americasroof news

International backcountry accident wrap up:

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Backcountry Accident Reports at February 24, 2006

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State Highpoint News
Warm weather records broken on Mount Washington
Boston Globe – United States
MOUNT WASHINGTON, NH Ã�¢ââ��‰â�¬Å�Talk about a warm winter Ã�¢ââ��‰â�¬Â� it’s been raining on top of Mount Washington. Tim Markle, chief meteorologist Ã�¢ââ��¬Ã�¦
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The increase in Kilimanjaro fees from US $30 to $60 has not decreased the number of visitors.
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Authorities have closed a trail to Kilimanjaro After three Americans were killed in a rock slide.
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Bloomberg reports the world’s largest tanzanite gem — rarer than diamonds — was discovered near Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.
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Xinhuanet reports Austrians Peter Gruber and Thomas Brunauer claim to have a round Kilimanjaro record of 9 hours and 50 minutes.
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The Guardian reports Sean Burch from Washington State climbed Kilimanjaro from Gate to summit in a record 5 hours 28 minutes and 58 seconds.
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The BBC reports Tanzania is upset that Kenya told tourist operators Kilimanjaro is in Kenya.
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The News Tribune reports that Rainier Mountaineering Inc. which will lose its monoply to Rainier guided climbs in 2006 plans to leads trip to 5 of the 7 summits.
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Xinhuanet reports that an elephant with a calf attacked off trail hikers at Murchison Falls National Park,some 350 km northwest of Kampala.
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The Guardian reports the Tanzania National Parks Authority is proposing to increase the entrance fees to Serengeti and Kilimanjaro National Parks from $30 US to $100 US.

AllAfrica tells a story of corruption regarding Kilimanjaro permits causing overcrowding on the mountain. More than 25,000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro each year, often paying thousands of dollars for the privilege, and each of the three routes up the mountain is supposed to have a set limit of climbers each day. But the Marangu trail in particular, which has a daily limit of 67 people, often had double that number in this February. The result has been overcrowding in the huts, long waits for food and worst of all, porters being forced to sleep outside in freezing temperatures, which sometimes drop to as low as minus 12 centigrade. But the Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) Director General, Gerald Bigurube said he has received no such complaints. The complaints note that guides are not sharing tips with the porters who often carry more than the legal limit of 110 pounds (50 kg) One Western company, Exodus, has stopped using the Marangu route because of these problems, describing it as the “Coca-Cola route.” The Marangu trail is particularly popular as it is quicker and the only one with huts for sleeping in.

The London Times reports porters who carry bags up Mount Kilimanjaro to alert the world to horrible conditions including as many as ten porters being forced to sleep in tents designed for four, no sleeping bags or mats and not providing adequate cold weather clothes (usually what they have is provided by tourists). The group is supported by the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) started work on a new medical post and shelter at Machermo in Nepal. Previously porters were forced to sleep in caves there.

Websites:
www.kilimanjaro-union.com
www.ippg.net
www.tourismconcern.org.uk

Cops on Top Expedition has gotten notice of the ultimate geek site slashdot.org because of its use of its audio blog via satellite phone (you can listen via mp3) of its expedition up Kilimanjaro. There’s an interesting debate there on the use of blogs for outdoor events. The technolgy interest may be underscored because of San Francisco involvement.

Links:
Our earlier article on the Cops Corporate Sponsorship of the 7 summit bid.
Slashdot Article
Cops on top summit report
Their audilog: