There has been a few things to do before I leave but I'll soon be able to say that everything is done and ready!
In just over a week's time I'll be on a plane heading to Tanzania, I am more than excited at the moment I really can't wait.
I've had a lot of generous people giving donations recently and I'd like to thank you all for being so kind, I had never expected to raise much more than £80 but now almost ten times that amount has been donated.
I'll try my best to keep you all updated, I've had a pretty hard time getting to the computer the past couple of days so I've decided to see how posting off my phone goes. Six day working weeks are killing me but it's all going to be worth it in the end!
Monday 25 February 2013
Monday 18 February 2013
17 days and counting
It's almost two weeks until I leave, I can't believe it has come so quickly! I know I only booked the flights last month but it's still crept up quickly. I healed up quickly from the jabs only suffering from a bruise, my mums friend had a yellow fever injection on the same day and had a fever and pretty bad headache so I got off lightly.
I set up an annual travel insurance policy so if there is any problem I should be covered, I managed to get a policy that allowed climbing up to 6000 meters without an increased premium which I am pretty happy about.
Yesterday I dragged my mum and dad around the cliffs which was really cool, even though it wasn't necessarily warm it was sunny which made a big difference from the rain we've been dealing with recently. I think I probably looked a little silly in my full kit with them but it doesn't matter as it was good to have a clean walk, apart from my dad, who fell over trying to navigate around a muddy puddle..
I took another delivery on Friday which I'd been looking forward to for a while, socks. Yes socks, they are really nice though, I went for a couple pairs of Bridgedale hiking socks with liners too, I wore them to work with my boots and my feet felt amazing, I didn't think socks would make that much of a difference but I was wrong. So far I really can't recommend them enough, I'll let you know how they do on the mountain though, that'll be the true test to see if the merino wool was worth it!
Hope you've all had a good weekend,
Clinton
I set up an annual travel insurance policy so if there is any problem I should be covered, I managed to get a policy that allowed climbing up to 6000 meters without an increased premium which I am pretty happy about.
Yesterday I dragged my mum and dad around the cliffs which was really cool, even though it wasn't necessarily warm it was sunny which made a big difference from the rain we've been dealing with recently. I think I probably looked a little silly in my full kit with them but it doesn't matter as it was good to have a clean walk, apart from my dad, who fell over trying to navigate around a muddy puddle..
I took another delivery on Friday which I'd been looking forward to for a while, socks. Yes socks, they are really nice though, I went for a couple pairs of Bridgedale hiking socks with liners too, I wore them to work with my boots and my feet felt amazing, I didn't think socks would make that much of a difference but I was wrong. So far I really can't recommend them enough, I'll let you know how they do on the mountain though, that'll be the true test to see if the merino wool was worth it!
Hope you've all had a good weekend,
Clinton
Thursday 14 February 2013
Finally making some progress
So I went and had a couple of injections today, I had Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A and Typhoid. A nice little cocktail swimming in my left arm, it was feeling a bit heavy this afternoon at work but that could have had something to do with the circuit training my mum dragged me along to yesterday - I thought I was pretty fit but it was killing me after an hour! Fortunately I wont have to do anything like that up Kilimanjaro!
The to-do list is reducing slowly but surely, as well as the vaccinations I had two parcels waiting for me when I got home; my returned passport (with travel visa included!) and a bottle of DEET100 mosquito spray. I booked my Aurigny flight on Monday, I still have a couple of things to get sorted but the two major things is to decide which anti-malarial medicine I want to take and to get some dollars for the trip.
It's now 21 days until I leave, the total of donations I've received so far is £550 which is amazing! I'd like to say a special thank you to everyone who has given so generously, I'll have to make sure I get to the top for you.
The to-do list is reducing slowly but surely, as well as the vaccinations I had two parcels waiting for me when I got home; my returned passport (with travel visa included!) and a bottle of DEET100 mosquito spray. I booked my Aurigny flight on Monday, I still have a couple of things to get sorted but the two major things is to decide which anti-malarial medicine I want to take and to get some dollars for the trip.
It's now 21 days until I leave, the total of donations I've received so far is £550 which is amazing! I'd like to say a special thank you to everyone who has given so generously, I'll have to make sure I get to the top for you.
Monday 11 February 2013
Just over 3 weeks to go!
Hi all,
I've had to slow down on posting but I will bring you all up to speed now.
I've put a photocopy of the press below where you can see my photogenic side.. well maybe not so. I've also officially booked my climb! I had some cautious looks from the attendant at Lloyds when I said I wanted to wire money to Tanzania but the company has multiple good reviews on Tripadvisor and my friend Doug from New York assured me they looked after him on his ascent.
I've also been busy buying things from my ever increasing list, the nurses at my mums work put together a first aid kit which was nice but hopefully unnecessary - better safe than sorry though!
