Sad news from Kilmanjaro

[sapblatt]

This just in:

Globe story

One local woman (and two others) were killed.

 

[giggy]

over the summer - there was always a trip planned for the blue hills from a women - who was training for kila. wonder if the 2 are one and the same.

very sorry to hear this - tragic.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Another report:
Guardian Unlimited

Lists the Americans as Kristian Ferguson, 37, of Colorado; Mary Lou Sammis, 58, of California, and Betty Orrik Sapp, 63, of Tennessee. These are the only deaths reported, but there are others seriously injured.

 

[Jim lombard]

Thanks for posting this Mike,
You don't think of Kili as being a dangerous mountain but it claims a few each year. Sad for their families.

If you look at this picture I took last summer you can see the Western Breach in the upper middle part. I wonder if they were staying at Arrow Glacier camp just below the wall? Usually on that route it's where hikers spend the night

 

[KayakDan]

My daughter is working in Arusha,Tanzania right now,about 10 miles from Kili. I'm sure I'll hear more about this when she calls.

 

[erugs]

There are conflicting stories about where people were from. One woman was from Melrose, Mass. More about Kristian Ferguson can be found online at the Seattle Times. I was at Arrow Camp almost three years ago. The route up from there is long and the footing is loose. Rocks do appear to be very cracked and ready to crumble. I watched a boulder slide out from beneath the foot of my friend as we were ascending the Western Breach and had to use some positive self talk to calm my nerves, (i.e. "thank you mind for sharing, now go sit down over there"). There are also comments in the press about guides and porters having died, too, rather than only the three Americans. Usually those who die on Kili annually are porters, I've read, because they do not always have appropriate clothing and weather changes cause them to suffer from hypothermia. This is an awfully difficult accident to read about because everyone who climbs Kili is so excited about their adventure. I know that for me it was a life-changing trip.

PS I've tried to attach a picture but my file is too large and I'm not sure how to reduce it. Any suggestions? I have just received Photoshop Elements as a gift.

 

[erugs]

I found more information...
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/st...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-01-05-22-54-43

 

[dundare]

Its a sad story. My wife and I had been discussing a trip there for next Dec-Jan. Given that she emailed me the story from the Globe today, I am really going to have to do some convincing if we are going to go...

 

[Waumbek]

Eyewitness Kili account by NH survivors, Paul and Carol Cunha.

 

[pilgrim]

Mary Sammis was a Long Islander. Here is a heartrending story in which her family describes her death and funeral.