TREKKERS SPEAK OUT
Dear Mel,
I just wanted to let you know that my hike up Kilimanjaro was everything that I had hoped for and more. Our guides (Simon, Liberaty, Frank, Kombe and Stanford) were not only capable of helping us with our climb to make it a success but they also had a great deal of knowledge about the flora and fauna in the area and they all had a sense of humour. They provided assistance when needed and were quick to respond when they ascertained that something was amiss. E.g. On a couple of occasions Kombe came to our tent in the night when Linda or I were coughing to listen our lungs and to give us a drink of hot water and honey.
I just can’t say enough about the expertise of Eddie and Amy. They identified that Michele was having a full blown asthma attack and dealt with it in a professional manner. Early on in the trek a number of our group suffered from nausea, headaches, and other symptoms. They were helped to cope with them and all of them with the exception of Michele made it to the summit.
My goal had been to climb as high as I could which depended on my ability to cope with the high altitude. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I came closer to the summit realizing how much support I had to reach my goal. It started with my husband agreeing to the trip. Then there were all the friends, family and fellow hikers encouraging me as I trained to ensure that I would be able to manage the climb. Finally all the members of the Tusker Team did a tremendous job to ensure the best possible outcome for not just me but everyone who was on our trek (and that includes Mel, Faheem & Julian). Every member of the Tusker Team had a job and they did it so it ran smoothly like a well oiled machine.
Some of the special moments that the Tusker team provided for us were:
- To our delight all of the Tusker Team gathered as we entered camp on the 2nd and 3rd days of our trek and sang and danced for us.
- Faheem’s mother made a cake for Kirsty which a porter brought up to the camp and the Tusker team sang as they presented the cake to her.
- We arrived early to our last camp on the mountain so our tents were not ready for us. Frank sat us down in a circle and told us about the Masai culture. What an unexpected treat that was.
I believe that we had the most incredible group of individuals who chose this particular trek. Everyone was so positive and supportive of one another which led to a fabulous experience. We enjoyed playing tricks on one another and on the guides. The guides joined in the fun and reciprocated in kind.
Thanks again for being our coordinator.
Sincerely,
Maxine
