Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro Reflection 6 - 21 - 14

Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro Reflection

            June 2014 training to hike Mount Kilimanjaro begins. For the past 4 weeks I have been using this regime to train. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, my mom and I spend approximately one hour and a half to two hours at the gym. We follow a set schedule in the morning starting with 20 minutes on the treadmill. The treadmill is set at level 9 gradient and 6 speed. Then, 20 minutes on the stair stepper set at level 9 and 10 minutes on the rowing machine which consists of my cardiovascular exercise. Next, we move on to the weight training circuit where I use a various amount of machines that work my legs, arms, and core. From there I move to the mats on the floor and I focus solely on my core by doing 20 reps of various abdominal exercises – totaling 120 abdominal moves.

            On all Saturday’s during the month of June my family and I would go to Groenkloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria South Africa and endure a 6-hour hike on various trails. Every Sunday during the month of June my family and I would go to Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve in Johannesburg South Africa to endure another 6-hour hike.

Incorporated with these two hikes, I would use the altitude-training mask to help me train for the altitude that I am expecting to encounter on Mount Kilimanjaro. There is a system of valves that you manually adjust to allow you to replicate the altitude levels from 5,000 ft. to 18,000 ft. This training mask was stretched out and used in the duration of June. Also, I was training with an Osprey daypack that I will be using on Mount Kilimanjaro. It was filled with 4 liters of water, rain gear, and food. The purpose of wearing the daypack was to break in and familiarize myself with the equipment. Also, to strengthen my back. Hiking poles were used in conjunction with my new boots. The purpose was to break in my waterproof boots and familiarize myself with the feel and motion of using hiking poles. Hiking poles reduce knee stress and distributes the weight evenly. In addition, iodine tablets were used to filter our water. At all times keeping in mind the importance of the appropriate amount of 8 hours of sleep.

My learning moments included the need to buy waterproof, cooling, wicking away hiking clothes and equipment. This process was a journey and also very educational, because not only do you need special materials but you also need to learn to dress in layers. These articles of clothing protect me from the sun, the wind, and the cold. They regulate my body temperature, so I don’t get too hot or too cold.

I found the training in the beginning of June to be quite demanding and challenging. But with my commitment to do it every weekend, I was able to build up endurance and find my comfort zone with my own personal pace and adapting to my new environment and gear. My weakness in the beginning was that I was not physically fit. On the other hand, my strength was my perseverance to continue to trek on.

I realized that my breathing needed to be in rhythm with my pace and continue to keep a mental note not to push either my breathing or pace out of balance. I needed to stop, take time, and drink water. Learning to drink 3 to 4 liters of water in a 6 hour hike was very demanding. I realized my own actions and attitude needed to stay positive and to dig deep when the going got tough.

My limitations in the beginning of June that I faced was having to get out of bed early and on the trail by 7 a.m.

This challenge alone to me was enormous. The biggest challenge that I have ever taken on. So, at this time I have nothing to compare it to. I learned that I enjoyed hiking more when animals were present for me to observe such as in Groenkloof – the zebras, giraffes, and ostriches. On the other hand, in Klipriviersberg there were a lot fewer wildlife to enjoy; so, I found myself mainly focusing on the big picture of the hike and my surroundings versus the physical challenge I was partaking in.

Changes that could have been made during my June training would have been to have more hiking areas to fit into our schedule. Also, a change that I though would have been nice is to make our morning time 8 a.m. and not 7 a.m. That way I would have had another hour of sleep. I do realize this was a conflict of idea as the schedule on Mount Kilimanjaro will be much for demanding in all aspects.

My future goals for my training for Mount Kilimanjaro will be to carry on this exact schedule during the entire month of July in hopes that I will get stronger and increasingly physically fit. I definitely can see the hike that awaits me on Mount Kilimanjaro becoming more realistic simply because the training that I have already completed, the expertise I have gained, and my desire to make it to the summit.

Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro Proposal

IB/CAS Proposal

Candidate Name: Enya Calibuso

Activity/Project: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro

Date: 14 June 2014

Intro:

I chose to hike Mount Kilimanjaro, because AISJ had offered it at school. However, I was unable to partake in it due to a heavy workload. Therefore, my family and I planned and scheduled a trip during the summer – August 2014. My skill level is a beginner/novice. My talent as a skilled hiker will grow as I attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Targeted Learning Outcomes:

I will increase awareness of my strengths and areas for growth during my climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. I have read the books, “Kilimanjaro One Man’s Quest to go over the Hill” by M.G. Edwards and “Kilimanjaro Summit of Africa” by J. Megarry to expand my knowledge and prepare myself for the hike on Mount Kilimanjaro. In addition, I watched multiple YouTube videos on people whom have documented their personal Kilimanjaro climb. I found it very helpful and gave me a clear picture of what to expect. I will be undertaking a new challenge, because I have only camped once during the CAS retreat in 11^th grade at AISJ. So, sleeping in a tent for eight days will definitely be a challenge. The other challenge is that I am not an avid hiker. Everything is new to me from the gear we have to buy, to the sleeping arrangements, and to the food on the mountain. Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro will show my perseverance and commitment. My commitment started when my family and I sat at the dinner table in January 2014 discussing our preliminary trip to hike Mount Kilimanjaro. The next commitment was when we signed the contracts online and made a down payment. I knew when I actually commit with my family to hike Mount Kilimanjaro I was taking on a giant responsibility and commitment to probably the hardest thing I’ll ever do physically and mentally.

This activity would complete my Action section of CAS.

Activity Description:

My family and I committed to an eight-day hike on the Lemosho trail. We chose this route and number of days in order to help us acclimate to the elevation on Mount Kilimanjaro. I personally started my training once school ended in June 2014. I will begin with three days a week at the gym. My gym routine will consist of 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the stair stepper, 10 minutes on the rowing machine, and various exercise machines for weight training. Then, every Saturday and Sunday my family and I will hike in either Groenkloof, Pretoria for about 6 hours or Klipriviersberg, Johannesburg for about 6 hours. I plan on continuing this training until August 1, 2014.

End:

At this point I feel that this challenge is out of reach, but with proper training, perseverance, and confidence this hike will help me hone all of these skills. I’m hoping at the end of my completion of the summit this will give me a newfound respect for those who partake in extreme sports and mountaineering. I’m hoping to take away the importance of time, schedules, and planning. Also, participating in a large group out of my element will allow me to gain communication skills.

Specific Schedule for the Commitment:

Starting June 14, 2014 I will begin training at the gym 3 days a week and hiking every weekend in local nature reserves.

Supervising Adult:

Mr. Richard (Guide with Ultimate Kilimanjaro)

richardminja63@yahoo.com

CAS Coordinator:

Ms. Deanne Slattery

dslattery@aisj-jhb.com

Shumbashaba Reflection 5 - 15 - 14

Shumbashaba Reflection 5 – 15 – 14

            On Thursday, May 15, I learned how to blanket the horses. Blanketing the horses at the close of each night is needed to conserve warmth and provide mosquito protection. Specially made horse blankets are placed over the horses back. Ensure that the horse’s blanket is fitted the right way around, so that the tail flap is not on its neck. Basically, don’t put the horse blanket on backwards. Fasten the breast straps, allowing enough room between the blanket and the horse; so, you can slip your hand all the way around the horse’s neck. Fasten the belly straps around the horse’s belly. Also, allow enough space between the straps and the horse so you can run your hand around the belly. This assumes the blanket is not too tight. Put the horse’s tail through the strap to allow the tail to freely move.

