KiliMANJaro JAN is KiliMAN 2011 winner!

One man, one mountain, 3 challenges.

I’ve climbed 5895m to the highest point in Africa – Mt Kilimanjaro, I have mountain-biked 246km around it and have completed the Kilimanjaro marathon (42.2km*). And I have won!

I have just finished the marathon in 03:58:17 however my watch indicated it was *43:16km! No world record but I am sure I am the first person to have run further than necessary. and my gosh it was hilly and I’m just not used to that.

The bike ride yesterday was great until I got a puncture and the 2 guys I was cycling with had to move on. Then there were no more guides and I managed to get lost in the Tanzanian Steppe. Anyway, when I hit the distance we were supposed to do I called in and the short of it is they found me and I ended up cycling 100km in 05:20:48 which still left me with a lead of 24 minutes over the 2 days in total.

It irritated me slightly [note from ghost writer - this is not exactly how Jan expressed his disgruntlement!] as I could have gotten in 40 minutes earlier had the guide who was meant to be there – been there! Let’s just say the organisation of the event does have room for improvement and that is an understatement!

So to conclude, I, Jan Wouters, Supply Chain Expert with a frighteningly high level of attention to detail, am to be crowned KiliMAN Winner 2011 which means that I can now officially retain the title of KiliMANjaro JAN or KiliJANjaro Man!

Thanks to you all for following this blog and for the words of support. I will update more when I have feasted on another 5 bowls of pasta and washed the Tanzanian dust from every orifice.

And for now it is farewell from the ghost writer too – who has been writing under the pen-name of JillymanJaro

Sack the Ghostwriter and oh I was in the lead

This is Jan reporting from the base of KiliMANjaro of which I have been to the top! I’m now cycling round it and in fact yesterday I found myself in the fortunate position of being IN THE LEAD! I recounted this to the ghost writer but they went to a party, mixed to many spirits (there is an awful pun in there somewhere) and failed to update the blog.

Yesterday was 97.2 km on the bike with an elevation gain of 1552m, loss of 409m and highest point was 1998m.  The first 31.1 km (I told you I had attention to detail and this mention of .1 of a km is proof) were neutral(?) and on tarmac. yet after a water refill we then went off-road and boy was that steep and dusty. Anyway I came in first!! Do not ask me how. My time was 5 hrs and 6 minutes and 45 seconds over 66.1km.

Oh and by the way my competition was more that 1 hour behind me and in fact even those who were only doing the bike race and not the mountain were behind me.

So that’s all for today and hopefully I shall let you know if I managed to retain my lead today.

Oh and a bit of trivia – I trained for this challenge in Belgium where the highest point is 694m making kilimanjaro a staggering 8.494 times higher

KiliMANjaro JAN

 

From the roof of Africa!

Great news! Jan has reached the summit of Kilimanjaro. No further information received apart from an exclamation mark.

Wish him well on his journey down yet no time for celebrating yet as he still faces a 240km bike ride followed by a small run of 42 and a bit km to truly be KiliMANjaroJAN.

 

 

 

 

Barranco, Karanga and Winnie the Pooh..

Day 4

I woke today with a clear head after a good night and Day 4 has been the most beautiful part of the trail thus far. The first part of it was Barranco wall, which was similar to a climb called the Stairway to Heaven which I did in Dubai/Oman with a colleague the other year but the Barranco wall was thankfully less exposed. Then we went on to Karanga valley which is breathtaking.

We rested at Karanga huts at 3930m. Now this is where ‘normal’ climbers stop for the day/night enabling them to acclimatise for longer yet as the KiliMAN team has a tighter schedule we pushed onwards and upwards after a hot lunch.

We had to say goodbye to one member of the group today as he was sick but not sure if it was AMS (altitude mountain sickness).

I feel surprisingly well today, unlike the others, which makes it a lot easier to enjoy – ie because I feel well! After leaving the Karanga huts we plodded on towards high camp at Barafu huts and I am now here at 4662m. I am no doubt in bed when you read this post as we are getting up at 2300hrs for the summit push.

I feel really chuffed [Editor - such an english expression Jan!] and truly privileged I am able to do this. I will try and get in contact when I reach the summit tomorrow – if there is a signal of course!

And no doubt there are friends and family out there wishing me well and I thank you all for your support!

KiliMANjaro Jan (and a bit of friendly ghost banter..)

And I will leave you today with some wise words from the greatest philosopher of all – Winnie the Pooh

“You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”

 

 

 

Actually.. not feeling so good now..

Jan has evidently reached an area with a signal and now the texts are coming through fast and furious.

The earlier post was Day 1.

Day 2. Machame Huts to Shira Caves at 3839 m.

A shorter day of 5.3km compared to the previous of 10.75km. The trail steepened and became more “mountain like”. A short and extra excursion was made to the caves themselves. Temperatures have dropped and, I quote, it is “very cold!” Jan suffering from headaches when going to bed but this had passed by the morning.

Day 3. Shira Caves to Lava Tower (4627m) to Barranco Huts at 3986m

Today’s route has taken Jan to an altitude of 4627m yet he is now resting at 3986m. Why go up and then come down again? well to help your body acclimatise to altitude you need to climb high and sleep low. At altitude there are fewer oxygen molecules per breath and in order to give your body the oxygen it requires your breathing rate needs to increase and your body needs to adapt to having less oxygen. If Jan raced on to the summit without acclimatising properly he is at risk of serious consequences such as pulmonary or cerebral oedema as, for reasons not really understood, lower air pressure and high altitude can cause fluid to leak from the capillaries leading to a build up in fluid in the lungs and brain.  Yet fear not! this is why Jan has climbed high and slept low giving his body time to adapt and it will slowly be creating more red blood cells which will help carry more oxygen around the body. This is also why some athletes train at altitude for optimal fitness!

Jan is experiencing mild affects of altitude sickness with a headache during the day and he is not feeling too good. Yet this is the joy of climbing at altitude! It is like having a constant hangover!  He must drink plenty of fluid which will aid with the acclimatisation and he is confident it will be gone in the morning.

And I’m feeling good..

Battery running low! the trail is well kept and fairly easy and the rainforest is beautiful. Reached 3021 m from Machame gate to Machame huts.

 

 

 

“If you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain”

as Dolly Parton, of all people, once said! yet I thought it was apt for the first post and while I have free rein of Jan’s blog.

So today’s post comes to you courtesy of information from the KiliMANjaro Man website. We had planned that Jan would send text messages where possible to give an update yet none have been received. Having heard that there is rain I cannot help but wonder if he has drowned his phone. We can only hope that he remembered to take an umbrella which bizarrely comes highly recommended to those who climb kilimanjaro!

19 KiliMAN (from India, Germany, Singapore, USA, Canada, South Africa and the Netherlands) are now en route up Kilimanjaro. Accompanying them are 46 porters, 4 cooks and 7 guides. Anyway here’s a picture of some of the team. Jan of course can be seen on the back row 3rd from the right

So the weather.. rain while will make the climb a lot tougher and as they get higher up the mountain this will turn to snow.  yes snow! Sometimes the temperatures can be favourable but on summit night it could even be as low as -20C and a wind chill factor could bring it down to -40C.

So good luck to them all and as soon as I hear more I will update the blog

KiliMANjaroJAN’s friendly ghost writer