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Victoria Keep My Heart

Between Zambia and Zimbabwe lies what is known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya or The Smoke That Thunders. As the Zambezi river flows through Zambia just as it crosses into Zimbabwe it plummets 108m into the gorge below. The gorge which measures 1,708m across makes the waterfall the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. This is the Victoria Falls, one of the seven great wonders of the world.

Following our time trekking for rhinos we made the journey to the small town of Victoria Falls, famous of course for the Smoke That Thunders. We were staying locally at Shoe Strings Backpackers which was a nice break from life in the tents. We spent a few days in the town taking in the sights, the main one obviously being the waterfall and bridge.

On our first opportunity we went to experience the falls in all her glory. Before this I had never experienced any large scale waterfall thus I was vastly unprepared! Wearing what any normal unsuspecting traveler would wear in the form of shorts, shirt, flip flops and bag I found myself a tad in the wrong attire. Walking down the main street towards the park entrance the spray or ‘smoke’ from the falls began to rise and rise and before long we could feel the spray ever so slightly. The spray can typically rise to heights of 400m and can be seen from 50km away. Walking in to the park the roar from the falls began to get louder and louder until we caught our first sight of Victoria from the Zimbabwe side. It was incredible, one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen. We were lucky enough to be there during it’s high water season so the amount of water and the incredible speed of the flow was astounding. The sheer size of the falls was breath taking. The Victoria Falls are twice the height of America’s Niagara Falls and is only really rivaled by the Iguazu Falls.

Following our first look at the falls we took a walk around the bush on the other side of the gorge to the falls to see it a bit better, this is where it began to get a little moist shall we say. Walking further around till the falls were directly in front, the amount of spray falling got more and more until it was eventually like being in a full flow rain storm! The spray had risen to such a height that it was falling just like rain and before long I was absolutely soaked from head to toe! Feeling the awesome power of the falls creating that much spray made me feel so close to the falls them selves, it’s power and beauty was inspiring. Lucky enough the weather was boiling hot so the spray proved to be quite refreshing and the heat ensure we dried off very quickly.

The rest of our time in town was spent exploring a little more, which also meant a visit to the famous Victoria Falls Bridge which crosses the boarders. It is also where the world famous bungee jump takes place, despite coming to the worlds attention for the wrong reasons falling a near fatal accident in December last year, the jump is still one of the safest and highest bungees in the world. Before you start thinking that I had the minerals to throw myself off the bridge towards crocodile infested water then I’m afraid I must disappoint you, frankly there isn’t enough money in the world. However a few of the guys and girls from the truck were far braver than me and took on the mighty jump. I watched from the safety of the bridge as they fell the 110m on the bungee cord. It looked incredible, the sheer thrill and adrenaline was only match by the beautiful back drop of the falls themselves. All of them did the jump with out a glitch and each said it was incredible. The bungee itself wasn’t enough for John however who also opted for the bridge swing right after the bungee. This involved falling from the same spot on the bridge, feet first. When the tension is met, you are flown around 200m away from the bridge and then back under and so forth until you stop and/or pass out. It looked incredible. Having done the jump, John came back up and said it was the most terrifying thing he has ever done!

Our last evening was spent visiting the famous and very posh Victoria Falls Hotel for high tea and cocktails. The beautiful hotel had the prime location just out of town with a stunning view of the falls with the bridge in the fore ground. It was a fantastic and very relaxed way to end our time in Victoria Falls.

The following day was our time to leave town and almost my time to leave the truck. We were headed to Maun in Botswana wear we would leave the truck and head to Johannesburg to begin the next leg our our journey. On our way to Maun we did a last fantastic game drive through Chobe National Park. It was a great way to end our time on the truck, the park was beautiful and famous for its elephants which were everywhere! I have never seen so many and it was great to get up so close to them in the wild. Their relaxed and almost docile nature was in stark contradiction to their massive size and strength.

