Climb Kilimanjaro 2006 - Oxfam

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About Climb Kilimanjaro 2006 - Oxfam

This site contains photo's from Oxfam's Climb Kilimanjaro Trek held between the 12th and 23rd of October, 2006.

At 19,344 ft (5895m), the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro ("the shining mountain" - in Swahili) in Tanzania is higher in altitude than the base camp of everest. It is in fact the world's highest free standing mountain. About half of us reached the summit and the rest Gillman's Point, the top of Kilimanjaro at 5685 metres - an achievement we are all extremely proud of!

7 full days of walking, up and back down again, passing through rain forest (Mt Kili is only 3 degrees south of the equator), lush moorland, barren rocks and volcanic scree, with a summit that is permanently covered in snow and ice; average temperature for us ranged from around minus 10 degree's to plus 25 degree's dependent on altitude.

It was an incredible trip topped off with a visit to Endulen Village in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Oxfam has been working with this Maasai Village since 2001. We received an incredibly warm welcome and had the opportunity to visit both primary and pre-school's and meet with the community's women's group. Most of us found the experience overwhelming. However whilst the poverty was confronting and the village has a long way to go before conditions are acceptable, it was uplifing to see the huge difference Oxfam's presence had made in it's first five years of involvement and the gratitude that the community felt towards Oxfam and it's supporter's.

All participants on this trip raised funds to support Oxfam's work around the world, including Tanzania. To find out about Oxfam's next Global Challenge to Kilimanjaro or elsewhere in the world please visit www.oxfam.org.uk/adventure.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/kilimanjaro