Martina battles blizzard, slogs up Kilimanjaro for charity

Snowy, cloudy skies are obscuring the breathtaking surroundings. The mood of the group teeters between exhaustion and exhilaration. Climbing the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro is even harder than they thought.

“The going is getting tougher and tougher. It seems to be constantly steep and as we started to approach the highest point yet, 4,500 metres above sea level, sheer exhaustion sets in for much of the group, and with heavy legs and chests pounding due to a lack of oxygen, every step becomes an effort,” Aspen resident and nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova wrote in her blog this morning.

The tennis star is climbing the tallest free-standing mountain in the world along with 27 others to raise money for disadvantaged children around the world. Today the climbers are crossing a barren alpine desert saddled 14,765 feet high between two of Kilimanjaro's three volcanic cones, Kibo and Mawenzi.

When she reaches the 19,341-foot summit, Navratilova, 54, plans to do what else but knock around some tennis balls. She brought her racket to see just how far balls fly off earth's fourth most prominent peak.

But first she and her companions must make it to the top.

Her dispatch yesterday cast some doubt on whether that would actually happen.

“Well, no one prepared me for this,” Navratilova wrote. “As we headed for Mawenzi Tarn, we have had to fight our way through blizzards and cope with unexpected bitter cold. The snow is not settling on the ground, thank goodness, but still the conditions are very difficult and unpleasant. The guides tell me this is most unusual, but that is not much consolation. I brought my sun-block with me, but clearly that’s not going to be needed. We have sent a message down to our base camp to bring up thicker gloves, hand warmers and more heavy clothing. I was expecting it to be cold and snowy, but not so soon.”

They were supposed to embark on an acclimatization walk yesterday on Mawenzi but the snow and poor visibility made it “too dangerous,” Navratilova added.

The arduous climb is bringing the group closer together, she noted, and today the weather improved.

“It has been tougher than I imagined, but that is when everyone has come together to support each other,” wrote Navratilova, diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.

Others on the trek for charity — benefiting the London-based Laureus Sport for Good Foundation — include German Paralympic cyclist Michael Teuber and British Olympic badminton star Gail Emms.

“Paralympic cyclist Michael Teuber is amazing, he keeps walking past me at a great pace, and he doesn’t stop smiling,” Navratilova noted in her blog on the second day of their journey.

The group plans to reach the top of Tanzania's Mount Kilamanjaro this weekend.

To donate to the cause, click on this link

River Name / Location	Stream flow, ft3/s	Gage height ft
Gore Creek
At Upper Station, Near I-70 Twin Bridges	n/a	4 ft
Booth Creek	n/a	4 ft
Abv Red Sandstone Creek At Vail	190	6 ft
At Mouth Near Minturn	223	7 ft
Beaver Creek
At Avon	21	2 ft
Lake Creek
Near Edwards	79	1 ft
Cross Creek
Near Minturn	100	4 ft
Homestake Creek
At Gold Park	127	5 ft
Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River Near Climax	n/a	2 ft
At Red Cliff	30	3 ft
Near Minturn	234	4 ft
Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon	671	5 ft
Below Gypsum	826	5 ft
Colorado River
Near Kremmling	404	4 ft
Near Dotsero	1,630	3 ft
Below Glenwood Springs	3,140	5 ft
Near Cameo	3,740	6 ft
Below Grand Valley Div Nr Palisade	2,080	5 ft
Near Colorado-utah State Line	4,120	4 ft
Near Cisco, Ut	4,060	3 ft
At Lees Ferry, Az	12,100	9 ft
Near Grand Canyon, Az	12,200	9 ft
Yuma Main Canal Ww At Yuma, Az	987	10 ft
Roaring Fork River
Abv Lost Man Cr Near Aspen	n/a	n/a ft
Ab Difficult C Nr Aspen	53	1 ft
Near Aspen	78	1 ft
Near Emma	476	6 ft
At Glenwood Springs	1,160	3 ft
Hunter Creek
Near Aspen	56	2 ft
At Aspen	47	4 ft
Frying Pan River
Near Ruedi	113	2 ft
Crystal River
Abv Avalanche Crk, Near Redstone	540	2 ft
Arkansas River
Ef Arkansas R At Us Highway 24, Nr Leadville	47	3 ft
Near Leadville	86	5 ft
Below Empire Gulch Near Malta	156	3 ft
Below Granite	453	4 ft
Near Nathrop	451	4 ft
At Parkdale	464	3 ft