Tod am Kilimanjaro

Bozner Zahnarzt stirbt bei Flugzeugabsturz am Kilimandscharo , 03.04.2008

Seit Jahren waren der Zahnarzt aus Bozen, Franco Tamiazzo (57), und dessen Frau Stefania (52) in Indien und Afrika für die Ärmsten der Armen im Einsatz. Am Samstag kamen die beiden zusammen mit einem befreundeten Paar aus Belluno beim Absturz eines Kleinflugzeuges am Kilimandscharo ums Leben. Das Ehepaar aus Bozen hatte sich zusammen mit zwei Zahnarztassistentinnen und deren Ehemännern in Kenia aufgehalten, um das 25-jährige Bestehen von Tamiazzos Zahnarztpraxis zu feiern. Mit dabei waren auch Claudio Zornitta und dessen Frau Paola, ein befreundetes Paar der Tamiazzos aus Belluno. Franco Tamiazzo hatte sich immer wieder in Kenia und Tansania aufgehalten. Zum Einen hatte er dort zusammen mit Toni Pizzecco und Massimo Perini ein Hilfsprojekt für den Volksstamm der Massai ins Leben gerufen. Zum Anderen lieferte der passionierte Amateurfilmer immer wieder Beiträge für die RAI-Doku-Reihe "Alle falde del Kilimangiaro".

Kurz vor Heimflug So hatte der Bozner Zahnarzt auch diesmal, neben der Geburtstagsfeier für seine Praxis, auch die Schule und das Ambulatorium besucht, die er zusammen mit seinen beiden Südtiroler Kollegen aufgebaut hatte. Eigentlich hätte die Reisegruppe dann bereits am Samstag von Kenias Hauptstadt Nairobi aus den Heimflug antreten sollen. Kurzfristig entschied man sich aber, einen Abstecher zum Kilimandscharo zu unternehmen. Mit dem gemieteten Kleinflugzeug von Typ Cessna F406 wollte Tamiazzo vermutlich noch einmal Afrikas höchsten Berg aus der Luft filmen. So gingen er, seine Frau Stefania, sowie das befreundete Paar aus Belluno an Bord. Gegen 11 Uhr (9 Uhr MEZ) startete die Gruppe vom nahe des Kilimandscharo gelegenen Kyuli aus zum Rundflug. Die zwei Zahnarztassistentinnen Tamiazzos und deren Ehemänner blieben am Boden. Sie sollten vergeblich auf die Rückkehr der Vier warten.

Nur der Pilot überlebte Als das Flugzeug nicht wie erwartet zurückkehrte, schlug der Besitzer der Lodge, von dem aus die Cessna gestartet war, Alarm. Bereits nach kurzer Suche wurde das Flugzeugwrack in der Nähe des Mawenzi-Gipfels, einem der drei Hauptgipfel des Kilimandscharo, entdeckt. Während der Pilot schwer verletzt geborgen werden konnte, kam für die vier Passagiere jede Hilfe zu spät. Sie dürften beim Aufprall auf der Stelle tot gewesen sein. Aufgrund des schlechten Wetters und des äußerst unzugänglichen Geländes wurden die Leichen der vier Verunglückten erst gestern geborgen. Sie wurden in die Leichenkapelle des kleinen Ortes Moshi in Tansania gebracht. Ereignet haben dürfte sich das Unglück rund eine Stunde nach dem Start. Zum Absturz war es auf einer Höhe von rund 4300 Metern gekommen. Die Unfallursache dürften die Wetterverhältnisse gewesen sein, die sich rapide verschlechtert haben dürften.

