Closing Kilimanjaro Challenge for 2012/2013

I have avoided posting anything on my blog since returning from Tanzania. Our Kilimanjaro adventure ended in tragedy and the loss of a great individual.

I am closing this particular section of my blog. I had intended returning to Kilimanjaro this year to complete the climb but I am now going to leave it until 2014 when I hope to travel with some of the December 2012 Team on a return trip.

Instead of Kili in 2013 I have decided to undertake el Camino de Santiago. This is almost 800Km long and starts at St. Jean Pied-De-Port in France and ends in Santiago in the north western region of Spain. I am opening a separate section in this blog to cover the preparation and journey along a path followed by pilgrims for over one thousand years. I will also attempt to learn some basic Spanish to help me along the way.

Right now I plan to travel alone to achieve the full benefits of my own journey of discovery. I will not be attempting to complete the walk in a hurry. Instead I will take each day as it comes. Spend some extra time in a location if it is of particular interest to me. I hope to record the journey in photographs and to write of my experiences along the path.

Click here for a link to all my other blogs including the Camino

R.I.P. Ian McKeever

R.I.P. Ian McKeever

Much has been written about Ian McKeever in recent years but never so much since his tragic death while climbing Kilimanjaro this month.  It was been some comfort to me to read about his life, his achievements and the great outpouring of love for this lovely human being I was only beginning to befriend. This is my very small contribution based on my personal experience and while insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it is I suspect, a familiar story for many who came to know Ian for the duration of their Kilimanjaro adventure. It is the sum of our experiences and the many other unique aspects of his too short life that made him so special to all of us.

After retiring in January 2012 I set about organising my time and listing priority challenges for the coming years. Reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro was up there at the top of my list. I contacted Kilimanjaro Achievers seeking information and an opportunity to speak with someone who could advise me about the practicality of an unfit 60 year old undertaking the Kilimanjaro challenge. Ian called me back within 24 hours. We had a great chat and he assured me that my age was not a barrier if I followed his fitness and nutrition programme. We chatted like old friends and when I hung up I was confident that I would succeed, such was his simple, quiet way with instilling confidence.  

Ian provided everyone with a very detailed programme addressing equipment, nutrition, fitness and medical advice. He did not stop there. He understood that the programme would have to be tweaked to meet the specific needs of each individual. He spoke with me about what I must do and those exercises I could avoid.  I first met Ian on October 28^th 2012 when the December Team met for the first time and our first ‘workout’ together. From then on we had regular communication and more treks in the Wicklow Mountains. Ian was humble and never spoke about his amazing accomplishments. His focus was on you and how he could help you achieve your own personal objectives. 

Right up to the very end Ian was looking after his team. I never heard him raise his voice. He was always calm, reassuring, great fun and such good company at all times. We were all so confident we would join Ian at the summit.  When I return to Kilimanjaro later this year I will carry all my memories of Ian in my heart. 

The people he worked with in Tanzania had a deep love and respect for Ian and he in turn loved them. He also loved Kilimanjaro and had an almost spiritual bond and respect for this great mountain.  

We all feel a great sense of loss but his family and the very lovely Anna have lost more than we can imagine. I hope they can, in time, take some comfort from the expressions of love that so many people have posted in recent times.

While we all mourn his passing we must also celebrate his life, his achievements and the very positive influence and legacy he leaves behind. Ian, may you rest in peace.

Eight hours before I leave for the Airport

This is my last post before I leave for the airport. It's 6pm on Friday 28th December 2012. I will leave the house at 2:30AM to get to Dublin Airport for 3AM as instructed.

We will be checking in together after some admin issues have been addressed.

I don't think I will get any sleep before I leave because I would normally be up well after midnight. Maybe I will pass out on the Schiphol to Kilimanjaro flight.

I am going to bring my Dictaphone along for the trip. Paula has volunteered to carry out interviews with the team members who, to date, have been a bit shy about providing a short bio for the blog. No better woman to undertake this challenge : )

Eight hours to departure. I spent most of the day packing everything into small bags for easy access on the mountain. Now I have to try and figure out what to bring for the safari. Not really too worried about that because the main objective is to get to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Feeling a bit out of sorts today but I am convinced it's a combination of excitement and anxiety and God knows what else. I will feel better when I take my first steps on Kilimanjaro. After that it's a case of taking it one step at a time.

