My Trip To The Top Of Africa - Mt. Kilimanjaro -Aug. 08

What an amazing journey - a once in a lifetime opportunity to push my mind and body to its limits. Would I be up to the challenge of a 7 day trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro? It's like nothing I had ever done before - I had done some hiking and camping and was in relatively good physical condition for someone just a few months shy of his 48th birthday. But I had certainly never attempted anything so challenging - Physically and Mentally! I did the preparation and training, I had read dozens of blogs and articles and had increased my physical training and stuck to a fairly clean diet (which later came back to haunt me!).

It would be an adventure vacation like no other - a trip to Africa with my friend and coworker Deb Creatura. While we had a good relationship at work, we certainly didn't know each other as well as we were about to. One day we were talking across our desks at work, and the next we are talking about our bodily functions while sharing a tent on a freezing cold mountain.

It was a long flight to Africa, stopping for 14 hours in London, with a short stop in Nairobi before flying in to Kilimanjaro Airport. We were all filled with anxious energy, and couldn't wait for the adventure to get started.We were part of the Joints in Motion team - 30 Canadians who had collected about $300 thousand for the Arthritis Society. All of us were attracted to the challenge of Kilimanjaro - and each had their own reason for doing it, but a tribute to people with arthritis was at the top of the list. For me it was to face a major challenge with a life changing experience before I turned 50. We really only got a chance to meet each other on the bus ride into Arusha and at our home base - the Pamoja Lodge. It was pretty nice- big rooms, showers, a swimming pool, and the dining reception area. At dinner we were able to check out each other's personalities, to see who we would click with and who we might not get along so well with... important information before we were to share this very intimate experience together. We had a day and a half to acclimatize ourselves to the region's weather and altitude and to get over any jetlag from our 32 hour flight plus the 7 hour time difference. It also gave us a chance to get used to Africa too. It was certainly an eye opening experience. Our first images were on the road out of the airport as we saw Masai in traditional wraps, many carrying water jugs on their heads, or huge piles of twigs and grasses on their backs, on their bikes and on donkeys. The only animals we were seeing were donkeys, cattle (with humps on their backs like the cows in India) and goats, no there were no lions or giraffes wandering the streets of Arusha. Housing consisted of everything from thatched huts to brick structures. But they had no doors or windows - many had no roof, while others used thatch or tin. Unfortunately we were driving too fast to get any pictures.
I managed to take a quick trip to a Masai open market with several others from the group. It was a total immersion into the culture. We mingled among hundreds of Masai men and women and had a chance to bargain for some souvenirs. I met one woman who had beautiful silver and white earrings hanging from piercings at the top of her ears. I asked her about them so she took them out and offered them to me to buy. I also met a woman who had a beautiful beaded cross around her neck... again I admired it and again she took it off and offered it up to me. I was hoping to get a Masai blanket that is often their only clothing. It turns out they buy them at the market, and some are actually 'made in China'. When I was in Arusha the day before, I asked about the price of one in a local store... they said it was $55 but I managed to talk them down to $35, which I still felt was too high. I bought one at the market for $6. It pays to shop around. We had hoped to get to a Masai village too, but there was not enough time.

