 Our intrepid Help for Heroes Mount Kilimanjaro team battled wind, rain and ice to reach the summit of the highest free standing mountain in the world. Congratulations to all of the climbers who took part in this extraordinary challenge - you're an inspiration to us all!!
On the last day the Help for Heroes Kilimanjaro team were treated to a song and dance from the porters before starting off on a steady 5 hour trek down the mountain. Even this minor walk proved a challenge for some, as the
fatigue of the past 7 days caught up with them. Stiff hips, painful knees, sore feet and dehydration were felt all round, but finally the team made it back - exhausted but proud!!
"The last couple of days on Kili were pretty tough. The weather at one stage was the worst our guide had ever seen,  but the real problem was altitude. Jon (Jon Neal) and Emma (Emma Parry) had it bad and were sick for four days. Most of us felt continuously nauseous with severe headaches. Louisa (Louisa Parry) and I also had oedema which caused our eyes to become slits.
The rest of the team bad various problems to deal with, 'Big Frenchie' (Stewart Le Couilliard) had D & V and had to be put on a drip. I think that without the altitude issue it would have been so much easier. People plod along and then suddenly vomit without warning. At night one wakes up with the heart racing.
On the afternoon before the summit climb, we made it to Camp Kosovo, higher than the disgusting Barafu, which is the normal launch pad. The stink from the 'long drops' there was quite something. The approach to Kosovo is over a rocky outcrop and we were grateful for Ken, our leader's, decision to do that in daylight.
After some food, which most of us could not manage, we slept for a few hours before waking at 11am for hot drinks. Then we started to plod in a line. Jon and Emma decided to make the attempt despite feeling terrible but Stu 'Big Frenchie' (Stewart Le Couilliard) was too ill and stayed behind in his tent on orders from the doctor. With head torches lit we formed a line of glowworms up the track. Emma started behind Craig (Craig Lundberg) and Andy (Andrew Larky), whose Scouse banter never stopped. As we progressed it was not long before the order of march changed as people stood to the side, retching. The guides tell you to keep going and after a while you do as they say. To stop means to fail or freeze.
Team Parry kept together for as long as we could, but finally Jon and Emma were turned around. Even if they had made the crater, they would not  have been able to make it down again. The rest of us finally made it, still in the dark, to Stella Point, the lip of the crater. Our guides gave us some tea and sang songs before we set off along the rim to the peak.
It was freezing cold with limited visibility due to the cloud, so we missed the much-discussed view of the whole of Africa. By this stage people were down to their last reserves and there was no fuel left to allow any emotion when we got to the peak. Any idea of a sense of spirituality at reaching the Roof of Africa was dispelled by a scramble of guides trying to get their climbers in front of the sign for the obligatory ' got there' photo. We took our snaps, mine are blurred; other climbers can't remember what happened at the summit, all were starved of oxygen. We turned back and walked along the rim past white-faced climbers struggling to make their peak.
As we started to descend we met the other H4H group coming up. I gave Clare a hug and she said she felt like crying. The other group had been through quite a time and they will tell the tale elsewhere but suffice to say they were in remarkably good spirits.
The climb down was, for me at least, a great deal harder than the ascent. I had one of the few water bottles that had not frozen and had shared with o thers on the way up. I was now out of water and in hindsight, badly dehydrated. The descent took forever, the camp visible but never seeming to get closer. Finally, at about 9:30am, Team Parry got into our camp for the night. I have never wanted sleep more and was unconscious as soon as I got into the tent.
We were allowed a couple of hours sleep before being woken for the next long haul. One of the mess tents had become a makeshift hospital with three climbers on the floor on drips. We got some food inside us, although very little apart from tea and a ginger biscuit was manageable, and then it was off for the long descent. We walked back down the rock field, through the stink of Barafu and then on down through the high barren desert to Millenium camp on the edge of the first greenery, still at well over 3,900m. None of us could eat much and the soup, tasty on day one, was now repellent. We were all in bed by seven, unconscious until six the next morning.
At eight on the final morning the porters lined up to sing for us and we were hauled in to join in with a mad dance routine that left us gasping for air. We attempted to match their harmonies with an appalling rendition of Hey Jude. You could see the horror in their eyes at our lack of tune but they were too polite to cover their ears. Speeches followed; Whitey, our lead guide, thanked us on behalf of the President of Tanzania and then we set off.
The final morning was hard on the knees, hours of stepping down as we passed through scrub and then rainforest. This part of the trip was the worst for me and I believe the Comic Relief team opted out on a helicopter at this stage... If only! Finally we arrived at the exit to the National Park. Cold Cokes, begging children and tat sellers were a real contrast to the heights of the mountain.
 From there it was off in the bus to the Glacier bar, towards green grass and a good meal. No soup or porridge, just real food: chips and tomato sauce as well as salad. Wonderful!
Back to the hotel for the best shower ever: stinging hot even if it was brown water. Beers, medals, certificates and supper followed. Some tough nuts then went back to the Glacier bar; not me, I just went to bed."
