could talk to the doctor in depth without feeling pressured to fit all my questions in within the 15 minute time slot. Luckily for me, the clinic was able to book me in for to their travel clinic service with in a week. The clinic offers a consultation appointment, where you speak to someone to review what you will need, or simply request a vaccine that is unavailable at your local GP. They also have regional packages destinations such as Africa, India and South & Central America.
When I booked in, I was warned that I would need a consultation first and then a follow up appointment for my jabs. I took the this to mean a 15 minute conversation during which we would order my jabs and then a needle sticking session on another day. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had an entire hour to go through the travel advice website, NaTHNaC, line by line for my different destinations. My doctor and I discussed the benefits and possible side effects, plus what I have had in the past. We looked at all three countries, made a list and then reviewed the vaccine schedule for each as some require several doses at different time points to be effective.
My big tip, no matter where you are headed, is to book a travel clinic appointment six to eight weeks ahead of time in case your vaccine needs to be ordered, requires several doses, or it takes a while build immunity. In addition, you should know what vaccines you have had previously and when. Some vaccines will last your entire life while others need periodic updating.
For my Kilimanjaro trip, there is also a malaria risk below 1800 meters. My doctor was able to discuss the different medications available and what would suit me. The side effects of some can be scary, including depression and hallucinations. As I am already on a SSRI, this ruled out Lariam, which you only have to take once a week. We agree upon the antibiotic doxycycline, which is in the tetracycline family. In high school, I had horrible acne and was on tetracycline for a while. I don’t remember any unbearable physical side effects (aside from being prone to sunburn) so I am very comfortable with the choice. The downside is remembering to take it every day and I have to keep taking it up for four weeks after my return. Our destinations in Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket) are ‘low to no risk’ which do not require malaria prophylaxis.
The last thing I wanted to discuss was altitude sickness. Out of everything that could possibly impact my trip, I am most worried about this. It seems to be very unpredictable as to who is affected. Fit, fat, skinny, strong, young, old- there is no way to know. Anecdotally, I have heard low blood pressure makes you more susceptible as well as not acclimatizing properly. People report feeling severely hungover with a bad headache, nausea, vomiting, and being really tired. For all the energy and planning I have put into this trip, it would be a shame not to see the sunrise at 5895 meters (19,341 feet). Unfortunately, the doctor didn’t know much about the condition and could not recommend whether I should carry the medicine, let alone take it prophylactically. Crowd sourced side effects from my Adventure Queens Facebook group include pins and needles feeling and having to pee a lot. Since I am not good at peeing outside, this is a worry for me. My doctor was going to do a bit more research before my next appointment in two weeks time so we can talk about it again.
On this visit, I got Hepatitis A, a rabies booster, and cholera vaccinations. I would have got Hepatitis B too, but there is a global shortage of the vaccine. The cholera will require another dose at my next visit (which is just an effervescent drink) and meningitis. At the same time, I will pick up my prescriptions for my anti-malaria pills and altitude sickness tablets. Because most of my Kilimanjaro trip will be on the side of a mountain, we took greater precautions with more vaccines which will also cover my trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Remember though, it is up to you and your doctor to discuss and agree what is right for you.
If you have any experience with climbing and/or altitude sickness, please leave me a comment below with your experience. I am eager to learn as much as I can before the trip.
Many thanks to the Walk-In Clinic for their support of my trek to Kilimanjaro. Services provided were complimentary, but all opinions and views are my own. Please speak to your GP about your travel plans rather than follow my advice and experiences. I am not a medical professional, just a biology nerd.
Recent Comments