Top tips for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Team UNICEF

Having just completed Trek Kilimanjaro for the World’s Children I wanted to share my top tips to make climbing to The Roof of Africa a bit more comfortable...

• Pack Light

Packing for the trek seemed just as challenging as all the training. Sticking to the strict 15kg weight limit was hard work but when on the mountain I still found I’d brought a bit too much. Don’t worry about extra clothes or a ‘clean’ fleece – everything you wear will stink so just pack one of everything and you’ll be fine.

Also remember that you need to re-pack every night so don’t squeeze everything into your tiny bag as this will be so much harder to do in the small tents at 6:30am every morning..!

• Let there be light

Light is so important as it gets dark early and trying to pack up your tent with just one head torch can be challenging. I always take small disk lights camping with me and swear by them. They are light and small but those extra rays of light will make all the difference in your little tent

• Hydrate

It is drummed into you every day of the trek but make sure you drink lots. Everyone’s different in the amount they need to drink, at my tiny 5ft 1 though I still put away at least 4 litres a day. There’s nothing worse than suffering from headaches, tiredness, etc just because you didn’t drink enough.

Drinking from the camelback

A couple of tips I’ve always used in making sure I keep hydrated is to add rehydration salts to my water carrier – it makes the water purification tablets taste a bit better and keeps you on top of hydration.

I always recommend a platypus or camelbak  Having the tube easily accessible makes it so much easier to constantly keep drinking rather than having to stop to take your water bottle out of your bag. It also helps when you’re backs aching from carrying all the water to make yourself drink in order to make your load lighter...!

I bought an insulated tube  for summit day but the tube still froze. I managed to get a litre of water down though as I carried a smaller platypus inside my jacket to prevent it from freezing.

Keeping warm in the tent

• Keep warm

A hot water bottle was one of the best presents I received before the trek and it made the world of difference in the night.

• Tidy up

A top tip passed on before the trek was to bring nappy sacks as mini rubbish bags in the tent. Ideal for collecting all the wet wipes, plasters & rubbish in the tents each day.

Trekking in the sunshine

• Pack for the hot as well as cold

I brought lots of thermals, fleeces a big down jacket, gloves & scarves which were all really useful later on the trek but the first few days were beautifully warm. This was wonderful apart from only having one stay-dry T Shirt. I’d recommend a long sleeved, light weight stay-dry T Shirt for the first few days, this will keep you cool and also protect you from the strong African sunshine. (don’t forget your sun cream!)

• Enjoy it.

Apart from a few hours trudging up the mountain in the dark on summit day I enjoyed every second of the trek. Go at your own pace; slowly, slowly. Take in the beauty of the country and enjoy the once in a life time experience.

How many people does it take to climb Kilimanjaro?

Welcoming the trekkers back to camp each day with song and dance

One of the roles as charity rep on the UNICEF UK treks is to collect the tips for the porters. When the details of the trek were being finalised last year I questioned Across the Divide (the agency who organise our treks) when they stated that there was a $240 compulsory tip in addition to the general ground costs. I thought a tip was optional and I guessed some of the participants would argue the same. I was assured that while the Tanzanian team were paid a fair wage they also rely on their tip money as a source of income and that they would earn every penny of it.

Tents were put up in all weather for our return to camp

As I collected the tips no one gave them begrudgingly and some kindly donated extra. The team looking after us have been unbelievable. From waking us up with a cup of tea in our tents every morning, setting up camp, preparing hot water, carting tables & chairs up the mountain for us to enjoy a civilised breakfast lunch and dinner every day, the list goes on and on...

So how many people does it take to get a group of 26 trekkers and 5 team up the mountain...? 107! We had 86 porters and 2 chief porters who carry all of our kit as well as the ‘essentials’ for the camp. It makes me feel guiltily to think of the heavy jars of jam, tomato sauce, hot chocolate, peanut butter, etc we were tucking into on the mountain.

Lunch time!

The 5 man tent crew not only carried the tents but also ensured they are all put up ready and waiting for us as we staggered into camp each day.

As well as our fantastic cooks, there were also the cooks who cooked for the porters, the med-bag carrier, guides, assistant guides and the list goes on...

