Kilimanjaro Expedition Dispatch

March 5, 2008 – Starting our Climb and Views of the Top

When we finally reached the end of the road at the Kilimanjaro gates on March 3rd, we met all of the Berg Adventures' porters, camp staff and the rest of the guides who were getting all of the equipment, the food and their own supplies packed up. It was quite an overwhelming scene to see all of them packing up. Our Canadian group climbing for BBBS began to realize they were far from alone here on Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Overall it is a great deal of excitement. Each member of this team said to me, as we began to climb up Kilimanjaro “the months of planning, dreaming and planning are paying off.”

This team, as some of you already know back home, have been working towards this journey for a long time. There has been a motivation for them to get out and train, go up hills, work to keep their conditioning as high as they can knowing that it will pay off here on Kilimanjaro.

Today I am calling you on March 5th from the Scott Fisher Memorial Camp. Scott was a good friend of mine who was very special and ventured to many mountains around the world including Kilimanjaro years ago.

We are currently at 12,800 feet above sea level. We are looking across at the vast Shira Plateau where we camped last night, most of which is about 11,500 feet. Below that we have some clouds that are rising up towards us and I can see the top of the forest.

These are the life zones we have walk through already on this mountain – even though we are only three days into our approach towards the very top. The natural beauty has just been amazing. Seeing several of our group members with their cameras close-focused on a lot of the flowers and shrubbery along the way and of course occasionally we see the spectacular hibiscus.

We have already had an opportunity to see Kibo in the distance. It is the large snow-capped summit that we are going to attempt to reach. The glaciers and snow fields that rise high above Africa.

We are getting closer, but still have a long way to go. Tonight our camp will be at the Moir Camp at about 13,500 feet. I am proud to report that each member of the team is adapting well at high altitude and they all have a great attitude.

There is a lot to report about the fun we are having with our Berg Adventure’s staff.

Just this morning we presented each of them with a bright red toque that says BBBS. John had them made back in Canada.

We danced a lot at the camp this evening. Singing and dancing is a Berg Adventure tradition. Just when you think you are too tired to walk any more, you will here the camp teams voices getting closer; singing as they are welcoming members into camp. Usually there is a light spring in the legs of the members as they begin to approach. The members join by dancing and celebrating with the team as they arrive. This morning Trevor had worked out a dance story to describe a little sister who needed a friend and received one. The guys were really into working out the costumes and the parts for this. We do have a video tape of it and I am sure we will share it with you when we get home. I took some still photos of the dance, they are on there way down and we will have them posted soon.

I am sure you when you see all of the photos, you will appreciate the smiles and the spirit of this BBBS team.

We now know, in the high dead air of Kilimanjaro, this team is doing great! It is a challenge, but our spirits are high. We will report to you daily as we continue towards the top of Kilimanjaro.