Climb Kilimanjaro For OIF - Latest Blog Entries

Off the Mountain

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:03:00 -0500

Ashley 10/10/09: What an experience! I have done many physically challenging endeavors, but if you weigh all those challenges against "age", this would certainly rank among the most difficult.

We celebrated the climb (and my 60th birthdaqy) by touring the Arusha National Park. It was the equivalent of a "mini-safari". from the confines of a Land Cruiser, we observed giraffes, cape buffalos, zebras, baboons, hippos, monkeys, etc.

Anna and the Kiliwarriors surprised me wiyh a birthday cake during our picnic lunch at the park. This is a birthday that I will always remember. I can't wait to make some entries about our team, the guides and porters, the food, and most of all the mountain.

I'll leave you with this: "Comradeship......is forged among high mountains, through the difficulties and dangers to which they expose those who aspire to climb them, the need to combine their efforts to attain their goal, the thrills of a great adventure shared together." (John Hunt, "The Ascent of Everest")

On Reaching The Summit

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:51:00 -0500

Anna, 10/9/09: Well, we did it! I have not yet made my way through all of the fantastic comments on our website, but I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement throughout this endeavor. I am extrememly proud that we reached the summit. It was an amazing experience to finally reach our goal after so many months of planning and training. To do it without injury was the icing on the cake.

Our guides, Wilbert and Gideon, and our porters, Kanini and Efarta, helped me tremendously-by showing me where to step and giving me a helping hand if needed. I'm grateful to the Kiliwarriors for helping me reach the top. I will add more later after some rest and recuperation. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers throughout the trip.

Journey Completed

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:58:00 -0500

Anna and Ashley arrived in Atlanta this afternoon @2:30. An hour later, after going through customs, we finally saw their smiling, tired faces. They are glad to be back home!

Borrowing the words of George Mallory from this website's home page, we can most definitely say, "They gave it a whack, and did themselves proud".

After a short R& R, Anna and Ashley will take over my blogging responsibilities. We are thrilled to have them home, safe and sound.

Marga

Heading Home

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:06:00 -0500

Ashley and Anna left Africa today @6:00 p.m. (their time). Their flight will land in Amsterdam at 7:30 a.m. After a short layover they arrive in Atlanta at 1:40. Mark, Ken (my brother) and I will be waiting for them. Welcome Home! Marga

Day 10

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:26:00 -0500

Ashley called to report that he and Anna had a relaxing day at the Arusha State Park, watching animals and having a picnic. The safari was an enjoyable ride with no long hikes! Today is Ashley's 60th birthday. What a way to celebrate! They will leave Tanzania tomorrow. Marga

Day 9- Off the mountain!

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:32:00 -0500

Anna called to report that she and Ashley are off the mountain and safe and sound back at the Arusha Hotel. Anna said she took the best bath she ever had. She was also able to get that hamburger she's been dreaming of!

Anna has a sunburn on her face, and her legs are quite sore, but overall she is very happy with how she held up physically. A few months ago, Anna and I were calculating her odds of success. We figured the worst case scenario would be that she could hurt herself while training and have to stay home. The best case scenario would be that she made it to the summit, and did not get hurt. Anna is very pleased that the best case scenario has actually happened!

Anna and Ashley are looking forward to a nice night's sleep, in a bed, and will embark on a safari trip tomorrow. They will be back in the U.S. on Friday.

Anna was hoping to score internet access at the hotel so she could update this blog for everybody, but she wasn't able to. Maybe tomorrow. It's been fun updating this blog for her- thanks everybody for the comments!

Mark

P.S. Here's Monday's Birmingham News article....http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/10/birminghams_anna_curry_makes_i.html

Day 8

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:33:00 -0500

Anna called this morning to share the good news. She summitted yesterday and spent the night at Crater Camp (18,500 ft.). I didn't get to speak with her for very long, but she did mention that they made it down to Mweka Camp at 10,145 ft. Tomorrow, they will descend another 5,000 ft. and will be transferred back to the hotel, where she is looking forward to showering, brushing her teeth in an actual sink, and eating a hamburger!

Mark

MORE ON DAY 7--GREAT NEWS!!