Splitting the tips was a challenge as we had to ensure that everyone received a fair amount and that we didn't insult anyone by getting the hierarchy confused.

After much too-ing and fro-ing we got the tip just right, or so we had thought; unfortunately there had been a little confusion with the amount of porters when it came to handing out the tips, but the wonderful participants quickly put their hands in their pockets to make up the deficit and continue to show their gratitude to this awesome team.

Handing out the tips

Everyone is so grateful for the powerful team who were all responsible for making our dreams of standing on The Rood of Africa a reality. We really couldn't have done it without them!

A day on Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro!

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life – but apart from a few dark hours on summit day it is one of the very best experiences I’ve had. Taking the Rongai Route Team UNICEF took eight days to complete our adventure. My favourite day of the trip was as we headed to Mawenzi Tarn on day four.

Clear view of the mountain

We awoke to a clear view of ‘the hill’ as our Expedition Leader lovingly refers to the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

 A few of the group begin to feel the effects of the altitude at 3,600 meters with headaches and nose-bleeds. Luckily nothing serious though as we set out with the African sun beating down on us as we begin our steady assent. ‘Pole Pole’ means ‘slowly slowly’ in Swahili and is repeated many times today as the air thins we have to pace ourselves carefully.

Trekking to Mount Kilimanjaro

It’s such a beautiful walk today and a reasonable challenge similar perhaps to climbing Snowdon but with the altitude effecting our energy levels. The views are breathtaking as we walk above the clouds they look like cotton wool cushioned beneath us.

A slightly steeper assent and the air becomes cooler, adding a few extra layers of clothing for warmth we begin to descend to our campsite. The bright yellow tents are a welcome site, as is the knowledge that we’ll be staying two whole nights so there’s no need to pack/re-pack our kit bags.

Trekking above the clouds

We have a free afternoon, some of the team take a nap, read, or write their journals. I tool a gentle stroll to admire the views in the clouds. I couldn’t resist leaving a memory of UNICEF on the mountain so created a UNICEF sign out of rocks.

Leaving a UNICEF memory 

Some of the more energetic in the group set up a game of cricket, with strictly no running to preserve their energy for the rest of the climb! This quickly gathered spectators as people emerged from their tents looking rested.

High altitude game of cricket

Before we knew, it was time for dinner and another delicious concoction was created. It’s amazing the food that can be produced from ingredients the porters have carried on their backs and cooked with limited facilities.

The team have gelled so well and every meal time we share stories, dreams and ambitions. It’s such a wonderfully diverse and interesting group and I feel very proud to be part of it. Each of us doing our small bit to support UNICEF and the children like those we were lucky enough to meet at the beginning of our adventure. Thank you to everyone who has supported us.

Climbing Snowdon

Kilimanjaro Brochure

It’s just 10 weeks until I set out for UNICEF’s Trek Kilimanjaro for the World’s Children As part of my training I wanted to climb Snowdon. Luckily a couple of mates were up for the challenge, including my travel buddy, Lizz. Lizz summated Kili last year so has lots of tips and advice to offer. In fact she and her sister, Kat, feature on the front cover of our brochure 

Friends, old and new, set off to Wales early Saturday morning. British summer wasn't playing ball and as we crossed the border into Wales the heavens opened! After a five hour drive we aimed for the car park of the Pyg Track. Even in the pouring rain it was full so we drove further down the mountain, meaning we began our hike by walking two miles up to the beginning of the track.

Ready to go

To be honest the first twenty minutes or so were really hard work and made me realise I need to up my training for Kili. But after I’d got into the swing of it I began to really enjoy it.

The rain subsided for a while and the atmosphere on the mountain was jovial. Snowden is the most popular mountain to climb in the UK and taking the well trodden route up we met lots of fellow trekkers. Some were in training, some raising funds for charity, some taking the dog for a walk and others achieving a lifelong ambition.

Half way 

Unfortunately the rain didn't give us much respite and as we were approaching the summit it poured heavier and heavier. As well as physical training for my challenge this was also a good opportunity to test out my kit. My ‘waterproof’ jacket is not waterproof enough to handle the Welsh rain so I'm not going to risk it on Kili.