Following our day in Chobe we continued to Maun for our last night before we left for Joburg. We had a last few drinks with everyone of the truck which was great, exchanged details with many with hopes to seem them again soon.

The trip was fantastic, we had seen so much and been to so many places. The opportunity to move around so much was only matched by the wonderfull things we saw. I would like to extend a huge thank you the Absolute Africa team, especially Dave and Anna you have been fantastic, thanks for all your hard work. Also of course a huge thank you to everyone on the trip, too many to mention you all but you made this trip even more memorable. Thank you so much for all the good times and hope to see you all again soon!

From Maun we fly to Johannesburg, South Africa where are next adventure begins.

Life Like A Zoo

It always takes me a while to figure out how to begin these things. Right now I am sitting beside a beautiful river in Zimbabwe having just had an incredible morning, part of which included me walking beside one of the most lethal killers on earth; but more to come on that later.

The past few weeks have been quite a journey. Following Kili, I had a few days rest and time to kill back in Arusha. Most of which was spent relaxing or catching up with fellow climbers we met on the mountain. Arusha is only a small town so the next part of the journey couldn’t come quick enough!

At about lunch time on a Tuesday afternoon I was told to head to the local supermarket and look up for a big yellow truck named Pluto. After a few hours of waiting she arrived! Pluto was to be my means of transport all the way down to Johannesburg, passing through Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and eventually South Africa. Pluto is an overland adventure truck which sits 28 people, tents, food, equipment and anything else you would need for a big trek through Africa. For my trip we have about 25 people on board, ranging from England, Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, Denmark and Germany, even including a couple of pro photographers for me to get some tips off! What followed was 33 days of road trips, boarder crossings, camping, wild animals, crazy heat, incredible storms and probably more stories than I remember to type.

Our first stop on the trip was the famous Serengeti National Park and the Ngorogoro Crater. We had a couple hours drive to the Serengeti, the temperatures picking up along the way. The following two days were spent doing a game drives around the massive park. Our timing to visit this famous land was perfect. On entering the park we began to drive straight into its heart, following roads which stretched for miles along the vastly flat land. As we drove we began to see our first sights of wild game, a few Zebras and Wildebeest. As we ate up more of the miles more and more of these two African icons came into view until all I could see, as far as the horizon was Zebra and Wildebeest. Our timing was so perfect that we had stumbled upon one of natures greatest spectacles; the Great Migration. I have never seen so many animals in one place, tens of thousands of these animals were making there way across the Serengeti, from mere inches from the truck to as far as I could see. It was an absolutely incredible sight, the further we drove the thousands more we saw until the sight of a Wildebeest became almost normal!

Our driver, who’s name was Copacabana believe it or not was determined to show us more than just the Migration so we continued on the hunt to see the Big 5; Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and the Buffalo. Before long we came across our first one to tick off and it was the one all of us were after. Coming around some rocks we could see a female Lion warming up in the morning sun. Although she wasn’t too close to us, it was still a fantastic sight plus the first time I had seen a wild Lion.

The rest of our time in the Serengeti Copa drove us the sites he thought we would have the best chance of seeing some of the animals and he didn’t disappoint. Before the two days we were up we had seen a number of huge Buffalo and the graceful Elephant. We had also come across a lot of Giraffes, definitely one of my favorites. Their massive height ensured they stuck out very visibly, seeing them in the distance they almost looked like giants. Copa had a way of always getting us in the best position to see the animals, always getting front of other trucks, which occasionally caused some controversy much to our amusement. He was especially good at this when it came to seeing my two favorite animals, the Leopard and the Cheetah. We were lucky enough to see both of these cats while we were there, one of the Leopards walked right past the truck to have a drink just a few metres in front of us. The colour of it was stunning as what’s its slender aerodynamic shape, built for speed. You can see where many of today’s speed machines get their inspiration from.

