The preparations have been taking place in Kingston, Ontario and Gainesville, Florida for about 25 women to climb Kilimanjaro and work in a women's health clinic in Moshi, Tanzania. I depart January 11th from the Gainesville Airport and meet up with our Canadian counterparts in Amsterdam. From there we fly together to Kilimanjaro. We will be working in a women's medical clinic for a week. The last time this health mission took place over 2000 women and children were seen. I hope to assist with well baby checks and utilize my lactation consulting skills. I have been climbing the local football stadium steps to train to climb Mount Kilimanjaro the week after the clinic. It is locally known as 'Gator Mountain' for the football team that plays there. My legs and cardiovascular system has gotten stronger since training began in the spring. I took a six weeks off for a minor medical problem and was concerned about building my strength back up in time, but I'm ready.
In fact I've packed my 65 liter back pack which the porters will take up the mountain and I've packed another bag with some supplies for the clinic and other bits of clothes, books etc.
Sandy and I speak frequently and she will be going to Mountain Equipment Co-op soon to purchase the rest of her gear for the climb.
The most challenging mountain to climb has been arranging childcare for the kids while I'm away. I've arranged for 4 babysitters and family friends to care for the kids at home and shuttle the kids to gymnastics, swim team, basketball, baseball and school. Guitar lessons are being put on hold until I return since, as my daughter says "I think what you do will be too much for the babysitters."
I think what I am looking forward to the most is being surrounded by people with the same goal. As I write this my children are playing ball around me, my son just bumped his head and needed comforting and one son is asking me when I'll be finished soon so he can down load some music. My husband who loves to bake and cook is currently making cinnamon buns for the morning and interrupting to ask for particular ingredients. I enjoy the feeling of having
immediate shared goals with others and it's not something I experience these days except when I'm teaching yoga. I emphasize immediate because of course I am on the long term path of raising kids with my baking husband.
I've been vaccinated for yellow fever, hepatitis A & B, typhoid and polio. I'll start taking Malarone for malaria prevention on January 9th and just in case I experience intolerable side effects from it I will have another prescription of doxycycline with me to take instead.
The last adventure trip I did was a kayak trip to Johnstone Straights in British Columbia in the summer of 2006. That's where the photo of me was taken at our campsight where we ended up spending most of the week because the surf was too high for kayaking. That's the last time I slept in a tent. For this trip I've purchased a 3 season tent that is built to hold up under high winds, rain and cold temperatures. I've got a sleeping bag that has a warm collar on it as well as a hood and is designed to keep me warm to -15 celcius. I made an indulgent camping purchase this summer while in Vancouver of a thermarest mattress with down in it to keep me well insulated from the cold ground.
Bushmen Expeditions will be taking care of us on our Kilimanjaro Climb. They will carry our gear while all we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and breath deeply. They cook for us and even bring a clean white toilet up for us with its own tent - that's decadence on Kili.
Now I'm being asked to play one-on-one basketball. Tomorrow may be my last or second to last climb up Gator Mountain before the real Kili climb.
I don't know much about our group yet, but I think we range in age from 16 to 70. Our pre-climb training has ranged from not even walking to climbing and sleeping in a tent that simulates high altitude. Some of us are packing at the last minute and me, well I packed before Christmas holidays because sometimes it gets rather hectic around here. I put on my backpack and weighed it to be sure it meets the airline and porter requirements. My boots are not well-broken in, but I've worn them walking and climbing gator mountain with liners and thick wool socks and they are might comfortable and warm.
I am $550.00 away from my fundraising goal of $6000.00, $4000.00 of which goes to Pamoja Tunaweza medical clnic, and the rest goes towards my airfare.
