To the Roof of Africa and back again

SO SO proud of R and more than a little relieved that she & M made it safely back down The Mountain!
I hadn't really given it much thought, when before we came M said he'd really like to climb Kilimanjaro. I'd have been happy to give it a go too, but don't have the same burning desire to get to the top of things as he does, so when it became evident that we couldn't just leave our children at the bottom for a week on their own I graciously offered to look at the mountain instead!
The way things usually go in our household is that I organise our life, and with M immersed deep in the surgical world of Tanzania I inevitably did most of the research and booked them their excursion, but with a mounting anxiety about what I was letting them go off and do. We bowed to the advice of the expedition organiser as to which route they should go, but having read M's account of their endurance I wonder whether a different one would've suited them better. I stressed on many occasions that they were to take as many days as they needed to acclimatise on the way up.
I definitely needed the distraction of my safari not to be mulling over all the horrible facts about mountain sickness or the fact that on average 10 people die each year trying to make the summit. And that's just the tourists. I think many of the poorly paid porters do not fare well with minimal clothing for the extreme weather up top.
I never doubted M would get to the top. Those of you who know him will likely agree that when he sets his heart and head to something he is completely dedicated to that goal and will give more than 100% if that's possible. I rather forget sometimes to be wary of what direction to point him in!!
R is just as determined but I wasn't sure how her fitness was after our months of sedentary heat evasion. I hoped that she would be the factor to make sure M went 'pole pole' (slowly slowly) which is the only way for success. But to be honest I have also started to take for granted that our eldest daughter is capable of pretty much anything she sets her mind to, if she wants to do it!

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.....certainly helps with sisterly love:

Swimming pool recovery time

If you want the blow by blow account of their mountain expedition then click over to M's blog: shimsurgicaladventures.blogspot.com