In Aug 2011, David Lim will be returning to the 5895m high Mount Kilimanjaro to climb it from the Rongai Route (from the north) . This is a far different climb than the Voltaren Kilimanjaro Challenge in 2004. The 2011 team comprises David’s wife, Maureen Da Costa, long-time expedition doctor and David’s partner on the Extreme Desert Crossing Expedition in 2007 – Dr Shani Tan, and her trek companion, Juliana Kok. Visit the updates page on Facebook where George Tan will be updating our progress. Expect sketchy reports this time, folks! There may be occasional updates here The Rongai route is far less travelled than the popular Machame and Marangu routes from the south west and south east. The route the team will be taking will approach Kibo from the north west; crossing the scenic saddle between Mawenzi ( a satellite peak of Kilimanjaro) and then ascending the final summit route on the Marangu route (see right)
Left: Maureen at some stair climbing training on Bukit Timah, 164m. The workout usually involves an hour or two of stari climbing the well -known long staircases of the Rengas, Summit and Jungle Fall path staircases. Alternatively, the Dairy Farm loop is also provided a decent long walk with ups and downs. Our training in Singapore, which is ‘mountain-less’ comprises running, weights, Pilates, and hillw alking. Kilimanjaro is not a technical peak. But it is high, and apart from acclimatisation, a solid aerobic fitness foundation is required to complete the climb successfully. Shani and Juliana who emigrated to New Zealand a couple of years ago have a larger variety of outdoor opportunities – although with our busy work and corporate commitments – training gets tougher the older you get!
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