HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-08-24, Page 17Ms.. M. Mitchell
VICE-PRINCIPAL - ELEMENTARY I'I
',nal -Star • Wednesday, August 24, 2011
rbara
H
Puts Metz
ra Hollingworthdid it, new hip
tanding
she did it all: climbed the 19,500
t m.) Mt. Kilitnanjaro and raised
her 310,000 goal that will be
10 Plan hada to help build two
in Rwanda under the "Because I
l ` initiative,
i1inutiec.i by her children 'lhonnas,
and II)ierdre along with son -in-
. E-iollingworth celebrated her
-thday by 'taking a hike--liter-
though rough "hike" does 'not begin to
} the trek.
ti rob involved a lot of scrambling
nni?ering," reports Hollingworth,
tip and two down. And the
terrain is covered with fine vol-
st that's always in the thin air."
ollingworth —1 Mt. Kilimanjaro -
Hollingworth's exploit began with 24
sleepless hours of air travel and wait
times, followed by a night in a hare
bones; no frills hotel room designed for
trek guests.
"We arrived on a .Friday evening," says
I ioliingwonh, "with orientation the next
day and the climb started on Sunday."
"What we could take with us up the
mountain was restricted to good hiking
boots and clothing that we could layer,"
she goes on. "It gets progressively colder
as you climb."
"The friendly porters and cook that
accompanied our group of eight were
slightly built but strong Tanzanian fel-
lows who carried the excess gear; food-
stuffs, tents, equipment, even a dining
table and chairs!"
"Killian, the local head guide, had just
Goderich District Collegiate Institute
260 South Street
GODERICH,ON N7A 3M5
PHONE : 519-524-7353 FAx: 519-524-1710
E. Wright
PRINCiPAt. - SECONDARY
Mr. G. McEwan
PRINCIPAL
2011/2012 SCHOOL YEAR
Secondary students are to meet in the West Gymnasium
and Elementary students are to meet in. East Gymnasium
at the school prior to 8:50 AM on
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
New students planning to attend GDCI
should call the school for an appointment to register.
student fee for the coming school year is $40 (secondary) and
(elementary) which will help subsidize the cost of a Yearbook and
erous Students' Council activities/events during the course of the
•01 year, including athletic events.
ase make cheque payable to G.D.C.I. Business Account
�.44 THE MEMO UNE OF THE CHEQUE IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE REASON
AND NAME OF THE STUDENT)
tudents new to G.D.C.I, taking physical education will be required
rchase a uniform ($30.00) at the school during the first week of
01
ase make cheque payable to (i. D. C I. Business , l cc•ou►rt
SCHOOL COUNCIL
rents of G.D.C.I. students are invited to become active members
he School Council. Nominations forms are available from the
in office and must be returned to the Principal by Friday,
ptember 10, 2010.
Elections will be held at the first School Council Meeting
Date & Time TBA
EMINDER to the GRADUATING CLASS OF 2011
The Annual Graduation & Commencement Exercises
will be held at the school on
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011
PROGRAM STARTS AT MOO PM SHARP
three pieces of advice: eat the
food, drink the water and poley,
poley—go slowly, slowly," recalls
Hollingworth.
A reasonably gradual ascent
can help to avoid debilitating
altitude sickness.
"We carried daypacks that
contained ,clothes, water, and
snacks, anything that we might
-need during the dav's climb,"
llollingworth states.
Each camp up the mountain
consisted of tents, a dining tent,
and a makeshift toilet sur
rounded by privacy canvas.
"There was no showering,"
reports Hollingworth. "We had
wipes with us and twice a day
they brought us bowls of warm
water to freshen up a little."
"Our daily routine after hours
of climbing and helping set up
camp consisted of a cup of tea,
dinner in the dining tent (a wel-
come relief from the blowing ash
and dirt) and gladly turning in
around 8:30 pm. We were tired
and It gets dark early in
Tanzania."
"The meals were very good,
often with fresh baked bread,
banana fritters, and fresh fruit in
addition to the main dish: she
says;
Water in quantity is essential to
such a long and arduous climb.
The porters knew where to collect
it, 'sometimes more than a kilo-
metre away, and trekkers purified
it with UV pens.
"Each of us drank three to four
litres of water 'a day," says
Hollingworth.
The climb started at the gates of
Kilimanjaro National Park with
temperatures around 32°F (0°C)
at 5,500 feet above sea level. The
group covered 3,500 feet through
rainforest the first day, camping.
at 9,0010 feet, Just above the
treel ne.
"The second day involved
seven hours on steeper terrain,
says Hollingworth. "Lots of
scrambling over large rocks. After
a lunch break, we had a long
climb to 12,000 ft."
"And by the time we stopped, I
was quite ill with altitude sick-
ness. Nausea, a splitting head-
ache and unable to move.
"I immediately started taking
medication to counteract it: she
reports, "and by the next morning
1 was ready to climb again."
Then came two days of varying
degrees of altitude sickness within
the group and climbing around
the mountain as much as up it, to
Barbara Hollingworth with the certificate verifying she climbed to the
summit of 19,500 ft. Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania during July hi support
of Plan Canada and the "I Am A Girl" Initiative building schools in
Rwanda.
allow their bodies adjust—climb
high, sleep low --the guides kept
them within a band of about 2,000.
feet. The air temperature hovered
around 22°F or -5C.
°From 14,500, we headed for
the 17,500 -foot level, another
seven hour climb, Hollingworth
states, "in preparation for the final
push to the summit."
At the last camp, Hollingworth's
group was allowed to sleep for a
few hours before being wakened
at 11:00 pm to start the last leg.
The Full Moon Climb to the top
is completed through the night by
headlamp and moonlight.
"Killian, our Tanzanian guide,
placed me right behind him and
was a great help to me as we
slowly made our way to the sum-
mit in the thin ale
"Three quarters . f the way up I
was really feeling the strain, so
Killian took my pack and carried
It with his own, while assisting
me. An amazing climber who was
as determined as I was that I
would make it to the top."
"I just kept following his foot-
steps. His encouragement was
important to us all."
Approaching the peak, the
climbers rested for a short while
at the rim of a crater and enjoyed
hot tea prepared by the porters—
welcome in the cold.
With one final effort, the
Hollingworths reached Mt..
Kilimanjaro's summit at 7:00 a.m.,
in time to see the sunrise over
surrounding mountains and
glaciers.
"It was breathtakingly beauti
ful, says Barbara, remembering
that moment, "and very special to
be there with my kids."
The human body doesn't do
well at over 19,000 feet above sea
level and the guides were soon
moving them down the moun-
tain, slipping and sliding over
loose shale for the next four hours
to their last camp.
"We rested for two hours,
packed everything up and contin-
ued
ontin-ued for another six hours,"
remembers Hollingworth.
"That 17 hours with minimal
sleep was the hardest part, she
says. "But it was all worth it"
The family says that their sense
of humour kept them going --
being non -campers, they had lots
of laugh about up and down the
mountain.
"It was a once in a lifetime
adventure," says Hollingworth.
"7111k about off the beaten path."
And Plan Canada will benefit
because Barbara Hollingworth
climbed to the top of the world.
To support Barbara Holling-
worth's achievement, go to: haps://
plancanada.ca/
hollingworthfamily
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