I have not learnt from my mistakes
PJ and I agreed that, after Kili, both of our next holiday destination would be the beach. I am not sure if he went to any but I never made it to Zanzibar nor Mombasa.
When we were going through hell cycling on soft volcanic sediments in Hell's Gate National Park, Qiujie told me, "Don't you EVER complain again that you have not had enough exercise.". I have not complained since but I have also forgotten that too much exercise is bad for me.
I must have been a warthog in my previous life, with all but 30 seconds of memory. Different guides at Africa had told us a story of how, a warthog being pursued by a leopard, suddenly stop running because it has forgotten why it was running. It ended up being eaten, of course.
I must have been a warthog in my previous life, with all but 30 seconds of memory. Different guides at Africa had told us a story of how, a warthog being pursued by a leopard, suddenly stop running because it has forgotten why it was running. It ended up being eaten, of course.
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| Ngiri |
How it happened
Folie! Il doit avoir été de la folie! I must not have been sound in my mind.
It all started in Africa. I googled for 'Tour du Mont Blanc ("TMB")' because it appeared as one of the titles at the back of my Kili book (see see see, didn't I say reading is bad for you?). I had wanted to go check out the Alps anyway and I thought 180km circuit through the French, Italian and Swiss Alps would be really beautiful. Along the way, a comparison table between the TMB and Walker's Haute Route ("WHR" - a trek from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland) popped up (http://www.alpineexploratory.com/walking-guides/tourdumontblanc.html).
One thing led to another. Instead of doing a circular route around Mont Blanc, I thought it would be really cool to walk from one country to another (oh dear, I hope I do not sound too bimbo-ish here). I started looking into the WHR options at the same time and discovered many operators who provide certified mountain guides and at the same time, a support vehicle to transfer bags from one point to another. This totally made sense since I would only have to carry a day pack. Hence, on 16 July, the day I was to fly to Paris, I started to concentrate on researching on dates and options .
AND THEN, after I landed in France, I had to discover that there is the Walker's Haute Route (which follows marked and maintained trails on low altitude) and the original High Level Route also known as the Haute Route Glacier Trek (which travels largely on glaciers and crosses many high passes), pioneered in the 1860s by members of the Alpine Club of Britain. There are some variations to the glacier trek but this website has a very good description of it - http://cosleyhouston.com/hr-glacier-trek-day-to-day/hr-glacier-trek-day1.htm
It all started in Africa. I googled for 'Tour du Mont Blanc ("TMB")' because it appeared as one of the titles at the back of my Kili book (see see see, didn't I say reading is bad for you?). I had wanted to go check out the Alps anyway and I thought 180km circuit through the French, Italian and Swiss Alps would be really beautiful. Along the way, a comparison table between the TMB and Walker's Haute Route ("WHR" - a trek from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland) popped up (http://www.alpineexploratory.com/walking-guides/tourdumontblanc.html).
One thing led to another. Instead of doing a circular route around Mont Blanc, I thought it would be really cool to walk from one country to another (oh dear, I hope I do not sound too bimbo-ish here). I started looking into the WHR options at the same time and discovered many operators who provide certified mountain guides and at the same time, a support vehicle to transfer bags from one point to another. This totally made sense since I would only have to carry a day pack. Hence, on 16 July, the day I was to fly to Paris, I started to concentrate on researching on dates and options .
AND THEN, after I landed in France, I had to discover that there is the Walker's Haute Route (which follows marked and maintained trails on low altitude) and the original High Level Route also known as the Haute Route Glacier Trek (which travels largely on glaciers and crosses many high passes), pioneered in the 1860s by members of the Alpine Club of Britain. There are some variations to the glacier trek but this website has a very good description of it - http://cosleyhouston.com/hr-glacier-trek-day-to-day/hr-glacier-trek-day1.htm
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| The good news is - I can fit into my bag and someone can carry me? |
The challenges?
Mentally, not prepared.Physically, have not been exercising for 3 weeks.
Carrying my backpack (4kg bag and misc items + 4kg clothes + 2kg water + 1.5kg harness, crampons, axe) across 71km in 5 and a bit days and in rented boots (the pair of boots that went up Kili is deemed 'filmsy'). 5040m climb and 5220m descent.
No vehicle support. Helicopter rescue available (at a price in Switzerland).
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