Please join Medicine in Action for a once in a life time opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

This event will take place in September 2009 and proceeds will benefit Medicine in Action and the Sugar Scholars. We will most likely be climbing during the second or third week of September, the exact dates will be announced shortly.

Participants will be asked to raise $5000 in advance for the climb. You can choose to donate the amount raised in one of three ways:

• 100% of the funds raised will go towards MIA’s patient care/undesignated fund
• 100% of the funds raised will go towards MIA’s Sugar Scholars Endowment
• The donations can be divided equally between the two funds

The registration fee is $200, non-refundable and tax-deductible. Checks can be made out to Medicine in Action or can be made via credit card on our website.

The climb itself takes about one week. You may consider staying in Tanzania for a few days after for a safari. This can be arranged through Vesna at Pure-Afro travels, the same travel agent who will be arranging our trek. Other options include going to Zanzibar or staying in Arusha. A group trip can be arranged depending on people’s preferences. You can visit www.pure-afro.com for further ideas in Tanzania.

Plane tickets to Kilimanjaro International Airports from the United States range from $1500 to $2500. The cost of climbing will be about $1000 to $1200 depending on the number of people climbing. This includes food, equipment etc. Please note that payment for the climb is either through wire transfer to Pure-Afro or, Mastercard or cash upon arrival to Tanzania. Pure-Afro does not accept Visa or American Express.

Climbers will meet in Arusha (fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport).

More details will follow as we get closer to the date. However, you can get an idea of what to bring and what to expect on the website www.pure-afro.com in the FAQs section. I have worked with Pure-Afro before and they have been highly recommended.

Please contact Debbie at Debbie@medicineinaction.org to sign up now!

Training for the climb

After reading a few websites about training for Kilimanjaro- I have summarized some information.

General overall fitness is important, however being able to run 10 miles isn’t necessary. The climb is long, and so repetitive strain on your body can occur. Walking/hiking for several days in a row can help prepare you for the trek.

Having good hiking boots is very important. You should NOT wear new boots when climbing. In preparing for the trek, you should try and go on a few hikes with your boots to ensure that they fit comfortably.

Altitude sickness: Diamoxx can be taken to help prevent this. However, altitude sickness is random, and even very fit people can get altitude sickness. The ascent is divided over several days to help your body adjust to the altitude slowly.

Even with good preparation, some climbers may not actually make it to the top.

Safety Issues

A trekking crew will accompany us on our climb. The crew consists of a head mountain guide, assistant guides, cooks and porters/helpers /for example a group of 10 trekkers can have a crew of 16-20 people. If any trekker cannot proceed with the trek on any given point of the climb there is always someone who will assist him/her to the lower camp or if needed to the gate and even to the hospital.

The fee to climb also includes a rescue fees on the mountain (mandatory to be paid to KINAPA=Kilimanjaro National Park Authority upon departure) but not from the mountain to anywhere needed (additional transfers). And please also note that once the park fees are paid to KINAPA they are non-refundable even if you return back to the gate the same day (that is their policy).

You may want to check with your medical insurance policy to see if you are covered internationally. You can also purchase “extraction” insurance if you wish to cover any medical flight back to the United States, Jamaica or other country of origin. The climb is not technical so you can use your own judgment on this. Further insurance can be purchased through Access travel, here in the United States, by contacting Nettie Hughes at nettiehaccess@yahoo.com. You can also purchase your plane tickets through her as well. This may help facilitate coordinating everyone.

Tips for Fundraising:

1. Start early.
2. Email your friends and family.
3. Ask your colleagues at work.
4. Consider a small fundraiser such as a bake sale or garage sale.
5. Try asking some local businesses.
6. Make a fundraising table. Decide who you are going to ask and how much you will ask from each potential donor. This will help you organize your strategy.