Em's Firsthand summary part 1!

I always get nervous before flying ... not because of the flight itself but because of all the things to check before you actually get on the plane! So you can imagine how I was feeling having booked flights not just for myself but also for 12 others too!  That said, with the exception of Sian forgetting her passport (her dad had to drive back with it!) and Alex getting held up for 40 minutes to be searched because he had forgotten to take his travel wash out of his hand luggage... everything went to plan! Everyone arrived at Heathrow in plenty of time on the 12th - this being the first time we actually managed to get the whole team together at the same time!  Flights were on time, food could have been worse and despite out connection flights in Doha and hour stopover in Dar es Salaam, we got all our luggage at Kilimanjaro International (missing luggage would have been a nightmare on this trip!).

As promised, after getting our entry visas, our guide Methley Swai met us at the airport with smiles and handshakes all round.  Everyone was so excited because after months and months of research, planning, training and fundraising, we were actually there in Africa!!  We stayed at Kaliwa lodge for the first two nights - it is a lovely!  I admit I was a tad worried when the mini bus driver turned down a narrow dirt track just off the route to the Machame gate entrance, but behind the big security gates at the end we found ourselves in our own private, clean rooms with a perfect view of the top of the mountain we were to tackle over the next week!  We allowed ourselves one refreshing Kilimanjaro Premium lager whilst Methley went over some of the details for the trip and told us how to prepare our things.

Wednesday 14th - rather than making the most of our 'day off' we opted to take a walking tour of the village...  The valley next to Kaliwa Lodge is phenomenal with a lovely little waterfall and river with a mini island at the bottom = first proper team photo!  We saw a church and went on to the local primary school; Uduru Primary, Moshi.  Kelly had brought 2 footballs with her and Carl had a bag of pens and pencils to give away so our village guide Victor asked the headteacher if he minded us giving them out.  The reception we got was unforgettable!  All the children crowded around us smiling, 'hi-5'ing and saying 'Jambo' (Hello) it was very emotional and we could understand why so many people find this kind of experience life-changing - if only we could take British school children over there to see how much they take for granted...

First day of our trek!! - leaving the lodge would have been a lot harder if we had thought about the fact that it was our last night in a real bed and with a proper toilet, but we were clearly too excited to think about that! The 4x4 trip to the gate for registration and then on to our starting point was an experience and a half; people pay good money for off-roading in the UK!  Our first trek was much steeper than anticipated (no easing us in gently then!) but the guides led a good slow, steady pace so everyone managed ok.  Everyone that is, except for Sian's porter who took a good half hour longer than everyone else to get to camp!! Methley explained that he was new and that all the crew carry the same weight so although he sent a couple of guys back to help him out, in future he would just have to get on with it!  We had 7 small tents and one large 'dining tent' but the highlight for me was the portable toilet that they brought for the ladies to use in camp!!  That said we did 'rough it' a few times throughout the week and relieve ourselves al fresco.

Methley assured us that day 2 would be less steep than the first day... I would have to disagree! We didn't have lunch until 4pm so everyone was very hungry and very tired.  It was tough going (didn't even stop for snacks!) but morale was still high with plenty of jokes being told and film quotes being repeated/guessed.  The hardest thing was looking up to spot porters or trekkers way up on a ridge in the distance and being told that was where we were heading!  That said, we always cheered up when we looked back and saw the view and just how far we had come!  A few people started to get headaches today but we didn't know if it was due to altitude, side-effects from tablets they were taking or lack of regular meals but most settled after lunch and a cup of tea.  The sun seems to set really quickly (and the temperature drops just as fast!) but we caught some amazing views of the summit!! No matter how tired. achy or hungry we felt, seeing our goal that much clearer and closer at the end of the day boosted everyone's spirits....