• An den Gipfelhängen des Mawenzi lag noch 1978 das Wrack einer mittelgroßen Propellermaschine nebst ungeborgenen Absturzopfern aus einer Bergkollision im Jahr 1955.
• Am 18. Mai 1955 war die Douglas C47B Dakota 4 (DC-3) VP-KKH der East African Airways auf dem Flug 104 EG von Durban über Dar es Salaam nach Nairobi unterwegs und flog dabei in den Mawenzi, dem zweithöchten Punkt am Mount Kilimanjaro. Der Berg war zuvor tagelag mit Wolken verdeckt gewesen. Alle Pasagiere kamen dabei ums Leben.
• Das Wrack der VP-KKH wurde erst am 22. Mai 1955 durch eine Expedition des Mountain Club of Kenya auf einer Höhe von 15.200ft an den Süd-Ost-Hängen des Mawenzi gefunden.
• Die anschließende Untersuchung ergab, das der Grund für den Absturz ein Pilotenfehler war. Der Kapitän der Maschine änderte seine Route zwischen Dar-es-Salaam und Nairobi aufgrund von schlechten Wetters. Er war neu in der Fluggesellschaft und offensichtlich mit der Kommunikation zu alternativen Routen noch nicht so vertraut. ^[7]
• Die direkte Verbindung / Linie der letzten Etappe des Fluges zwischen Dar-es-Salaam und Nairobi verläuft unmittelbar an den Ostflanken des Mawenzi vorbei.

SINGAPORE - The family of Mr Darrel Phee, who died last week from acute altitude sickness on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, are seeking answers on the circumstances leading to his death.

The body of the 28-year-old is set to be flown back to Singapore on Wednesday, his aunt Adelyn Phui told reporters at Changi Airport on Tuesday, when fellow mountaineers from the expedition returned home. ... A representative for Adventures Unlimited told ST that it consulted Mr Phee’s parents about the media queries it has been getting on the incident. “They will prefer privacy on the details of this incident and appreciate some space to grieve,” she said. “Kindly allow us to give them the support they need in this difficult time.” She did not reply to ST’s request for comment on the questions Madam Phui raised. The expedition group said in a Facebook post last Saturday that Mr Phee died from “asphyxia/Hape”. Hape, or high-altitude pulmonary edema, happens when excess fluid is produced in the body’s lungs, causing breathlessness or fatigue. It can be fatal. ...

Known as the Pensioner Adventurer, Aleksander Doba leaves a legacy of achievement of which both he, and Poland, can be proud. - The famous Polish adventurer Aleksander Doba, known for feats such as crossing the Atlantic in a kayak and swimming the entire Polish coast, died this week at the age 74, at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Born in 1946, in Swarzęd, near the city of Poznań, Doba got into kayaking, the discipline that would make him internationally famous, relatively late, at 34. And it was’t until he was 65, in 2010, that he would embark on the first in a series of three journeys across the Atlantic Ocean, earning him the nickname “pensioner adventurer”.
Kilimanjaro - This year, Doba set out to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. “[Aleksander Doba] died the death of a traveller reaching Africa’s highest peak – Kilimanjaro, fulfilling his dreams,” Doba’s family wrote in a Facebook post. According to fellow travellers, Doba reached the summit of the mountain on February 22, and paused to take a photograph. He then fell unconscious and couldn’t be resuscitated. Doba leaves behind his wife and family, and a legacy of adventure and achievement that has made him a hero in his native Poland.

A B.C. man has died in a parachute accident in Tanzania after paragliding from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. A tweet by Tanzania Parks, the agency that manages the African nation’s 16 national parks, says tourist Justin Kyllo, 51, died Saturday morning after an accident on the mountain at Stella Point. Kyllo was the owner of Smoke and Bones BBQ, a restaurant and catering company in North Vancouver, B.C. . A Facebook post from the restaurant earlier this month says Kyllo and his wife, Cheryl, would be taking part in the annual Wings Of Kilimanjaro charity event. The event’s website says participants ascend Kilimanjaro’s 5,895-metre peak and paraglide back down in order to raise money for community projects in Tanzania. This year’s event was meant to raise money to expand an elementary school that is over capacity, according to the restaurant’s Facebook post. Kyllo’s fundraising page on the website says he has participated in the event in 2013 and 2016. His wife Cheryl’s own fundraising page says she took part in 2016. It’s not yet known if Cheryl Kyllo was involved in her husband’s jump, or if she suffered any injuries. A person who answered the phone at the restaurant Sunday said the family is asking for privacy and isn’t commenting right now. Global Affairs Canada says in an email that consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information.