The third day Copa took us into the Ngorogoro Crater which was like nothing I have ever seen before. It’s believed it was formed when a huge mountain, which could have been the size of Kili, collapsed in on itself creating a 23km wide volcanic crater. The crater contains the highest number of wild animals per square kilometre anywhere on earth, a great chance of seeing anything you are after! We drove around all day seeing hundreds of animals including Hippos very close up. We saw a number of them in a watering hole we stopped at, an amazing sight, especially when they open their massive mouths. We were told however that the rumour they kill more humans than any other animal in Africa was totally false, good news I suppose when you are standing not so far away from a group of them! The only animal in the Big 5 we hadn’t seen in our time there was the Rhino unfortunately, wasn’t to be our last chance however.

Camping during those two nights was quite an experience. With no camp sites being fenced off, you a sleeping right in the mix with the wildlife, which I loved! We were told to make sure there is no food or drink left in the tents at any time. Even if they are zipped up, Hyenas, Warthogs or any other hungry creature won’t think twice about tearing it open for a feed. All toilet trips were to be made before you went to sleep too. A 30 metre walk during the night to the nearest long drop could leave you more caught short than you expected if you happened to come across a a hungry Lion, not for me! During the night we could hear many animals which was incredible, monkeys, hyenas even wildebeest and buffalo eating up grass right outside the tent. Quite an experience!

Before we knew it our time here and come to an end and we were back on Pluto heading for our next stop, Zanzibar, a place I was very excited about. To get there needed 2 days of solid driving in the truck, two ferry rides, a Tuk Tuk and a smaller coach but dear me it was worth it! We spent a night camping in Dar Es Salaam before catching a 2 hour ferry crossing to Stone Town. As soon as I got there I knew I was going to love this place. It was full of colour, life and activity. Smiles and hellos from everyone you came across. The Arabic island famous for its spices was particularly friendly to my camera, pretty much snapping away as soon as I stepped foot on the island. During a spice tour out of town we saw all the plants and trees where all these flavours and tastes come from. It was great being able to eat and smell spices right from the plant. After that I wondered around the small narrow lanes of Stone Town, even getting rather lost at one point!

After day in stone down we drove north to the paradise beaches of Nungwi where we had three nights to spend. The beaches here were incredible, I’ve never seen sand so white and sea so blue, with the temperatures in the forties too it was an actual paradise! The following few days were spend mainly on the beach, swimming, snorkeling the beautiful reefs and beach games, plus we even got a bed for a change! Could have spent a few more days there it was amazing.

Following Zanzibar we had a 3 day drive covering over 1000km which would take us out of Tanzania and into the worlds third poorest country, Malawi. Our destination was Kande Beach on Lake Malawi. Despite its poor status, Malawi certainly was rich in its friendly people. Each small village we drove past encouraged lots of small children to run towards the truck shouting and waving, even more so than we had seen in Tanzania, certainly made us feel welcome. We eventually arrived at Kande Beach and camped right beside the lake. When I say lake it was more like an ocean, I have never seen a lake so big it has a horizon, an absolutely incredible sight! The next few days were again spent mainly on the beach doing various activities. We also had to pick up out tablets to cure the parasite Billhazia which we may have caught swimming in the lake. It’s almost impossible to avoid it whether you are swimming in the lake or simply taking a shower, there’s a fairly good chance you could have some new friends swimming around you! Taking the tablets 6 weeks after the lake will sort it all out though.

During our time at Kande we were also invited to play the local village in a football match, the Mzungu vs the locals! They met us outside the camp and let us to the pitch where we would play. As we walked through the village, more and more people would come out and join us on the walk, before long there was a huge group following us through the bush to the pitch, all singing and chanting along the way. The anticipation of the game ahead was growing the further we walked into the bush. Eventually we reached the dirt/sand pitch cut into the bush, it was surrounded by around 50-60 people to watch the game. It was a great game, the locals we a lot tougher than we thought and very physical! We got stuck in though and the game ended 3-3 which was great, I even picked up the first goal for the Mzungu’s too which was great! (check that out Andy!!) it was great fun and probably the most authentic African experience I had had up until then.

