Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro 2015

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Joella Rich
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1 Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro 2015 Don t miss out on a once in a life time adventure to the highest peak in Africa and into the inner sanctum of rhino conservation. We need valiant climbers to take on the ancient mountain and save the ancient rhino.

Then, in 1994, the rhino lovers decided to take on another huge challenge to trek from the coast at Mombassa to the top of Kilimanjaro.

2 The Legend Save the Rhino was founded on the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, how-on-earth-did-we-end-uphere? type adventures, when founders Johnny Roberts and Dave Stirling decided to throw caution to the wind and motorbike from London to South Africa to raise money for rhino conservation. Then, in 1994, the rhino lovers decided to take on another huge challenge to trek from the coast at Mombassa to the top of Kilimanjaro. If this wasn t enough of a challenge, they decided to do it in rhino costume! Douglas Adams and current Save the Rhino Chair of Trustees Tom Kenyon-Slaney walking to Kili in 1994 The late great Douglas Adams joined the trek for a section, taking his turn to wear the costume. He writes about it in the Salmon of Doubt: Great wumps of equatorial heat are coming up at me from the Tarmac I m slathered in sunblock, the road stretches off into the distant heat haze, and my legs are settling in nicely. Dotted along the road ahead and behind me are other walkers, some striding vigorously, others appearing to just amble, but all in fact moving at the same speed. One of them is wearing a large, grey, sculptural edifice A large horn bobs in front of it. The thing is a grotesque but oddly beautiful caricature of a rhinoceros moving along with swift, busy strides. The other walkers have all been walking for several days now, from the shore at Mombassa along the main highway to the truck stop at Voi, the local centre of the universe. I joined them here last night It is to the peak of Kilimanjaro that the expedition is intending to climb a small bunch of Englishmen out walking miles a day in the midday sun and taking turns at wearing a large rhino costume. Mad dogs have thrown in the towel long ago This crackpot idea was first put to me by founders of Save the Rhino International, David Stirling and Johnny Roberts, and I didn t realise at first that they meant it. Since this infamous trip, we have set up Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro following in Douglas footsteps for rhino conservation and now offer a very exclusive trip to Mkomazi (with the legendary Tony Fitzjohn) to visit this very special rhino programme supported by funds from the climb. Follow in Douglas Adams footsteps and become part of the rhino legend!

3 Trip summary For many people, conquering Kilimanjaro is the ultimate trekking challenge. Just under 20,000 ft; the highest peak in Africa; the world's highest free-standing mountain; and yet you can reach the summit without any previous climbing or trekking experience, given some dedication in preparation and determination to succeed once on the mountain. The challenge starts in the rainforest at the base of this huge dormant volcano, home to elephant, buffalo, antelope and monkeys. Higher up you ll cross moorland with incredible Senecio and Lobilia plants. Beyond this lies the rock and ice zone as you slowly approach the summit. It is an incredible achievement to reach Gillman s Point on the edge of the crater rim. The fittest will push onto the Uhuru Peak. Whichever point you reach, you ll be greeted by truly stunning views across the Maasai plains and the euphoria of standing on top of the world. Many companies and charities offer Kilimanjaro challenges; none has Save the Rhino's unique aspects: Trek on the little-used Rongai route where you'll see few others and have a real sense of wilderness Groups of 4 or more can go on safari in Mkomazi National Park after the trek, and track black rhino this is exclusive to Save the Rhino and not available with any other operator Have the satisfaction of visiting the project you'll be helping to support and finding out firsthand the difference you have made Mount Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, the White Mountain, was revered by the local tribes people for many years and it was thought that those attempting to reach the summit would be punished by the spirits. The mountain was first climbed in October 1889 by Hans Meyer, a German geologist, together with two partners and this achievement has remained an enduring challenge ever since. It is the highest and youngest of the three large East African volcanoes (Mt Kenya & Mt Elgon being the other two) with its oldest lava being approximately one million years old. Kilimanjaro is for many people the ultimate trekking experience because it is generally accepted as being the highest walkable mountain in the world. It is therefore a considerable achievement to reach the summit, though no technical climbing skill is required. It is a long, hard trek which reaches an altitude of 5,896 metres, but those who do make it to Uhuru Peak are rewarded with stunning views across the East African plains. We avoid the busy Marangu route, preferring to approach the mountain from the north by the lightly used Rongai route. This route starts just south of the Kenya/Tanzania border and is considered by experienced guides to be one of the easiest and most beautiful of all the routes. The Rongai route begins in attractive farmland and delightful forest, with the possibility of some wildlife viewing, and as you climb higher opens out to give stunning views of the plains below. This trek includes an extra day to the standard five days itinerary to ensure maximum acclimatisation and give you the best possible chance of enjoying the magnificent scenery. Recent National Park statistics indicate that the chance of reaching the summit increases by at least 20% if an extra day is spent acclimatising. The deviation to Mawenzi Tarn is very beautiful and on a little-used trail through moorland. This route retains a sense of unspoilt wilderness and offers a different perspective of Kilimanjaro by approaching it from the north.

