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Michael Heal on top of Kilimanjaro.

Heal conquers Kilimanjaro

10/26/2009

MICHAEL Heal has added his name to the list of persons who have successfully climbed Mount Kili-manjaro. His ascent to the top of the highest mountain in Africa was not only in keeping with and announcement he made in Barbados last year, but was also to raise money for a cancer charity.

The announcement was made on the occasion of Heal’s 60th birthday party in Barbados in October last year and one person, above all, Heal wanted to be at this bash was Ian Kirkham, who had been in Barbados for Heal’s 50th birthday party but having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in June 2004 had been given just 18 months to live.

Now aged 60, Heal was required to take a medical to ensure he was capable of take on the physical challenge of walking for around eight hours per day with a heavy rucksack on his back – climbing all the time into oxygen depriving altitudes

There were also the mandatory vaccinations – yellow fever, hepatitis A, typhoid, diphtheria, tetanus and polio and the purchase of malaria tablets and iodine tablets for water purification and Diamox tablets to counter the effects of altitude sickness.

On the day of departure, Heal was part of a group of five who were taking on Kilimanjaro for UCARE including a specialist urological cancer nurse, Gemma, and an ex soldier, Andy, who had a prosthetic leg attached at the knee. They all assembled for the night flight to Nairobi on the evening of Saturday February 14, Valentine’s Day, and on arrival in Nairobi, were transferred to another plane for a much shorter flight to Kilimanjaro airport early on the Sunday morning.

There were more forms to be completed before they set off for the last night’s comfortable sleep in a hotel and where they met the rest of tour party of twelve – two British couples from Dubai, a couple from Australia and a woman from Ireland. After the briefing that evening, everyone looked to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for the first day of the climb.

Taking the Rongai route, the first part of the climb took them through sub tropical vegetation and woodland to a height of 2 600m. After a four and a half hour trek they reached Simba Camp.

The porters, cooks and guides, 49 in all, had passed them earlier in the day and had already set up camp – a routine that would be repeated every day throughout the climb.

After a short break the guides then took them further up the mountain and then back down to camp to help them better acclimatise. The mantra was: “Climb High, Sleep Low”.

After dinner with the group in the “mess tent”, Heal did not cope very well on his first ever night sleeping under canvas.

They were woken just after dawn next day and after breakfast started the climb to Kikelewa Caves at 3 600m. It took nearly ten hours and as the camp came into view, the sun had disappeared and it began to rain.

At dinner that night in the mess tent, Heal began to show some of the first signs of altitude sickness as he had not started taking his anti-altitude sickness pills (Diamox). However, it was now time to seek their assistance. Returning to his own tent with the assistance of one of the group, he took the Diamox pill and hoped to felt better after a night’s sleep.

Heal was awoken the next morning to find that the sun was up and the rain had disappeared. He felt better and, encouraged by the support of the group, tried to eat as much breakfast as he could and topped up on his Diamox in preparation for the day’s climb of 4 330m to Mawenzi Tarn.

They reached the camp after a four and a half hour climb, took a short break, and then were taken further up the mountain in a snow storm for another hour and back again before they could rest and take dinner.

Day 4 of the climb would took them to Kibo Hut at 4 700m – the base from which they would make their attempt on the summit, setting out at 11.30 pm that same night.

The day involved a six hour trek across the dessert known as the Saddle which again exposed them to the full force of the elements. They reached the camp site at about 2 pm where they were fed and told to grab some sleep.

They were woken at 5 pm for dinner and a final briefing and advised to sleep wearing all the clothes needed for the attack on the summit.

It was nearly midnight when they started the steep ascent to Gilmans Point and this was where trekking poles were necessary to help them trudge through the scree.

Heal began to lose the feeling in one of his hands, and one of the guides swapped gloves with him. The side effects of the Diamox tablets induced pins and needles and tingling in Heal’s lips and toes. But he was determined to continue the journey. Just short of Gilmans Point, the next target, and the last stage before the final assault on the summit, was a dauntingly steep section of the climb called Jamaica Rocks. They stretched upwards to a height of 50m. Although not dangerous, it required “hands and feet” clambering and was physically draining but by now they were fortified by the light of the day and the knowledge that their objective was in reach.

They all made it to Gilmans and from there they could see the route to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro, to be reached by walking around and up the rim of the crater – another 90 minute trek.

The guides then carried out medical and fitness checks on all members of the group. If anyone was not feeling up to it they were advised not to continue and anyone who had been sick three times was automatically barred from carrying on – the round trip to the summit would take another three hours and then there was the descent from Gilmans to Kibo and then on to Horombo Hut to be completed before they lost the light.

Heal trudged on with a guide in close attendance. The prospect of exhaustion leading to losing his balance on the slippery crater edge did not bear thinking about. The summit was tantalisingly close but his legs were losing their vigour as he began to notice just how cold it was and how the wind was getting up.

They managed to make it to the summit as the signpost confirmed they had reached the highest point in Africa at 5 895m.

Indices

as of close 9/15/2009


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