The wind picked up and the clouds were swirling around us. I actually thought I would be blown over! We could barely make out the trigpoint in the mist but as we carefully made our way to it we were really proud to have made it to the top!

We made it!

Grateful for the cafe at the top we dug into pastries and warmed up with hot chocolate. Unfortunately there was no view to admire though.

View from the top

The first half of the walk down was mostly in the rain so we had to pick our way carefully as everything was becoming even more slippery. As we overlooked one of the lakes below the late afternoon sun began to peak through the clouds for a while.

Sheep!

With just another half an hour to go I almost landed flat on my face. I tripped but luckily Lizz was there to break my fall. All that was going through my mind when I fell was “oh no, I’m going to knock Lizz off the mountain.” Apparently at that same second she was thinking, “oh no, Alyrene’s going to break her nose.” Luckily neither happened and after a lot of giggling we continued to the base.

2.5 hours up, 2 hours down and 1,085 meters climbed! What a great achievement but there’s still a long way to go to reach the 5,895 meters summit of Kilimanjaro.

If anyone would like to join me and the rest of the UNICEF Trekkers on my next adventure we’d love to welcome you to the team. For more info email trek@unicef.org.uk or sign up today!

Life on Inle Lake

Floating gardens, fishermen, jumping cats, stilt villages, handmade silver; Inle Lake has it all.

Perched on our wooden canoe with umbrellas for shade we spent the day meandering though villages and communities living on the lake.

The floating gardens cultivated by the Intha tribe utilise the lake’s richness. We careful sailed past row upon row of tomatoes. The ripened produce is sailed to shore on small dugout canoes appearing to almost sink with the weight.

Villages on stilts rose above us – although in the rainy season they would be much closer to the water.

Fishermen use the unique leg rowing technique; wrapping their foot around the paddle leaving both hands free for fishing.

Daily life on the lake looks simple; washing in the water, buying essentials from the stilted shops, farming and fishing. 

Tourism is also a source of income. Workshops with demonstrations of weaving, silver making, cigar rolling, etc make for an interesting stop. Although the tours include a few too many, especially with the inflated prices in the shops at the end of each workshop. I still couldn’t resist buying a few trinkets for gifts though.

One of the much talked about tourist attractions is Nga Phe Kyaung – otherwise known as the ‘Jumping Cat Monastery.’ Monks have trained their cats to jump through hoops and invite tourists to watch the show. As we sailed closer to the monastery we noticed the Buddhist chanting getting louder and louder. It wasn’t until we entered the monastery we realised we were actually attending a monks funeral! There were no jumping cats but the image of the embalmed monk in his coffin is one I’ll not forget.

Before sailing back to Nyaungshwe for sunset we cooled down with a quick dip in the lake. A refreshing end to my favourite day in Myanmar.  

Traditional Burmese Massage

Clearly signposted from the main street of Nyaungshwe (on the outskirts of Inle Lake) lays Win Nyunt’s Traditional Massage hut.

Greeted with a warm smile from Win Nyunt I was led into the airy wooden room, lined with high mattresses.

Burmese massage is similar to Thai – although not quite so harsh. Win Nyunt lay a thick blanket on my back and legs and proceeded to walk on me, using the wooden beams for support. I could feel the aches and kinks disappear.

A proud father of three Win Nyunt told me about his eldest boy (12) training to be a monk as his youngest, a beautiful 5 year old girl, pered through the curtains. He’s training his son and middle daughter in massage as his mama and grandmamma trained him. It will be his youngest turn when she turns 7 and they can all start working when they are 15/16.

When his son came home with a friend he introduced me (while continuing to massage out the travellers aches and pains.) The boys set up their make-shift DVD player and watched cartoons on the tiny screen. 

As the massage drew to a close his wife came in and asked me if she could give me some medicine. Why not? So she lathered on a mixture of menthol, almond and coconut oil before offering me a cup of tea as I played with the children.

A delightful family business I’d definitely recommend. 

Lunch with 1,500 monks

Adorned in their deep red robes monks appeared, lining the path, tightly holding their alms bowls. 89% of the Myanmar population are Buddhist and every Buddhist male is expected to become a monk and take up temporary residence in a monastery at least twice in his life time. The Maha Ganayon Kyaung monastery in Mandalay is home to 1,500 of these monks. At 11am every day they line the paths of the monastery and wait patiently for their lunch, which has to be served and eaten before noon. 