On our last night there the village chief invited us to his house to a massive feast which was fantastic. We had so much food food put on and got to meet many of the locals. After dinner the local kids all did a huge dance which we even got involved in, great fun.

Our time in Malawi was over all to soon and we had to leave for our next stop. Even though we hadn’t seen a great deal of Malawi, it was a fantastic country, one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been too. I’d love to see more of it again one day.

We were how heading for Lake Kariba just over the Zimbabwe boarder. We drove for 3 days passing through Zambia before we eventually camped beside the lake. The lake was to be our home for the next few days as we were off house boating! The following morning we aboarded Osprey to spend two nights relaxing, doing game boat trips and taking in the sights. The lake was stunning, slightly smaller than Lake Malawi however it still had a horizon! It proved to be a great way to see the wildlife again. As we found a place to moor for the night we were joined by a heard of elephants coming down to the lake for a drink as well as many hippos as we sailed past. The first night we had a huge punch party which was great fun. It was also a fancy dress party where someone else would buy your costume. So if you see any photos of me floating around wearing a little blue number…now you know why! We also did plenty of swimming in the lake despite it being infested with crocodiles! The boat had a big croc cage of the back so we could swim with out fear!

After the houseboats we started are drive further into Zimbabwe heading for Antelope Park. Antelope Park is a world renowned wild life centre specialising in introducing more lions into the wild. It was an absolutely fantastic place, beautiful in always. Our tents were right beside the lake, on one morning 4 huge elephants walked past my tent! Waking up each morning to the sound of roaring lions was incredible. Even though they were a good 4km away they were so loud! Amazing to hear while you are still in your sleeping bag! Antelope Park was full of activities to do with the animals. I chose to do an Elephant ride at one point which was fantastic. I’ve never been so close to an animal that massive before, she was huge! We took an hour walk through the savanna with four other elephants, a really great experience. Before that however I did the parks flagship event; the chance to walk along side a lion. I had been looking forward to this for ages! We awoke early to do the walk in the morning as this is when the lions are more active. We had the chance to walk with two beautiful lionesses. When I say walk, I don’t mean they were behind a fence or on a lead, they were free, walking right beside me. One almost sat on my foot at one point. It was fantastic, staring into the eyes of one natures greatest killers only a few inches away was such a rush. They were such beautiful and graceful creatures. Defineltey something I will never forget.

Following Antelope Park we headed down to Bulawayo where we would be on the hunt to look for the last remaining member of the big 5 we were yet to see; the rhino. We were to do a full day trip with who we were told had been voted the worlds greatest tour guide, Ian Harmer. He met us at the camp and within moments of meeting him, you could see the passion for wildlife, history and Zimbabwe coming from him. He took us on a trip around the bush telling us of the history of the land, the native bushman and the trouble the rhino population were in. His stories were amazing, we went into many conversations of Zimbabwe politics and his views on life. This is a man who was once chased up a free by a rhino where he spend 4 hours until it left. The rhino’s shoulders spanned two metres and it’s horn was over a metre high. He was an inspiration, and one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. Towards the end of the day we learnt that the was a sighting of a rhino nearby we drive to the sight and Ian walked into the bush to track the rhino. Before long he returned urging us to follow him. We walked a few hundred metres into the bush before the sight of a huge black rhino came into view. In small groups he took us closer to the animal. Walking as quietly as possible we crept up until we were no further than 20 metres away from the 3 tonnes wild beast named Swaziland 4. I never expected to be that close to a wild rhino, it was such an adrenaline rush. At one point the rhino heard something and jumped around to face us. My heart was racing! A rhino can charge at speeds of up to 40mph and stop and turn within its own body mass. We only stayed with the animal for a few minutes before we left it alone and continued. It was fantastic seeing it that close, it was an experience only a few get the chance to have, I feel very privileged I am one of them.