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:28:00 -0500

THEY DID IT!!! We just heard from Eben Schoeman, one of the owners of Kiliwarriors Outfitters. He received a text comfirming that Anna's and Ashley's group made it to the summit (19,365 ft) and decended back down to camp for the night. Eben and Carol Schoeman are 95% sure that they are at Crater Camp, which is at 18,500.ft. (still freezing). They don't have cell coverage, so we don't know any details to share at this point. Eben said that everyone is in great spirits. More later when we hear from Anna and Ashley.

Marga Curry

Day 7--??-- no news to report

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:35:00 -0500

Sorry, we have not heard from Anna and Ashley today. I thought I should at least post that fact to keep everybody as up to date as possible. When I talked to Anna yesterday, she was in great spirits and was excited about the possibility of summitting ahead of schedule. I'm hopeful that they had a big day today, tackled the Western Breach, and continued on to the top of Kilimanjaro! It's 8pm where they are, so if we haven't heard from them by now, they must not have cell service. Anna wanted me to emphasize, no news is good news. So I'm assuming good news! Mark G.

Day 6- 16,000 ft

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:38:00 -0500

Anna and Ashley are at the next camp. The plan for tomorrow is to get started at 4am and make it to Crater Camp. If they get there early enough, they will go ahead and push to the summit. Mark

Day 5- rest day at 14,940 ft.

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:36:00 -0500

Anna called this morning to report that she is alive and well at Sheffield Camp. I asked her how the weather was and she said it was 32 degrees last night inside her tent. While she was on the phone with me, she was wearing gloves, thermal underwear, pants, fleece, a down jacket, and a rain jacket. The wind was pretty strong, too.

Anna says her legs feel strong and her body is not slowing her down. The main challenge has been adjusting to the altitude. She and her dad both have colds now, and everybody in her group is struggling with headache and stomach issues. Anna has been eating and drinking OK, although she is not wild about the food quality. Even the mac and cheese is upsetting everybody's stomach. The good news is that she was able to catch up on some sleep last night, and she was able to take a nap today.

Her blister is still giving her fits, but she is dealing with it. She is nervous about tomorrow's climb, but she is determined to take it one step at a time. I mentioned to her that a comment was made on her blog that the Western Breach (a steep section that she will be doing soon) was not as difficult as expected, and she was encouraged by that. Also, her personal porter tells her that he thinks she can make it all the way.

Anna climbed a portion of Lava Tower today, and her Dad climbed the whole thing. She says she has some cool photos of him at the top of the tower.

Today's lesson for the school kids: Anna wants to let you know that she has gone through several different climate zones. First, they drove through the "Cultivation" Zone. Then, they hiked through the "Rain Forest" Zone, the "Heather" Zone, and the "Moorland" or "Upper Heather" Zone. Currently, she is in the "Alpine Desert" Zone. At the top of the mountain is the "Glacier" Zone. Let's hope she makes it! She can't quite see the summit because of the cloud cover, but she is able to see "Kibo", the highest volcanic peak on the mountain. Anna wants to let all the school kids know that she has been enjoying your comments, so keep them coming! Also, she told me to tell you that she hasn't been able to wash her hair since Sunday. Yuck! Ha ha!

It's been fun getting these updates from Anna lately. However, she says she may not be able to get a signal as she moves further up the mountain. She'll call when she can, but she also says that if we don't hear from her, no news is good news!

Mark

Day 4-- 14,940 ft.

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:41:00 -0500

Anna called this morning (6:00 a.m. Alabama time, 2:00 p.m. Kilimanjaro time) to report that she and her Dad have made it to Sheffield Camp at 14,940 ft. It has been very cold and windy on the mountain.

Anna and her Dad are excited about their progress, but they have definitely run into some challenges. Anna has developed a good-sized blister on the back of her left heel. She has gotten some help from some of the fellow climbers who happen to be doctors- they have taped up her heel for her. Anna and her Dad are feeling the effects of the altitude- they have both developed some aggravating sinus issues. Also, Anna is still experiencing some side effects of the altitude medication that she took earlier in the week- rapid heartbeat. She is taking some new medication that works on the body in a different way, so hopefully that will do the trick for her. The rapid heartbeat/altitude is keeping her from sleeping. She said she has not had a decent sleep since Saturday. Luckily, tomorrow is a rest day, so maybe she will be able to catch up on some sleep. The good news is, Anna may be tired and sore, but she has been very careful with her stepping, so she has not fallen, twisted an ankle, or broken any bones. Yea!

