Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from Machame Gate,
At a slow and steady clip.

Frede was a mighty climbin’ man,
Aziz was brave and sure,
Nine backpackers set off that day
For a seven day tour.

A seven day tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The sleet, the snow, the rain.
As if that was not bad enough,
We hiked in all terrain.

We hiked in all terrain.

The tents are struck on the side of this
an inhospitable little cliff
With Marcus, and Kerry too,
Dan McGuigan and wife and son, (Kathy and Mike)
Andy Weiser and Paul Browne,
Here on Mount Kilimanjaro!

So this is the tale of our mountaineers,
They're here for a long, long time
They'll have to make the best of things,
It's an uphill climb.

Juma, Alex and the cooks
Kept us well fed.
Gordon set the tents each night,
Thin pads for a make shift bed.

Pit toilets! Filtered water! Blistered feet!
Not a shower insight,
7 trekkers summit to U-hu-ru peak.
Cathy and I slept all night!

No phones! No lights! No motor cars!
Not a single luxury,
Like Robinson C-ru-soe,
it's primitive as can be.

So view our photos here my friends,
You're sure to get a smile,
From nine exhausted trekkers,
Here on Mount Kilimanjaro!

Mount Kilimanjaro

Machame Gate

He moves so quickly nothing but a blur....

Day one still smiling!

I am mountain man and I am here to summit!

The sneak peaks at Kili as we climbed were amazing!

Ok so day 5 and the blisters have won! We got to Barafu camp and I decided I was done. No need to summit for me. No rising at mignight to climb 6 hours, stand on top of a mountain for 5 minutes, then descend through scree.

Mike looking cheery and refresged from the hike gets ready to nap before the climb!

Sunrise at Stella

Still climbing

Glaciers

Summit, yippee 6.5 hours not bad at all. Take the picture so we can descend!

We had 27 porters who carried all of our stuff, their own stuff and the camp stuff on their heads, 2 cooks who loved pepper and curry, 2 waiters Juma who spoke and Alex who was too shy, 2 guides, Frede and Aziz, 2 assistant guides, Fester and Amos and Gordon the tent setteruper. All these people were instrumental in getting us to Uhuru the highest point in all of Africa.

Thanks!