Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro: ‘Worse Than Childbirth’
Travel Blog • Eva Holland • 02.14.08 | 1:53 PM ET
That’s the verdict Gayle MacDonald comes to, after making the climb with 11 other middle-aged Canadian moms. Her recent story in the Globe and Mail, which is heavy on the ugly details, doesn’t exactly make me eager to try taking on Kilimanjaro myself, but it does make for a fun read about an unlikely group of people breaking from their routines and rising to a challenge. Here’s a sample:
On the day I leave, my parents arrive to help with the kids. I hand them a 10-page note, detailing car pools, pick-up times for schools, directions to half a dozen hockey arenas, guitar lessons and orthodontist appointments. My mom looks at my 23-kilogram duffel bag and somewhat grim demeanour, clearly thinking this fully grown woman—who is afraid of heights—is out of her mind.
Email to friend
Twitter
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! Buzz
John M. Edwards 02.15.08 | 4:41 AM ET
Hi Eva:
Mountain-climbing sounds exciting!
Yes, I’ve sort of climbed mountains here and there, in the Maine wilderness, a volcano in New Zealand, that Australian deadheart thing that changes colors, and a miserable mound of mud in Mauritius.
Yet.
I’ve never energetically scaled Kilimanjaro with ropes and crampons, or set foot anywhere near the Himalayas.
I guess I’m missing out. People who are game for “rock climbing” now sound flat out retarded. It would be a little kindergarten to complain too much, though, since all because I’ve never actually tried that. And, it sounds downright dangerous!
Right now, before I take my Amazon cart to bed with me, in lieu of a Valentine’s date, I trust we’ll all do a better job next time.
Rock on.
climbing kilimanjaro 02.18.08 | 11:22 PM ET
Climbing kilimanjaro was “worse than childbirth” because these people took a five day route, far too short of a trek to properly acclimatize to the altitude. Seven days is the minimum trip length.