The day was over all too soon and we camped down for the night ready for our next adventure. The past few weeks have been amazing and I know it’s only going to get better. Next stop, of the worlds greatest wonders, the Victoria Falls.

“Life is either a raring adventure or nothing”

For Uhuru

5,896m is a long way, in any direction, especially when that direction is up. At just under 20,000 ft, Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and the worlds tallest free standing mountain, a serious challenge for any climber. Temperatures in the rain forests at the bottom can be over 30 degrees while during the summit night you face snowy conditions though -10 degrees. If the temperature doesn’t get you then it’s more than likely the altitude will. At the top there is 50% less oxygen than at sea level, acute mountain sickness can cause headaches, vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of sleep just to name a few. To get an idea of just how high it is, if you were to sky dive from 14,000ft, you would be free falling for one minute, and that’s no where near the summit, Uhuru Peak, or Freedom as it translates to.

We had been planning this climb for many months, doing lots of training and lots of reading into what you can expect, to an extent, all the reading in the world might never prepare you! We arrived into the Tanzanian town, Arusha two days before we started the climb, two days to relax and prepare; and in my case sun burn, not the best start! Early Saturday morning we met up with the other two climbers in our group, Chris from San Francisco and another climber from China. We also met up with our guide for the trip and the 17 porters who would climb with us, 17 porters I would come to be amazed by! After we met the crew we began the drive to the Macheme Gate where would start the climb. The whole journey there we could begin to see a huge bump in the horizon, becoming bigger and bigger with each mile we drove, until the sight of Kilimanjaro was clear in all her glory. As we drove through many small towns and villages to the start there were many reminders of what we were heading towards; Kilimanjaro High School, Kilimanjaro Coffee Farm, every bar we passed had adverts for Kilimanjaro Beer with its slogan “It’s Kili Time” posted everywhere, it really got us in the mood for what was ahead.

The first day took us through stunning rain forests up to 3000m, quite a climb for the first day. The forest was incredible, full of life, a little rain was even welcome among the humid heat. By the time we arrived at camp after 5 hours of hiking our tents were already set up with our gear inside them, thanks to the work of the amazing porters. Each of them had a different job, they would leave camp after us each morning and arrive at the next camp before us and set everything up and I mean everything. Sleeping and mess tents, food, water everything we needed. The strength and endurance of these guys was inspiring to say the least. Without them, a climb like this would be impossible. After we arrived at camp we rested before having some great food courtesy of the porters, after that it was an early night!

Day two was much like the day before, after a few hours we exited the rain forest and hiked though heath land to Shira Camp at 3,800amsl. Setting off at 8am each day occasionally meant we would arrive at camp by lunch time. As we did this on day two, we relaxed for a little before taking a little walk an hour or so away to see another camp. The view of the mountain was incredible, each day that passed it got closer, bigger and even more daunting. After dinner it was again another early night.

Day 3 begun far from what we had planned. Kilimanjaro is said to have its very own weather system and that morning we saw why. We were woken at about 5am by some of the heaviest rain, snow and wind I have ever encountered. For a while we stayed in the tent hoping it would pass. By 6am it seemed to have got worse and we made the decision it was time to get out! I was literally holding up the tent while Sophie got her things together, after a little while we heard a couple of snaps and before we knew it the tent was in serious trouble! Soph quickly got sorted and left the tent running for the mess tent. Shortly after I did the same, the moment in which got out of the tent the whole thing collapsed and was flat on the floor. I ran to join Sophie in the mess tent which unfortunately wasn’t in any better shape. Before long we left that tent and ran 100m or so to a near by shelter to take cover. An incredible experience! We later learned that the mother of someone we met on the mountain was on a flight from Zanzibar to Nairobi and flew straight through the storm, the plane dropped 7000ft at one point, causing frightened passengers to make their final prayers, a seriously scary storm to be involved in. We did finally do some climbing that day, leaving a bit later at around 9am. We climbed through arctic like conditions straight towards the mountain, the wind and cold was painful but the sight of the mountain ahead was all that was needed to keep going. The brightness of the snow and sun meant that sunnies were vital, we met a few fellow climbers later on who didn’t have sun glasses who’s eyes had swollen. We climbed all the way to Lava Tower that day at 4,100amsl and then back down 3,400 to sleep. The climb high sleep low technique is used to help get used to the high altitude.

