Homeward Bound

Day 6

On the last day we were all ready to get off the mountain; we were tired, some of us were sick, and it was raining all the time! We all went at our own pace and we were quite spread out along the trail.  For a while I was on my own and as we re-entered the rain forest I could hear a loud thud.  I kept walking and heard it again.  I looked up only to see a monkey staring down at me!  I realized that he was throwing ‘something’ at me; luckily he missed. 

When we were about an hour away from the entry gate a mini monsoon hit us on the trail! We were all too tired to stop to put our rain pants on so we powered through.  The only problem with this was that our waterproof boots were also great at holding the water in and we all ended up with huge puddles in our boots.  We arrived at the gates after what felt like an eternity.

When we got back to the Marangu Hotel I had never been happier to see a shower.  After 6 days with minimal running water the baby wipes were no longer cutting it. After we all showered and freshened up we met in the lodge to receive our certificates from the climb.  The guides and porters all sang for us and relaxed and had some beverages at the bar.

This trek was the most challenging thing I have ever done and was an amazing experience.  As Nelson Mandela one said, “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”  Who knows where our travels will take us next!

To see the full photo album from our trek click here.

It’s still not too late to make a donation to help us End Polio Now, please click the donation link and thanks in advance for your support!

Summit Day

Day 5

We were woken just before midnight so that we could pack up out gear and start our hike towards the summit. As we walked out to meet our guide it was pitch black; we had only the moon and our headlamps to guide us. We started to zigzag up the side of the mountain at a very slow pace. 

After a few long hours we finally arrived at Gilman’s point just in time for the sunrise.  The view was incredible.  We stopped for a quick rest and some photos, and then continued along the rocky path to Uhuru Peak. 

Two hours later we were finally at the highest point of Africa.  We looked around at the giant crater and endless display of glaciers.  All of our months of hard work and training had truly paid off. 

After taking in the view we began our hike back down the mountain.  When we walked down Gilman’s point re realized in the day light just how steep it was.  After a quick stop at Kibo to grab our gear; we hiked all the way back to Horumbo Hut.

Desert Snowstorm

Day 4

On the fourth day we left Horumbo and continued through the moorlands.  After a while we hiked into the desert on the mountain.  It was completely flat with almost no vegetation.  As we travelled along the trail the fog rolled in, then it started to snow!  We hadn’t expected snow at that altitude so we were all freezing.  Every once in a while our head guide would come up to us and brush off the mini snow banks that were accumulating on our hats!

When we arrived at Kibo Hut is was foggy and cold.  The hut is actually built right into the mountain and it was extremely damp.  When we got to our room you could see your breath!  We hung up all of our gear since it was soaking wet.  We ate lunch and then put on every dry layer of clothing we had and were bed by the afternoon.  We had to wear ear plugs because the chattering of our teeth was keeping us all awake. 

Above the Clouds

Day 3

Waking up above the clouds is the best feeling!  After checking out the breath taking view we headed to the food lodge for another large breakfast.  The lodge was filled with chubby little mice that looked like chipmunks; they ran around the hut eating every crumb that dropped!  They are referred to as the plague of Kilimanjaro, but they looked cute. 

We stayed at Horumbo an extra day to hike to Zebra rock. Staying at this altitude for the extra day helps your body to acclimatize and increases your chance of making it to the summit.  As we went along the trail the fog would quickly roll in and it was hard to see. 

After our day hike we headed back for dinner and then went to bed early to get ready for our big hike to Kibo Hut. 

Poli Poli- Slow Down!

Day 1

We met in the courtyard of the Marangu Hotel and waited for our porters to weigh our packs and pack up our supplies, food and gear. We selected our wooden walking sticks and the piled onto the back of a rusty white pickup truck to begin our short journey to the gates of the park. When we arrived we registered with the park warden, then entered the gates walking past the armed guards. Within 5 minutes our guide was yelling 'poli poli” which means ‘slowly- slowly’ in Swahili! The key is to keep a steady slow pace to help your body acclimatize while you hike.

The base of the mountain is a lush rainforest filled with huge trees, vines and moss. As we walked; groups of monkeys watched us from above with their bushy white tails dangling from the trees. After a few hours we arrived at Mandara hut at 9000 ft. We stayed in a cabin in a large room with bunk beds. We each claimed a bed and unpacked our belongings. We were called for dinner shortly after and we all made our way over to the main lodge. The food was actually quite good, we were served chicken, cooked spinach and potatoes. After dinner we headed back to the cabin and go to bed early so we would be ready for our early wake up call.