Der 57-jährige Mann aus Auckland (Neuseeland) starb vergangene Woche aufgrund von Komplikationen im Zusammenhang mit seiner Höhenkrankheit auf dem Weg zum Gipfel des höchsten Berg Afrikas. "Es stand immer auf seiner Todo-Liste." erzählte seine Frau Lisa Clark "Ich war jedoch nicht so scharf darauf." Die Zurückhaltung seiner Frau hielt ihn jedoch nicht davon abseinen Traum zu verwirklichen. Im Januar waren sich Clark und sein ältester Sohn Byron einig, dass sie die Reise machen sollten, bevor Clark "zu alt werden würde". Innerhalb weniger Tage hatten sie die Reise geplant und ihre Flüge gebucht. "Er war aufgeregt und ein wenig nachdenklich. Er wusste, dass es gefährlich war." erinnert sich Lisa Clark. Das Letzte, was sie ihrem Mann sagte, bevor er nach Afrika flog, war eine Warnung. "Ich sagte zu ihm am Flughafen: Trauen dich ja nicht am Berg zu sterben."... und er tat es. Der Plan war, dass der Vater und der Sohn den Berg erklimmen und danach gemeinsam eine Safari machten. Allerdings wurden die Tage des Aufstiegs für Brett Clark zu einem Kampf. Schließlich sagte er seinem Sohn an der 3000-Meter-Marke, dass er zu schwach sei, um weiterzumachen und ermutigte ihn jedoch weiter zu klettern. Clark wurde den Berg hinunter gebracht, bevor er mit dem Krankenwagen zum Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre zur Behandlung von Komplikationen im Zusammenhang mit seiner Höhenkrankheit transportiert wurde. Der Sauerstoffgehalt in seinem Blut war viel zu niedrig als er auf die Intensivstation gebracht wurde. Während seines Krankenhausaufenthalts blieb er zwei Tage lang bewusstlos und schickte dann am 7. Februar eine SMS an seinen Sohn Conrad in Neuseeland: "Ich liebe dich mein Sohn und sag Lisa, dass ich sie auch liebe." Kurz darauf verlor er das Bewusstsein aufgrund der Zunahme von Flüssigkeit in seiner Lunge, was als Lungenödem bekannt ist. Dies führte zu weiteren Komplikationen und letztlich zu Herzinsuffizienz. "Wir standen unter dem Eindruck, dass es sich für Brett verbessert hat." sagte Lisa Clark. "Dann habe ich den Anruf bekommen. Das war verheerend. Absolut schrecklich." Byron war dann am Montag ohne seinen Vater aus Afrika zurückgekehrt und hatte seiner Mutter aber ein besonderes Andenken mitgebracht. "Byron brachte mir den Ehering von meinem Mann zurück, worübern ich sehr erleichtert war. Ich habe immer noch das Gefühl, dass Brett in der Tür jede Sekunde zu Fuß gehen wird ... Jetzt ist es nur noch Totenstille." so Lisa Clark. Pläne, Brett Clark nach Neuseeland nach Hause zu bringen, werden noch geprüft. ^[11]

