10 October 2016

Energy from those around you! Kilimanjaro Training Weekend

Our recent and newly launched ‘Kilimanjaro training weekend’ went great.

My apprehension and sleepless nights were soon forgotten when we were sharing laughs whilst drinking tea at the Moel Siabod Cafe at the end of a fantastic weekend.

Two days and nights had passed since five of the Kilimanjaro adventurers; Sarka, Jane, Stuart, Andrew, John and my forever suffering and supportive partner Clare met for the first time.

I arrived at our base camp, the Snowdon Ranger YHA at around 4:30pm on Friday after a quick excursion to Betws y coed to check out the gear shops.

The hostel was locked and not open till 5!! I had a little panic as I had to leave to collect Clare from Bangor station at 5:40pm. Still after checking in, ordering the packed lunches and breakfasts, moving rooms as there was no heating in the original, I shot to Bangor to pick up Clare.

The guys arrived throughout the evening and had travelled from various parts of the U.K. including Yorkshire, South Wales, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

After breakfast on Saturday, we discussed various options around kit choice for Kilimanjaro and demonstrated ideas around gear management whilst on the mountain. We then filled out water bottles, packed our sandwiches and headed to the summit of Snowdon via the quieter Ranger Path. Other than a drone filming a school training expedition, it was peaceful (ok hands up we used a drone to film the summit of Tryfan in May!! I apologise for this, but the footage was excellent).

After watching a team of sheepdogs do their thing and looking in horror at the lines of people heading up the Llanberis path, we summited Snowdon. Scrambling to the summit cairn on a busy Saturday was something else!

After celebrations and many photos we dropped out of the mist for a short lunch stop, before heading back to the Snowdon Ranger YHA for hot drinks and cakes, a la ski chalet style.

Showered and rested we drove the short distance into Beddgelert for a lovely meal at the Saracens’s Head Hotel.

Sunday.

Rested and with a few aching muscles we headed to the Moel Siabod cafe for a quick coffee before the 2.5 hour walk to the summit of Moel Siabod.

The views of the Glyders, Carneddeu and Snowdon were awesome.

A lunch stop in the summit shelter and many photos later we headed back down for hot drinks at the Moel Siabod cafe.

The weekend was full of laughs and great bonds were built before we head out to Tanzania in January 2017. Lots of knowledge shared within the group and support for each other.