Day 2

In the morning we were woken by a porter who brought us hot water for washing and warm tea. We dressed, packed our day bags and gave our camel packs to the porters to fill up with fresh spring water. We headed over to the main lodge for a huge breakfast of porridge, toast, fruit, eggs and sausage. The one great thing about the trek is that you can over eat and not gain weight because your body needs the fuel!

After we ate we started our hike out to the Maundi crater.  After that we hiked back through the rainforest and then into the moorlands.  The vegetation was sparse and it was very rocky.  At the end of the day we arrived at the Horumbo hut. 

The Roof of Africa

     At the Kilasiya Waterfall

On March 19^th 2011 at 8:40 AM the Toronto Twilight Rotary Club reached the top of Kilimanjaro!  The 6 day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro was a fundraiser for End Polio Now— Rotary’s $200 million challenge to eradicate polio.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting a day to day breakdown of this great accomplishment along with photos. 

The day before the trek started we had the honor of meeting with President Cynoc Martin of the Moshi Kilema Kati Rotary Club.  He took us on a tour of the Kilema Primary School, the Kilema hospital and HIV/AIDS clinic, and the Kilema Girls' vocational school.  We also made a quick stop at the Kilasiya Waterfalls in Tanzania!  Click here to see the photos from our daytrip.

Alice, Chrissy and Mary Catherine talking with Cynoc Martin at the Kilema Hospital

Its still not too late to make a donation to help us End Polio Now, please click the donation link and thanks in advance for your support!



The Final Countdown

For our final training trek we did back to back hikes; on Saturday we hiked along the Trans Canada Trail near Mary Catherine’s cottage.  It was sunny but very cold, and a great test of our base layers and other gear!

On Sunday we hiked along some new areas of the Rouge Trail.  It was very icy and we had several slips along the way.  At one point I was walking down the side of the trail to avoid some icy log stairs and I completely wiped out and started sliding down the hill full speed ahead on my bum!  I was fine, so I jumped up with much enthusiasm shouting at the girls to hurry up only to wipe out again!  Needless to say Chrissy and Alice were laughing at me so hard that they almost fell down the stairs.  I think that our group will be a great source of entertainment for everyone on the mountain next week…….

This will be the last post until we get back as we fly out in 3 days!  Thank you to everyone who has supported our trek so far.  It’s not too late to make a donation; please click on the link to the right.  Stay tuned for more updates when we return!

India on the front lines in the battle to eradicate polio

Only 3 days until we fly out!  Just wanted to share this article from the Globe and Mail with you:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/india-on-the-front-lines-in-the-battle-to-eradicate-polio/article1929578/

Traipsing Along the Humber Trail



This past weekend we had a lovely sunny day for our hike!  We started out early morning near Alice’s and walked along the lakeshore on the way to the Humber Trail.  As usual we had several canine encounters; including one with an Irish Setter who stole a mitten!  We followed the path to the Old Mill where the trail became completely engulfed in ice and water- a true test of how waterproof our boots are.  After slipping and sliding (yes; one of us wiped out lol) we turned around and headed back.  Overall we hiked a total of 12km. 

This weekend we will be doing our longest hike yet; we will be trekking a total of 35 KM over 2 days!  More updates to come next week, only 16 more days to go! 

Don't forget to check out our page on Facebook!

Roaming the Rouge Trail

This past weekend the 4 of us met up early in the morning for a full day hike.  This time we decided to explore the east end; starting with the Colonel Danforth Park and Highland Creek. 
The day began bright and sunny but we were soon blown away with snow squalls!   Once we arrived to the beach the snow had cleared up and it was bright and sunny once again. 

After stopping for a quick lunch we then began our afternoon hike along the Rouge Trail which connects to the greenbelt.  The walk was nice and leisurely until one of us tripped over a large stick and fell on the trail!  The crisis was quickly averted (in other words everyone else laughed at them) and there were no injuries.  Overall we had a great day and hiked a total of 15 km! 

More updates to come next week; 26 days until we fly out!  If you would like to support our trek please click the donate button to the right.  Please note 100% of funds raised are going directly to the Rotary International Foundation (Canada) in support of the Polio Plus Campaign. Thank you to everyone who has already made a donation. 

Hike in High Park

On Sunday the whole team got together and we hiked along the trail in High Park.  After some friendly encounters in the leash free zone, we were able to finish the main trail in just under an hour. 

After that we headed over to the Kay Gardner Beltline and hiked the rest of the afternoon along there.  The beltline used to be a railway and is now part of Toronto’s Discovery Walks.  This was a great way to check out parts of the city that we hadn’t been to before. 

Our next hike will be next weekend along the Rouge Trail!  Stay tuned for more updates next week and thanks again to those who have already made donations.  Only 32 days to go!

