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Frimpong The Travelling Bear | profile | all galleries >> Frimpong's trips 2004 -2012 >> Frimpong on Kilimanjaro - by Jola Dziubinska tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Frimpong on Kilimanjaro - by Jola Dziubinska

Photos by Jola Dziubinska

I have been very fortunate to have been invited by my old friend Jola to join her and her friends on a rather unique expedition to the famous mountain, Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain and the largest volcano in the world. There are three main volcanic peaks of varying ages lying on an east-south-east axis, and a number of smaller parasitic cones. To the west, the oldest peak (Shira) rises to 3,962m, though only the western and southern rims remain. The two main summits of Kilimanjaro: craggy Mawenzi, 5149m, and "flat-topped" Kibo, 5896m are separated by The Saddle, a 5km wide, high-altitude, semi-desert, which forms the largest area of high altitude tundra in tropical Africa.
At Jola's invitation I joined the expedition of twelve women, with the Polish alpinist Leszek Cichy as our guide. These women have formed a "Kilimanjaro Association" to facilitate women as they set themselves new lifechanging goals. With their chosen motto that "everybody has a mountain to reach" they undertook this expedition in both a symbolic and literal fashion and proved that they were all capable of reaching the hard goals they had set themselves.
I was proud and honoured to witness their commitment and dedication, and to partake of the fun they had also!
We did this wonderful expedition during the last week of September last year and due to circumstances beyond our control we are only now able to bring you the wonderful photographic record created by Jola of this unforgettable feat for all of us who participated in it.

You can visit Jola's personal photo-gallery of this memorable expedition by clicking HERE

1. At Frederic Chopin Airport,Warsaw
1. At Frederic Chopin Airport,Warsaw		 2.With Jola at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam
2.With Jola at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam		 3. Having a cosy nap
3. Having a cosy nap		 4. Meeting Misia, a fellow climber
4. Meeting Misia, a fellow climber
5. Our first day in Tanzania
5. Our first day in Tanzania		 6.At the entrance to Marangu Route
6.At the entrance to Marangu Route		 7. At Mandaru Huts
7. At Mandaru Huts		 8. Setting off early for our next stop
8. Setting off early for our next stop
9. Hiking with Jola
9. Hiking with Jola		 10. Taking a little rest near the trail
10. Taking a little rest near the trail		 11. On a steep and rocky trail you get covered with dust
11. On a steep and rocky trail you get covered with dust		 12. A break for a picnic
12. A break for a picnic
13. Taking time out to admire the alpine species on Kilimanjaro
13. Taking time out to admire the alpine species on Kilimanjaro		 14.Hiking with Florian
14.Hiking with Florian		 15. Taking a mid-day rest
15. Taking a mid-day rest		 16. Taking a rest with Florian
16. Taking a rest with Florian
17. The Horombo huts at last!
17. The Horombo huts at last!		 18. Almost there!
18. Almost there!		 19. Horombo at last!
19. Horombo at last!		 20. Enjoying dinner with Ania
20. Enjoying dinner with Ania
21.With Freddie, our cook
21.With Freddie, our cook		 22.Resting at a cairn
22.Resting at a cairn		 23.Continuing our climb
23.Continuing our climb		 24.The Last Waterpoint
24.The Last Waterpoint
25. Taking another little rest
25. Taking another little rest		 26. Having lunch with Misia
26. Having lunch with Misia		 27. Getting a helping hand from Freddie
27. Getting a helping hand from Freddie		 28. The end of lunch hour
28. The end of lunch hour
29. Holding our banner
29. Holding our banner		 30. Coming down the mountain
30. Coming down the mountain		 31. The view as we descend
31. The view as we descend		 32. The Horombo huts are a welcome sight for us
32. The Horombo huts are a welcome sight for us
33. A beer at last!
33. A beer at last!		 34. Settling down for the night
34. Settling down for the night		 35. Eric and his team
35. Eric and his team		 36. Singing and celebrating
36. Singing and celebrating
37. With Jola
37. With Jola		 38. With Misia
38. With Misia		 40. The next day we went on safari to Arusha National Park.
40. The next day we went on safari to Arusha National Park. 		41. With the Arusha NP officer
41. With the Arusha NP officer
42. Getting a view over the crater rim with Misia
42. Getting a view over the crater rim with Misia		 43. Not the most comfortable seat on a 4X4 car!
43. Not the most comfortable seat on a 4X4 car!		 44. Hakuna Matata!
44. Hakuna Matata!		 45. At the Big Momela Lake, with pink flamingos in the background
45. At the Big Momela Lake, with pink flamingos in the background
46. Buffalo horns at the Big Momela Lake
46. Buffalo horns at the Big Momela Lake		 47. Under the toothpick tree at Big Momela Lake
47. Under the toothpick tree at Big Momela Lake

comment
Katherine09-May-2010 17:59
Great gallery! Congratulations to all!
Jola Dziubinska05-May-2010 20:25
This was the greatest adventure of my life and I'm honored to have shared it with you, Frimpong. You are a wonderful and supportive traveller with great sense of humour.
Marina Arimany20-Apr-2010 19:00
A great adventure, Frimpong!! Congratulations.
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