Mkomazi rhino project Mkomazi National Park is a magnificent 3,270 square kilometre Park in northern Tanzania along the Kenyan border.

In 1987 the Government of Tanzania invited the legendary to Tony Fitzjohn OBE of the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust to work on the rehabilitation of the Mkomazi Game Reserve, and to

13 Critically Endangered Eastern black rhino. The hope is to increase rhino numbers and manage the animals by moving them into other protected areas in Tanzania.

4 Mkomazi rhino project Mkomazi National Park is a magnificent 3,270 square kilometre Park in northern Tanzania along the Kenyan border. Together with Tsavo National Park to the north, it forms one of the largest protected ecosystems in Africa. In 1987 the Government of Tanzania invited the legendary to Tony Fitzjohn OBE of the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust to work on the rehabilitation of the Mkomazi Game Reserve, and to develop breeding programmes for critically endangered Black rhinos and African wild dogs. The Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary within the game reserve is Tanzania s first rhino sanctuary, now holding approx. 13 Critically Endangered Eastern black rhino. The hope is to increase rhino numbers and manage the animals by moving them into other protected areas in Tanzania. Rhinos, being one of the Big Five are invaluable in terms of conservation and conservationlinked tourism, and the Mkomazi rhino population is already an integral component of Tanzania s efforts to recover and breed up populations of D.b. michaeli in Tanzania over the next few decades. Vital to the work of the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust is the outreach work that is being undertaken to involve local communities in conservation. A specially designed Environmental Education programme called Rafiki wa Faru, which means friend of the rhino in Swahili, works with schools from the 41 surrounding villages to link conservation with school children in particular. By bringing the children to visit the reserve and through school visits by an Environmental Education Officer, it is hoped that the next generation of Tanzanians will work for the conservation of the Tsavo ecosystem and its biodiversity.

5 The Mkomazi Visit Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro includes a very special and unique trip to the inner sanctum of rhino conservation at Mkomazi. The Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary is managed by the legendary conservationist Tony Fitzjohn OBE and his lovely wife Lucy. Tony began his career with George Adamson at Kora National Park in Kenya, rehabilitating lions and reintroducing them into the wild. He then moved to Mkomazi where he transformed it into a National Park and established a black rhino sanctuary and a wild dog breeding and release programme. You can read about his experiences in his recent book Born Wild, The Extraordinary story of one man s passion for lions and for Africa. We can t tell you how special the Mkomazi visit is. But one of our 2011 climbers Mark Worsfold can: Kilimanjaro was done and dusted and receding nicely in the rear view mirror. Now came the best part of our trip - three days and two nights at Mkomazi. Not many people visit Mkomazi, yet, and we were to find that we almost had 3,700km of African bush all to ourselves. I have seen and met most of the crowds on the Serengeti or in the Masai Mara and this made Mkomazi seem a pristine and complete wilderness. Lucy Fitzjohn greeted us all, shook hands and ushered us into a large marquee. Lucy was a fantastic host and soon made us all feel at ease. We were led out on a tour and towards the workshop where Tony was working on an old tractor. Then it was all aboard, and off for a whirlwind tour of the camp. Workshops here, trucks there, generators here and storage containers over there. We were whisked past various members of staff, shown the rhino enclosure fence and finally into the rhino reserve itself. We were signed in, made a few introductions before hurtling off again across a rickety cattle grid and into the bush. Eventually Tony pulled up in a clearing and grabbed a bucket of carrots from the footwell. He mentioned that I might like to stay in the car! A guard came ambling over and chatted to Tony in Swahili. Together they used a radio antenna to triangulate something hidden in the thorny scrub. Then Tony started calling out to whatever it was hidden in the vegetation. Eventually and cautiously, like a mischievous puppy a rhinoceros appeared, head held high, wondering who had disturbed its peace. Tony was out the car, rattling the bucket of carrots and calling the rhino s name. It came over and stuck its head over the side of our Land Rover. We all eagerly took photos and fed it the bucketful of carrots. After 5 minutes play we were off again to another part of the reserve. Two, much larger, Black rhinos this time. Tony stayed in the vehicle this time as the large male made repeated threats to keep Tony s vehicle repair team busy for months. We drove back to Babu s camp totally mesmerized and fully under Tony Fitzjohn s spell. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We had been invited back the following day. Tony showed us around his Cessna (similar to the wreckage of one we happened to see on Kilimanjaro). Superb in flight entertainment was provided by Mr Fitzjohn and the most amazing way to view the wildlife and experience the vast vistas of Mkomazi. We flew around the area for about an hour while Tony checked on various projects under construction and in progress. We toured the wild dog holding areas and met the guards when Tony announced that he would release the pack we had come to see. This he duly did by opening the gate to the pen. We also went on to visit the rhino viewing bunker (now with a metal door to prevent it becoming a human viewing bunker by the rhinos) and the Education and Outreach classroom and outpost on the top of a hill. Here we met other members of Tony s team and watched a video presentation on a bigger screen than I have at home. The funds that we raised have gone to support a schools program. So now it is my task to raise more money for Save the Rhino and the causes they support; and if you are reading this then I can only urge you to do so too. We can t guarantee that all Mkomazi visits will be exactly the same as Tony and Lucy are very busy people, but we can tell you that it will be special.

