As if climbing Kili wasn't bad enough, imagine doing it with a full paragliding kit on your back too. That's what 200 other people will be doing in early 2013. According to http://www.wingsofkilimanjaro.com, a group of adventurers from every corner of the globe
will come together for a once-in-a-lifetime, world record-breaking event
to climb and fly from the “Roof of Africa” - Mt Kilimanjaro, the
highest free-standing mountain on the planet, and in doing so will raise
over a million for charity. Makes my attempt just to climb it seem a bit puny in comparison.
Squash Falconer (how I love that name!) has just come back from a reconnaissance trip for this event, which she's blogged about. Sounds like an immense coordination effort, but what a spectacle it will be! Idly browsing their website, I stumbled on the dates for their proposed attempt, and discovered that they aim to do it on Feb 5th, although there's a window of about a week, depending on conditions. Coincidentally, not only is that my birthday, but it's the exact week I'll be climbing Kili. So with any luck I'll not only see them make their flight, but maybe even get to climb with some of them or share base camp with them. I actually held a club paragliding license nearly 20 years ago, but haven't renewed it since. Not sure that blind people would be allowed to paraglide these days anyway. Or at least, not solo. I think I'll stick to just climbing Kili for now.
