My feet are the most important part of getting up a mountain. Early this summer, I bruised both big toes to the point that the nails are both turning black and will eventually fall off. I met with a podiatrist, who assured me that nothing serious had occurred, and then I went to a good outdoor store and purchased new, better fitting boots. It turned out that my original boots were too small (middle aged foot spread) and were also wearing out - a boot that is 8 or 9 years old is too old in this era of lightweight materials. Yet another reason to do lots of training hikes before an undertaking like this.
At the end of a day of hiking, my legs often ache - I have found that taking one or two tablets of Aleve (or its generic equivalent) mid way during the descent helps to forestall the discomfort.
Finally, due to varicose veins, I wear thigh-high white support stockings when hiking. They are a little weird looking if I am in shorts, but they keep my circulation healthy and provide extra warmth on the cold mornings. During the long back-to-back airline flights from the US to Europe and then to Nairobi, I plan to wear these stockings to minimize swelling and possible blood clots forming.
All these issues are signs that I am not as young as I used to be, but are not reasons to sit back and vegetate!
The record of a middle aged US woman, only moderately fit, who will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in July 2010. The intent of the blog is both to share details of the climb, and to provide some inspiration to others who are contemplating a life challenge.
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