The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 3 of 15)

Friday 16 September 2011
I woke up at 4:25 AM and was out of the hotel at 05:05 AM. I walked with my backpack and a heavy load of my mountain gear packed in one of those large polythene shopping bags that scare taxi drivers away.

I was told I should have been at Lamadi at 07:30 AM. I was there before six and met the same two characters who promised to arrange a ride for me through the Serengeti but instead made me loose two days at Lamadi before I opted for a flight from Mwanza to the Kilimanjaro International Airport.

By 10:00 AM I had decided there was no chance I would be traveling by car to Arusha today and I hopped on a bus to Mwanza.

Next: I'm in Moshi

Posts related to this one:
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2011/10/mwalimu-nyereremt-kilimanjaro-charity_26.html
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2012/01/mwalimu-nyereremt-kilimanjaro-charity.html

Steve Kamau conquers Mt. Kilimanjaro and becomes a member of the Kilimanjaro Club

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb.

Steve Kamau normally books Kilimanjaro climbs for visitors. He works for Zara Tanzania Adventures the company that has organized all my climbs.

It was while I was sitting with him discussing details of one of the climbs that I suggested to him that he should consider climbing Kilimanjaro himself. A few months later he did just that and joined me on my fourth climb in September 2010.



On the second day of the September 2010 climb, Steve Kamau takes a short rest between Big Tree and Shira One camps.

He is the latest member of the Kilimanjaro Club. The updated list is:


1. Markus Geiger
2. Notburga Maskini
3. Gerald Hando
4. Le Huynh
5. Jaffar Amin
6. Mary Kalikawe
7. William Rutta
8. Steve Kamau

Another member of the Kilimanjaro Club, William Rutta

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb.

Ever since he joined me for the annual Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb in 2010, William Rutta has shown keen interest to return to Mt. Kilimanjaro for another challenge.

William Rutta at Uhuru Peak.

He is the chairman of BUDAP an NGO based in Bukoba that provides assistance to the disabled by providing skills training to its members.

The updated membership list is:

1. Markus Geiger
2. Notburga Maskini
3. Gerald Hando
4. Le Huynh
5. Jaffar Amin
6. Mary Kalikawe
7. William Rutta

Christmas choir at Butiama

Choir members of the Catholic Church Butiama singing during Christmas Mass at the church today.

morning.

The mass was led by the parish priest, Fr. Mathias Brown.

You might also like:
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2011/07/visitors-to-butiama-musoma-choir-shoots.html
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2012/10/singida-choir-members-visit-butiama.html

Mary Kalikawe, member, Kilimanjaro Club

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. 

Mary Kalikawe joined me on my third annual Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb in December 2010. She reached the summit on a day that had considerable snowfall.

Mary Kalikawe is the Managing Director of Kiroyera Consulting, a tourism company based in Bukoba which opened a branch office in Mwanza in 2010. She joined the 3^rd Annual Mwalimu Nyerere.

The updated Kilimanjaro Club list:

1. Markus Geiger
2. Notburga Maskini
3. Gerald Hando
4. Le Huynh
5. Jaffar Amin
6. Mary Kalikawe

Baraka Elias: The tallest Tanzanian?

Baraka Elias is 7' 4" tall. And he is only 22.

He recently almost literally caused a certain pain in someone's neck when he visited a pavilion where Kilimanjaro Club member Notburga Maskini was disseminating information on the Prime Minister's Office - Regional Administration & Local Government services.

Notburga Maskini, left, strained her neck to speak to Baraka Elias, right.

In a telephone interview I asked him: "Are you still adding those inches? His response: "I think I have stopped growing."

He works for mobile phone operator, Tigo.

Post related to this one:
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2012/05/baraka-elias-tallest-tanzanian-just.html

Jaffar Amin is also in the Kilimanjaro Club

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual the Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb.

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I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with Jaffar Amin in December 2010. Our guides were Yahoo, Solomon and Ludovick.

During the 2010 climb: the team's cook, Pantaleo, poses with Jaffar Amin, seated, at Karanga Camp at 3,963m above sea level. Pantaleo decided the weather was ideal for having breakfast in the open.

The updated Kilimanjaro Club membership is:

1. Markus Geiger
2. Notburga Maskini
3. Gerald Hando
4. Le Huynh
5. Jaffar Amin

Alex Nyirenda remembered

It is the third death anniversary today of Brig. Alex Gwebe Nyirenda.

I pay special tribute to this illustrious Tanzanian who at the eve of Tanzania's independence climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and placed the Uhuru Torch at the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro on 9 December 1961.



Uhuru Peak at the top left point of the photograph, as seen from Crater Camp

A few years ago, when I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro for the second time, I began to toy with the idea of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro on the 50th independence anniversary. It is Nyirenda's climb at the eve of independence 50 years ago that has inspired hundreds of Tanzanians this month - including his children Alex Foti Gwebe Nyirenda, and Tima Gwebe Nyirenda - to retrace his steps and commemorate independence on Africa's highest peak.

I will report on this historic climb on this blog soon.

Le Huynh should have been the first member of the Kilimanjaro Club

The Kilimanjaro Club lists people I know who have scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, including those who join me every year on the annual Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb.

 

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I overlooked inducting Le Huynh into the membership roll. He accompanied me on my first climb in 2008. He is an experienced climber, having reached Mt. Everest's base camp, climbed Mt. Kenya, and Mt. Meru (Tanzania).



Le during a visit to the Manchu Pichu Inca site in Peru.

The updated list is:

1. Markus Geiger
2. Notburga Maskini
3. Gerald Hando
4. Le Huynh

The Mwalimu Nyerere/Mt. Kilimanjaro Charity Climb 2011 (post 3 of 15)

This is a continuation of the posts from my September 2011 climb of Mt.Kilimanjaro.

Friday 16 September 2011
I woke up at 0425hrs and was out of the hotel at 0505hrs. I walked to the bus stop with my backpack and a heavy load of my Kilimanjaro gear stashed in one of those large polythene bags that scare taxi drivers away from me.

I was told I should be at Lamadi before 0730hrs to hitch a ride across the Serengeti National Park, an attempt that has ended in failure in the past. I arrived before six and met the same two characters who made me hang around Lamadi for two days. By ten in the morning I drew on my past experience and decided there would be no travel to Arusha today and took a bus to Mwanza.

Next: Jaffar Amin says he's in

Posts related to this one:
http://madarakanyerere.blogspot.com/2011/10/mwalimu-nyereremt-kilimanjaro-charity_26.html

The Kilimanjaro Uhuru Climb

We have just completed registration at Londrossi Gate for the Mt. Kilimanjaro Uhuru Climb, 4 - 10 December.

The temperature at Londrossi is 27° Celcius.

The Mt. Kilimanjaro Uhuru Climb kicks off

A repoter from Star TV, below right, interviews Majira newspaper's managing editor, Imma Mbuguni, minutes before the commencement of the Mt. Kilimanjaro UhuruClimb.

The climb has been organized jointly by Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and Zara Tanzania Adventures.

I have been honoured by TTB as the leader of this climb to mark 50 years of the independence of Tanzania mainland.

We plan to be at the summit on the anniversary, 9th December.