6 Save the Rhino International Save the Rhino International is a passionate and adventurous charity that works to conserve genetically viable populations of critically endangered rhinoceros species in the wild. We do this by supporting innovative and sustainable solution-based rhino, ecosystem and community conservation projects in Africa and Asia. Through our work, we empower people to make a difference to ecosystem protection, be it through community-led conservation enterprises in wildlife-rich areas or daring fundraising challenges by our loyal supporters. Save the Rhino has a pragmatic approach to species conservation, using the iconic and distinctive rhinoceros to stimulate conservation awareness. By focusing on viable rhino populations (rather than individual animals), we protect entire ecosystems and create opportunities for income-generating activities for local communities. Save the Rhino is best known for our bold fundraising challenges, which we often undertake in our famous rhino costumes, like the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert or the Comrades Marathon. Alongside these, we have built up a reputation for creating strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations and partners to add value to the projects with which we work, by introducing pro-bono help and raising profiles. Above all, we are seen as a friendly, honest charity that punches above our weight and offers our supporters value for money. We employ a pragmatic approach focused on viable populations. We support the sustainable use of natural resources for the mutual benefit of wildlife, habitat and local communities. We support the sustainable use of wildlife provided it is legal and the profits are ploughed back into conservation. We do not create or run our own projects in the field; rather, we fund good rhino conservation projects and work with them on a long-term basis, rather than making one-off or ad hoc grants. Dates Check out the Save the Rhino website If we have a trek planned then we will advertise the date on our website. If we advertise a trek, this means that one or more of our Save the Rhino supporters have already signed up to climb Kilimanjaro on this date. You can sign up as an individual or small group to join them, and take on the Kilimanjaro challenge together as a Save the Rhino team. There may also be climbers from other charities taking part in the trek too depending on numbers. If four or more climbers register from Save the Rhino for the same trek, you can choose to add on a visit Mkomazi rhino programme as a group. Visit or laura@savetherhino.org to see if any trips are currently planned. Or plan your own date! If there are currently no dates on our website, these dates don t work for you, or you d like to arrange your own trip, we can also offer flexible departure dates throughout the trekking seasons: July to October, and December to February. Laura at laura@savetherhino.org with your suggested date and group size and we will confirm the availability with our tour operators.

7 Itineraries Groups of 1 to 3 people Day 1 (Saturday) Day 2 (Sunday) Day 3-6 (Monday - Thursday) Day 7 (Friday) Day 8 (Saturday) Transfer from Nairobi to Arusha and then on to Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort for overnight stay Begin your 5-night (6 day) climb along the Rongai route Climb the Rongai route, summiting on day 7 Reach the summit and then descend and return to Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort for overnight stay Transfer to Arusha in the afternoon, shuttle bus to Nairobi for return flight Unfortunately we can t offer a visit to Mkomazi for groups of fewer than 4 people. However, you could consider joining a trip currently planned by other SRI supporters. Any trips that are already running will be advertised on our website so that others can join that climb. (You can also laura@savetherhino.org to find out if there are any trips planned in the next year.) If four or more people register for the same climb we can offer the Mkomazi visit to the group. Groups of 4, 5 or 6 with a Mkomazi Visit Day 1 Transfer from Nairobi airport to Arusha and then on to Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort for overnight stay Day 2 (Sunday) Begin your 5-night (6 day) climb along the Rongai route Day 3 6 Climb the Rongai route, summiting on day 7 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Reach the summit and then descend and return to Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort for overnight stay Transfer to Mkomazi Game reserve and Babu s Camp (an intimate luxury tented bush camp) with safari game drive in the afternoon Full day visit to Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary, visit the Wild Dog breeding programme and have the chance to see a Critically Endangered black rhino Morning game drive. Transfer to Nairobi for return flight Please note for all group sizes your exact itinerary will be confirmed once a booking is made. Costs To work out how much your trip will cost, there are two simple steps. 1. Firstly, pick your group size: 1-3 people, 4-5 people, or 6 people. If you are signing up as individual to one of the treks that we have advertised on our website, please look at the options for 1-3 people as a starting point and Laura at laura@savetherhino.org if unsure. 2. Next select your payment option. You can choose the direct costs option, where you pay your own travel expenses directly to our tour operator and raise a smaller amount through fundraising. Or you can choose the full fundraising option, where you will cover all of the costs of your trip by fundraising for the trek.

