Marc Lurie wrote:
I summited Kili via Stella Point(Shira Route) in 2003 in poor weather
(-12 deg C, wind, snow blizzard) . I can't talk for others, but I can
assure you that there was absolutely no way that I could do any
adventuring around :-)

It was so exhausting and uncomfortable (not to mention dangerous) that
DOWN was all I wanted. Even my much fitter friends (one a tri-athlete
and iron man contestant, and two are marathon runners and cyclists)
had a tough time of it.

I don't know your level of experience at altitudes above 5200m, but
unless you have a lot of experience and EXCELLENT guides, don't plan
to do too much. An inexperienced climber would be totally out of their
safety zone wandering about on Kili.

Just my 2c worth...

Marc,

Thanks for the post. If we are faced with treacherous conditions like
you described, I don't expect to do any extra adventuring whatsoever.
Congratulations on making the summit.

Do you recall how many days you spent on the mountain? The
conventional wisdom seems to be that 5 days on the mountain (such as
via Marangu route) makes the trip much harder. We are taking the
longest option of 7 days (Lemosho route) to be as fit as possible for
summit day.

Our experience level is moderate, but confined to 4200m and below. Our
fitness level is good (e.g. 2 hr45 marathon). Our style is careful.
Much will depend on acclimatization and weather, but we hope to at
least give ourselves a chance for a very rare opportunity.

By the way, are you glad you went? Was it a good trip?

-Tom