Date: 27 July 1998 10:01am

Subject: The Fight For 'Freedom'

Kilimanjaro rises majestically up from the plains of North Tanzania with its snow cap providing a focal point for all of the surrounding area.

This was to be the setting the first organised trip of our Navels - the ascent of the highest mountain in Africa (we thought we'd take it easy to begin with!). The only thing obscuring this picture postcard image was the cloud - we didn't actually see the summit, Uhuru Peak, until the beginning of Day 3 of our 5 day climb.

One could liken the hike than episode of the Channel 4 programme, Crystal Maze. Each stage of the trek was defined by a particular terrain.

Stage 1 - Forest Zone (up to about 3000m). Wet and muddy

Stage 2 - Moorland Zone (up to about 4000m). A bit like the South Downs but without the people walking their dogs

Stage 3 - Desert/Alpine Zone (up to about 5,600m). As you'd expect...

Stage 4 - Ice cap (from 5,600m upwards). A tad chilly.... I won't bore you with the details of Days 1-3 of our hike but Day 4 is probably worth talking about.

It actually began at 1 lpm on Day 3 - as we prepared to leave Kibo Hut (4,750m) at midnight so that we would arrive at Gilman's Point (not the summit but an easterly facing point on the top bit of Kili) in time for dawn - at 6.30am

After our guide had sized up our pace setting the previous day - slow on the flat bits, fast on the steep bits - he decided that he would lead us!! Apparently, you the final 1000m to the summit at night because the 60 degree scree slope is easier to ascent when it is frozen. My belief is that you do it at this time so that:

a) you can't see how far you still have to go (during the ascent our guide resolutely refused to tell us how much further we had to go) b) you don't realise how steep the slope actually is

To fight off the cold, tamara and I were wearing every single item of clothing that we possessed - and a few that we had borrowed at Merangu gate. My wardrobe for the day included:

- a singlet - a fleecy base layer 

- a long-sleeved shirt

- a fleece

- a duvet jacket

- a waterproof jacket

- 3 pairs of trousers

- 2 pairs of socks

- 3 pairs of gloves

- a balaclava

(Our guide wore a t-shirt, bomber jacket, trousers and a scarf - and put on a pair of gloves somewhere near the top)

To cut a long story short, the ascent was absolutely bloody knackering. We were very lucky in that we avoided almost all of the effects of mountain sickness - nausea, vomiting and headaches. I tried to take my mind off the 6.5 hour trek by filling my mind with other things. I settled on running through an imaginary 1st day's play in an Oval test match between England and South Africa We'd had the pitch inspection, the toss and the opening three overs (Atherton 3 n.o.,Knight 2 n.o., 1 no ball) before I decided that this was all a bit sad - and just focused my mind on putting one foot in front of the other.

Our guide's pace setting proved incredibly accurate (we could have only spent about 25 minutes resting during the whole climb - our guide wouldn't let us stop otherwise we'd get cold) and we arrived at Gilman's Point at 6.25am . giving us just enough time to get cameras out and take pictures of the spectacular sunrise.

It was then a 2 hour hike up to the highest point in Africa - Uhuru (freedom in Swahili) Peak - at 5895m. The weather was absolutely fabulous; normally there can be high winds at the summit but on this day there wasn't a breath of wind and we spent 15 minutes just chilling out at the summit.

The views were spectacular; glaciers, the volcanic crater, Mount Meru (4200m) and Mawenzi (5400m). They made it all worthwhile and any descriptions of it all just wouldn't do it justice.

Finally, things which Kilimanjaro has taught me:

1) It's very easy to walk on flat ground

2) The person who patented Ibuprofin was a saint (as a cure for headaches resulting from high altitude) 

3) If your feet are frozen and your calves have seized up, then it's difficult to keep your balance when going up a 60 degree incline for 6.5 hours (how many times did I nearly fall down the mountain) 

4) Always walk behind tamara when climbing mountains - so you can catch her when she blacks out 

5) The statement from our guidebook, "Downhill all the way from the summit" is

- (a) somewhat redundant

- (b) does not imply a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll (it took a gruelling 1.5 days)

Anyway, we're now back in Nairobbery - sorry Nairobi - after a 2 day game safari in

Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. We're washing our clothers and resting up for a bit and then heading to Lake Baringo and Kakemega Forest. After that, we'll cross the border into Uganda.

Next email probably from Kampala (2 weeks time - ish)

Hope everything is well with you all

Write soon