To all the school kids out there who are following her progress: Anna wants to let you know that she saw some Colobus monkeys in the rain forest! They were as big as her! She also saw some little black monkeys and a zebra. She didn't get to see a live elephant, but she saw evidence of one in the form of a flattened path through the forest and squashed trees. On the mountain, the hiking group found the bones of an elephant who apparently got lost at 14,000 feet.

At Sheffield Camp, where they will be for their rest day, they are near Lava Tower, where some hikers like to climb up. Anna said she is thinking about climbing up about 400ft. so she can acclimate to the altitude better, then climb back down to camp.

Anna and her Dad remain in high spirits. I have passed along to Anna the comments that people are making here on her blog, so keep 'em coming!

Mark

Day 3

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:15:00 -0500

Haven't heard from the climbers today. I assume there was no cell signal. They are camping at an altitude of 13,700 ft tonight and hiking up to 14,940 ft. on Thursday.. Hopefully we'll have a report from them tomorrow. Marga

Day 2

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:16:00 -0500

Anna called me at 5:30 p.m. Africa time to report that they are still on the move today. They started around 8:30 this morning and have been climbing straight up, 6 miles so far. She was in good spirits and happy about their progress. She mentioned that yesterday was tough for her due to a reaction to the altitude medication that she took. It caused a rapid heart beat and breathing difficulties. She said that she did not take the medication today and she feels fine. We did not get a chance to chat long, as we were cut off in mid-conversation. I have not heard back from her in the past hour, so I assume she lost her signal for now...

Mark G.

Day 1 on the Mountain

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:02:00 -0500

Marga Curry

Received a text message today reporting that Anna and Ashley arrived safely at Forest Camp, their first destination on the trail (elevation 9222 ft). Anna said, "It was a good hike!"

In Africa and Ready to Go

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:06:00 -0500

Marga Curry

Anna and Ashley arrived in Arusha last night at midnight. Ashley commented that the plane ride was 'interesting'. Today they met their companions for the climb. There are four in Ashley's and Anna's group and six in the other. All ten of them will camp at the same site each night and have meals together.

They leave tomorrow at 9:00 A.M. for a 3 hour ride to the park. After checking in, they will ride back to the trail and have lunch before starting on the first leg of the climb.

They are ready to go!

Birmingham News article

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:22:00 -0500

Here is a link to an article that ran in Wednesday's Birmingham News... http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-stories/2009/09/unbreakable_spirit_to_make_kil.html (you may have to cut and paste the address in your web browser) Anna called to report that they are sightseeing and people-watching in Amsterdam. Anna and her Dad are ready to head to Africa tomorrow... Mark Gualano

Amsterdam

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:19:00 -0500

Marga Curry

Anna and Ashley arrived in Amsterdam, with all their gear. Unfortunately, Ashley called at 2:21 this morning to share this news with me! We talked again later. They didn't get much sleep on the flight, but have taken a nap and during our second conversation Ashley said they were having lunch at an outdoor cafe. They plan to take in the sights of Amsterdam, including a boat tour.

They will leave Amsterdam on Friday , Africa bound. More later...

The Journey Begins....

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:50:00 -0500

Marga Curry

The day has arrived! Ashley was actually able to fit all his equipment into a duffle bag and a 'giant' suitcase. Everyone is excited about the trip. Mark is taking Anna and Ashley to the Atlanta airport for their afternoon flight.They will reach Amsterdam early tomorrow morning. Godspeed! Mark and I will keep you updated as the adventure continues...

Anna's Climb

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:11:00 -0500

Hello, everyone, this blog update is from Mark Gualano, Anna's boyfriend. I will be making entries to this blog to supply you with up-to-date information about the climb. Anna and her Dad are planning to call home every day or so to let us know about their adventure, and I will post their information on here as I receive it. Two more days!