We also had the trauma of preparing our bags for the trek, while in Arusha. The porters would only carry 8 kg. unless you hired an extra porter who would carry 15 kg. and of course you also had to remember to keep your backpack as light as possible. Especially since you will also be carrying water, which weighs about 1kg per litre and we'll be drinking 3-5 liters per day. So we spent a long time, weighing our bags, packing, repacking, moving things from one bag to another, and using the lodge's scale to measure out each few grams to reach that total. It was a tedious process but it was a fun challenge too.The next day we hopped on the bus and drove the 3 hours to Machame Gate to begin our trek. There were dozens of young men outside the gate hoping to be chosen to be a porter for one of the treks. They would earn about $140 for a week of intense physical labour. If they don't get chosen today they will be back again tomorrrow. There is an armed guard at the gate to keep them out unless they are chosen. We had to register at the Machame Gate which took a lot longer than we anticipated.
There were several other groups registering at the same time. But the long wait did give us a chance to get to know each other a little bit better. We split up into two groups of 15 and each group will have 45-50 porters, 4 assistant guides, one guide, a cook, and two additional kitchen help. Unfortunately the two groups rarely had a chance to mingle together during the trek. When we finally got the okay to go into the park, we headed up the mountain on a compact mud trail through rainforest. Walking poles were important as any precipitation caused the mud to get slippery, so you had to watch your footing. Looking down would be something we would all master in short time. I walked next to our assistant guide Deo on the first day. He was full of information about the trees and plants and animals in the area, like the Impatiens Kilimanjari, native to that forest. I also found out that he had been a porter for 3 years and a guide for 2 years. He has made the summit trek 75 to 100 times and had to go to guide school for 2 years. Most interesting though is that his grandfather was the first guide on Kilimanjaro.

We walked uphill for about 5 hours, at times it was quite steep, so they used split logs along the pathways to make it a little easier. The scenery is spectacular. Huge ancient looking trees, ferns, and lots of moss. We stopped soon after we had started for a delicious lunch of cheese on a bun, cold chicken, a hard boiled egg, and pizza bread. A good energy boost for the rest of the day's trek. A few hours later when we got to the Machame Hut we had to sign in again with our passports. We also learned we wouldn't be able to buy any water there, we'd have to get boiled water or treat cold water with tablets or a water purification pump.

Our first night in the tent was pretty good, though quite cold already. Certainly not what you would expect in a rainforest in Africa on the equator. We had a delicious dinner of vegetable soup, spagetti and meat sauce and a cucumber salad. But we had to go to bed right after dinner (we were exhausted - but it broke my 2 hour rule - no food 2 hours before bed). At least I didn't have the problem of Jane Mclaren. The cooks apparently had not been told about her dietary restrictions - so she would end up eating french fries and salad for much of the trek.

We woke up at about 6 am and packed up for the day ahead. After breakfast we began to hike at about 8am through bearded heather, tall grasses and volcanic rock. There was also a steady mist as we hiked through the foggy weather. It was all uphill, very rocky and steep. A few areas we had to climb hand over hand, the rocks made slippery by the mist. There were also a few steep cliffs that tested anyone who was afraid of heights, even a little bit. Again it was awe inspiring though, when you weren't looking down at your feet, you could look out over the spectacular scenery.

The hike had gone well, but just as we started to descend into Shira Camp, at 12,200 feet I started to get nauseous. I stepped away from the group and lost my lunch, just a few meters from camp. It really scared me because I don't get sick easily, and wasn't sure if this was a cause of the altitude or the heavier diet I was now getting used to or even because of bad water.

Our travel coordinator Celine and our head guide Msafiri were with me and told me I should eat as soon as we got back to camp. That was the last thing I felt like doing. While I now realized that altitude was affecting me, I also believe part of the problem was all the heavy, carb laden food I was eating, especially since it was always just before bed time. Normally I avoid most carbs, I eat lots of vegetables and fruit and avoid heavy fried foods. Luckily one of the other trekkers, Tara McDonald had some lipton chicken soup that I was able to eat with some dry toast. It was tough though with all the smells from other people's dinner (I think they were eating curry). I asked Celine if she thought I was going to be okay and she was very encouraging - reassuring me that people get sick all the time and it doesn't mean they aren't able to summit. I am nervous though about day 3 tomorrow as we are supposed to climb about 3 thousand feet before descending to Barranco Camp, which is only a few hundred feet higher than Shira Camp. That apparently will be our best chance for acclimatization.

I got up for my mid-night Diamox 'moment' (Diamox is the drug we take to prevent altitude sickness- but it is also a diuretic that makes you pee... a lot!) and there was frost on the ground - the clouds had cleared - it was a three quarter moon and you could see the peak among the stars - it was spectacular! I woke the next day feeling confident and relatively strong again. I had some breakfast and drank as much water as I could because we were about to start ,what is supposed to be, about 6 hours of hiking, mostly straight uphill through rocks and shrubs, headed to the Lava Tower and then Barranco camp.

