Ok guys, sorry I had to cheat to get your attention, but my guide on the mountain was really called Saeed – true.
Just came back from Kilimanjaro summit on 19 000 ft. Lost 10 pds by not eating for final 3 days. Cold, miserable, small tent, nausea, head-aches (altitude), no pleasurable experience.
First 4 days of slow climbing to acclimatise, then a final ascent and descent of 16 hours walking and 20 hours awake. Plus one more long day to the foot of the mountain.
Sorry, I do not mind suffering hard during day time, but tonight I want my hot shower and dry bed, not try to sleep on volcanic rock at minus temperatures.
Considering that a porter carries your bulk food and tent nowadays, imagine how tough the men of the old days must have been! And those porters put me to shame!
Anyway, I bought enough T-shirts so I don't have to go back there.
Lochi.

Looks like you had a ball.
I prever hunting thanx!!

Your a better man than I, Gunga Din!

Congrats Lochi.

Well done Lochi.

People still actually die on the walk up from lack of oxygen too.

You're a better man than I, Lochi! I am glad you took a picture so I don't have to go.

Congratulations!

God, I'm tired just thinking about your climb - Congrads!

How was the view?
Congrats on a tough climb.

See any Buffalo up there?



Man I'd have trouble getting up there in an airplane! GOOD SHOW LAD!

Excellent job!!!!

Congratulations and Good Show!!!

That's a trip you'll remember for a very long time.

Yes, we saw buff tracks and fresh dung on day 2.

This is coincidence, but past Sunday (while I was still away) there was a Carte Blanche programme on the local TV where tour groups were taken to task by the interviewer for alleged negligence on this very mountain. I down-loaded the following from the Internet (of that discussion):

Prof. Tim Noakes (Sports Science Institute of SA): There's something like two deaths a month on Kilimanjaro. And that's a figure people have to remember; there is a substantial risk that you will die when you go up Kilimanjaro. Prof. Noakes believes that the ascent up Kilimanjaro is way too fast for proper acclimatisation.

Now they tell me!!!
I climbed with my daughter and son-in-law, which added to the stress factor. I was worried about the kids all along, especially when my daughter "ran out of gas" with 300 yards to the top. She was clearly hypoglycaemic, which is a known phenomenon to me from my enduro-sport days, so I got her going with little energy drink plus little water, repeat, repeat.
Our water bottles froze solid on the way up, yet on top and all the way down it was quite warm. Amazing how quickly it warms up once the sun is up!
Lochi.

Congratulations on an incredible feat!!!!! Very impressive to say the least!

Regards, D. Nelson

Congratulations - it sounds like a wonderful thing to have done!

TerryR

Well done. Why didn't you pull all of those ugly stickers off the signs while you were there?! Kind of hard to read with all of that garbage on there. Also looks like some people have done some whittlin' from the signs for souvenirs. That's a shame.

Lochi,

Well done my good man.

Lochi,

Quite an achievement as an ascent to 19,000 ft is no cake walk. Most of us who get altitude problems, even at 12,000 ft, would never make it with 4 days prep.

I flew over Kilimanjaro once coming back from Tanzania and that was as close as I will get.

Well done!!

Dak

Thanks for sharing.

I knew you could do it. Congratulations

Welcome home, we did miss you at the last SABA shoot. I will buy you a beer at the next shoot.