Mt. Kilimanjaro - to the Roof of Africa

Kili 09 Day Ten: Video Highlights

Here's the final short video to accompany the Day 10 blog entry:

Kili 09: Summit Night Video

Here is a short video to accompany the summit night blog entry (warning - contains strong language!):

Kili 09 Day Seven: Video Highlights

Here's a short video to accompany the last blog entry:

Kili 09 Day Six: Video Highlights

You know the drill by now. Here's the video to accompany yesterday's blog entry:

Kili 09 Day Five: Video Highlights

Here's another short video to accompany the lastest blog entry:

Kili 09 Day Four: Video Highlights

Here's a short video to accompany my last blog entry. Larger, high-def versions are available on my YouTube channel.

Kili 09 Day Three: Video Highlights

Here's a little video to accompany yesterday's blog entry. Larger, high-def versions are available on my YouTube Channel. Tales from Day 4 will be published tomorrow...

Kili 09 Trailer

K-Minus 1 Day

Well, this is it.

The last five months have flown by.  It feels like only yesterday that I tried walking to work in the snow that time, almost killing myself in the process. Since then I've climbed Snowdon, the peaks in the Lake District, Roseberry Topping several times, and I've made the 14 mile round trip to Thorpe Thewles via the Castle Eden Walkway more times than I care to remember. I must have walked over 100 miles in the gym on the highest hill setting, and I've swam countless lengths of the pool.

But is it enough? Have I got what it takes? I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Later today, Palma and I will be on our way to Nairobi. On Thursday we have a 6-8 hour drive across the border into Tanzania to look forward to. On Friday morning we will begin our walk in the rain forest and very early Thursday morning, June 18th, we will make our attempt on the summit (download the full itinerary if you want to follow our pain).

If AMS doesn't clobber us you can be sure that we'll do our very best to reach the top. But even if we don't make it (Neil Armstrong had to turn back, apparently!) we'll have a bloody good time trying.

Phone coverage is supposedly available on the summit and if I manage to get any messages back home they'll be posted on my Twitter feed.

It just leaves me to thank you for the support you have given to us. The kindness and generosity of friends, family, work colleagues and complete strangers alike has raised over £3800 (over £4,500 with gift aid!) for UNICEF. That's brilliant.

Just before I go, here's a final video blog that shows in detail what I have to take with me on this trip. It's just a shame I didn't film the ensuing fight with the kit bag where I desperately attempt to make it dimensionally transcendental...

I'll see you on the other side...

Neil

Video Blog #2

I spent a fantastic Saturday on Red Pike mountain near Buttermere Lake with Palma and her friends Amanda, Dawn, Jackie and her husband Emlyn, who also acted as our guide. Brilliantly, he decided to inject some jeopardy into the day by taking us off the beaten track and into a fairly challenging descent that really tested my equipment, not to mention my knees.

I had a great time - the weather was incredible and the scenery was stunning (pictures available here) - and it also gave me a chance to play with my camera settings, because who reads the manual?. Unfortunately, most of the footage that I shot in the morning ended up being completely unusable, but, as luck would have it, as soon as we got "lost" I stumbled upon the optimal settings and what follows is a little taste of our day:

The unorthodox descent resulted in some invaluable training and it was great fun clambering over the rocks, heather and scree. It's given me a big confidence boost too - especially when I woke up on Sunday and discovered that the 8 hour trek didn't destroy my ability to walk straight. You know, I think I might actually be ready to do this now...

Neil