New audio update from TA and the WOKies on Kilimanjaro.

This is the text of TA’s audio message:

Hi this is TA calling in from Barranco camp on Mount Kilimanjaro at 3900 metres.  First off we would all like to wish Takunda a very happy first birthday.  Wanda wants to say a special hello to Christy and Darcy, and thanks Christy for the wonder message to the whole team, what wonderful encouragement. 

The team used the Buddhist slogan for the day of “always have the support of a joyful mind”.  It was defiantly a day of P,B and J…personal, bests and joy…Wanda earned her nickname of M.O.J.O today , which of course stands for ‘Master of Joy Officer’.  It was her job to keep us happy and indeed she did her job very well.  We also set an altitude record for 8 Newfoundland women singing the “Ode to Newfoundland”, at 4600 metres above sea level and we have the pictures to prove it.  Along with achieving altitude personal best some folks of course hit walls along our 9 hour journey that led us to the foot of the Barranco Wall. Sort of interesting to “hit the wall” as we are looking up at the wall that we are going to have to go through tomorrow.

Our camp tonight has us looking up the 2000 metres to the summit, the dusky light this on the glaciers this evening was fabulous.  I set a personal best of singing on the last stretch up to 4600 metres.  The guides have come to enjoy our singing their favorite song is “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands”, they even requested it out of us today and we’ve added “if you’re happy and you know it click your trekking poles”.

Our guides have continued giving us Swahili lessons, and keeping a close eye on all of us.  Peter challenged me to pick up his pack, I think I surprised him when I not only picked up his, I put mine on top of it as well and started walking up the trail.  From our first day on the trail we have been impressed with how little trash is left on the trail, we’ve continued to pick up any stray pieces we’ve seen along the way.  We are also very curious about who has won the Stanley Cup…so if any one can text the SAT phone we’d appreciate it with who’s won, because, we are darn curious!!!

On the last stretch of our decent today one team member donned a kerchief and started yodeling…so of course we have given out another nickname on our team and her nickname is “Heidi”…we will leaving you guessing as to who is Heidi…

So it has been a very full and eventful day that was a long 9 hours in getting here.  We are continuing to acclimatize, a few headaches, and stomach sickness, and various things along the way.  But everyone is holding together supporting each other very well and looking forward to making our move over to camp 4 tomorrow.

Thanks so much for following along…and we will check in tomorrow.

TA