Good luck to all the team.

Now where did I leave those hiking poles?

There's a lot of illness about

Winter vomiting Bug, Flu, aches and pains

Spider (Bug) found in my man cave.... looks like an alien?

I don't know about your family but within my family and extended family there's a lot of sick little and not so little people. They have all been very good about letting me know so I don't walk into a situation where I could catch something so close to our big adventure.

Christmas day was really busy starting out with visits to some great neighbours who wanted to know about our Kili trip. It was suggested at one house that I bring a 'Parsons Hall' flag to the summit. Sounds like a great idea, as long as it's really light weight. Then off to see a few of our gang and Christmas dinner at Brendan's house.

Back to today and the imminent risk of infection. Today we have 18 for Christmas  (St Stephens) dinner. I know there have been some casualties to various bugs so I am hoping they are all over the incubation period and on the road to recovery. I hope they are not offended if I wear a surgical face mask all day, only joking. I did try and get a full body forensic suit but to no avail. Anyway that would probably have scared the grandchildren. Speaking of which, my son is back from the US after three years working out there. They were acutely aware of the dangers of spiders in New Mexico and referred to them as bugs. The two year old overheard someone say that his Irish cousin had a winter bug. He then passed on this information saying Sophie had a spider.

So be careful out there for the next few days. I am off to see my GP in the morning to get a backup supply of antibiotics.

Less than one week to go................

December 23rd. 2012: less than one week to departure : )


Man Cave: Gear laid out for checking today


It's Sunday December 23rd 2012 and about time I checked all my gear.  I dragged everything up to my man cave and spread it out across the floor. I suspect there are a few items missing so maybe a quick trip to the shops tomorrow, Christmas eve.

As I look at the gear I realise I have not considered what I will need for the safari because up to now my focus has been all about Kilimanjaro.

I love Christmas time but feel that this year it is taking second place and my wife has been great about that. We have a very busy Christmas morning planned . The gym will be closed so I hope to get out for an early jog. We have invites to two of our great neighbours for morning celebrations. Then it's back to the house to get ready to go for Christmas dinner at a son's house. Stephens' Day we have all our gang coming to dinner, 18 in all. Usually a mad day that spills into the next day. I will be on my best behaviour and staying away from the vino. I have some catching up to do in January.

I am now beginning to feel excited about the whole trip, especially the Kilimanjaro challenge. We leave Dublin Airport on the 'red eye' (6am) flight to Schiphol on December 29th. After a very short stop over we board our flight for Kilimanjaro and arrive in Tanzania at 8:40pm. Our trek starts early the next morning.

A Note from Ian McKeever December 2012

A moment in Time…

It’s fair to say that most of the talks that I give to students in particular, those most especially that chose to come with us to experience Kilimanjaro begin with ‘ Great moments are borne out of great opportunities…’ 

Ironically, just a matter of days ago I would get to have mine… just not in the circumstances that I was expecting!

The call came from Denise, my sister.

 She’s 2 ½ years younger - but ten times wiser. ‘Dad’s got cancer he’s in for the operation on the 20^th if not before that -I thought you should know’. The ‘thought you should know’ tells its own story and that’s a story for another day on another day of the Kili climb perhaps… but for now suffice to say I had my sister to be grateful to for letting me know  at all.

There are those amongst you that have received similar news and have had to deal with the implications whatever they may have held – that you have each done so with great dignity and commendable spirit I have no doubts – none at all in fact.  Me? - not so well…

I suddenly realised that I had spent feck all quality time with my dad throughout my entire existence and that there were more years filled by silence than by loving hugs and special memories. It’s not a fault thing – just a simple fact…

Now there’s another line that I’m rather fond of quoting to my students  states that that  having come off Everest blind we should at least acknowledge the simple fact that… ‘we are not judged by the things that go wrong but simply by how we chose to react when they do’

Sometimes, if we are very, very lucky we are indeed fortunate enough we have the common sense to actually practise what we in fact preach to others. In my case a golden opportunity to make amends lay before me. I took it. With open arms in fact!