Even though there is a big sign welcoming tourists to watch this incredible spectacle and inviting us to take photographs I felt a little uncomfortable looking on as the line of hungry men and boys grew. The group of tourists on the other side of the road to us accentuated this discomfort. Laden with big bags of sweets they handed out their offerings as the monks walked passed towards the vats of simple food awaiting them. Unfortunately these tourists must have missed the sign asking people not to cross the monks paths as they zigzagged between them, rushing back to replenish their supply of sweets. Watching from afar, despairing at this act of generosity we wondered if even such big bags of sweets would be equally shared amongst the entire monastery. Unfortunately our wonderings were proved correct and we felt very sorry for the monks not only at the end of the queue to recive their lunch, but also missing out on the sweets.

I guess we can’t be too disparaging about the other tourists though as we ourselves took photos and made the visit to the monastery in the first place. 

Wanting to chat, practice their English and tell us about their faith some of the monks approached us. They appreciated our interest in their monastery and were very welcoming to all of the tourists, which definitely put us at ease. This is one of the many things I grew to love in Myanmar; the genuine interest and openness of everyone we met.

The monks ate and took a break before spending the whole afternoon studying. As they rested we wondered around the monastery, it was so peaceful and even living such a frugal lifestyle we could understand why people stay so long or rejoin later in life.

Transport in Bagan: Bikes, Taxis, Boats & Horses

A short plane journey from Yangon lays Bagan. Described as Burmese First Empire there are over 3,300 temples and pagodas here.

Our first choice of transport for sightseeing was push bikes.  Easily hired from most guest houses we lowered the seats (even in Asia our group of mostly 5ft 1 seemed short..!) and set off with our baskets full of water, sun cream and cameras.

With little traffic around we bezzed down the hills but in the midst of the ‘Dry Zone’ at over 35 degrees the uphill was a struggle... Veering off onto the dirt tracks on our ‘Temple Safari’ it felt as though we could be in Africa with acacia trees growing out of the dusty roads with dry heat seeping from them.

Cycling along the sand caused much amusement – not only to the locals watching the white girls becoming pinker and redder the hotter we got. Also for us as the back wheels skidded away. Somehow we all managed to stay upright, even after Lizz’s bike got a puncture.

For the full day of sightseeing we opted for an air-conditioned taxi. The six seated Toyota made for a more comfortable journey. Tourists have only recently been welcomed into the country after the tourism boycott was officially dropped by the NLD (National League for Democracy) in 2010. Unlike other wonders such as Angkor Wat there isn’t as much hassle from vendors or beggars at the main attractions here. The smaller temples usually have a gate keeper to unlock them. We didn’t quite work out if tipping was appropriate/accepted. Some gate keepers would accept, others ask, others refuse but the ones we felt most comfortable with were the ones who asked us to put our 1-500 Kyat (10-50p) in the donations boxes for restoration work.

This is why we were so shocked at one temple when a young boy dressed in a monks robe directly asked us for money as a “present” for him. On reflection we aren't sure if he was a monk as he also helped us down the narrow staircase by holding our hands (against our wishes.) Buddhist Monks are allowed no contact with women, not even to brush passed them in the street, so perhaps he wasn't a monk after all...

The journey to this and the nearby temples was idyllic though. We hired a boat from Nyaung U Jetty for a three hour cruise along the Ayeyarwady River. The breeze on the shaded boat was a welcome retreat from the scorching sun.

Another popular method of transport amongst travellers is the horse and cart. We made the wise decision to leave this until the heat had relented in the evening. It was so much fun clip-clopping through the streets at night with the flashing lights of the cart gleaming in the night sky. I’m glad it was only a half hour journey though as squeezing into the cart was a little uncomfortable.

The only form of transport we were unable to use was the renowned hot air balloon. Unfortunately the rides are only available between October to March but I’m sure it would have been a stunning way to appreciate the vastness of the ancient city. Ah well, next time...

Field trip diary: India by motorbike

Royal Enfields sweeping through the Indian roads. © Iain Crockart

I love my job. It allows me to take supporters on awesome adventures while raising vital funds for the world's children.