The next day we woke to the incredible sight of the Barranco Wall, a huge wall of lava rock which we would have to scale. Setting off early again, it took us around an hour an a half to reach the top. The vertical conditions of the wall meant ditching the waking poles and getting physical! At points it took all our strength to pull ourselves up over certain points. For someone who isn’t the biggest fan of heights, this was quite the experience! We eventually reached the top and continued hiking, up and down through various valleys before eventually reaching our camp for the night.

The following day was our last hike before our summit attempt, we were getting more towards the business end of the climb, excitement and anticipation was beginning to build. The hike that day took around 4 hours and passed trough terrains which I can only describe what I imagine the moon must look like. Desert sandy rock everywhere, a very sparse environment. We climbed to 4,800amsl where we would rest before our summit attempt. 4,800m is a pretty serious height to spend some time, just walking around and talking to each other proved to be quite the challenge. We had some lunch and then eventually went to bed at around 5pm, an early one indeed! The excitement of what was coming in the next few hours was amazing. Reaching the summit was something we had been planning and thinking about for so long and now the possibility of it was just hours away.

We were awoken by our guide at 10pm and had an hour to get ready and have a cup of Kilimanjaro tea before setting off at 11pm. The conditions at the top were going to be freezing so I had all the clothes I could manage on! We set off in the pitch black, the only light coming from our head lamps, the moon and an incredible star lit sky. Setting off with my summit playlist going, the adrenaline was really pumping. I remember looking around and seeing one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. The moon was incredibly bright just behind Uhuru, the beauty of the stars was matched by the ever so slight fall of snow. Looking behind us we could see the faint shine of other climbers head lamps, it was sublime. The climb to reach Stella Point at 5,786m would take almost 7 hours, it turned to be the hardest 7 hours I’ve ever experienced! A few hours into the climb I felt fine, I had the music going, plenty of water and a few snacks to get me going. By about 2 or 3am the altitude really started to hit me, a very strange feeling in which all my words cannot describe. I stated to feel really dizzy, nauseous, sick, headaches, at times I felt as if I just wanted to close my eyes and pass out, at many points my walking poles where the only thing holding me up. To make matters worse my water had frozen. Both myself and Sophie started to feel the same symptoms at the same time which caused us to have many breaks to rest and drink water. It was such a strange feeling, each step we took we knew it would get worse and get colder. I can honestly say I have never wanted to see the sun rise so much in my life. The higher we went, the colder it got, to the point where I was generally worried about my thumbs, I took my mittens off at one point and under the nail of one of my thumbs looked worryingly dark; still you must push on.

At about 5:30am we eventually made it to Stella Point, an incredible achievement. Just before we got there I had stopped on a slope waiting for Soph to catch up, I was there for a few seconds and felt really dizzy, I span round on my poles and a passer by literally caught me as I fell and pushed me into his group for the final few metres. Thank got he did or I would have found myself a long way down! After that I was glad to reach Stella! I’m not even ashamed to admit, I got pretty emotional while resting at the top! We both caught our breath for a little while before evaluating our options. Many people turn back and head back down from Stella. It’s a great achievement to get there, Uhuru Point was still over an hour away. We decided that Stella was just not enough and we must continue, best decision I’ve made. Don’t think I would have ever gotten over coming so close and turning back. The hike to Uhuru apparently took about an hour, however I’ve my dazed and confused state I was convinced it only took about 20 minutes. I didn’t believe our guide after that it took an hour!