The first call was tough – dad was trying to get his head around the news – bless him and was having such a hard time talking to anyone least of all me. I told him that we should have a pint before he went in and a bite of lunch and just talk…

He thanked me for calling me but wasn’t sure if that was going to be possible…  I texted and left messages – if you know me I can be quite the persistent type (note for summit ‘he’s not going to let us quit no matter what!!!)   

2 days ago he rang back and for the first time in a very long time we chatted –we took the time to listen to each other and actually failed to commit the cardinal sin of male to ‘other’  listening whereby we await  the very first opportunity to jump  in to give our own opinions!

I promised him I’d be there no matter what, but most importantly he seemed genuinely glad that I would be…

Achieving a sense of ‘peace’ in our lives is in fact very important age regardless… I know that each of you will have your own respective peace offerings to make on the summit of Kilimanjaro. I just want you each to know that I’ll be right there with you every step of the way, offering every support that I possibly can and together we’ll find our own respective paths…. 

Kili NY 2012 marks the first trip of its kind… cherished moments remembered… - just not in the typical way or indeed setting we are used to!

Who knows we might be onto something here folks

Happy xmas everyone and see you all on the other side in T 2

Ian           

Lugnaquilla December 9th 2012

After completing our three (two) summit hike on December 2nd it was announced that we would tackle Lugnaquilla, or the 'Lug' as it is sometimes called, on December 9th.. 'It is the tallest mountain in Leinster and it will be great preparation for your Kili climb', we were told.

 

I googled Lugnaquilla over the next few days, 'know your enemy' they say.  Lugnaquilla and the many towns and villages in close proximity to it are remembered in many historical papers including the role played in our struggle against oppression over the centuries.  However, I do not wish to be drawn into that aspect of the Lug at this time. What did catch my eye was a poem by  Patrick Semple and I would like to share it with you here.

LUGNAQUILLA
The first time my wife and I climbed Lugnaquilla
we made love on the summit.
We had to do something to celebrate,
and we hadn’t brought anything else with us.

Since Lugnaquilla is a public place,
this was technically an act of gross indecency,
but, as there was no one else there
it was entirely private.

If the local Guard had been present,
after he had recovered
he’d have had to arrest us.Can you imagine the journey down the mountain,
especially as the local Guard
is over sixty and extremely unfit?

In court he would stand up and say;
‘Your honour,
on Monday the 24th September 1990
at four thirty in the afternoon
on top of Lugnaquilla I observed.....’

The judge would stop him and say to the defendants:
‘How do you plead?’
We would say: ‘Guilty your honour;’
He would then say: ‘How old are you?’
We would reply: ‘62 and 63 respectively.’
He would then say:
‘I find you guilty on a technicality,
but on account of your age
I recommend a citation from the President’.


Niamh ensuring we we all present and allowing us time to regroup.

We met up at the Glenmalure Lodge for 9am on Sunday morning. The weather appeared to be living up to expectations, it was dry, mild and no sign of rain, yet.

There were eight of us present and no sign of anyone else arriving. We waited a short time as one other person was expected. Five of the Kili team were there, Carma, Fern, Vincent, Thomas and myself. Niamh, our guide, Gerry as backup navigator and Rose made up the rest of our eight strong party.  After some final preparations all eight of us left the car park of the lodge and drove in three cars to the next car park along the Glenmalure Valley.

We started our hike by taking to the road and walked north west for almost two kilometres to the end of the road, the last car park and the start of our off road hike.

Carma and Thomas shortly after we set off

At this point I should mention that, having examined the OS map today, I am uncertain about the exact route we followed. I hope Niamh can help out by sending me the route details. In the meantime I will endeavour to record the details as I remember them.

 

After crossing a footbridge Niamh said we would walk as far a the hostel before the incline would become more steep. She informed us that we would, over the course of the day's hike, burn thousands of calories.  I thought this would be very unfair to the calories. After all they have been part of me for so long. I decided there and then to gradually release the calories into the wild in groups of two hundred at a time rather than burning them out.

 

We came to a 'T' junction on the trail. Going right, Niamh informed us would take us further into the

Glenmalure vally with Lugduff and Corrig on our right and Lugnaquilla to the left. We would take the left turn effectively going west along the trail and into Fraughan Rock Glen. 