About an hour into the hike I started feeling nauseous again - so much for my iron stomach- again I rarely get sick so I was suprised at my body's reaction. I tried to fight the feeling as long as I could but when I lost my breakfast things really started to get rough. It was still just the start of an uphill marathon and I had now lost any nutrition, energy and water that I had in me - all the things I would need to get through the day. I hung back with assistant guide Safiri and Celine, as well as Caroline, who stayed behind for physical and moral support, and Debbie Young-Hermanns who was having back trouble. We had porters carry our day packs, but it was still an unbelievable nightmare. We continued to hike, albeit very slowly. It was easier to go slow and also didn't sap all of my energy. But about an hour later I got sick again, and now as the vegetation was thinning out, it was harder to be descrete about it. A defeated feeling started to wash over me, and it was hard to keep my inner voice from destroying the remnants of my confidence. But we kept moving - Polè Polè or slowly! One foot in front of the other... it was like a death march. The hardest part was the mental punishment. I tried to think positive but found it almost impossible. I was actually feeling that this was the end... and at one point, I knew Celine and Msafiri were deciding whether I would have to go down the mountain, but I kept moving on. It actually felt better when I moved than when I stood still. While the rest of the group continued on to the Lava Tower, Safiri led us back on a shortcut to Barranco Camp. I was able to keep going in small increments... hoping to get to the next break without getting sick, and then the next rest stop, and finally could I make it to camp. I had no energy and a few times I had to lean on Safiri and Emanuel to stop from falling down. When my eyes started closing, they would yell out- 'Do not sleep... Do not sleep!' I was completely beaten down. Timoth, an 18 year old porter on his 10th trek to the summit, stayed with us too, and tried to keep my spirits up. At one point, we passed by a German family that we had seen before, and it seemed that the teenage daughter Maria and her father were not doing well either.

As we hiked up one ridge I got sick again and at that point had nothing left in me. Even the cracker I had been nibbling on was gone. It was now the dry heaves. I was totally dehydrated and had developed blisters on my lips and cankers in my mouth. It was almost the moment of truth. But as we rested for a moment we saw an amazing rockslide, we watched as huge boulders rolled down the side of the mountain and over the glacial field. And as I enjoyed the scenery again, I was also able to sip some water. The beauty of the area was actually inspiring me, and after hiking for more than 9 hours we finally stumbled into camp. Debbie Y.H., Celine and I had a very emotional group hug at that moment. We had done the impossible and made it through this hellish trek but we all felt that it was likely the end for me, I could not imagine how I could continue. I was so grateful for their support. And soon others came over with their hugs and words of support too. Nicole came over and sang a song that she had in her head while she was trekking - 'we love you Darren, oh yes we do...' She also had tears in her eyes and it really gave me strength to try to go on. During the trek that day, I had a chance to talk with Safiri. He told me about his family, his wife and 6 children and how his mother and sister were also living with him since his father died... but that at the age of 51 he was the sole breadwinner for the family. I gave him a tip, that was equal to what he would expect for the whole week, and he seemed grateful, although not as grateful as I was for all of his support that day. Of course Msafiri and Celine told me I had to eat and drink something, when all I really wanted was to go to sleep. Deb C. had made up my bed for me and they let me nap for one hour. Then they brought me dinner - very nice -but it was tomato vegetable soup, a tomato salad and 4 pieces of toast!!! I almost gagged with every bite, but Deb kept at me to eat something. I had a little soup and half a piece of toast. But it was at that point that I handed Deb my share of the tips for the porters because I was afraid I would not make it to the summit. She tried to argue with me, but I didn't want to have to leave the trek and not contribute to the team's tips.

