Mini-M Satellite telephone
Mini-M satellite telephone supplied by Station Africa Telecomms
To contact Station Africa Telecomms, visit their website at www.stationafrica.com
or e-mail Marinda Stuiver at marinda@stationafrica.com
EQUIPMENT
Technical Equipment
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Focus harness
by Scavenger |
Chalk bags
by Scavenger |
Slings/Daisy chain
by Scavenger |
Draws
by Scavenger |
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Rope (10.5 mm)
by Mammut |
Rope Bag
by Scavenger |
ATC belay devices
by Black Diamond |
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Cold Weather gear
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850g Down bag
by Tribe Safari |
Weathertite Jacket
by Karrimor |
Outer Mittens
by H/Hansen |
Ventx pants
by Drimac |
Polartec products supplied by Karrimor. Recommended Polartec 300 jacket & Polartec
100 pants as middle layer
General Hiking gear
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35 li Epic pack
by Karrimor |
Headlamp |
Ski pole |
High gaiters
by Karrimor |
Technical communication gear
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Satellite Telephone
by Station Africa |
IBM Thinkpad
by IBM |
Satellite communication courtesy of Station Africa
Telecomms
PLANNING
High on Africa is not the kind of
expedition which one approaches in isolation. There is always something about which
someone else knows a little more than you do. This is true for almost every aspect of the
expedition, from hiking and climbing in cold conditions to the smaller details of getting
the information onto the Internet from the middle of Africa. It seems as if putting this
expedition together has harnessed an incredible pool of talent just waiting for this kind
of impetus. We've been fortunate in that almost every person we've introduced High
on Africa to, has grasped its attraction and has joined in the planning with
great excitement.
There are a multitude of different categories to plan for on such an adventure. Just
take the actual physical action. First, there is a 5 896m trekking peak to start off with.
Mt. Kilimanjaro takes one through several different climatic conditions, starting off in
tropical rainforest and topping out in a glacial wonderland at minus 29 degrees C at
times. The clothing required at the summit gets rather specialised and one needs to take
the necessary precautions against not only the cold, but also the altitude. At 5 896m,
Kilimanjaro's summit definitely falls into the category of "Don't take Lightly
!"
Then comes the second phase of the expedition, that of scaling Mt. Kenya at 17 058 ft.
This is the second highest mountain in Africa, but an entirely different kettle of fish.
Whereas on Mt. Kilimanjaro you are simply required to hike hard for the prize of the
summit, Mt. Kenya demands a little more respect in that the last two peaks of Nelion and
Batian require some technical climbing skills as well.
Lastly, and possibly as exciting for us, is actually producing the expedition from our
location and bringing it to you on the Internet. We're not professional cameramen and
journalists, but our passion for the adventure has brought us to the point where we can
bring you the two highest mountains in Africa in the comfort of your home or office. The
hard work (we'd like to look at it as fun) will be done by us and we'd like you to enjoy
every minute of it. Of course you are most welcome to join us in person next time!
Our planned route is as follows :
24/07/99 Depart from Johannesburg International airport for
Kilimanjaro International.
25/07/99 Start on day 1 of the Machame route, Kilimanjaro. Overnight at
Machame camp.
26/07/99 Day 2 on Machame, overnight at Shira camp
27/07/99 Day 3 on Machame, overnight at Barranco camp
28/07/99 Day 4 on Machame, overnight at Barafu camp. (Midnight bid for
the summit)
29/07/99 After reaching the summit, descend to Mweka camp, day 5 on
Machame
30/07/99 Descend from Mweka camp to Mweka park gate and then back to the
hotel.
31/07/99 Drive through to Nairobi after saying goodbye to friends and
clients on Kili
01/08/99 Depart Nairobi for the park gate at Chogoria and start climb.
02/08/99 Ascending via the Chogoria route, we camp at various locations
until reaching Pt.
Lenana
on 05/08/99.
This is partly made possible by our acclimatisation on Kili.
06/08/99 Start out for Point Nelion
07/08/99 Attempt Point Batian and with luck, descend again same day.
08/08/99 Descend further via the Naro Moru route.
09/08/99 From the park gate, we depart for Amboseli National Park.
10/08/99 Amboseli National Park and then back to Tanzania.
11/08/99 Depart from Kilimanjaro International back to South Africa with
hopefully a
successful
High On Africa expedition behind us.
We'd like to measure our success by not only achieving the two highest mountains in
Africa in two weeks, but also in our success at providing you with the excitement we
experience from thousands of miles away. Safari On-line aims to achieve that and we would
like your thoughts on the expedition and perhaps a next destination which you'd like to
see us at.
You can e-mail us on adventure@tribesafari.com
for support, questions or simply sharing a piece of your mind, provided it's about
adventure!
Satellite communication courtesy of Station Africa
Telecomms
EARLY DAYS
When we first decided to climb Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya in one expedition, we didn't
give the idea any serious thought. It was simply a matter of: "Let's do it".
"Sure, why not". Having climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro 6 times between us, we assumed
that it would be more of the same, just not as high or cold. Now, a few months down the
line and a month before the expedition, we've wisened up and have started putting in some
additional training.
Mt. Kenya is lower than Kilimanjaro, but an entirely different mountain, one where
technical climbing takes a front seat and hiking no more than a vehicle for getting close.
We've learnt that one needs to be able to understand rock (strata), how to abseil, how to
climb (which sounds much easier than it is) and to trust in one another under pressure.
Having never seen a climbing rope up 'till 2 months ago, we've since been on a steep
learning curve (no pun intended)
Our first step was to enroll in an abseilling course. We reckon that having gone up to
the top, you better understand the only way down, which abseilling happens to be. Next was
to actually brave the world of climbing and this we did with the help of The Mountain Club
of South Africa. Under the expert tutelage of Stephen Mallory, grandson of the famous
mountaineer, we were introduced to climbing walls, figure of 8 knots, bugs, belays,
friends and so on. It is essential to have all the correct gear and to actually undergo
your training with that equipment. Familiarity is the key issue as once on the mountain,
there can be no guessing.
I should mention that the climbing techniques and discussion relates purely to Mt.
Kenya as there is absolutely no climbing done on our Kilimanjaro part of the expedition.
Training has taken on a new meaning for us as we now run and climb together with
hiking. Running gets your legs and lungs fit, hiking helps to prepare the legs for actual
conditions and climbing; well, climbing gets you to the top.
The concept of running the expedition on the internet has become a full expedition in
itself, with hours being spent on getting equipment ready, speaking to specialists about
battery life, compression techniques for photographs etc etc. Thanks to satellite
technology, we are able to link up with the world by simply pressing all the right buttons
in the right sequence. Now we hope that all the hours of planning and sourcing equipment
pays off to put you there with us on top of Africa .
Satellite communication courtesy of Station Africa
Telecomms