Vincent, Fern and Gerry, lovely day, very gradual incline, this is easy!



Once in Fraughan Rock Glen we found ourselves facing our first serious climb. The only route not going up a mountain was the trail we just left behind. Art's Lough would be south of our position while Benleagh was to the north.




Thomas and Jack, ah they have no idea what's ahead : )

We started to climb a very steep incline next to Falls Brook waterfall. A mist started to form obliterating the top of this first challenge. The ground was treacherous, soaking wet with deep mucky bog holes, and littered with fallen trees and rocks. We stopped frequently to regroup as the mist began to thicken and we took the opportunity to catch our breath again.



Vincent leading the climb

Your mind starts to drift as you trek along the less challenging parts of the climb and descent. I was thinking about what was going on under my waterproof jacket and fleece. Surely, I thought, this micro climate of warmth, perspiration, condensation mixed with microscopic particles of bog must be conducive to creating a new life form, a micro organism perhaps. I was determined to take a sample from my clothes when I got home, place it in a petri dish and stick it under a lamp. Who knows what would happen.   

Fern and Gerry, the good weather left behind, heading into the cold and mist.

It is at this point that I have some uncertainty about the route we took but suspect our approach to the summit took us over Cannow. The weather conditions continued to deteriorate as we climber trough 700 and then 800 meters



Vincent taking a very short break

The ground was very slippy now with ice over rocks and small pools of water frozen solid.  The wind had also picked up some more, it was bitter cold. The cold brought rain, hail and sleet and the first signs of snow. As we carried on towards the summit the entire surface was covered in a blanket of snow. This made it difficult because you often stepped into bog covered by snow or slipped over rocks just below the surface. Walking in Niamh's footsteps minimised the risk of keeling over or sinking into a hole.

Fern and Gerry  pushing forward

Niamh informed us about the spectacular views from Lugnaquilla. On a clear day you could even see Wales. Today we could not see more than 30ft to 40ft in any direction.

 

It was freezing cold on the approach to the summit and visibility was very poor. I would not have been surprised to stumble across David Attenborough in a crouched position talking to an Emperor Penguin, it didn't happen. A picture speaks a thousand words but our images cannot convey just how miserable it was as we approached the summit, while taking a short break and our initial descent.



Jack and Carma, freezing on the summit of Lugnaquilla

The wind was now freezing cold and Niamh assured us we were nearly there. If visibility was better we might have seen Percy's Table before actually arriving within a few meters of it. We had reached the summit. We all climbed onto Percy's Table and took a few photographs. It was so cold you could not stay there for more than a couple of minutes.

Carma and Thomas on the summit of Lugnaquilla

We took cover, from the freezing wind, behind the rocks that form Percy's Table.   

 

Carma's Photo captures the conditions at the summit of Lugnaquilla

Carma in one of her own photos on the summit

Conditions on the summit were dreadful, high winds, rain, hail, sleet, snow and freezing temperatures. The Gods were not pleased with us so you could not rule out a plague of locusts to top it all off, but I don't think they like the cold either (the locusts that is).



The team shelter from the freezing wind at the summit and take a very short lunch break

Removing our gloves we dipped into our backpacks to retrieve a packed lunch and hot drink. Having devoured our lunch, which took no more that a few minutes we packed up and prepared for our descent.  

Quickest lunch break ever, we needed to get down the mountain asap

Walking in single file we followed Niamh as she guided us trough the whiteness all around. I believe we took the Clohernagh route and then on to or close to Jim's High Rock. Thankfully we started to come out of the mist and the temperature became noticeably more comfortable.

We passed Little Lough, on to Corrigreine before reaching and crossing a stile. We could clearly see the road now and we were informed that the final zig zag trail was close by. Rising up from the valley below we could see Mullacor right in front of us and further north we could see Lugduff.

 

It was at this point that Carma, Thomas and I started to joke about the extreme cold on top of Kili. No doubt brought on by out summit experience earlier. Carma joked about bringing home a frozen nose or finger in a box. Now if I have to lose a bit up there I can only hope it's one of those bits that are plentiful, e,g, finger or toe. Not any of the solo bits, e.g. nose etc...