            The challenge that I found a bit difficult is that the blankets are hard to tell which way round to put it on the horse properly. Thankfully, we have the Shumbashaba staff that is willing and always able to assist and help us in such a professional and kind manner. I thank them for all their service and knowledge. One of the learning moments here is that the Shumbashaba horses are so well taken care of and interacted with humans. Therefore, they are so wonderful to be around and tame. My motivation to volunteer at Shumbashaba allows me some great opportunities to interact with large animals to get the hands on experience that will be helpful for my future studies in zoology. I feel that volunteering my services to Shumbashaba is an asset to them and rewarding for me. Every Thursday, when I volunteer to work with the horses I give 100% with participation and effort. I accept all the new challenges openly and gain so much by doing so. I’ve realized that each and every time that I volunteer with Shumbashaba I’m going to have some sort of limitation because I’m always learning something new that I didn’t know. I thoroughly enjoyed this CAS project and I am looking forward to starting again next year. I want to thank Shumbashaba and the staff for giving me this incredible opportunity and opening their property and business and giving the AISJ students a chance to grow, expand, and learn.  

Shumbashaba Reflection 5 - 8 - 14

Shumbashaba Reflection 5 – 8 – 14

            On Thursday, May 8, I moved hay to the compost station. Prior to my arrival with the involvement of the moving of hay to the compost station, the staff had already cleaned and raked the soiled hay into large sacks. This is where myself and the other AISJ student volunteers began to drag or wheel barrel the sacks of soiled hay to the compost station. Once again this was a very labor intense work, but very fulfilling and important job. This compost will be used at the horse farm as a natural fertilizer, a wonderful way of recycling and giving back to the Earth.

            This particular duty of volunteer service was not particularly a challenge or a skill learned; but nonetheless it is a very important job that needs to be done when caring for horses. This important detail ensures that the horses always have clean hay in their stalls. Transporting the soiled hay to the compost station from the stalls requires stamina and muscles. Thus, take your time if your just starting out and endurance will increase with time. Even though I have not had the opportunity to volunteer at the zoo this would definitely give me the idea of daily jobs needed. I don’t feel any changes can be done on the transferring of hay. It’s a very well orchestrated, smooth operation. No conflicts arose. In the big picture, this experience could definitely help me in my field of study in zoology.    

Shumbashaba Reflection 4 - 10 - 14

Shumbashaba Reflection 4 – 10 – 14

            On Thursday, April 10, I learned how to take rectum temperatures on horses. The normal body temperatures of a horse is between 37.5°C and 38.5°C. Any temperature above 38.5°C is seen as a possible infection. A digital thermometer is the equipment necessary for this daily procedure. It will notify you when it’s ready by beeping. It will display the temperature on the thermometer display screen. I took the temperature of about 25 different horses at Shumbashaba during my volunteer service time. All the horses were waiting in the stalls for us. Temperatures must be taken every morning and night. First, position yourself on the left side of the horse. This prevents the horse from being scared. Approach the horse from the front at an angle and move towards the rear end. This will prevent you from being kicked. Second, gently tap the horse’s rear end so they know you are there and lift the tail. Third, turn on the thermometer and insert it into the rectum. Wait until the thermometer beeps to indicate it is done and ready to read. This takes about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Then, remove the thermometer from the rectum and record results in a chart. Warning: gas will escape from the horse’s rectum; so, be ready. The temperature will be lower in the morning and higher at night due to the weather.

            This is a new challenge and skill that I have learned by volunteering my time at Shumbashaba. This interaction along with my other volunteer service at Shumbashaba has enhanced my knowledge and skill as a whole with working with horses. When I arrived at Shumbashaba this afternoon, and was told we were going to be taking the temperatures of the horses via the rectum I was a bit apprehensive. As I put my own unknown fears aside and got right into the task, I learned that this is a very important medical procedure to ensure that the horses are in good health. I overcame my apprehensiveness. The only thing I can relate this to is my dogs annual vet visit. I was able to observe my veterinarian performing this same task on my dogs. Now I’m able to take part in this task at Shumbashaba. At Shumbashaba I noticed that the thermometer was not being cleaned from horse to horse. A change that I would make is to clean the thermometer after every use. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue volunteering at Shumbashaba.