The next morning I woke up feeling totally refreshed and invigorated. Before I even got out of the tent, Celine had yelled out asking me how I was feeling, when I replied that I felt much better, those around us started applauding and cheering. I also planned a change to my diet if I was going to go any further... Jeff Knowles gave me some protein powder, my usual breakfast, and I was able to eat some toast. Not the kind of nutrition Msafiri thought I should have, but I reasoned that I now had protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals in my system to help me move forward. Just as we were about to head up Barranco Wall, Team one passed by our group. They stopped and gave me their hugs and words support and it was really encouraging to know that they were also behind me in this. But I was sorry to hear that some of them had been suffering too.

We started the hike up to the Barranco Wall and it was definately the highlight of the trek so far. It was almost a vertical climb with a lot of hand over hand climbing. It was also slow going. The difficulty of the terrain caused human traffic jams along the route. We also had to take frequent breaks because of that, which gave my body time to adjust. It was such an accomplishment for me to get up there and was really a lot of fun. But when we got to the top of the wall it wasn't over yet. We still had to do more hiking down into a valley and then uphill to Karanga camp. We hung back again- Safiri, Celine, Debbie Y.H. and Jane joined us. As we cleared the top of the ridge of Barranco, the rest of the team was already down the valley. But when they saw us come over the ridge, they really started cheering us on. What an amazing group of people. Again it gave me the strength to get to my next goal. And as soon as we got to camp we had lunch. I had a couple of pieces of chiken, a little soup, and some french fries - the most I'd eaten in days. There was also an optional hike to a higher altitude. But actually the language barrier made it pretty funny. When I asked Msafiri if the hike was Mandatory, he said 'yes' . So then someone else asked if that meant that we had to do it, an he said 'no'. So I stayed behind and slept. Lunch followed by that nap made me feel so much better, plus now I'm starting to get my confidence back.
It was very hot hiking that day since we are now above the clouds and a few of us ended up with some nasty sunburns. Turns out sun sensitivity is one of the side effects of Malarone, the anti-malaria pills we are taking. 70 SPF wasn't enough for us, and I don't burn very easily. My lips are a painful mess though.

The next day will be Barafu Camp- the final stop before summit. It's supposed to be a relatively short and easy trek. Though we will have less oxygen since we will be hitting 15,200 ft.

Now I have to mention that I am so glad I did all those step ups with weights, lunges, stairmaster, and running stairs in my pre-trek training. You really need good quadriceps to propel you forward. It also helped me get this far, that Emanuel had insisted on carrying my pack (though I hadn't really fought him too hard about it).

As expected the trek to Barafu Camp was fairly easy. It was a short 3 hour trek uphill, then downhill and then up another steep hill. The porters were still just setting up camp when we arrived, but they were apparently upset because they forgot to bring their own water and now had to go back down in the valley to get water. I'm still feeling fine - miracle of miracles. There were lots of rocks today mainly shale like. We also saw Alligator Rock that actually looks like an alligator. I don't have my camera out much these days though, focussing instead on putting one foot in front of the other. But our team spirit kept us all going - as we added to our hike song - "I don't know what I've been told, Kili summit's really cold" but Deo had the best addition - "I don't know what I've been told, Pole Pole is a good motion". Hilarious.

We had lunch at camp at about 2pm and it was a really good one so I'm feeling much better now.

We will nap after lunch and then dinner is at 5:30 and we sleep again with all of our warmest gear ready, since we start hiking to the summit at 11pm! Camp here is very noisy though, we seem to be in a very busy pathway. 300 people are supposed to be camped here tonight. Most will attempt the summit at midnight, others will camp the next night in the crater. There's a steady stream of people walking past our tents - annoying even with earplugs. But I still managed to sleep, and I'm sure I'm going to need every second of that reserve to get me to the summit.

When we woke up it was dark and cold, but we were really excited about the night ahead. We dressed in our warmest gear, although I seem to have lost my downfill vest. I have no idea what happened to it (I even thought I must have left it at the lodge but it wasn't there either). We had a cup of tea to warm us up but we were cold as we started the slow climb to Stella Point.

