Day 3

We ate well yesterday evening ready for the harder day ahead. We all slept pretty poorly though: a combination of the sleeping bags, mark's incredible snoring and the buffalo which stampeded through camp in the small hours all contributed to a couple of hours at best. Undaunted we got up at 6am and set off at 830.

Peter was being camp master helping everyone pack! Today's climb was harder. We have climbed to 11,400 feet. We only have 14% oxygen at this level and you can certainly tell the difference. Some of the group are breathing heavily and headaches and dizziness abound. Peter has been a little dizzy today but we think that was lack of sugar as it has gone now we have eaten. As for me I am a little concerned - I have no symptoms at all at present and am climbing strongly. But this may not be good. Unfortunately the guides tell us this is either brilliant (as I am not going to get ill) or it is bad as by body will adjust to the lack of oxygen at a higher altitude. If this happens on summit day then I will have to abort. At present however I feel fantastic. I am extrenely positive and loving every knackering minute.

I genuinely hope I get a headache tomorrow though!!! Love to all. We have no phone signal in camp so we will not be able to phone or text home today.

Day 3

Half way up on day three and everything is great. A few are I'll but
nothing serious. Peter and I are fine with no effects yet.

End of day 2

Day 2 was truly fantastic. We have climbed to 2700 metres approx 8800
feet. Treking through the rainforest the climb was constant but
manageable. But then day 1 is by far the easiest day.

We are all feeling the altitude already but only to a small extent.
Still at three times the height of mount snowdon that's probably not
surprising!

For my part I feel great. Little to no headache so far and no heavy
breathing. Peter has a slight headache but nothing much. My highlight
of the day was seeing the amazing Columbus monkeys in the rainforest.

Tomorrow is a hard day. A long walk and hard climbing. To be honest I
can't wait!

Love to everyone. At the moment we can send email but cannot text or
call so apologies to family .

After an ubscheduled stop at a local school, when the jeep broke down
we are off! We have moved 6414 feet up the mountain and now at twelve
local time the hard work begins.
It is hot with some cloud. We have all slept like babies and are ready
to go. My cold is still ever present and I am pretty bunged up - but
it is improving.

Quite how these guys can carry all the water up the mountain I stagger
to think. Today is the easiest day so should be okay. We shall see.

Will write in detail tonight. Love to all.

Day 1

Well day 1 is nearly over and to be honest it has been very hard indeed.

Because of the snow we had to leave Milton Keynes several hours early. Our flight was understandably delayed, it was oversold and overfull. We were all packed into the back of the plane for 8 hours and didn't sleep.

Then we hit the delights of Kenyan customs which surpassed the worst I had ever seen. It was a nightmare!!

Still only a short coach journey to go.....or so we thought. Alas not.

Our 4 hour coach trip has taken 9 hours so far and we are not there yet! Most of the roads (if you can call them that) are being resurfaced and diversions are in operation literally across the country.

We estimate at this stage when we arrive at Kili we will have been travelling 28 hours non stop and without sleep. We are all shattered and more than a little apprehensive now about how we will cope with the climb early tomorrow morning. Oh - and it's raining!!!

Despite the travel difficulties everyone remains in good spirit- though we all look like tired travellers!!!

The fun part of today has been learning about how false the BBC Comic Relief climb is.

These wonderful 9 celebrities are having their own showers carried up the mountain (yes really). They are having personal and brand new toilets carried up, they have all refused to drink the local water so they are having hundreds of bottles carried up - and they are being given speical mattresses so they can sleep properly.

The 9 celebrities will have over 120 porters carrying stuff up the mountain for them!!!!!!

How do we know this? Because our guide Emmanual is taking them up after us.

Bet they don't show that lot on the BBC!!!!

They will also be given extra time on the mountain over and above the norm so as they can all acclimatise and make it up.

Basically one big fraud then.

What the BBC??? Never!!!!

Kenya oh Kenya

We arrived in Kenya after an 8 hour flight, squashed like sardines at
the back of the plane- but it wasn't too bad.

But we hadn't allowed for Kenyan visa control. An hour and a half in
the queue and still nowhere near the front.

Oh what fun!!

We are away

Well we are boarded and about to go -and pretty much on time too!
Lunch at T4 was pretty ropey, my credit card has been refused 3 times
(Does anything work properly in England anymore)? Despite me phoning
and writing to Barclaycard to tell them what I was doing. And the
plane is oversold and overfull!!!.

Regardless we are all in high spirits and genuinely excited now.

Love to all my family and neighbours and friends who may be reading my
ramblings!

TTFN