I had to sent off my Visa application along with my passport and two passport photos (which, with no photo-booths on the island, were a nightmare to get.) I hope that it returns to be safe and with an accepted application! I'd be pretty sad if for some reason it was rejected!!
My boots are officially worn in and now very comfortable, I hope they are up to the task of keeping my feet dry though, not that there has been any lack of rain the past week. I tried out a pair of my hiking trousers on Sunday in a torrential downpour and was surprised to see the water actually bouncing off, I hope they can handle snow too.
I've not heard too much from my sister in Durban but from what I can gather it is very hot! The other night I looked at the weather in Arusha where I will be staying and it was 20 degrees.. at 2am! It is currently 23 degrees and the local time is 11.21pm, I'm very likely to melt, I am far more adapted to the cold and my pasty skin usually burns even in the shade (I think I came up with the activity shadebathing in Cape Town when the rest of my family were in the sun a few years ago!) If anyone spots a 6 foot lobster coming off the plane in April don't be alarmed. Hopefully I wont be too afflicted as I have stocked up on SPF 50+, the sun wont even see my skin.
The countdown has already started and it is now just 24 days until I leave, I have to be honest, I'm getting a little bit excited!
Thank you all for keeping up with me, it's been hard work this past week without a day off or lunch hour to write anything. I'm trying to prioritise a bit better :)
Hope you've all had a good week!
Clinton
P.S. If anyone from the press is reading and it's not okay for me to post the scan just let me know and I'll take it down, I wasn't sure if it was allowed or not, if not I'm sorry!
I've had to slow down on posting but I will bring you all up to speed now.
I've put a photocopy of the press below where you can see my photogenic side.. well maybe not so. I've also officially booked my climb! I had some cautious looks from the attendant at Lloyds when I said I wanted to wire money to Tanzania but the company has multiple good reviews on Tripadvisor and my friend Doug from New York assured me they looked after him on his ascent.
I've also been busy buying things from my ever increasing list, the nurses at my mums work put together a first aid kit which was nice but hopefully unnecessary - better safe than sorry though!
I had to sent off my Visa application along with my passport and two passport photos (which, with no photo-booths on the island, were a nightmare to get.) I hope that it returns to be safe and with an accepted application! I'd be pretty sad if for some reason it was rejected!!
My boots are officially worn in and now very comfortable, I hope they are up to the task of keeping my feet dry though, not that there has been any lack of rain the past week. I tried out a pair of my hiking trousers on Sunday in a torrential downpour and was surprised to see the water actually bouncing off, I hope they can handle snow too.
I've not heard too much from my sister in Durban but from what I can gather it is very hot! The other night I looked at the weather in Arusha where I will be staying and it was 20 degrees.. at 2am! It is currently 23 degrees and the local time is 11.21pm, I'm very likely to melt, I am far more adapted to the cold and my pasty skin usually burns even in the shade (I think I came up with the activity shadebathing in Cape Town when the rest of my family were in the sun a few years ago!) If anyone spots a 6 foot lobster coming off the plane in April don't be alarmed. Hopefully I wont be too afflicted as I have stocked up on SPF 50+, the sun wont even see my skin.
The countdown has already started and it is now just 24 days until I leave, I have to be honest, I'm getting a little bit excited!
Thank you all for keeping up with me, it's been hard work this past week without a day off or lunch hour to write anything. I'm trying to prioritise a bit better :)
Hope you've all had a good week!
Clinton
Tuesday 5 February 2013
Amazing reception
I've had a really nice couple of days, the article in the Press didn't look too bad, I could have done with a haircut but that's more my problem than the photographers!
The article has been quite good in getting people to hear about what I'm doing, first thing Monday morning I received a phone call from a lady called Anne who came into my work today and kindly donated some gear for the ascent! If you're reading, thank you so much! It is such an expense getting all the equipment and now I can cross about six things off my list.
I'd also like to thank John who came into my work today to give me a donation, it was really kind of you and I hope you're resting well!
I'll see if I can get a photo/copy on the blog for people who missed it, my spot on Saturday was put up on the This Is Guernsey website so you can view that by clicking here.
The next thing I'm going to need to take over is the radio, I'll see how that goes!
Clinton
The article has been quite good in getting people to hear about what I'm doing, first thing Monday morning I received a phone call from a lady called Anne who came into my work today and kindly donated some gear for the ascent! If you're reading, thank you so much! It is such an expense getting all the equipment and now I can cross about six things off my list.
I'd also like to thank John who came into my work today to give me a donation, it was really kind of you and I hope you're resting well!
I'll see if I can get a photo/copy on the blog for people who missed it, my spot on Saturday was put up on the This Is Guernsey website so you can view that by clicking here.
The next thing I'm going to need to take over is the radio, I'll see how that goes!
Clinton
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