It is almost impossible to put into words what it was like. Everyone on our team had their own challenges to overcome in getting to this point, and the trek to the summit would be no exception. We would all have to draw on that inspiration to get through this. It was going to be the longest day yet and we would be climbing about 5 thousand feet all at once, the biggest single altitude change yet.

Most of us had some kind of hallucinations on that final day. I kept seeing something in my peripheral vision, but when I'd turn to look, there was nothing there. Deb C. said she thought the dusty rocks we were walking over were actually semi-precious stones... pink quartz, tanzanite etc. but she couldn't understand why no one was picking them up. And then she decided that they would make your backpack too heavy - which made perfect sense at the time. Linda Bulmer also had a similiar vision of the rocks being something more than they really were.

I hung back with the Pole Pole group again- eventhough everyone was going slowly.... I was in the even slower group. A couple of hours into it though I felt I was falling back further and further from the main group. So when Debbie Y.H, Celine and Safiri stopped for a pee break, I said I was going to go on to try to catch up to everyone else. I felt bad about leaving Debbie but I really wondered if she was even going to make it to the top, she was really struggling at that point, and I still felt like I had a lot more energy to go. As it turned out she didn't make it, about two hours from Stella Point she really started getting delusional so they decided to rush her back down to Barafu Camp. She says she barely remembers it. I knew I just had to keep moving. I would just keep my head down with my headlamp on, doing half steps and watching as I put one foot in front of the other. At times I would try to remember family and friends back home, my dog... anything to keep me moving. Other times my mind was on auto-pilot as I just kept my feet moving. It was also getting very cold, my finger tips were getting numb (although I wasn't sure if that was the cold or another Diamox moment). My water bottle was ice cold - so I tried to put some hotpacks in my pocket with the bottle but it didn't work, apparently there wasn't enough oxygen in my pocket to fuel the chemical reaction in the hotpacks.

By the time we reached Stella Point - one of the peaks- it would still be another 45 minutes to an hour trek to Uhuru. We stopped for a short rest and a few members of the group wondered if they would be able to go on. We had already exhausted all of our energy reserves, we were cold, tired, sore and all feeling the effects of the altitude - but we all continued. The word 'Twende' (Swahili for 'let's go') became a dreaded word, when we were resting.

As we started the final trek toward the summit, it started to become very emotional. I started to choke back the tears as I thought about what I had accomplished. How I thought my trek was over days earlier, and how I was able to push myself past that. Normally when I'm sick I am a real baby and only want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and wait it out, and here I was hiking for several hours despite intense nausea. And as the sun rose, nearby Mt. Meru was surrounded by an intense red and orange glow (I know that wasn't a hallucination because I got the picture to prove it) . Again the beauty of it all is inspiring. And I kept moving, sometimes through narrow paths in the receding glacier ice, until we reached the top. I started to sob as we all started to hug one another, and I realized I wasn't the only one. We had all achieved an amazing feat and defeated our own demons along the way. I was so proud of myself for making it to the top, but of course I couldn't have done it without everyone's support too. But I was especially thankful to Celine who went back down to Barafu Camp with Debbie. She had already reached the summit twice before.

The summit itself was quite crowded, as different groups arrived at the same time, some from different routes. Everyone was taking photos, but because it was so windy and cold we couldn't stay too long. We took our pictures, not as many as I'd hoped, but the important one - of me standing next to the sign. After this marathon journey we only stayed at the top about 10 or 15 minutes as we congratulated each other.

And then we started to head back down the mountain. Again we ran into several members of group one... and gave them that final push to get to the top, we all hugged and shared support. And whenever we would pass someone else climbing up, as we were on the way down, we would congratulate them and tell them they only had a bit more to go. It was still very emotional and we felt like we were all part of a very unique community.