We continued walking with our guide always shouting Polie Polie which meant slow slow! At about 6:35am and 5,896amsl since we started we reached Uhuru Point. It was such an amazing feeling, we couldn’t believe we had made it. The sunrise on the horizon warmed the heart and was a stunning site to see. As it rose it lit up the massive glaciers around us in a warm red glow. At that altitude it was dangerous for us to stay there for too long so we had our photos taken next to the sign and began to make our decent shortly after.

Our decent was rapid, and almost felt like a race against time. The lower we got the better we would begin to feel. In my oxygen starved state, being at the top seemed almost like a blur. It took us about two and a half hours to reach the camp we had previously been at. After a lunch, many conversations of how it was and a short nap we started walking again down to the lowest camp on the mountain for our final camp which took another 4 hours. A 10,000ft descent in one day played tricks on the mind! After getting to camp we ate and had an early night, shattered by all the events of the day!

The next morning we began our final hike down to the gate which took around 4 hours. Again a beautiful walk through the lush rain forests. I even saw a number of monkeys in the trees which was amazing. My first time seeing monkeys in the wild, it was great.

After a few hours walking we arrived at the gate and were met with an incredible reception. All the guides and porters who had come up with us were there waiting for us. As soon as we walked near a guitar appeared our of no where and they all burst into song and dance. Songs of Kilimanjaro, Kibo, Polie Polie, it was amazing. Couldn’t have though of a better way to finish. They all continued singing and dancing and lead us behind a small building for an amazing feast and drinks they had put on. It felt amazing to sit and look back in what we had just achieved, and the perfect ending made it all the better.

It was an incredible experience, we had raised over £1,300 for Macmillan met some amazing people and scaled one of the most amazing and beautiful mountains on earth. It was something I will never forget. It was worth all the pain and struggle and shows that we are truly capable of anything.

I’d like to thank everyone who donated money to the cause it means a great deal at goes to a great cause. I also want to thanks Climb Kili and the absolutely incredible team of guides and porters. They amazed me more each day, a climb like this is impossible without them, I am forever great full.

As I sat back and drank a cool bottle of Kilimanjaro Lager put on by the team, I though I’ll never forget this place. It certainly was ‘Kili Time’.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, by Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.

Another Traveling Song

So the time is almost here and I’m getting more excited by the day. Only 10 days now until I depart for Nairobi and begin another trip around the world. Been planning this one for quite some time and I’m going to places I have always wanted to go. First stopping in Nairobi I will then travel down to a small town in Tanzania called Arusha. Arusha will be where we’ll stay for a few days before I climb Mt Kilimanjaro, the words highest single standing mountain. I can’t wait for Kili its going to be an incredible challenge, although its going to test me and push me to my absolute limits, the feeling of standing on the roof of Africa will be something I’ll always remember….if I make it! 

After the climb we travel overland all the way down to Johannesburg, passing through 6 countries as we do so. I can’t wait to see all the amazing, sites animals and looking forward to meeting some of the locals. Once in Johannesburg we travel all the way around SA to Cape town before flying to Jakarta, Indonesia for the second part of the trip. Two months traveling Indo will take us all over Java, Bali, Lombok and a few other islands. Cannot wait to get in the water in Indo and surf some of the spots I have always dreamt about. After Indo we fly to New Zealand for a couple months before finally arriving in Australia where I am planning to spend a year.

I cannot wait to get going on the trip, its been a long time coming with a lot of planning. I almost have all my gear sorted, even picked up the 170 Malaria pills today! Apparently they’re going to give me crazy nightmares so I’ll be sure to report back! I am doing the Kili climb for charity so if you can, please please donate anything you can! www.justgiving.com/sophie-hanrahan

To The East

I keep having dreams, of airport scenes, bus rides and Mr Dylan. Of watching sunrises from mountains and driftwood fires on beaches. And our eyes lighting up at the writing of stories. Seeing new places and a thousand faces, far from the cities that I’ve roamed along. Its not by seeing the world that changes us its how what we see can inspire us. I hope to see the world through the glimmers in our eyes, yet still forever my heart will remain upon that English hill. I believe something amazing could happen.