Nomadic Adventures August 2010 Newsletter

IN THE NEWS

Rwenzori Glacier Cracked: Glaciers on the top of the Mountains of the Moon, aka Rwenzori Mountains, have shrunk considerably since the peaks were first climbed over a hundred years ago.

A crack (crevasse) appeared on the glacier in late May 2010 leading up to the Margherita Peak in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park in April; obstructing ascent to the peak using the traditional route. "The new route is shorter and easier because it avoids the steepest part of the mountain.
It now takes about 26 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the Margherita Peak.

Previously, it took up to 45 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the peak. The new route has been thoroughly tested and it is safe and secure for mountain climbers," noted Lillian Nsubuga, the Public Relations Officer UWA in a statement released last week.

She said there has been speculation that mountain climbers will no longer be able to climb up to the peak, 5,109m above sea level which is not true. "Uganda Wildlife Authority wishes to assure the public that mountain climbers will still be able to climb to the Margherita Peak following an alternative route that has been surveyed and opened up to circumvent the crack," the statement noted.

A diversion from the old route has been created at a point called Omwubutindo where ladders had been placed on rocks to ease movement on the glacier.

With the new route, the peak will now be approached from the western side(Adapted from http://www.busiweek.com/10/page.php?aid=572).

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED TOP OF PAGE

1) What level of comfort should I expect while camping in Nepal?
We try to adopt the principle of maximum comfort under the worst condition. As such, we use high quality two person tents and supply you with a thick foam mattress on camping treks. In regions where the temperatures get very cold, our crew will supply you with an additional thermal sleeping liner and often, a hot water bottle. Our trekking crew will erect the tents, boil water for you to wash with, rustle up some tea of coffee on arriving in camp and prepare an amazing meal.

2) If I do a camping trek on Kilimanjaro can I stay in the huts one night if I am tired of camping? Unfortunately not. On Kilimanjaro only one of the routes up the mountain has huts, and that is Marangu route. All others are camping routes so if you are on Machame e.g. there are no huts available. The situation is different in Nepal e.g. if you do a camping trip you can opt to spend a night in a lodge at your own cost.

3) I need to catch a flight home from Kenya at 14h00 on the last day of my trek. Will I make it in time if I do the Sirimon Chagoria (Mt Kenya) route? Definitely not. The road from Chagoria is in a shocking state and requires a land cruiser to traverse. The 28km stretch of road can take up to 2 hours to navigate assuming you do not get stuck. You then, after changing vehicles have a 4-5 hours drive ahead of you to get back to Nairobi and assuming no traffic, no road works and that everything runs smoothly, you will only arrive to Nairobi around 14h00. So in short, your flight out needs to be late that night, or the following day.

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