Me in India © Iain Crockart

In 2009, I was lucky enough to visit southern India on the back of a Royal Enfield bullet. What an incredible feeling, sweeping up mountain roads, through tea plantations and tiger reserves, eyes peeled to catch a glimpse of India’s wildlife.

Royal Enfields © Iain Crockart

The whole trip was memorable, but one particular day stuck with me. 

We set out at sunrise for a long day's ride. As we swept down the mountain the mist cleared and I could feel the sun beating down and smell jasmine in the air as we drove.

Southern India © Iain Crockart

We stopped for some chai (a refreshing, sweet tea) and met UNICEF health assistant, Ms Indrani. She was distributing polio drops to children in the area.

Ms Indrani shows us her map 

Back in 2009, India was one of four counties that hadn’t eradicated polio and its devastating effects. UNICEF works with India's government on a large-scale immunisation programme to wipe out polio and other childhood diseases.

Talking to Ms Indrani was utterly inspiring, and to see UNICEF’s work in action was just incredible.


Now, in 2012, we've had the news that India has reached a major milestone in the history of polio eradication – 12 months without a single new case! 

Traffic in India

Our ride continued through mountains and busy towns, where we carefully negotiated traffic. I can still taste the lunch we enjoyed from a basic but delicious local restaurant. We watched women below washing their beautiful saris in a vast river before laying them on the rocks to dry, and boys playing games in the water, laughing and splashing, as we tucked into a delicious south Indian curry.

Discovering India © Iain Crockart

An African Motorcycle Diary

October is one of my favourite times of year. As the sun begins to disappear in the UK and the leaves start turning orange I pack my bags and head to South Africa. This year, however I boarded the flight to Jo’burg leaving behind an unusually hot sunny day in London and after a long journey arrived in a small town called Alicedale in South Africa. 

Enduro Africa is an amazing off-road motorbike rally run by adventure company Global Enduro. Thirty-four bikers have just completed eight days of tough riding along the Wild Coast. They have tackled river crossings, the mighty gorge and too many obstacles to mention.

As always they were a fantastic group of people. From a range of backgrounds and interests they all came together to raise funds for UNICEF, Sentebale, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Touch Africa by completing this adventure of a lifetime.

This is the fourth year UNICEF has benefited from Enduro Africa. To date they've donated a fantastic £280,000 for our work with HIV and AIDS in South Africa. With 17 per cent of the adult population living with HIV this support is absolutely vital.

Some of the riders knew what to expect, having taken part in Enduro or other Global Enduro events in the past. Others have had a steep learning curve. They were introduced to their Honda CRF 230s and after a short warm up in the quarry they were put into their groups according to their riding ability.

The orange, green and blue  team shirts quickly lost their pristine look after a week of mud, dust, sweat and tears.

Every day brought new experiences, none of the ‘paths’ taken is suitable for 4-wheel drive vehicles so riders got to see and experience parts of the Eastern Cape that no other tourists, or very few people for that matter, ever see. 

They crossed through ancient mountain passes only accessible by bike and cattle herders. They picked their lines carefully, watching for obstacles like rocks, washaways, free roaming animals, sudden drop offs, not to mention the other bikes. 

The multitude of river crossings gave them the opportunity to cool down as they attempted to ride through in waste-deep water, navigating the rocks beneath. Some managed to get through but many bikes drowned, were quickly pulled out again, drained and moved onto the next obstacle...

One of the many  things I have come to love about these trips is the camaraderie of the teams and the spirit in which everyone looks after each other (as well as a odd practical joke!) The team leaders and sweeps work tirelessly to ensure that everyone gets through the day safely. The medics and mechanics are always close by, should they be needed to fix a bike - or a biker. 

Everyone has returned home a little battered and bruised but with new friends, all thoroughly proud of what they have achieved, how much they have learnt and the legacy they have left for the children in South Africa and Lesotho.

The adventure begins all over again as the second group arrive in Durban today and set off south down the coast. Lots of luck to them; if they have just half as much fun as the first group they too will have the adventure of a lifetime with memories to last forever.

If you would like to get involved with Enduro Africa next year visit www.enduroafrica.com