 

This made me think about something on my 'Bucket List'. Should I be unlucky enough to 'shed' a bit up there in the freezing cold and bring it home in a box I could have it cremated and send the dust up in a rocket....... Thus achieving part one of a bucket list entry I had never considered bearing witness to.  You see, every cloud can have a silver lining : )



Leaving the mountain behind, weather back on earth much better

The final part of our descent took us through a steep slope covered in heather small streams of water and some slippy patches. I think I must have slipped and fallen over at least three or four times. We then reached the zig zag path through farmland and eventually onto the road again.

 

After a short walk along the road, about one kilometre, we were back at the three cars. We said goodbye to each other as this was the last hike before Kili and probably the last time the Kili team would see Niamh, Gerry and Rose.



We drove back to the Glenmalure Lodge where all the cars were parked. After removing our muck covered outer layers we climbed into our cars and set off for home

Fern leaves the train and emerges onto the road for the final trek back to the cars

September 24 1990 must have been a beautiful day, weather wise. I doubt anyone was celebrating like Patrick Semple on December 9th 2012. For our part we were elated to have reached the summit in such dreadful conditions and happy to leave it behind us.

I would like to congratulate our team for reaching the summit of Lugnaquilla with the weather working against us. I would also like to congratulate Patrick Semple for summiting.

 

The Stats :

We walker 16.75kilometer in 6hours 45minutes. Actual walking time was 5hrs 3mins. We climbed to the summit of Lugnaquills at 931mts (that's 3054ft in old money) 

 

One other stat, I weighed 1.5Lbs less after the walk so,

1.5Lbs = Thousands of Calories

 

This hiking lark has opened up so many possibilities, so far I have (a) misplaced my 'sanity' gene, (b) released thousands of calories into the wild and (c) started developing a new micro organism on a petri dish in my man cave. I wonder if the sanity gene meets up with the calories will they know each other?

Three Summit Hike - December 2nd 2012

The Three Summit Hike - December 2nd 2012


Not the North Pole but the summit of Tonelagee Dec 2nd 2012 - Wind swept, covered with snow and surrounded in mist

Do you believe in the existence of a 'sanity gene'? Well, I'm convinced it exists and is responsible for keeping us on the straight and narrow. It should, when functioning properly, ensure we make 'sane' decisions. Experts out there who deny the existence of the 'sanity gene' have simply failed to discover it.

Well, I know I lost mine on the night of November 24th 2012 on the summit of Djouce Mountain during a night time hike. I had some reservations heading out that evening but after summiting Djouce Mountain my mind and body were not acting in tandem. My body was tired, in fact I was exhausted, but my mind did not intervene as one would expect it to do in the interest of self-preservation. My sanity gene had escaped. I don't know if sanity genes come in different sizes but I suspect mine was probably small to start with because it often allowed me to do some very stupid things, but that's another story.

This week has provided me with final proof to support my contention that (a) there is such a thing as a sanity gene and (b) I lost mine.

The plan for Sunday December 2nd was to undertake three summits (camaderry, Tonelagee and Scarr) starting out from Glendalough at 9am and completing the hike in about eight hours. the weather forecast included rain, sleet and the possibility of snow. I thought this would be great and I was looking forward to the challenge. Where was my sanity gene?

I met with team in the car park at the Glendalough Visitor Centre at about 9am. There were only ten of us setting off at about 9:15am, seven from the December Kili team, Niamh our guide and two of Anna's friends, Rose and Laura.The team members included Paula, Vincent, Lydia, Anna, Jonathan, Thomas and myself. We were to be joined by others along the route.

          

Lydia's three photos of Camaderry

So, we set off along the trail to the summit of Camaderry. It was a perfect morning for a hike, cool and dry. Have a look at some of the images from Camaderry, smiling faces all round 



Shortly after setting off along the trail on Camaderry - lots of smiles

We approached the summit walking from east to west and made good time stopping for very short breaks and once to get our wet gear out as conditions began to deteriorate.



Half way up Camaderry, still smiling with a snowcapped Tonelagee in the background

Upon reaching the summit we met up with Joe, Aiden and Siobhan who planned to complete the rest of the hike with us. Our descent continued towards the west, alongside the perimeter of the Turlough Hill Power station. We continued downhill, in a northerly direction, along the road until we reached the Wicklow Gap car park. At this point Joe, Aiden and Siobhan decided to leave the team. Sanity genes obviously securely in place. We took a lunch break here in the freezing cold. I could only keep my gloves off for a few minutes. Shortly before setting off again Vincent and Paula had to leave. Paula was soaked through and made the right call to head back towards Glendalough, still a two hour walk along the road.
 