We started down a different route than we had come up, and it was made up entirely of scree (small gravel and sand with some stones mixed in). You would sink up to your ankles but you would also be sliding downhill. It would have been more fun if it wasn't so dusty. I was spitting dust all the way. We stopped for a 20 minute rest and a small snack. I couldn't choke down the chocolate bar (yes, I did actually say that) so I sat down on a rock and nodded off. At one point Nicole became upset when her calves started cramping up. She was in agony as a couple of people tried to ease her pain. Poor girl, there is still so much more hiking downhill to come.

We finally made it down to Barafu camp and saw Debbie Y.H. I went over and gave her a big hug. She was quite emotional, and I felt so bad for her. I know exactly how she must feel, because I thought that very well could have been me too. She and Celine are going to start down to the next camp as soon as possible. We would get to stop, after 12 hours on the trail, for a short 1 hour nap in our tents, then lunch and then back on the trail to Mweki Camp. We had climbed up about 5 thousand feet and then down another 9 thousand feet to camp, all totalled the day would be about 18 hours of hiking!!! It actually felt okay though, despite the fact that I had taken off my hiking socks for the last part of the trek (they stunk) and was wearing just liners, so I ended up with big blisters on my toes (my own stupid fault).

We had to sign in again at Mweki camp, but this time there was Kili beer and Coke for sale. It was also very noisy at the camp and there were a lot of porters hanging around. There were also apparently guards with submachine guns walking around, patrolling the area. We were told to be extra careful here.

It was also back to rainforest weather - damp and cool.

Tomorrow we have another 4 hour hike to the gate where we will have lunch and a small ceremony and then back to the hotel for a shower and a real bed!!

We went to bed that night and finally had time to reflect on our amazing day. The trek to the summit was an overwelming experience. I had never pushed myself to test my physical and mental limits... and this pushed it to the extreme. It also gave me a unique perspective on those who don't make it to the top. It doesn't mean you didn't achieve something remarkable. How many people do you know have actually attempted it? Every leg of the journey can defeat you so you have to look at each leg as it's own challenge... and whatever you achieve, should make you feel proud.

I know I will always remember the German girl Maria who fought along with me to get to Barafu - but unfortuantely she didn't make it to the summit. There was also an Indian girl that we saw during the first part of the trek, who was in rough shape, even before I was. We saw a girl at the summit who looked like her, being led by two guides on either side of her. Her eyes were glassy and her skin was a green/grey colour. She was rushed down immediately after reaching the top. So the lesson there is, you can't be stupid about this... it can kill you. People actually die attempting to reach the summit, by ignoring their body's signals. Just because a lot of people attempt to climb Kili every year, do not underestimate how tough it really is.

We woke up on the final day after a good night's sleep - 9 or 10 hours. We had a big breakfast and started the final trek through the rainforest to Mweka Gate. It was very slippery on the compacted mud of the rainforest again. But we were able to enjoy the scenery even more - and it was absolutely beautiful. We heard loud calls that sounded like monkeys but we were told they were a type of bat that changes colour with the seasons. We had hoped to see some monkeys, but were told they were very difficult to spot because they tend to stay away from people. (we would get our share of monkeys later on Safari).

We were actually surprised at what little wildlife we had seen. There were these little chipmunks that had rat tails. In fact one tried to get into our tent at Barafu a few times, no doubt it was after my partly eaten Mars bar from the decent from the summit. We saw a few sparrow type birds and white necked ravens, that were around most of our camps, but that was about it.

As we got closer to the gate, we started to feel the stress of the past 7 days. Things started to hurt a little more, and the steps were becoming more difficult. As we got closer to the end we encountered groups of children along the pathway. They were collecting grasses for their homefires and all had their hands out. They wanted my water bottle and my cap (things that I still needed). As we fished out a few protein bars, Msafiri told us we should not give them anything, that they should be in school and by giving them something, it would only perpetuate their family's belief that they could do better out of school than sitting in a classroom. Still it was hard for them not to tug at your heartstrings.

We reached the gate in good spirits, but again had another lengthy wait in the hot sun, as we all signed in. There was a lot of people there. That's where I ran into the German family and asked about Maria.