It is easy to think that climbing Kilimanjaro can't be that hard if Chris Moyles and the Comic Relief team managed it, but that would trivialize what really is an extreme challenge. The weather can literally be a killer and for those who were affected by the altitude, the climb becomes a matter of sheer endurance. It strikes randomly and no amount of fitness training can prepare you for the effects. To climb 1000m in a night is hard enough, to do that with a blinding headache, feeling or being sick, every breath an effort and with a racing heartbeat, adds a whole new dimension to the climb.
If I found the climb to be the hardest challenge I can remember, I can only imagine what our team of wounded soldiers must have felt. They were simply superb, they all summited, they were consistently cheerful, never complained and were examples of what can be achieved through sheer guts and determination. To Craig, Jon, Tony, John and Stu can I say that it was an honour to be in your company for the climb. You are truly inspirational and I hope you will inspire others who have been wounded to achieve similar heights.
To all the H4H Kili Climbers in both groups, well done, you were wonderful. Congratulations on your achievement, whether you made the last few metres or not. You were a great team and should all be extremely proud that you gave it your best shot. Thanks for taking part in a terrific challenge and for your superb support.
Bryn
The H4H team began their attempt on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at 11pm on Wednesday 28th. After a quick breakfast and a final kit check the team put on their head torches and made a start for the crater - some 1,000m above them.
The last stage of the trek was a brutal challenge. LCpl Jon Le Galloudec said "It was harder than learning to walk again."
Sadly three members of the H4H team - Stewart Le Couilliard, Emma Parry and Jonathan Neal, suffered from such extreme altitude sickness that they were unable to make the attempt on the summit and had to turn back.
The remainder of the team walked for 6 hours with just 1/3 of the normal oxygen available. As they climbed they struggled for breath and endured splitting headaches. The weather was freezing, with snow and ice on the ground, and temperatures of -12 plus wind chill.
But as dawn broke the Help for Heroes team reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro!
Congratulations to each and every one of the Help for Heroes climbers for their amazing efforts!
Now it's just a matter of making it all the way back down the mountain for a well deserved rest...
Each year around 15,000 people attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro - but only 40 per cent of them will manage to reach the summit. Attempts on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro are generally undertaken at night - when the scree is frozen and easier to walk on. At the summit there is a sign posted by the Tanzanian government which reads: "Congratulations! You are now at Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5,895 m. Africa's Highest Point. World's highest free-standing mountain." The sign is covered in travel stickers from past trekkers who have left their mark on the top of the peak.
Another hard day for the team – although at least the sun has finally come out. The effects of altitude are being felt all round and the accumulative fatigue of five days of trekking is taking its toll.
The team must now prepare their kit and will then sleep for a few hours before waking at midnight to start the 6 hour trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, where temperatures are predicted to plummit to minus 12 plus wind chill.
Despite the difficulties the camp say that morale remains high and the H4H trekkers are desperate to make the summit as a team.
We're all keeping our fingers crossed down here – good luck H4H Kilimanjaro trekkers!!
The temperatures on Mount Kilimanjaro vary enormously. Although the two rainy seasons are between mid March and May and then November to December, rain and snow can be encountered at any time of the year on the mountain. During the drier season the temperatures vary considerably with height and the time of day. On the plains around Kilimanjaro the average day temperature is 30oC. At 3,000m nights tend to be frosty and day time temperatures range from 5 to 15oC. At the summit, Uhuru Point, night time temperatures range between 0 and -15oC.
Starting out at 07:45am for the Baranco Wall, a 300m sheer ascent with a tiny goat track going up it, the group made good time. The team say those with injuries showed tremendous courage in tackling this obstacle.
The weather has improved, though the rain is still making conditions difficult, and after eight hours of tough climbing the group made camp at Karanga Camp at 4000m.
One more day to go before the attempt on the summit!
The three peaks of Kilimanjaro, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, are in fact volcanic cones. The mountain is an inactive stratovolcano, a tall, conical volcano made of hardened lava and volcanic ash. Although the volcano is not currently active scientists say that molten magma is just 400 meters below the summit crater.
After another hearty breakfast of porridge, the climbers set off for the lava towers with 800m to climb.
 With temperatures at zero, sleet and driving rain to contend with this has been a challenging day. These conditions pose a serious risk to amputees and to people recovering from injuries which include serious nerve damage, whose bodies cannot deal with the cold as well as able bodied people.
After making camp at 5pm, the trekkers will have to look after their administration in order to be fit to tackle the day tomorrow. The first taste of real altitude has left everyone with no doubts as how hard the summit will be. Tomorrow they go up Baranco Wall - the most technically difficult part of the trek. It is currently lost in the cloud above the trekkers revealing itself only briefly. Here’s hoping tomorrow will be warmer and drier.
“Quite a challenge today. A cold night and early start this morning with a long climb up to about 4,600m.
Emma Parry has altitude sickness but kept plodding along and we finally made lunch just in time for it to start pouring with heavy freezing rain. By the time we set off again it had become a downpour and there was thick mist.
We came to a gully and the rain became a torrent. To get everyone across the gully we had to form a human chain, with our guide Whitey acting as the main pier in mid stream. After that it was a very long wet hike down the ravine to reach Baranco camp.