Den gewaltigen Schneemassen am Kibo im Jahr 2018 müssen heftige Winde und sehr ergiebige Regenfälle gefolgt sein. Mein Guide Godbless schrieb mir Ende November 2018, dass aufgrund der diesjährigen außergewöhnlichen Naturereignisse 4 Climber ihr Leben verloren haben: 1 im Caranga Camp, 2 auf der Rongai Route und 1 im Horombo Camp. Genaueres zu den Umständen konnte er mir nicht berichten. Besonders heftig müssen die Verhältnisse auch im Barafu Camp gewesen sein: Es wurde vorübergehend geschlossen. Also kein Aufstieg zum Stella Point. An Stelle dessen wurde eine provisorische Aufstiegsroute vom Caranga Camp zum Summit eingerichtet. Mittlerweile haben sich die Aufstiegsmöglichkeiten wieder normalisiert. ^[12]

Super, wie er durch die Wolkendecke spitzt! Mal mit ein bisschen Schnee... Mein Trainingspartner (Bergsteiger in Bestform) ist letzten Herbst leider auf dem Kili gestorben. Dieser Berg wird gerne banalisiert – ist aber nicht zu unterschätzen ... Toll, dass Du Dir immer wieder die Zeit fürs fotografieren und posten nimmst. Im Gegensatz zu den vielen Katzenfotos, Selfies und Essensbildern haben Deine Bilder aus der ISS immer Relevanz ...

A 53-year-old Dutch man died on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on Friday. The believed cause of death ist heart failure, a friend who climbed the highest mountain in Africa with victim Jack Delleport, said to BN De Sterm. "We reached the summit on Friday morning at 06:15, after which he suddenly became unwell. There was immediate help from guides and people with oxygen and measuring equipment to measure blood levels and heart rate", the friend said to the newspaper. A rescue mission was quickly launched to take Delleport down the mountain by car. Twelve hours later, when his friend reached the bottom, he was informed that Delleport did not make it. His body will be flown to the Netherlands on Friday. Delleport's death shocked his friend. "We traveled together a lot and climbed a lot, in Scotland, base camp Mount Everest. In Europe, in Asia, always with a lot of fun and success", he said to the newspaper. ...

A 35-year-old Irish woman has died while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The woman has been named locally as Majella Duffy from Rathcormac, Co Cork. The cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Ms Duffy’s family members were notified of her death on Friday afternoon. The Department of Foreign Affairs will liaise with her family in coming days on bringing home her body. It is understood Ms Duffy decided to take on the challenge of climbing the mountain in memory of her late father, who died of a heart attack, and to raise money for the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF). She had been well-known in the bodybuilding community in Ireland. ....

Arusha. A Norwegian tourist died while climbing the Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, police said on Monday. Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Wilbroad Mutafungwa said Mr Johan Aclep, 54, died on Saturday while trying to scale the snow-capped mountain. He said that the man started the journey through Rongai Gate in Rombo District, but suddenly fell sick and died at Simba, one of the camps on the way to the mountain’s summit. This was the third death of a tourist in 2016 on the mountain. In September, a Chinese national died of pulmonary Oedema while climbing the mountain. And in July, a South African race car driver died while attempting to scale the mountain after experiencing breathing problems. Climbing Kilimanjaro is described as one of the most dangerous things for bold adventurers. Approximately 1,000 people are evacuated from the mountain, and 10 deaths are reported every year, mainly caused by altitude sickness. ...

Moshi — A Chinese national, Zhu Yush (27), has died while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, police have confirmed.

Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Willbrod Mutafungwa, said the incident occurred on Wednesday at Kijiweni Kabamba in Kibosho, Moshi District. He said the late Yush arrived in the country on September 3 via the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) with intention to climb Africa's highest mountain. According to the RPC, preliminary investigations into the death of the late Yush, who held passport number E43941406, show that his death came as a result of altitude sickness. Mr Mutafungwa said the body of the deceased has been preserved at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), where a postmortem will be conducted as procedures to transport the body are underway. ....

