THE CHALLENGE OF
KILIMANJARO 3
Benji describes the latest ‘ups and downs’ in Phil’s training regime!
Hello Readers, and welcome to what is my last update before Phil
undertakes his arduous challenge. It has been a somewhat frustrating
three months for Phil since September. He spent much of October laid
low with a chest infection and no sooner was he back in the gym, when
he injured his thigh which kept him out of action for over a week –
fortunately, I still got my walks!
November saw Phil shift the emphasis of his training away from the gym
to concentrate more on endurance hikes. The photo shows Phil and I
having just returned from one of our hikes.
You will notice Phil is carrying a rucksack on his back – that's
weighed down with twenty kilos of old study books! I’m so pleased that
I don’t have to carry that!! Unfortunately, following a nasty incident
on the Dodgems at the local fair, Phil is currently nursing a very
painful knee so he has to leave the rucksack at home for a few days.
Before Christmas, Phil will be climbing Kinder Scout, the highest point
in the Peak District, to test his endurance. I’ve just been informed
that I’ll be climbing it as well – I’ll look forward to that! In the
New Year, Phil hopes to complete some serious hiking in the Lake
District as final preparation for his challenge. He has also been
completing a lot of his hikes at night as his final ascent to the
summit is completed in darkness and even familiar terrain is difficult
to negotiate in the dark. Speaking of the challenge, Phil has received
some details about the climb – they don’t make for pleasant reading –
there are very few toilets on the climb so Phil has to ‘do his
business’ in plastic bags – so for a few days he’s going to be like
me!! Showers are also few and far between and those that are available
only have cold water. He will be climbing at the height of the
Tanzanian summer where temperatures will be between 32 and 38 degrees
at the base but can dip to as low as -15 degrees at the summit. As you
can imagine, Phil has got to take a wide range of clothing and
accessories to cope with these extremes, including a 4 season sleeping
bag – all of which he has got to carry!!
Phil’s sponsorship total now stands at over £4300 including Gift Aid donations which is fantastic but he still wants more.
So, if you have not yet sponsored Phil but wish to do so please visit: http://www.bmycharity.com/
You will be pleased to know my ear is better and I’m fighting fit – it’s a pity Phil has not been so fortunate recently!
Best Wishes,
Benji
P.S. You can also read my first and second reports on Phil's training!
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