Heads were pounding and we were feeling sick but also really chuffed to have made it through a day that one of the porters said was the worst conditions he had ever met on the mountain.
Everyone has been incredible and the guys with injuries just keep the banter going, especially Craig (Craig Lundberg) and John (John Sandford Hart). I just have no words in which I can fully express my admiration for everyone on this trip but it is a privilege to be sharing this with them all. They are quite extraordinary. We are sitting here at the base of the Baranco wall, a sheer cliff with a barely discernable path that would be a challenge to a mountain goat. We can only hope that the rain will have blown over by the time we start climbing it tomorrow. Time for a mug of tea and a handful of popcorn: the remedy for all!”
The first European to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro was German geologist Hans Meyer, who climbed up with Marangu scout Yoanas Kinyala Lauwo, and Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller on 5th October 1889. After reaching the summit, Meyer later wrote that they gave “three ringing cheers, and in virtue of my right as its first discoverer christened this hitherto unknown—the loftiest spot in Africa and the German Empire - Kaiser Wilhelm’s Peak.” The peak kept its name until 1918, when German colonies were handed over to the British empire following the first World War. When the area gained its independence from the British in 1961, the peak was renamed "Uhuru peak", meaning "Freedom Peak" in Swahili.
The team were up at 6am in order to make an early start on the day's walk. After walking for seven hours they reached a high point of 3,900m. After resting for an hour they dropped down to 3,800m to camp at Shira Camp for the night.
"We're sitting in a bell tent, warming ourselves with flasks of tea and eating popcorn. The tents are erected on a black, muddy plateau, overlooked by a crag partly obscured by a cloud. Tomorrow morning we hope to see the summit.
We are currently at 3,800 metres and feeling good! Yesterday we stayed in Proteus Lodge, a comfortable African hotel 15 minutes from Machame Gate with a swimming pool and gardens, where the Mount Kilimanjaro climb begins. We would have loved to have stayed there but we had to get into the truck and go to the gate to start our climb.
We were all nervous with the thought of the climb ahead. The group climbing consists of the Band of Five now reduced to Four. John (John Sandford Hart) who climbs with crutches with only one leg; Frenchie (Jonathon Le Galloudec) was shot through the spine with no feeling below his knees; Tony (Tony Burbidge) who was shot in his left arm and Stu (Stuart Trow) who's in charge and has brought his long service and good conduct medal to be presented to him on the summit. We also have Stu (Stuart Trow) who was the first person to be wounded in the War on Terror in 2001 and Craig (Craig Lundberg) who is completely blind, but the Scouse banter never stops. And then we have the Parry family - Bryn, Emma, Tom, Louisa and Sophie - who are somewhat intimidated to be climbing with these Heroes.
 We set off walking through the rainforest, the group led by Whitey, our guide, with the doctor Kev bringing up the rear. The first day was a long slow walk but everyone's morale was high and we camped at 3,000 metres. Some of the group have begun to feel the effects of altitude sickness and are suffering with thumping headaches and dizziness. But by dawn all were ready to take on the next day.
Today has been a constant climb up a narrow trail through cloud forest, mostly in cloud and rain. We have walked for about 7 hours and everybody working well together. The good humour and determination shown by the guys who are wounded is truly inspirational. Laughter and bad jokes have been the theme of the day.
Tomorrow we will have a testing day as we are told that we will start to feel the effect of altitude and Ken, our Leader, says he expects there to be less banter and more reflection as the grim reality of the climb takes hold."
The maxim used by any climber at altitude is: climb high, sleep low. It is possible to climb more than 1,000 feet (305 metres) in a day as long as you come back down and sleep at a lower height to allow the body to acclimatize. Climbing high too quickly means climbers run the risk of suffering from severe altitude sickness as their bodies struggle to operate with less oxygen. Three out of four people who climb above 3,000m will feel the mild symptoms of altitude sickness such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea and disturbed sleep, but some may become seriously ill. The only cure for altitude sickness is descent or acclimatisation - so that is why our team will "drop down" at night.
Bryn Parry, chief executive and co founder of Help for Heroes, is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro along with a group of wounded soldiers to raise money for Help for Heroes.
Hoisting their day sacks onto their backs, the Help for Heroes team began the long ascent to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. After walking from 1000 to 1630hrs the team reaches Camp Machame at 3,000m.
 John Sandford-Hart had some problems with his crutches early on. The crutches have been welded to stop them from slipping but this has made them too high. Undaunted, the quick-thinking team filed off part of the crutches using a handy Leatherman and John was ready to go.
The effects of altitude: tight chests and shortness of breath, are already being felt and the team were grateful for a hot drink and a good meal at camp. All in all, a good first day!
Day sacks. The day sacks carried by the climbers include: water proofs, warm kit, snacks and at least 3 litres of water. It is very important to stay hydrated when operating at altitude in order to help prevent the onset of altitude sickness. As the team climb higher the weather will turn cold and there is a danger that some climbers will forget to drinkenough water so it is vital that they get into a good habit of staying hydrated now. |
Why drop down?