AFRICA: Climbing Kilimanjaro & Safari - July 2023

  Ingrid is my training instructor. She teaches 2 circuit training classes and a spinning class each week where each one reduces me to a puddle of sweat.  Quite frankly, I would not be ready or able to attempt this massive effort without her training and support.  My goal is to take another picture of this banner at Uhuru Peak - the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.    To get an idea of Ingrid's energy, positivity and love of fitness you gotta check out her Facebook page.   Once this adventure is over, I'll be back in her classes to keep working on my fitness goals: balance, flexibility, endurance, strength.  I'm still pretty bad at all of those at the moment. I'm retired so I've got a lot of free time to work on self improvement stuff.  After 40 years of sitting in front of a computer, I'm pretty much a disaster.  So I'm trying to figure out my "thing".  I've decided I'll never be a golf guy. And Sue has a solid bet I'll never get on a pickleb...

 Sue and I in Alaska a few weeks ago before I head to Tanzania. Really liked the cool weather instead of the miserable heat and humidity in Florida right now. At least the thunder storms are spectacular from our lanai.   

  This is the first post to my Kilimanjaro blog. I'm just weeks away from heading to Tanzania to spend 20 days climbing the Northern Circuit route to the summit and a safari afterwards.  I chose the Northern route as it is the best route to give me time to acclimate for extreme high altitude. The summit is 19,341 feet - you can only stay for a few minutes as there is less thank 50% oxygen in the air. You have to breath deep all the time.  Altitude sickness is my biggest concern given I have been training in Florida (at sea level) for months.  Summit success rate on this route is 90%, so there is a slight chance that our guide may not let me finish. They assess your ability to climb twice each day and have the final say if you can continue or need to descend to lower altitude. I need to remember the goal isn't to reach the summit. The goal is to come back alive. No kidding. The stats show about 10-20 hikers die each year attempting this climb. I have to give a big sho...