The final countdown!

3 days to go.
2 days in school, then it's an early morning wake-up for a 7am flight to Kilimanjaro Airport.
The bag is packed (my mother would be proud - I had a practise pack first!!), I have medical kit to cure anything from a blister to an operation with my sterile needle kit (five years old and never opened), 2 sleeping bags (just in case it gets extra cold), thermals, beanie hats, sun screen, 2 headlamps and loads of batteries, a camel pack and enough snacks to fuel an entire rugby team!
Today we had our final Sunday walk, followed by a dinner and a briefing. A couple of things made me chuckle.
The first is that Diamox, the controversial anti-altitude sickness drug, lists 'lack of sex drive' as one of the possible side effects. Well, excuse me, but I would be very concerned about anybody who actually had a high sex drive on the side of Kili, being as it will be minus ten and we are staying in huts with up to 120 dorm beds in them. Anybody who starts to shed any of their clothes should be immediately escorted down the mountain, in my view!
Secondly, and of great importance to me, is that the meal plan includes a cup of tea in bed each morning. Excellent!

Kili Training in the Rwenzoris

Our strong and determined Team Kili

One of the many uphills!

Lush views!

Almost at the top!

The porter carried our lunch in a cardboard box on his head!

We climbed one of the mountains in the background

ONLY TEN DAYS TO GO!!!

This weekend we ran out of the school gates faster than the kids, loaded up the bus and headed off for one of my favourite spots in Uganda, Fort Portal. By 8.30pm, we were tucking into a rather filling home-cooked meal at the Ruwenzori View Guest House, followed by an early night, ready for an early morning start on the mountains.
The first half hour of the hike was a real test of our mental and physical stamina. As we plodded up the steep hill, I started to wonder what I was letting myself in for and whether the whole of the Kilimanjaro was going to be like this. I think it is a thought that crossed everybody's mind.
At the top of that first steep hill, we found a school. So it would seem that our mountain practise is just run of the mill for many of the kids living in that area. And they do it every day, either barefoot or in flip-flops! Looking at the bloated kwashiorkor stomachs, it is also clear that they were suffering from malnutrition too - and they were more than able to overtake us, carrying jerrycans of water! No North Face extreme mountain gear for them. It puts everything into perspective really.

A girl takes a rest outside the village school

I was relieved to find that the path evened out a little and that our ascent became more gradual. There were a few heart pounding moments, but nothing I can't deal with. What I did realise though, is that hiking is pretty tough on the calves and I wonder what else I can do to build up strength in the remaining week and a half.
The team is really starting to gel. I enjoyed getting to know the students a little more and we all mixed up as we walked at different paces. We're a pretty feisty team and believe that we will have the mental strength to push ourselves through the challenges to come. Nobody complained, nobody bitched and nobody is afraid of getting dirty or not looking pretty on the mountain. OK ... maybe we are a little concerned about the lack of showers and hair washing situation, but we won't let it get in our way.
By the end of the day we had hiked for about eight hours, walked about 12-15km (a very rough guesstimate!!) and climbed up and down something in the region of 1000m.
Now most of the physical training is done. If we're not fit enough now we never will be, so the focus has to change to the mind. I'm not only visualing the summit, but also the big meal we will have when we return, the pool in the hotel and a large glass of chilled white wine!