We crossed the road, and heading to the north we started our ascent of Tonelagee. Niamh had warned us about the difficulty of the climb. With no pathways it’s a straight up slog through the bog.


Our first steps into the snow on Tonelagee

The weather conditions continued to disimprove with mist clouding out the mountain above and below us. The climb was very difficult and before long we were walking in snow. This is another hazard because you do not know what’s underfoot, rock, bog or hole. It made each step more difficult as you pulled your tired feet out of one hole and into another.

What a great feeling when we finally reached the summit. Niamh promised it would be all downhill now. I think it was at this point that the third summit was ruled out.

The survivors on the summit of Tonelagee - (Anna's photo)

Niamh led us in a north easterly direction down the far side of Tonelagee Mountain. We passed Lough Ouler on our left, barely visible in the dense mist. We eventually came upon a trail and followed this to the final ‘tricky bit’ (Niamh’s words) and river crossing. We arrived at the Glenmacnass car park and took a short break. It was after 4pm and light was beginning to fail. There was no way we could start up Scarr Mountain so we set off along Military Road toward Laragh, at least one and a half hours away. Darkness was upon us before long and luckily there was very little traffic on the road. About one kilometer before Laragh Niamh took pity on us and took a shortcut through the woods bypassing the town. After fifteen minutes we emerged from the woods and found ourselves back on the road and just ten minutes from the Glendalough Visitor Centre and sanctuary. It was almost 6pm.

I should mention that while we stood on the summit of Tonelagee we met many other groups, some as small as three or four members and others with as many as 28. I noticed many of them ploughing through the snow with eyes scanning the ground, left then right, left then right. I know they were looking for a displaced sanity gene, no doubt there are many scattered across the Wicklow Mountains. Perhaps one day I will stumble across one but I have not yet decided if I would actually retrieve it, right now I’m just enjoying the insanity of it all.

Niamh on Tonelagee summit

NOTE: if I ever get stuck up a mountain in very poor weather conditions, surrounded by saturated bog lands, with no sign of any pathways but have the option to beam in a friend, I know who I will call. Niamh is not just a great guide she is really good company (when you can keep up with her). Thanks for getting us through these hikes in such dreadful weather.

This is my recollection of the route we took on Dec 2nd. Niamh will send official route later

Night time hike: Enniskerry to Laragh Nov. 24th.

Night time hike/climb November 24^th - Crone woods, near Enniskerry , to Laragh.

The night time hike I undertook, with the rest of the December team, last Saturday was the most physically demanding challenge I have ever endured. It was exhausting, exhilarating, exciting and worthy of a few expletives. However, as moderator of this site I have to refrain from such language.

The plan was to meet in Lynham’s Bar in Laragh around 4:15pm. Anna had arranged a mini bus to take us to a location close to Enniskerry where the hike would commence. Niamh would lead the group across country, in the dark, all the way back to Laragh. The objective was to familiarise us with walking in the dark using head lamps so we could cope with the summit night in Kilimanjaro.

Paula, anticipating a late finish, had the foresight to organise accommodation in Lynhams for anyone who wanted to stay overnight. Heavy rain was forecast and temperatures expected to drop at altitude. We were to dress appropriately.

So, everything was in place for this endurance test. We were ready for whatever the night time hike might involve, or were we?

Before the cold set in



Before the driving sleet and rain

We set off from Lynhams by mini bus and were dropped off close to Crone woods to start the hike. It was raining and noticeably colder than when we left the bar. We started with a gradual ascent into the woods and remained sheltered from the cold winds as we traversed the north east side of the woods. As we turned south west through the woods the climb became more difficult. We paused to regroup, catch our breath and listened briefly to the sound of the Powerscourt Waterfall close by. We emerged from the woods above Powerscourt to commence our ascent on Djouce Mountain.  

Mist, sleet, rain and the dark of night.