A sad finish to our Kilimanjaro Trek
Oct 03, 2013, 2:36 PM
I never imagined that I would have such a life effecting experience. I was part of a group that reached the summit the night before yesterday. The trek on the Rongai route was quite nice and not as difficult as expected. But the summit night was nearly impossible. Thanks to the trekking team the entire group reached the summit.
The big change was today on our way down from the mountain. We encountered part of a group that was comming down with one of the people in the group that died earlier in the day. The idian man from Australia was trekking the Marangu route. Evidently he died from AMS complications, which I understand can be common on this route. I spoke with one of the others in the group and was shocked what I heard and I think it is important to make others aware of the risk and what to watch out for.
He told me that the man that died had been quite sick for the last day and a half. He was sure the guide would not allow him to continue on several occasions. But instead the guide kept telling him to keep moving. The group thinks that the team was more interested in getting their tips from happy clients than watching out for their health of each person. So they pushed the envelope, knowing that someone that makes it to the summit is ready to give better tips than someone that does not.
Long story short, I had been considering taking this route with Zara. The company that this group was climbing with. Maybe by luck or some grater force looking out for me I saw a video on youtube that talked about porter treatment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0-vF5EssxY
I did look into a few of the companies that the video showed in good light and ended up trekking with a different one. They convinced me to not go on the Marangu route. But thanks to the video I abandond the idea of Trekking with Zara. If they are so busy trying to make money they can't care for their own staff, how could I count on the same staff to take care of me.
I have never seen a body of a dead person before in my life. This time I also did not see the body, but just knowing that there was a dead person under the sheets, made me think that it could have been me. Maybe this does not happen often, but why take the risk to save a few dollars.

Am 07.02.2013 stand ich um 06.50 Uhr total ausgelaugt oben und hatte mir bis dahin keine Gedanken über den Rückweg gemacht - gipfelfixiert eben. Der Rückweg war mehr als hart, einen derartigen Erschöpfungszustand hatte ich trotz intensiver Vorbereitung noch nie erlebt. Beim Stella Point dann der Schock: Ein Asiate war unmittelbar als wir passierten verstorben, was wohl nicht ganz so selten vorkommt. Es bleibt die Frage, ob der Gipfelerfolg wirklich ein Erfolg ist ....

London: A 69-year-old Briton collapsed and died just minutes after fulfilling a life-long ambition to climb Africa's highest mountain peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. Businessman Alistair Cook had just sent a text message to his wife Vicky, telling her his achievement when he suffered a fatal heart attack, the Daily Express reported. An experienced hiker, Cook said he felt "exhausted but so happy" after reaching the 5,895-metre-high summit. The expedition was arranged to mark his coming 70th birthday. He was the first of a five-member team to reach the top of the mountain in Tanzania. He undertook the mountain trek with four other climbers as part of a trip organised by Team Kilimanjaro, a company which specialises in climbing holidays. The incident happened on the descent. "A lady he was climbing with told me he said to her, 'It's the hardest thing I have ever done, but I feel ecstatic'. I think that is a great tribute to Alistair and the man he was. He had lots of energy and enthusiasm -- a passion for life," Cook's wife Vicky said. Cook had trained for about 18 months for the climb, and walked near his home every morning. He had also scaled Mount Snowdon in Wales, in preparation for the challenge. Cook was an engineer by trade, but founded a picture-framing firm in Leicestershire 34 years ago.

I am not at liberty to publicly post details at this time, but my husband died while on an adventure travel trip with Geographic Expeditions Inc. Everyone needs to do lots of research and educate yourselves on safety wherever you go and ask a lot of questions. Be safe. ....

Kenneth A. Moskow of Concord and Chilmark died unexpectedly at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on Sept. 19. 2008. He was 48; the cause of death is believed to be due to altitude sickness.

“Ken really loved people and people loved Ken,” his brother Keith said in a eulogy delivered at his memorial service. “Ken pushed himself to achieve in whatever he attempted to do. Ken loved adventures and challenges. Ken would appreciate an epitaph that says, ‘Died at the summit of Kilimanjaro.’ Unfortunately it happened 40 years too soon.”
...