8 Costs contd. Below is a guideline of the costs for different group sizes and payment options. Prices are subject to change so please laura@savetherhino.org or phone to get a confirmed price. Groups of 1 to 3 people Option 1 Direct costs option 300 registration fee and fundraise 500 Pay costs of 1,382 directly to the tour operator Total cost 2,182 (Per person. Reg fee to be paid on signing up. Costs to be paid 6 weeks prior to final departure. 75% of sponsorship to be paid no later than 6 weeks prior to final departure, 25% to be paid within 4 weeks of return. 250 of this payment will be donated to Mkomazi rhino project) Option 2 Full fundraising option 300 registration fee and fundraise 2,764 Total cost 3,064 (Per person. Reg fee to be paid on signing up. 75% to be paid no later than 6 weeks prior to final departure, 25% to be paid within 4 weeks of return. 500 of this payment will be donated to Mkomazi rhino project) Groups of 4 or 5 people including visit to Mkomazi Option 1 Direct costs option 300 registration fee and fundraise 1,000 Pay costs of 2,235 directly to the tour operator Total cost 3,535 (Per person. Reg fee to be paid on signing up. Costs to be paid 6 weeks prior to final departure. 75% of sponsorship to be paid no later than 6 weeks prior to final departure, 25% to be paid within 4 weeks of return. 500 of this payment will be donated to Mkomazi rhino project) Option 2 Full fundraising option 300 registration fee and fundraise 4,470 Total cost 4,770 (Per person. Reg fee to be paid on signing up. 75% to be paid no later than 6 weeks prior to final departure, 25% to be paid within 4 weeks of return. 1,000 of this payment will be donated to Mkomazi rhino project) Groups of 6 people including visit to Mkomazi Option 1 Direct costs option 300 registration fee and fundraise 1,000 Pay costs of 2,110 directly to the tour operator Total cost 3,410 (Per person. Reg fee to be paid on signing up. Costs to be paid 6 weeks prior to final departure. 75% of sponsorship to be paid no later than 6 weeks prior to final departure, 25% to be paid within 4 weeks of return. 500 of this payment will be donated to Mkomazi rhino project) Option 2 Full fundraising option 300 registration fee and fundraise 4,220 Total cost 4,520 (Per person. Reg fee to be paid on signing up. 75% to be paid no later than 6 weeks prior to final departure, 25% to be paid within 4 weeks of return. 1,000 of this payment will be donated to Mkomazi rhino project)

9 What is included and excluded? Included: trained Kilimanjaro Guides (1 guide to 2 clients), all relevant Kilimanjaro Park fees & rescue fees, emergency medical evacuation, all accommodation as described in the itinerary above, all meals and drinks on the hike (water, tea, coffee & hot chocolate), camping equipment. Where a Mkomazi visit is planned all meals and activities at Babu s Camp are included and all transfers as described in the itinerary. Not included: international flights and taxes, entry visas, gratuities, beverages in hotels, alternatives to the itinerary, airport departure taxes, laundry, hospital bills and international evacuation in the event of an emergency, visas, travel insurance, items of a personal nature (phone calls, internet etc.) Registration Full fundraising and training advice will be provided on registration, and we like to get the team into the office for a beer and crisps night to talk you through your trip. If you would like to know more, please contact laura@savetherhino.org or call We will then send registration forms out, which each participant should complete and return with their registration fee Become part of the rhino legend! Mark Worsfold at the Summit of Kilimanjaro

Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro

Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro Join us for an incredible journey of a lifetime to the highest peak in Africa and into the inner sanctum of rhino conservation. We re looking to recruit a team of six valiant climbers