Without any shelter we now felt the full force of the deteriorating weather conditions. Rain and sleet, driven by what seemed like gale force winds, struck us incessantly as we crossed bog lands in very poor visibility. The boardwalk underfoot was barely visibly most of the time for those of us wearing eye glasses.

Niamh lead us across Djouce Mountain and White Hill before stopping for a short break in Ballinastoe Woods. Packing up again we set off through the woods and emerged onto the R759 just above Lough Tay. We stayed on the road until we came to Sleamaine where we went off-road again.  We walked through Sleamaine, Slievebuck, Carrigroe, Lake Park and eventually to Oldbridge, close to Lough Dan.

Many of us were exhausted but determined to complete the hike. A road sign informed us we were seven kilometers from Laragh. Niamh said we would go off road again once we climbed a very steep stretch of road. Once off road we started to climb again where we were once again exposed to the very poor weather conditions. We finally reached the shelter of the woods and once through Paddock Hill we started our descent towards Laragh. We left the woods behind and took to the R115 just above Laragh. After a short walk along the road we reached our destination. It was about 1:20am and 7 hours 40 minutes since we started to walk.

A short break before the final stage of our hike

Difficulty restarting after sitting down

Many of the customers in Lynham’s bar were amused to see us arriving back at such a late hour. One couple asked me if we were lost in the mountains.

Some team members left almost immediately while others stayed for some light refreshments. Some of us who were staying in Lynhams took a quick shower and returned for drinks. Me, I only lasted to about 4:30am, others kept going until 5:30.

Thanks to Niamh for getting us through this endurance test.  The route described above is based on GPS information supplied by Lydia and Paula. If I have interpreted this incorrectly please send me details of the changes. The stats from the GPS devices indicate we travelled 25 to 27 Kilometers over a period of 7 hours 40 minutes. The elevation chart shows us reaching 2,100ft at one point from a starting position of 600ft.   

A big thanks to Lydia for the photos. 

Retrace your footsteps on this map.

 

Cardio session in Dalkey November 17th 2012

Unfortunately (maybe fortunately) I could not attend the session last weekend. Paula Thomas kindly agreed to submit some photos and an account of the endurance session. If anyone else wishes to add comments please feel free to do so.

Paula is behind the camera for this one. see below.

Following our successful hike together, last week's Kili preparation plan was focused on cardio work clearly a very unappealing prospect to most of the group as the attendance would show! I decided to start the day with an early contraband coffee in Fitzpatricks hotel, ensuring my prompt arrival for 10.30 to meet Ian & Anna. For a short few minutes, I thought I was going to be the only one training, but thankfully about 10.35, we were joined by Carma, Lydia & Fern.

Our warm-up consisted of a gentle jog downhill to Dalkey, and then a slow run back uphill to the car park ensuring we were all warmed up nicely for the session ahead. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny morning, so I was delighted to be able to leave my jacket in the car as we passed through the car park. Alas, I left my phone in it's pocket, so photographic evidence of the session was limited to the 2 shots taken when we got back to base!

Ian set a challenging pace for the morning, which included running up & down hills, press-ups (!), planks & a total of 117 steps which we ran up & down three times - so a total of 702 climbed! Not for the faint-hearted. My upper body has not been the same since, so clearly I have lots more work to do.

Overall, we had a great session interspersed regularly with visits from the various dogs out to play in the sunshine, and finished up about 12.30 delighted with ourselves.

 

 

 

Lucky with the weather for our first hike Nov 11th

 

Wicklow Mountains November 11th 2012

  

Glendalough - November 11th 2012

 We met, as planned, at the upper car park in Glendalough at about 9:30. It was a relatively mild day for mid November and forecast was for a dry day. So, a good start. Many of the team are experienced walkers and most did not seem to be too worried about a six to seven hour hike across part of the Wicklow mountains. The plan was to head out towards the Miner's Village and take in Mullacor, Derrybawn and other routes, time permitting.

 

I have always loved the Wicklow mountains but never ventured out across them on foot. The first couple of 'hills' were OK but the incline on the third hill along with marching through the bog land began to take it's toll on my unfit legs. However, after a break for lunch I felt revived and ready for the second half of the walk.

I loved the whole day. It was a great opportunity to chat with other team members. To share a common goal while getting to know a little bit about each other.

