Tuesday 25 October 2016

Back to Marangu Hotel (Day 8)

The original plan was for the climb team to stay overnight at Horombo Camp, then hike the 6 plus hours down to the bottom of the mountain for pickup back to Marangu Hotel. However, it was decided to speed up the return by calling for a truck pickup at Horombo Camp instead. Spencer, Salim and Safiya arrived late into the evening of Day 7, one day ahead of schedule and had a truly restful night in a comfortable bed in from the cold mountain night.

The following pictures and videos show the next day's celebration of a successful Kilimanjaro Challenge!


The Kilimanjaro guides are a different breed of people. They take on physical and mental challenges of tackling a mountain and Elias (senior guide), Winfred, Mongol and Tall have taken our team to where few have gone before. If not for their tenacity we would not have been able to challenge our own physical and mental limitations to summit Kilimanjaro, The Rooftop of Africa. As they "polepole" (slow step) up the mountain they have shown us how to be “one” with the mountain.













The specially carved Alzheimer Society’s staff has travelled from Vancouver to the bottom of Kilimanjaro, all the way to the top and now back down to Marangu Hotel ready to return home to Vancouver. A wonderful physical round trip and a symbolic one given Lana’s carved name on the staff. She is returning home after a fantastic Kili Challenge with Spencer, Salim, Safiya and I forever changed by Kilimanjaro and the Kili Challenge.




























All of us receiving our Kilimanjaro certificates of accomplishment confirming that we actually did climb Kilimanjaro. The certificate is an outward symbol of an inner expression of achievement that will forever be carried in our hearts into the future forever changing us to challenge any symbolic mountains in our lives that we feel are hard to climb. If we can do Kili we can tackle any mountain in our lives and summit! However high that summit is.























Showing appreciation to our entire support crew, guides, cook, assistant cook and waiter and all the porters



 A picture of myself and the four (Winfred, my guide and Christopher and Israel. I cannot recall the third porters name) crew members who hiked down the mountain with me when I had to descend from Kibo Hut (15,000 plus feet) and we did it with them carrying all my gear. I was too weak to carry my own day pack. It was all I could do to just take one slow step at a time from Kibo Hut to Horombo camp where a rescue truck took Winfred and me down to the bottom of the mountain. 

The truck only had room for Winfred and me as space was needed to bring another rescued climber to the bottom. The three porters took another transport to the bottom. They stayed and made sure I was fine all the way until they had to return a separate way. They were a phenomenal support Team!


 
Another picture of the fantastic guides and us, now Kilimanjaro Alumni.




Here is the famous Kilimanjaro celebration song sung by the entire support crew! A fitting conclusion to our Kili Challenge!



Until the next time! Happy climbing! (What? Are you crazy...climbing Kili again? Never say never!)

Blogging off for now.
Bill Der (The Blind Guy with a Vision and followed it!)


P.S. I hope this has encouraged you to follow your vision too!

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