CARE Canada says a volunteer died during a fundraising climb on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The agency says Marcel Bujold, 65, of Carleton, Quebec, died Thursday as he was being evacuated from the mountain due to illness. A. John Watson, the president and C-E-O of CARE Canada, said they are devastated by the news. Andrea Lanthier-Seymour, a CARE Canada spokeswoman, said after suffering some distress Wednesday, Mr. Bujold was provided oxygen and was accompanied by one medically trained guide and four porters to return to the base of the mountain. But his condition deteriorated, and hours into the evacuation he died. Former deputy prime minister John Manley, who is participating in the climb, said on his Globe and Mail blog Saturday the news of Mr. Bujold's death was devastating for everyone involved in the climb. Mr. Bujold was climbing with a separate group from Mr. Manley's when he fell ill. "At this time, I still don't know what was the cause of death nor whether it was mountain or atmosphere related. It was devastating news for everyone involved in the climb," Mr. Manley wrote. "We developed a plan to try to help as much as possible Marcel's wife, Pauline, who was climbing with him. I contacted the Canadian High Commission in Dar el Salaam, which immediately began to take action to assist her by sending a consular officer to Moshi the next morning," he wrote. "Early next morning (we were wakened at 5) we informed the climbers of Paul's departure, and of the sad event in the other group. Few in our group knew Marcel but one who did said that he loved mountains, he was deeply involved in CARE, and that this was to be the climb of his life. Many tears were shed, and we all resolved to carry on, dedicating our climb to Marcel's memory." Four climbers returned to the base to be with Pauline Bujold.

In the past decade or so, there have been a several really highly publicized deaths associated with rockfalls on the Western Breach trail. In January 2006 a group of hikers was struck with a rockfall of an estimated 29 tons of rock tumbling down the Western Breach. It was a very windy day so it is thought that they never heard it coming until it was upon them. It killed three climbers and severely injured one other climber and four Tanzanian porters. Another incident happened in September 2015, when a mixed group of experienced alpine scientists and relative amateurs were ascending the Western Breach. When the rockslide came, the experts barely had time to dive for meager cover and when they picked themselves back up they found that one of the more novice climbers had been struck by an SUV-sized rock and his wife was trying to resuscitate him.

Plötzlich kommen die Forscher nicht weiter. Der steile Pfad ist von einem Erdrutsch versperrt. Was genau dort geschehen ist, darüber hüllt sich die Nationalparkverwaltung in Schweigen. Anfang Januar habe ein Erdrutsch eine Reisegruppe verschüttet, erzählen die einheimischen Bergführer. Drei US-Touristen wurden tot geborgen, die Leichen von etwa zehn Trägern liegen angeblich noch unter dem Geröll. Anscheinend war das Eis, das die Steine gehalten hatte, abgeschmolzen.

A RETIRED teacher died on Mount Kilimanjaro without realising her dream of reaching its summit.

Kath Hilton, 56, suffered breathing difficulties at 14,000ft on the charity fundraising trek up the 19,336ft mountain - the highest in Africa. She returned to base camp at 2,000ft, but collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack. Mrs Hilton, a magistrate, lay Methodist preacher and school governor from Glazebury near Warrington, hoped to raise £4,500 for the town's St Rocco's Hospice. Her niece, Ruth Hilton, said: "Kath was a wonderful person." A hospice spokesman said: "It was her dream to climb Kilimanjaro. Our thoughts and hearts are with her family." Mrs Hilton taught at Lymm High School for 26 years. Head teacher Roger Lounds said: "She was very much looking forward to the project of climbing Kilimanjaro. We were very sad to hear of her death." Mrs Hilton was also chairman of governors at Westleigh Methodist Primary School. Head teacher Anne Bowyer said: "She was a wonderful person of very strong faith who was committed to the service of others." Mrs Hilton raised £600 for the hospice from a calendar of Glazebury, and was hoping to join a group doing voluntary service work overseas next year. It is understood her body is still in Tanzania waiting to be brought back to Britain for a funeral service.