By the time I got home the adrenalin was wearing off and I became aware of some muscle pain in my legs. I did nothing for the remainder of the evening

Thanks to Ian and Niamh for organising and leading the team through this exercise. If anyone would like to add their comments about this day please feel free to add them below.

 

Enjoying a break, at last.

Click on the link below to see other images from our day on the Wicklow Mountains

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakodo/sets/72157631991622236/show/ 

Our First Climb planned for November 11th

Our First Planned Climb - November 11th.

We received notification this morning about our first real challenge (I thought Camaderry was a challenge but apparently not)

We set out from Glendalough ( Upper Car Park) led by Niamh Keogh with Ian bringing up the rear and observing our performances. We will be taking in Mullacor / Derrybawn among other interesting places. Ian has described the hike in terms of difficulty as moderate to difficult. I suppose I will find out on Sunday what that means for me?

Upon receipt of the above notice I set off for the Gym to intensify my training schedule. Still a long way to go but already seeing improvements.

Safari on the Serengeti

Today I added some information about our planned safari on the Segengeti. Some of us are extending our stay in Africa, after the Kilimanjaro trek, to go on safari on the Serengeti. Have a look at the itinerary by following the link below or using the 'page' link on the left side of the blog.
http://www.jblkilimanjaro.blogspot.ie/p/after-kilimanjaro-challenge-some-of.html

Fundraising

I have spent some time this week setting up a fundraising site. I have chosen the Children's Medical & Research Foundation at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children.

They have come back with some ideas which I will take on board. I want to start small and see how the fund raising develops. I have set up a separate blog, http://jblcharityprojects.blogspot.ie/, where you can keep up to date with this development

Back to the Gym

I went back to the Gym this week after a long break while we were travelling in the US. I did maintain some level of fitness while away by carrying my backpack, weighing 25 pounds, just about everywhere. The backpack contained my camera and lenses as well as the iPad and notebook. We also walked a fair bit and spent a lot of time at altitudes in excess of 6000 ft.

So, off to the gym again today. I have lost 20 Lbs in the last 18 months and I still have some way to go to achieve my target weight. I will stick with the slow approach as I have managed to keep the weight off as I go along.

My first blog associated with Kilimanjaro challenge



This photo was actually taken on Feb 2nd 2013 after our group returned from Kilimanjaro

This is my first blog about the next challenge I propose to undertake. I’ve signed up with the Kilimanjaro Achievers, led by Ian McKeever, to prepare for our ascent commencing December 29^th. 2012.  Have a look at their site www.kilimanjaroachievers.com

Over the coming months I hope to include some information about the rest of the December Team i.e. subject to getting their consent.

So, what about today (October 28^th 2012). We met at the Upper Car Park in Glendalough for the first meeting of the December Team. The weather was miserable but if that’s a problem well then I suppose we should not be attempting this challenge. The group is made up of both males and females and the age range is significant. There are some who are very fit, mostly the younger members while others, like myself, have a lot of work to do.

After some stretching we took off at a slow jog (thank God) around the lake. I kept up for most of the circuit, trailing off towards the end. We then continued up the steps to the Poulanass Waterfall returning immediately to the base. After pairing off we had to run up five steps, back down, up 10 steps, back down, up 15 steps and back down, then up to the first bend and back down. We were given 30 seconds to recover before repeating the exercise. Then just 15 second t recover before the final set.

At this stage I thought we were finished, but no. We were taken over to Camaderry Mountain. This is a steep climb. The very wet condition did not help. We climber to the summit and then back down the same route. The reason this particular slope was chosen is that the incline is very similar to the final ascent on Kilimanjaro. However the final section on Kilimanjaro is many time higher than Camaderry. For that reason we will return here in December and make eight consecutive climbs, hopefully in four to six hours to determine our readiness for Kilimanjaro. I have a lot of gym work to do if I'm to have any chance of success on this exercise session. 

At the end of this first day I am pleased to have completed all the exercises albeit somewhat slower than the younger team members.

Finally we all went to Lynhams in Laragh for a short discussion with Ian. He covered bloods, gear, training and others matters.

Feeling some aches in the old knees and hips tonight. Must get back to the gym tomorrow and get in better shape for our next outing on November 11^th.