Skyline Trail

Alzheimer's Kilimanjaro Alumni’s on Skyline Trail

A great benefit of joining the Alzheimer Group for the Kilimanjaro climb is meeting all the many Kili Alumni’s. In the group picture above, eight of the people are Kili Alumni climbers. They were able to give Salim, a new climber, Spencer and myself, a whole lot of valuable tips, tricks and traps when climbing Kilimanjaro. Tips like make sure you climb slow, wear the proper socks for the terrain, bring clothing you can layer, use solar chargeable batteries to ensure you have a good battery source for your electronic devices, and under no circumstances run up to the top. Slow motion is the way to go and many other tips.

Sandy, a veteran of the Ascent for Alzheimer Kilimanjaro event, organized an alumni climb to meet the new wannabe Alzheimer Kili climbers. We met on the Skyline Trail at the foot of Grouse Mountain (see https://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/skyline-trail/).

Hike Date: May 14, 2016

Weather: Excellent with sun, dry and hot, 22 Celsius

Rating: 3 out of 5

Difficulty: Intermediate

I hadn't heard of the Skyline Trail until Sandy organized the alumni hike on this trail. It’s difficulty is rated as intermediate. However, I found it to be easy compared to the Grouse Grind. There were times when the trail would narrow with lots of bushes growing on each side covering much of the trail going up. I’m told by the Kili alumnists that Skyline was much harder and steeper than Kilimanjaro itself and that it’s only on the last day of the ascent climb when it becomes a steep hike. I’ll have to take their word for it for now until us wannabe Kili alumnists can confirm it.

The last part of the Skyline hike brought us to the foot of the Cut, a favorite ski hill of Grouse Mountain skiers. I remember skiing the Cut many years ago as a young university student but it sure feels different now as a hiker going up the Cut instead of down the Cut on skis.

At the bottom of the Cut we were joined by none other than the oldest couple who’d ascended Kilimanjaro, Esther and Martin Kafer. They had joined the Alzheimer’s Ascent For Alzheimer’s charity event 5 years ago when they were 84 years of age. They are now 89 years old and are still climbing mountains. Amazing or what?! We all had a delightful visit with the Kafers as we hiked the rest of the Cut with them to the top of Grouse Mountain finally resting in chairs in front of the main lodge.

All in all it was a good hike day! More about Kili alumni’s later as you follow my summit challenge.

Bill (The Blind Guy who thinks he can see.)