After our final registration, and after we had collected all the tips from everyone, the two teams had a nice lunch together. But the hot African sun made the bananas steaming hot, and the cutlery too hot to handle.

Eventually the ceremony began.

The porters and guides all sang us a celebration song and gave us certificates of accomplishment.

There was also lots of bartering going on around the gate. People were trying to sell us T-shirts, jewlery, carvings, etc. It was a fun way to end the trek.

One of the guides on team one said he worked with a local orphanage, with many children who had been orphaned because of AIDS. We collected $170 and Michele donated her duffle bag of colouring books, crayons, and toys. George Fischer donated one of his books on Canadian attractions with beautiful photos he had taken, and we all got to sign the book.

As soon as we got back to the hotel we all jumped into the showers, followed by an afternoon of drinking and reminiscing by the pool.
It was an unbelievable challenge that I had conquered, one that I won't ever repeat, but also one that I won't ever forget.

post script:

Months after my return I received a letter from Mountain Equipment Co-op warning me that the protein bars I had taken with me to Africa were part of a massive recall because they could cause Salmonella. I don't know if that's what happened... but it's another piece of the puzzle...

Energy bar – health alert

Dear Member,Our records show that you bought an energy bar from MEC that is affected by a health hazard alert that was recently issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). As you may know, a wide variety of products made with peanuts supplied by the Peanut Corporation of America are currently being recalled by North American manufacturers for possible Salmonella contamination.New information has just come to light that the recall dates have been expanded to include all Peanut Corporation of America products made from January 1, 2007 onward. Please check the CFIA's website for the most current information on affected items:http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2009/20090121e.shtmlFor more information about Salmonella, see this page at Health Canada's site:http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/salmonella-eng.php#heThe only items sold by MEC that are affected by CFIA's health alert are:

4007-588 – CLIF® BAR Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch

4006-069 – CLIF BAR Crunchy Peanut Butter

5005-989 – CLIF® BAR Peanut Toffee Buzz®

5017-984 – CLIF Builder's Peanut Butter

4013-141 – LUNA Nutz Over Chocolate

5011-078 – NATURE'S PATH PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BAR

If you have not consumed the energy bar you purchased from MEC, you can return it for a full refund. Best regards,Mountain Equipment Co-op

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS:

Weight is everything, make sure what you pack is exactly what you will need. Leave all the extras at home, and if you are not sure, leave it out. Your backpack shouldn't weigh any more than about 4lbs without water.

Your most important items will be your water bottle (enough to carry 3-4 litres of water - so a waterbottle and a camelbak are good ideas), also remember something (either drops or pills or a purifying filter) to clean the water with. Don't forget sunglasses, hat, sunscreen (even if you don't usually burn - like me- you will under the powerful sun, especially if you are taking Malarone) and even zinc oxide for your lips. You will want something to wash with. Eventhough they brought us hot water to wash in with our tea every morning, you will still need more. Deb and I went through about 250 handi-wipes, plus purell and lotion. And the best thing I found were these soap sheets you could buy at a hike shop - small dissolvable sheets (like those listerine breath fresheners) that you simply add water to. Also don't forget the toilet paper (again small camping/hiking packs worked best). Nail clippers and an orange stick or something to get under your filthy nails is a small luxury you will appreciate. Don't forget a headlamp and a tent lantern or flashlight (but remember the lighter the weight the better). Extra shoes to wear around the camp gave our feet a bit of a break from our hiking boots. Make sure your clothes are moisture wicking to keep the perspiration away from you (to prevent getting chilled). Ear plugs were a welcome addition especially in the noisier camps. A warm sleeping bag (the warmer the better).

And if you are having the debate about whether to take Diamox, unless you are allergic to Sulpha drugs... take it. There are side effects you need to be aware of, but it is really your best chance to reach the summit.

If you bring a cellphone or Blackberry (yes there is intermittent service on the mountain) make sure you can access service in Africa (check with your service provider first).

And most important of all, make sure you train. No matter how good shape you are in, work your legs and back, and do the cardio!.

Good Luck!