Weekend Wandering

Our training continues!  This past weekend we all split up to do our own trekking.  In addition to meeting with her trainer, Mary Catherine hit some trails up near Bolton.  Alice hiked the trails in High Park, making sure to challenge herself by focusing on all of the hills while wearing her day pack filled with gear and weights!  Chrissy hit the treadmill hard for several hours until she couldn’t feel her legs.  I was able to make it to the gym for an intense workout on the cycle, elliptical and stepper.  I have to admit, the stair-mill scares me so I have been avoiding that one. 

The countdown continues with 38 days left until we fly out!  Thanks to everyone who has made a donation so far.  If you haven’t already; click to the right to make a donation via PayPal.  Thanks in advance for your support!

We will be doing another group trek this Sunday so stay tuned for more updates on our weekend adventures in training!

Don Valley Trail Trek

We are less than 2 months away from our climb!  As the date approaches we have been diligently training every weekend to prepare for the big day.  This past weekend we lucked out with sunny skies but had to deal with freezing temperatures.  Unfortunately Chrissy was ill; but Alice, Mary Catherine and I started out early in the morning and headed off for a day along the Don Valley Trail.  We walked through the city for a while and then entered the route just off of Bayview.  I ended up leading the girls astray and we went “off trailing” down a hill!  It was a close call; aside from a bit of sliding and one of us getting stuck in a tree we made it onto the main trail.   Thank goodness we will have a guide to keep us on track in Tanzania (lol).  The view along the trail was great; there were many other hikers, cross country skiers and people snow shoeing.  After 14 km we decided to end hour hike up at Don Mills and Eglinton.  Overall a very productive day of training!

The Climbing Team

The Toronto Twilight Rotary Club Climbing Team:

The Toronto Twilight Rotary Club (TTRC) is one of the newest clubs in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 2009, it has been a very active group in the Toronto community, and was officially chartered on February 18, 2010. 

Alice Maliakkal is a Charter Member (past Service Director) and is currently the President-Elect of the TTRC. She works as an Environmental Engineer at Conestoga-Rovers & Associates in the area of water and wastewater treatment. Alice enjoys getting involved with community and international service projects and is excited to challenge herself with this climb and help support Rotary’s goal to eradicate polio in the world.

Christine Phelan is the Charter President and is currently the Membership Director of the TTRC. She
is also a District 7070 RYLA Program Co-ordinator and a third generation Rotarian. She works as a Branch Manager for the Bank of Montreal. Christine is excited (and slightly terrified) to be climbing Kilimanjaro.

Holly Weber is the Charter Vice-President and is currently the President of the TTRC. She works as a Technical Recruiter at Procom and has been in the recruitment industry for almost 7 years. An avid adventure traveler, she has previously climbed Machu Picchu and is excited to embark on this challenging
trek.

Mary-Catherine Lill is a new member and is currently the Foundation Director of the TTRC. She works as a Litigation Lawyer at Gilbertson Davis Emerson, a firm which specializes in insurance defence. She looks forward to not only sharing this adventure with her good friends and fellow Rotarians but to the opportunity to raise funds and awareness for the End Polio Now campaign.

We appreciate your support in helping us achieve a polio-free world.  

TTRC Climbs Kili

On Tuesday March 15th, four members of the Toronto Twilight Rotary Club (TTRC) will begin their five day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro as a fundraiser for End Polio Now— Rotary’s $200 million challenge to eradicate polio.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world at 19,340 ft above sea level. The climb will take the team through 105km of challenging terrain including forests, moorland and desert. As the climbing team expects to reach summit on March 19th, the TTRC will be walking 105km as a club on that day.

If polio isn’t eradicated, the world will continue to live under the threat of the disease. More than 10 million children will be paralyzed in the next 40 years if the world fails to eradicate polio. One of the challenges of eradicating polio is halting the spread of the poliovirus in the four remaining endemic countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan), which continue to export it to polio-free areas.

All proceeds from TTRC’s fundraiser will go to Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign. The contributions will help Rotary raise $200 million to match $355 million in challenge grants received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The resulting $555 million will directly support immunization campaigns in developing countries, where polio continues to infect and paralyze children.

Tax receipts will be issued from The Rotary Foundation (Canada) for all donations over $20).  To make a donation by cheque, please mail to: 28 Bonacres Ave. Toronto ON M1C 1P7. Please make cheques payable to "The Rotary Foundation (Canada)". We appreciate your support in helping us achieve a polio-free world!

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

The Toronto Twilight Rotary Club is one of the newest clubs in Toronto, Canada.   Formed in 2009, it has been a very active group in the Toronto community, and was officially chartered on February 18, 2010.