Training gets serious- Kilimanjaro attempt

It is all steam ahead for our preparations for Kilimanjaro, Paola and I leave for Tanzania tomorrow evening, beginning our climb on Monday morning.
Rather than organising the usual pub sessions and demanding money from friends in support, we hoped to plan another challenge in itself to demonstrate our dedication to The Everest Test 2009, and at the same time further our fitness training, in the hope that it might encourage donations.

We leave on 25 October 2008, waving goodbye to hot showers, duvets and our daily Starbucks, instead donning walking boots, sub zero temperature thermals, and braving the outdoor long drop loos, as we attempt to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro rises 19,340 feet above sea level, is the highest free standing mountain in the world, and the tallest on the continent of Africa. Due to the mountain being situated in Africa, it is often thought that the climate is hot and dry, the structure however supports 5 major eco zones- rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and glacier. Temperatures will range from 35 degrees during the day, to -20 degrees at night.... meaning that much planning is necessary to ensure the right equipment is taken with us.
15,000 people attempt to climb this mountain every year, but less than 60% summit the peak, often due to being ill-prepared and attempting the summit too quickly due to a lack of understanding of the altitude, and its often leathal effects on the human body. At this altitude the body absorbs only 66% of the amount of oxygen it does at sea level - consequently the resting heart beat is at least 30% faster, hard work to say the least. That said, altitude sickness claims its victims at random, and fitness does not determine your ability to avoid it. There is no cure for altitude sickness other than rapid decent, we very much hope that we will reach the top, but have to be careful to remember that the effects of the condition can be extremely dangerous, and also fatal.

The preparation for this trip has at least got me ahead of the game with all of the plans for The Everest Test, and I have been shopping for merino wool thermals, walking trousers, waterproof/windproof trousers, socks, walking boots, fleeces, decent sunglasses, water bottles, hats, gloves- the list goes on!
Excitement is now setting in as I start to pack, and have finally finished all of my tasks to make sure we are ready - jabs, malaria tablets, acquiring Diamox (a drug which helps the body to deal with altitude), Tanzanian visas and endless others. I very much hope that my next blog post will be a summary of our successful summit attempt, with photos to follow...