Jürgen RAITH † 29. Juli 2004 Diese Seite ist Jürgen RAITH gewidmet, der im Alter von 39 Jahren am 29. Juli 2004 beim Abstieg vom Kilimanjaro verstarb.

"Was soll denn diese Seite?" ... wird sich so mancher fragen. Und ist der Kilimanjaro ein Killer? Auch wenn es sehr plakativ klingt, ich sage JA!

Ich möchte mit dieser Seite warnen.

Was die meisten - wie auch ich - bisher nicht wussten: es sind schon so viele hier am Kilimanjaro auf die gleiche rätselhafte Weise gestorben, wie mein Freund Jürgen, an dessen Seite ich bei seinem Todeskampf war. Die Ärzte vor Ort erzählten mir später, dass dies kein „tragischer Einzelfall“ war, sondern gewissermaßen regelmäßig passiert und eigentlich immer dieselben trifft: gesunde, ja sportliche Männer im sogenannten „besten Alter“. Jürgen war ein Sportler, wie er im Buche steht. Er lief Marathon, fuhr Radrennen. Nichts konnte ihn umhauen, keine Herausforderung war ihm zu groß ...

The death of three Tanzanian porters on Mount Kilimanjaro nearly two months ago has raised concern about the plight of local people hired to accompany climbers scaling the world's big peaks. The three men died during a violent storm on the 19,340-foot (5,895 meters) mountain—the highest peak in Africa. They were not all in the same party, but are thought to have died of hypothermia on the same day, September 17. About 20,000 climbers attempt the ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro every year. Fall is the prime climbing season because the weather is relatively tame that time of year. This year, however, the week of September 17 had the worst weather conditions on the mountain that some people had seen in a dozen years. "All week the rain was very heavy, with wind blowing extraordinarily," said Debbie Addison, co-owner and manager of South Africa-based Wild Frontiers. "Then there was a sudden drop in temperature, compounded by the wind chill coming down off the summit." Her company had employed Anthony Minja, one of the porters who died. According to a post-mortem report, 47-year-old Minja died of acute cardiovascular failure, most likely related to hypothermia and possibly altitude sickness. He had been climbing along the Machame route with a group led by Wild Frontiers' local operator in Tanzania, Keys Hotel and Tours, when he decided to descend the mountain on his own. He separated from the main group on the third day of the six-day climb, and his body was later found at 12,630 feet (3,849 meters), between the Shira and Baranco camps. It had been his first trip up Kilimanjaro as a porter. The other two porters had been working for Tanzania-based Zara International. One died along the Machame route, the other while climbing the Marangu route. The exact causes of their deaths was not reported, and no additional information about them was available. Most Kilimanjaro porters and guides are members of the Chagga tribe, who live in the town of Moshi and surrounding villages at the base of the mountain. For the most part, local Chagga towns have subsistence economies. Since 1977, however, after Tanzania's national parks service officially opened the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve, tourism has become a primary source of income for the Chagga.

Die Nachricht traf uns als Schock. Er war doch nur für ein paar Wochen in den Urlaub geflogen.

Tributes: L.A. librarian had scaled more than 270 peaks worldwide and pushed to the top of Africa's highest mountain despite breathing problems.
Just before Christmas, Jennifer Lambelet Mencken had hoisted a holiday flag in front of her Spanish-style house in Long Beach. The small red banner with white letters read, "JOY." Friends on Wednesday, remembering the Los Angeles librarian, said that message expressed a lot about Mencken's love for life and her devotion to mountain climbing. Before she departed on what would be her last hiking adventure, to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, she told friends that she looked forward to returning with her husband to the home they had purchased just months before. But she never came back. The 53-year-old Mencken collapsed and died Saturday shortly after climbing to the summit of 19,000-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro, her husband, Raymond, told Associated Press.