The pinnacle of success!
Albert climbs to the roof of Africa and raises £3,400 to boost charity

By Lorraine Shearer
(From The Orcadian dated May 15, 2003)

A challenge by friends in the pub led a young Orkney man to set off on the adventure of a lifetime - and what began partly as a bet ended up raising £3,400 for the Anthony Nolan Trust for leukaemia research.

Albert Bruce (21), from Kirkwall, had never imagined that one day he would tackle Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, the dormant volcano standing just three degrees south of the equator and one of the seven tallest peaks in the world, but that’s exactly what he did this year when he climbed the19,340ft Uhuru peak.

After a marathon trek, Albert Bruce made it to Uhuru peak, the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro - which, at 19,340ft, makes it the highest, free standing mountain in the world.

After an eight hour flight from London Heathrow to Nairobi, Albert and his group of trekkers endured a seven hour coach drive across the border into Tanzania. They then travelled to the Marangu Hotel, not far from the entrance to the National Park.

The group were given a guided tour of the Mshiri Village education project, which aims to benefit the lives of local people, providing quality education in quality buildings.

“They have so little, but are so happy with what they do have and when you see a third world country like that, it really makes you think about the things you take for granted back home,” Albert said.

The following day, the group were taken by jeep to the entrance of the national park around Mount Kilimanjaro, which is guarded by submachine gunners, he said.

“The money from the tourists who visit the national parks each year is the main source of the budget in Tanzania and you will never enter there without payment.”

After meeting with their guides and porters, who would help carry some equipment, it was time to head off.

“The head guide was 73 and had been climbing since he was 11. Porters carried all other extras like sleeping bags and warmer clothing for later in the trek. They use their heads to bear weight and carry items. The trade union forbids them to carry in excess of 20kg on their heads, so all extra items were carefully weighed to keep them to a minimum,” Albert said.

There are numerous routes up the mountain, some more challenging than others. But for Albert’s group of 17, accompanied by six guides, they were taking the Marangu trail, one of the more commonly used routes.

The first shelter called Mandara was situated at 2,725metres.

Albert continued: “Following a cleared trail through exotic rainforest and giant heathers we walked for about eight hours, admiring the fretwork of trees, the tatters of sapless lichens and lianas that were hanging here and there.”

The super fit porters accompany groups on the arduous trek up the mountain. They carry up to 20kg on their heads.

Knowing it was a three-and-a-half day trek to the summit the guide was already calling on the trekkers to slow down.

“The shelter at Mandara is a small village of little A-frame wooden huts with plank beds accommodating four in each,” Albert said.

“After dinner some of the group took a walk to the nearby Maundi Crater for acclimatisation. One glorious thing about hiking high altitude mountains is gazing at the night sky. The thin air, elevation, lack of air pollution and streetlights make for a spectacular sky.”

Day two saw the group start on the next part of the ascent covering 14km to the Horombo Huts shelter at 3,720 metres.

He continued: “After about 40 minutes we saw that the forest was beginning to thin and give way to the open and rolling alpine meadows as we were cracking on ahead. During this slightly steeper stretch, the twin snow-capped peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi were lying directly ahead of us. After about seven to eight hours of walking we arrived at Horombo.”

A considerable dip in temperatures was obvious the next morning, and the group set off with extra clothing in their bags. They faced another eight-hour trek to Kibo Hut standing at 4,700 metres, located under the volcano Kibo.

Along the way they were met by giant, seven metre high dendriform plants, with powerful fans of thick acuminate leaves, grown between the huge size fragments of stones, that were brought there by volcanic explosion from Mawenzi.

There are two big peaks at Kilimanjaro: the first one is below, but it is harder to ascend – the volcano Mawenzi - and the high volcano Kibo, which is where the majority of climbers want to go.

Albert said: “The ground became more rugged and rocky, the air noticeably thinner and a few of the group were starting to feel the effects of altitude sickness. The sunshine there is ferocious and although you don’t feel the extreme heat, you need plenty of sun block as the rays are much more intense at altitude.”

When they arrived at Kibu Hut, they were met by a house with stone walls and plank beds - the stay here is usually brief - and the entire group suffered with headaches and shortness of breath. But after a hearty meal, they got their heads down for a few hours before beginning the final ascent.

“Our guides woke us at 11pm to drink tea, consume energy bars and prepare ourselves. I put on every layer of clothing I had, thermals, fleece, and waterproofs and took some extra painkillers.

Albert recorded his memories: “It was a clear mountain night though very cold. The temperature was around 20 degrees F and we were all ready to get moving and finish what we came to Africa to accomplish.

“With the pure focus of concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other we went up the last 1,100 metres. This was the most physically and mentally demanding thing I had ever done. It’s hateful climbing, it’s not fun and everybody gets sick. My water tube froze and I had to go without water for a few hours of the climb.”

At 6.15am they reached Gillman’s Point at 5,685 metres, which was a breathtaking moment for Albert.

At the foot of the mountain, Albert takes it easy before the beginning of a three and a half day trek, which will see him walk through forest, moorland, alpine desert and finally the ice cap.

“As the sun came up, the sky began to pink and change colours. Some moments had passed – and we saw a whole palette of rainbow colours around the sun. This fantastic light made the dark and wild battlement of Mawenzi rare and beautiful

He continued “A lot of expeditions hoisted their colours here, but our aim was to achieve Uhuru Peak. To the left of us we watched a huge glacier, well known everywhere as the snows of Kilimanjaro. The last 200 metres, where we felt soil running underfoot, were the hardest. The height is so great and breathing so difficult, I could only scarcely drag one foot after the other.

“At about 8.30am, I reached the top of Africa, the summit of Kilimanjaro 19,340ft high. It was a surreal feeling. The views from here were overwhelming. Behind us we could see the shadow of Kilimanjaro stretching out and dwarfing smaller, nearby peaks. The glaciers around, us cracked in the morning sun.”

The temperature fell to minus 15 degrees C but in no way cooled their spirits, and 14 of the group made it to the top.

Coming down was not as easy as expected, as the group were tired and still suffering headaches. In all they spent five days on the mountain.

“This has been the challenge of a lifetime for me and for an experience which lasted only a week, I will have memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Albert said. “The trip had exceeded my expectations by a long, long way. The people, the places, the scenery – it was a pleasure to share so many experiences and emotions with people, who were really strangers.”

He thanked all companies, friends and family who gave so generously to allow him to take part in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“My fundraising over the past few months prior to the trek has added just over £3,400 to the charity’s vital research into leukaemia and to a grand total of £150,000” he said.

Further information on the Anthony Nolan Trust is available via their website at www.anthonynolan.org.uk.